Hot Hatch culture - 80s/early 90s
Discussion
Here was my mildly-warm hatch. It's a 1990 Ford Escort S and although the pictures don't show it, it was bright red! There weren't many made - it had 105bhp and had the XR2i engine. At the time you could also buy an XR3i variant - one had 105bhp and one 130bhp. This was effectively the lower performing XR3i without the hideous insurance costs.
Fooooookin' loved that car. Did a zillion miles in it and it broke down frequently due to a 110 mile a day commute, but it served me well over all. I'd love to buy it back, but I'm pretty sure it has gone to the metal merchant in the sky now.
Here it is with my mates 205 GTi, and he still has it...
These two cars were the dogs danglies in our circle in their day. I always wanted an Escort Cosworth afterwards... and I still do. One day!
Aaah, memory lane...
Fooooookin' loved that car. Did a zillion miles in it and it broke down frequently due to a 110 mile a day commute, but it served me well over all. I'd love to buy it back, but I'm pretty sure it has gone to the metal merchant in the sky now.
Here it is with my mates 205 GTi, and he still has it...
These two cars were the dogs danglies in our circle in their day. I always wanted an Escort Cosworth afterwards... and I still do. One day!
Aaah, memory lane...
Edited by Paul O on Thursday 9th August 16:07
Twincam16 said:
Ah...
I'm of the age when I remember the hot hatches coming out as a kid, then being the kind of age where people had tatty second-hand ones as their first cars.
When I used to walk to school, I'd sometimes pass one of these, which lived round the corner:
...........
Those were fun days and I still buy my cars from that kind of era as they're cheap and very easy to live with. Unfortunately most of my mates seem to have gone down the new-car-finance route, bankrupting themselves on a regular basis to own something much duller than they used to in the name of 'peace of mind'.
They're insane.
Nice post ....when I get chance to scan a few more old pics in I'll post up some of my ( and friends of the time ) old stuffI'm of the age when I remember the hot hatches coming out as a kid, then being the kind of age where people had tatty second-hand ones as their first cars.
When I used to walk to school, I'd sometimes pass one of these, which lived round the corner:
...........
Those were fun days and I still buy my cars from that kind of era as they're cheap and very easy to live with. Unfortunately most of my mates seem to have gone down the new-car-finance route, bankrupting themselves on a regular basis to own something much duller than they used to in the name of 'peace of mind'.
They're insane.
cuprabob said:
Pug 205 certainly was, Jury's out on the Escort S :-)
lol, amended. They were always seen as a pair in our chavland of the time, and got well known. The shiny cars that drove around and around and around the town before and after pub visits (with a "Des", no drink driving here - remember "Des"?) haha.... oh the days.Most immediate memory of those circuits (before speed bumps were properly invented), was a boob flash by some girl racers on the dual carriageway. Hurrah!!
My first car (sorry about the terrible picture)
My second car
Swift GS was more of a warm hatch. Pretty quick as it was light but had shocking breaks, skinny tyres and soft suspention. It was brilliant. The GTi was quick, revvy (it pulled 4,000rpm in 5th at 70mph) so a bit loud and stopped and handled much better. It was a bit different to all the Nova GTe's and Golf GTi's that were around at the time.
My second car
Swift GS was more of a warm hatch. Pretty quick as it was light but had shocking breaks, skinny tyres and soft suspention. It was brilliant. The GTi was quick, revvy (it pulled 4,000rpm in 5th at 70mph) so a bit loud and stopped and handled much better. It was a bit different to all the Nova GTe's and Golf GTi's that were around at the time.
toon10 said:
My first car (sorry about the terrible picture)
My second car
Swift GS was more of a warm hatch. Pretty quick as it was light but had shocking breaks, skinny tyres and soft suspention. It was brilliant. The GTi was quick, revvy (it pulled 4,000rpm in 5th at 70mph) so a bit loud and stopped and handled much better. It was a bit different to all the Nova GTe's and Golf GTi's that were around at the time.
You were a bit of a short arse :-)My second car
Swift GS was more of a warm hatch. Pretty quick as it was light but had shocking breaks, skinny tyres and soft suspention. It was brilliant. The GTi was quick, revvy (it pulled 4,000rpm in 5th at 70mph) so a bit loud and stopped and handled much better. It was a bit different to all the Nova GTe's and Golf GTi's that were around at the time.
toon10 said:
:-)
That's my nephew. He's 24 now, 6ft 1 and built like a brick crapper. I'll pass on your comments though... ;-)
Wasn't me, someone hacked my account:-)That's my nephew. He's 24 now, 6ft 1 and built like a brick crapper. I'll pass on your comments though... ;-)
I has a Suzuki Swift GTI in 1991, one of the first red ones, and it was a brilliant car. Bought it new and did over 100k miles in it in 4 years and it never missed a beat.
'89 Golf GTI,returned from taking 5 of us on holiday to Dartmouth,unloaded,quick check over,then Hillclimb at Longleat the next day,
If you count the Capri 2.8 as a Hatch,
Sprinting at Goodwood.
And a Video,this also features an '88 RS turbo so still relevant,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvlKJYnCfJE
If you count the Capri 2.8 as a Hatch,
Sprinting at Goodwood.
And a Video,this also features an '88 RS turbo so still relevant,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yvlKJYnCfJE
s m said:
Twincam16 said:
Ah...
I'm of the age when I remember the hot hatches coming out as a kid, then being the kind of age where people had tatty second-hand ones as their first cars.
When I used to walk to school, I'd sometimes pass one of these, which lived round the corner:
...........
