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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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Of course there are some automobiles which have no place, ever, on the Queens highway, and should just have one immaculate preserved example securely locked away from the public, for reference only. These cars are either so poorly made, hideous to look at, or just plain rubbish that the public must be protected from them at all costs. So while I have outlined some of the recent cars that might warrant preservation, the following examples of automotive hell are for illustrative purposes only. Ok, who remembers the appalling Hyundai Pony?, once the chosen hack for window cleaners the world over, one of the most hideous machines ever to leak oil on our roads. And on the subject of eastern machines, how about the Toyota Cressida and Nissan Laurel? surely candidates for instant crushing? Thats not to say that Eastern cars are the only ones that deserve to be cubed of course, although special mention must be made of the Trabant at this stage, its just that they are responsible for some true horrors. The Datsun Cherry Europe has already had more than its fair share of mention elsewhere, so I'll leave that one, but there are many others - witness the Nissan Micra, beloved of driving schools everywhere, but with about as much soul as a Metallica concert. Any of the many Datsun Sunnys should also be included here, its tacky design plummetting to new depths of badness, especially in the interior department. As bad and equally worthy of shame are the Datsun 160 SSS, 120Y, 100A, Honda Civic (remember the 70s Hondamatic??), Mazda 929 & 626, Nissan Stanza, Silvia and all Bluebirds, all of them tacky monuments and reminders of just how far Japanese cars have come in developing for the european market. The DAF 33 deserves a mention, as it was pretty average, but it avoids automatic crushing by a whisker thanks solely to its ingenious CVT transmission that it ran, innovation that was sadly lacking in cars such as the Austin Ambassador (basically a tarted up Princess) and the Allegro, whose chief claim to fame was its quartic steering wheel. The Talbot Horizon should have been shot at birth, employing as it did the rattliest engine this side of a cement mixer, letting down what was on the face of it a promising, airy design. Talking Talbot, they seem to have bent over backwards in their latter years to provide us with rich picking in the automotive duffers hall of shame .. the Rancho just about survives, but instant bulldozing is the best thing that can be given to the woeful Chrysler 180 and Talbot Tagora 2.2, both hopeless attempt at stealing sales away from the Granada buying public of the early 1980s, and one which rotted into oblivion as readily as did the related Sunbeam Alpine abhorence of a few years earlier, and one of its rivals, the Hillman Avenger. And while we're concentrating on such disasters, BL/BLMC/Austin Rover Group didn't let the side down when it came to offering lame ducks to the motoring public, even more recently than the Ambassador already mentioned. It is difficult to imagine there being a big following for Austin Montegos as they limp into their twilight years, their mundanity and propensity to instant corrosion having seen off most already, with the sister Austin Maestro (with talking dashboard don't forget) suffers yet more from the dreaded tin worm and collapsing trim. The Metro, or Austin Mini-metro as it was known when launched in the early 80s, was planned to replace the ageing Issigonis Mini, but as it turned out died long before the original (proper) Mini ever did. The Metro maintained ARGs stunning reputation for selling appallingly built cars, with many examples still to be seen collapsed on the side of the road, their hydrolastic suspension having given up the ghost. Rot has claimed many Metros by now, but I suppose if you find a cossetted 1.0L base model, or a mint MG Turbo, then it may be worth saving it, dunking it forever more in a vat of rust proofing solution. Fords rival to the Metro, the Fiesta, although not unknown in rusty circles, has survived a little better, although the Mk2 especially, barely deserves much attention from the preservation movement, save for an occasional XR2 for comparitive purposes. The french have come up with their fair share of motoring lemons too lets remember, the Citroen Visa and LNA being particularly unremarkable cars, especially when compared to the innovative designs embodied elsewhere in their range with the 2CV6 and CX. All Renault 25s must be destroyed, as must most of the remainder of the Regies range (such as the 11, 18 and 21) , none being particularly startling and worthy of Waxoyl treatment, save perhaps the offbeat Renault Alpine. Likewise there are plenty of Frenchmen merrily driving around in the rusty remains of one of Peugeots less memorable designs, the 305, which surely must be a candidate for filling in the channel tunnel with if ever there was one? Any gaps can be plugged with suitably crushed Talbot Sambas, as necessary. Anyway I think thats more than enough food for thought. As I mentioned I think that examples of all cars should make it into preservation in some form or another, as variety is what makes the collecting of classics so interesting for all involved. Hopefully all my rambling above has been taken with a suitably large pinch of salt, and we can all now retire to our driveways while we ponder what to do with that wrecked |
| This is Part 5 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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