Cars You Never See Anymore

[Roadkill]

I was never a Volvo fan but I always liked the 262C. David Bowie had one.

Was the enormous dog in the back fitted as standard, or was that an extra-cost option?

I like the 262, though the gold doesn't suit it IMO: silver with a black vinyl roof is how they should look!

 

[dessiato]

I keep thinking I should buy a convertible Volvo.

 

[T & P]

They were based on a Renault (11)

(ETA: Beaten to it by quite a few posts. I should read the rest of the thread before jumping to quote posts...)

Renault 12, actually. At least based on the shape. Renault 11 was a hatchback.

 

[T & P]

There's an active R4 enthusiasts scene in Portugal. Even magazines about them. I fancy one as a second car. Surf boards on the roof ...

My father had a 1966 R4 and a Morris Mini of same age in the 1960s. We were a two car family!

Renault 4s were the daddy of the small commercial vehicle segment back in the day, in the Continent at least. Just looking at the picture upthread brought up fond memories of my childhood summer holidays, when mobile bakers would drive around resorts every morning selling freshly made baguettes out of the back of their R4s

 

[dessiato]

Renault 4s were the daddy of the small commercial vehicle segment back in the day, in the Continent at least. Just looking at the picture upthread brought up fond memories of my childhood summer holidays, when mobile bakers would drive around resorts every morning selling freshly made baguettes out of the back of their R4s

I could be very tempted but they are surprisingly expensive here.

 

[Sasaferrato]

They were based on a Renault (11)

The number plate would be more apt for an early Japanese import. Rusted to fragments.

 

[rubbershoes]

Er ... did you mean to post that on this thread?!

Well done for quoting it and saving it for the nation.

 

[kebabking]

Mondeos, especially new ones. What is Mondeo man driving these days?

Skoda Octavia. I had 4 (or 5), and really liked them - but I fancied a change. Not much of a change, obviously....

 

[Sasaferrato]

One these was parked along the road from us when we lived in Berlin. NSU RO80

Rotary engine. Superb concept, but the seals on the lobes wore very quickly, so it never really caught on.

 

[dessiato]

I like this one:

1986 Renault V40 in Switzerland - For Sale | Car & Classi...

1986 Renault V40 in Switzerland - For Sale | Car & Classic, £0 Renault Renault 4 GTL - 1986 for sale with 200Km. More pictures and inform...

www.carandclassic.co.uk

 

[peterkro]

Renault 4s were the daddy of the small commercial vehicle segment back in the day, in the Continent at least. Just looking at the picture upthread brought up fond memories of my childhood summer holidays, when mobile bakers would drive around resorts every morning selling freshly made baguettes out of the back of their R4s

In parts of France ( the once Catalan speaking areas for instance) they still do.

 

[dessiato]

Skoda Octavia. I had 4 (or 5), and really liked them - but I fancied a change. Not much of a change, obviously....

I’m told they’re very good

 

[Roadkill]

I’m told they’re very good

My brother has one, and it's excellent - comfortable, practical, spacious, nice to drive, cheap to run and never goes wrong. But to me it isn't a proper Skoda, which brings us back to the thread topic:

Fifteen years ago tatty old Skoda Estelles and Rapids were everywhere and you couldn't give them away. Now they're extremely rare, and when they do come up for sale they go for strong money.

 

[not-bono-ever]

I could be very tempted but they are surprisingly expensive here.

Plenty in the EU Balkans- get one in Slov or Cro and drive it back.

 

[dessiato]

Plenty in the EU Balkans- get one in Slov or Cro and drive it back.

That could be fun. But import here could be expensive. It cost 1000€ for my Astra. But including that it would be cheaper than buying here.

 

[Tankus]

All those Austins A35... It was my dad's first car

Got to luv the double parking

 

[T & P]

Citroen BX. Can't remember the last time I saw one in this country. Perhaps it was not a big seller in the UK? In the Continent it was fairly common in its heyday

 

[Detroit City]

One these was parked along the road from us when we lived in Berlin. NSU RO80

Rotary engine. Superb concept, but the seals on the lobes wore very quickly, so it never really caught on.

I like that

 

[Roadkill]

Citroen BX. Can't remember the last time I saw one in this country. Perhaps it was not a big seller in the UK? In the Continent it was fairly common in its heyday

It sold pretty well here, I think. Not Ford or Vauxhall levels, but it was a common enough sight. They stopped making them in the early 90s, though, so even the youngest survivor is a quarter of a century old, which is far more than the average car manages.

On a related note, the BX's big brother was never common to start with and certainly isn't often seen now:

I always liked these things, but then I have a liking for older Citroens, before they knocked all the quirkiness out of them...

 

[Teaboy]

^^^ Was that one of the ones that had a lowering device for the boot? Proper weird that was.

 

[not-bono-ever]

i love ladas me. haven't seen one for a year or so. they did produce a wankel engined version which i have never come across like ever- unsurprising as the motors had a working life of 20 k km. yes a rotary lada

 

[Saul Goodman]

View attachment 218486

i love ladas me. haven't seen one for a year or so. they did produce a wankel engined version which i have never come across like ever- unsurprising as the motors had a working life of 20 k km. yes a rotary lada

Who made the [rotary] engine for them?

 

[T & P]

^^^ Was that one of the ones that had a lowering device for the boot? Proper weird that was.

Not an expert on them but IIRC a number of Citroen models had a highly innovative hydraulic suspension that among other things would automatically lower and raise the car when respectively parking it and starting it.

I remember an old episode of Top Gear in which Clarkson demonstrated how (at the time) Citroens were the go-to cars to mount cameras onto to broadcast live horse racing, as they were the only cars stable enough to allow filming alongside the track as the car travelled at speed on the grass following the race. He went on to to put a TV camera on top of a quality 4x4 proper off-road vehicle by another car maker, and the foot was so shaky i was unusable.

 

[Spymaster]

Who made the [rotary] engine for them?

They made their own.

 

[Saul Goodman]

Not an expert on them but IIRC a number of Citroen models had a highly innovative hydraulic suspension that among other things would automatically lower and raise the car when respectively parking it and starting it.

I remember an old episode of Top Gear in which Clarkson demonstrated how (at the time) Citroens were the go-to cars to mount cameras onto to broadcast live horse racing, as they were the only cars stable enough to allow filming alongside the track as the car travelled at speed on the grass following the race. He went on to to put a TV camera on top of a quality 4x4 proper off-road vehicle by another car maker, and the foot was so shaky i was unusable.

I owned a diesel BX. It had a lever near the handbrake, to raise and lower the suspension. The suspension was a nightmare. The accumulators were constantly popping on it, maybe something to do with the hammering it got on poor roads in Ireland.

 

[Saul Goodman]

They made their own.

Fair play to them. Shame they didn't last, but all of those rotary engines suffered from tip longevity problems.

 

[not-bono-ever]

Who made the [rotary] engine for them?

them

 

[hash tag]

It's so tiny with a distinct lack of comfort and safety features

 

[DownwardDog]

Imagine being in a crash in one.

 

[existentialist]

Imagine being in a crash in one.

I guess you probably didn't have the incineration problem of the original Mini, given that you'd be flung out of the thing pretty sharpish...leaving only the minor detail of severe bodily injury to contend with.