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| Authors note: Please be aware that what follows is just my opinion based on my experiences in this subject. All matters relating to motoring law, or any other legal/official matters should be pursued with the relevant authorities. I cannot accept any liability for loss/damage/divorce/grey hair or any other misfortune based on any of the following advice, given as it is in good faith only. Ta. |
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Regular cars of the 1980s and early 1990s rarely set the world alight with their dynamism and creativity, most treading the well worn path of delivering something anaemic and grey. Throughout the yuppy 1980s, there were a small number of regular family cars that came along and dared to be a little bit different. The Ford Sierra has already been mentioned, 'men and machine in perfect harmony' the advertising blurb went, Ford making a big deal of the Sierras wind-cheating aerodynamics and robotic manufacturing process, something that FIAT had done a few years earlier with the tinfoil Strada. The Sierra was indeed a leap into the unknown for Ford, having previously been churning out predictable 3 box saloons (Cortina) for umpteen years. Most Sierras spent their lives doing battle as fleet cars and repmobiles, so early survivors in sound fettle are not too common (many Sierras and Granadas have been lost to banger racing over the years), especially the very basic peasant version, with the black front lamp panel, something I've not seen on the roads for ages, and surely as preservation-worthy as the very early 105E Anglia 'fleet' (ie poverty spec) models of the sixties. Audi were soon to jump on the aerodynamics above all else bandwagon in the early 1980s, their slippery 100 model being the most windcheating car to date, employing all manner of little tricks to keep the drag down. This concentration on drag coefficiency (Cd) back then led to some spectacularly dull motor cars, Audi being one of the most guilty, with the exception of some Quattros which proved they could still make interesting cars if they tried. SAAB gradually started losing the plot once GM took them over, the idiosyncratic 900s of old being replaced with altogether duller offerings on Cavalier platforms, instantly propelling all versions of the 'classic' 900 (especially the 16S and Carlsson turbo versions) to 'modern classic' status overnight, the cars still being sought after nearly 10 years since the last proper SAAB car (as opposed to aircraft) rolled off the line. Volvo throughout the 70s and 80s stuck with their regular offerings of safe and splendidly dull saloons and estates, the UK market sadly never receiving official imports of the 242 Turbo which has success in European touring car races during the 1980s. Although the 240 is slowly developing a slight charm, most old Volvos deserve to act as hardcore for the next motorway building programme. Early 343s are thin on the ground now, and seeing a good preserved one is now a reminder of just how dull Volvo cars in the 1970s really were, time now giving them a slight warm nostalgic appearance. Perhaps the only blip of glamour on an otherwise drab vista was the 262 Coupe, a bizarre looking machine haphazardly assembled by Bertone, which consisted of a 2 dr shell and a chopped, vinyl clad, roof topping off an oh-so- sombre black leather interior. These were unusually rot prone, and most survivors have been snapped up by Volvo Owners Club members. Other highlights from the last 15-20 years or so are pretty thin on the ground. An early VW Golf in peasant-spec might be worth keeping hold of and looking after, as might the early shape Scirocco although that doesn't qualify here as a saloon. Other VWs, such as the 1990s Passat, should be dropped into a very large hole in the ground, preferably near Chernobyl, and left to rot, a vehicle so dull that makes knitting seem an exciting pastime. Peugeot have little to shout about when it comes choosing preservation prospects from their normal saloon range (although I do have a sneaking fondness of the 504), and Renault fare little better, though I cannot remember the last time I saw one of their Renault 30 V6s from the 1970s. As with the French, the Italians have the ability to produce pretty naff saloon cars. Fortunately most of them have rotted to oblivion and we can be spared their existence - surely the lowest of the low for an Italian car company was the co-operation between Nissan and Alfa Romeo, combining elements from both parties, the end result being one of the most shameful motorcars ever to land at Southampton docks .. yup I'm talking about the Nissan Cherry Europe aka Alfa Romeo Arna. Quite what drove Alfa to this deal is not altogether obvious, but the ingredients were as follows: take a dull dull Nissan Cherry hatchback bodyshell, which has all the desirability of a bout of acne, and prise in a boxer Alfa Romeo engine and electrics and see what happens. The end result was a car that looked dire, that had a nifty Italian engine, and dire Italian electrics, then try and sell it. Unsurprisingly few sold, and the last one I saw was on the BBC when Jeremy Clarkson blew one up on behalf of the nation. And other machines worth preserving, if only for interests sake? 1970s Renaults are a dying breed, and R16, R17, R20, and R30s are all getting thin on the ground, although reincarnations of some were sold in this country in the 1990s but made by Dacia in, I think, Turkey. Quite a shocking vehicle, but try and find a Dacia Duster now (I have the brochures somewhere!). Skodas have a devout following, and a well looked after rear engined Rapide could make a characterful runabout even now, certainly causing more of a stir than the Favorit which replaced it. Ladas too were once a common sight here in the UK, but with Lada pulling out of the UK market, and many being shipped back to expectant Russians in the cars birthplace, they are disappearing rapidly. Another reason for this is the dire quality of the materials used, but as with many confirmed classics already, sometimes a cars awfullness can grant it so-called classic status, just look at the De Lorean! If the Lada isn't bad enough, who remembers their Polish cousin the truly awful Polski Fiat, another incarnation of the old Fiat 124 saloon of the late 1960s. Not to be outdone, FSO also weighed in with an equally bad version, the 125P, making their lousy Polonez model appear almost revolutionary. But, as already stated, its just as important to preserve the less glamorous vehicles as it is to cherish some of their more capable contemporaries, at least in my opinion. MPVs / SUVs and 4x4 off roaders Multi Purpose Vehicles are by and large a recent-ish phenomenon in the UK. OK there've been MPV type vehicles around for a while, but they've always been a bit of an offbeat option. FIAT have been peddling the Multipla for over 30 years, and does anyone still remember the Talbot Rancho?? kind of an MPV/Range Rover look, powered by an asthmatic lump lifted out of the gloriously rot prone Sunbeam Alpine hatch from the 1970s. Renowned for their rot-ability, almost up there with Lancia, surviving Ranchos are now very thin on the ground and definitely worth preserving if you can find a solid one. Despite its looks, it was not a 4wd drive vehicle, and as such was maybe not quite as useful as it could have been. It was only really when Renault launched their Espace in the 1980s that things really started to kick off in the MPV market, providing a viable alternative for larger families to the large estate cars which had been their only option til that point. Soon all mass market manufacturers started copying the Espace lead, producing all manner of similarly van-like machines. Although of little interest to me, there must be certain examples which are landmarks in the history of MPVs in this country. The Espace is the most obvious candidate I suppose, and even the early Toyota SpaceCruiser deserves a comfy retirement, introducing as it did the Japanese manufacturers to the UK MPV market. Closely related to MPVs are of course the many 4x4s which now clutter up the roads around school gates up and down the UK on a daily basis. Big daddy to most of 'em is the Range Rover, with early 2 door examples now being preserved in reasonable numbers, whenever a sound example can be found. Land Rovers have always been popular, not least due to their usefullness and unique image, whereas I suspect most competing 4wd offroaders may well slip into obscurity, such is the variety of vehicles out there. Rival big name producers of 4x4s include Mitsubishi (Shogun), Daihatsu (Fourtrak), Mercedes (G-Wagen), Ssangyong (Musso) and Suzuki with their tiddlers, such as the Vitara, and SJ410, the one that got slated for its alleged keen-ness to roll over during twisty manouevres. One of the more diminutive offerings in the 4x4 market must surely be the all wheel drive version of the FIAT Panda, on the market a few years ago, also available as the limited edition Sisley if I remember right. |
| This is Part 3 of a 5 part article on what cars now may be worth preserving for the future [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] |
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