Those were fun days and I still buy my cars from that kind of era as they're cheap and very easy to live with. Unfortunately most of my mates seem to have gone down the new-car-finance route, bankrupting themselves on a regular basis to own something much duller than they used to in the name of 'peace of mind'.
They're insane.
Nice post ....when I get chance to scan a few more old pics in I'll post up some of my ( and friends of the time ) old stuffI'm of the age when I remember the hot hatches coming out as a kid, then being the kind of age where people had tatty second-hand ones as their first cars.
When I used to walk to school, I'd sometimes pass one of these, which lived round the corner:
...........
Those were fun days and I still buy my cars from that kind of era as they're cheap and very easy to live with. Unfortunately most of my mates seem to have gone down the new-car-finance route, bankrupting themselves on a regular basis to own something much duller than they used to in the name of 'peace of mind'.
They're insane.
Daft thing is, at this time because I was off to university I had to make do with my Mum's car - a Fiat Punto - which compared to all these hot hatches just couldn't quite cut the mustard. Seating position was too high, engine too breathless at high revs, rolled like crazy in corners and overheated if you drove it with any vigour. Didn't stop me driving it like a hot hatch though, and compared to most of the '80s hot hatches my mates were running around in it looked pretty sleek and wasn't so slow as to be left for dead every time it accelerated.
But after graduation, I just went straight into classic sports cars, which is pretty-much what I've owned ever since. The closest I came to hot hatch ownership myself was the four years I spent with one of these:
Which really gave me a liking for the BTCC-alike hot saloons of the '90s. Cars like this were engineered like giant hot hatches, with similarly sharp FWD handling characteristics but big, practical saloon/big hatch/estate bodies. It's a pity so few manufacturers make cars like this these days. I'm not talking 'premium' stuff with RWD and a tonne of luxury options and electronic gadgetry weighing them down. I'm talking things like the Vauxhall Cavalier GSi and the Ford Mondeo ST200 - they were seriously aspirational cars when I was learning to drive. They wouldn't necessarily be the fastest things on the planet but they'd need at least 150bhp/tonne. Nowadays for some reason no-one seems to do cars like that. There are plenty of hot hatches, but they're either tiny little minimalist city-cars with a bit more go, or expensive FWD GT cars hidden in mid-sized hatchback bodyshells.
If Ford could be persuaded to do another hot petrol Mondeo, or Chevrolet to do a touring car-inspired version of the Cruze, or maybe a Peugeot 508 GTi, they could inject some life back into that sector, but right now the only cars built to that kind of recipe are the MG6 and the Skoda Octavia VRS. It's a sad state of affairs when more and more families are being driven around in lumpy fake off-roaders. It's a sign that the parents don't (or, as is the approach to so many aspects of parenting in the UK, have deliberately decided in a grand 'for the sake of our children' gesture that sounds profound but entails nothing) enjoy driving, and don't want their kids to grow up liking cars.
I mean, what kind of family will you raise if you drive them around in a Qashqai? Not one that watches the BTCC going 'that's just like Daddy's car, that', for certain.
Some great posts in here guys, really enjoyed reading them.
Particularly enjoyed the period stereotypes in LeighW's post - I'm just about old enough to remember those days of the mid-late 90's you mentioned about the XR2i gang! Sadly most of these sorts of cars have disappeared off our roads now.
Any more 'period' photos of their own from these days for ultimate nostalgia?
Particularly enjoyed the period stereotypes in LeighW's post - I'm just about old enough to remember those days of the mid-late 90's you mentioned about the XR2i gang! Sadly most of these sorts of cars have disappeared off our roads now.
Any more 'period' photos of their own from these days for ultimate nostalgia?
I seen a red XR2 the other day. Me and my best mate who are previous owners of XR2's could not believe what we was seeing. Tried to catch up to it but traffic lights wouldnt allow.
Also seen a Grey Sierra Cosworth and a Escort RS Cosworth today as well... All blasts from the passed.
The XR2 was the best for me though. Really want another just to tinker with
Also seen a Grey Sierra Cosworth and a Escort RS Cosworth today as well... All blasts from the passed.
The XR2 was the best for me though. Really want another just to tinker with
I had a Caspian blue XR3i in 1992, I was 19 at the time and loved it!
It was rotten as a pear but kept going for about 2 years until the cambelt snapped, then I scrapped it.
In 92 I was being stopped near enough every single week by the police to produce my documents, in the end I got so annoyed going to the station with them I just kept them all in the glovebox! A thiefs dream....
I think this pic was taken late 92
It was rotten as a pear but kept going for about 2 years until the cambelt snapped, then I scrapped it.
In 92 I was being stopped near enough every single week by the police to produce my documents, in the end I got so annoyed going to the station with them I just kept them all in the glovebox! A thiefs dream....
I think this pic was taken late 92
djdestiny said:
I had a Caspian blue XR3i in 1992, I was 19 at the time and loved it!
It was rotten as a pear but kept going for about 2 years until the cambelt snapped, then I scrapped it.
In 92 I was being stopped near enough every single week by the police to produce my documents, in the end I got so annoyed going to the station with them I just kept them all in the glovebox! A thiefs dream....
I think this pic was taken late 92
"Produce documents" that was a weekly thing. I kept them in the glove box in the end, saved going round the station all the time! Sweet memories!It was rotten as a pear but kept going for about 2 years until the cambelt snapped, then I scrapped it.
In 92 I was being stopped near enough every single week by the police to produce my documents, in the end I got so annoyed going to the station with them I just kept them all in the glovebox! A thiefs dream....
I think this pic was taken late 92
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