Niche versions which outlived the base car

[LotusOmega375D]

Difficult one to summarize in a one line heading, but try and list any niche versions of cars which were still being built and sold directly in the UK, long after the rest of the range had been replaced.

I'll start with a few. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Golf GTi Mark 1 cabriolet. I think this was still being produced for several years after the Mark 2 hatch was introduced.

E30 BMW convertible

E30 BMW Touring

I think the Audi 80 convertible was still being built and sold after the advent of the A4 saloon, but am not 100% sure.

Also didn't Range Rover continue to offer the "Classic" for a while alongside its replacement P38?

Finally I the most extreme example I can think of is the Rolls Royce Corniche / Bentley Continental convertible which soldiered on for a full 15 years after the Silver Shadow had been replaced.

[worsy]

The Ford Escort was still sold alongside the Focus, and IIRC the Cortina alongside the Sierra, does that count?

[Quhet]

I'm sure the Saxo VTR/R and the Pug 106 GTI both outlived their 'normal' models

[23rdian]

Renault 5 and Clio Campus

[Ali_T]

Integrale? Or did the Delta really struggle on that long? I know the Prisma did.

[Leins]

Not sure I'd include the E30s, as they were only about until the replacement model (E36) in that body-style was ready for production

However, I know what you mean. Integrale springs to mind, and the Quattro remained for sale for a good while after the B3 Coupe went on sale (seem to recall the "S2" name signified it as the Quattro's replacement?)

Also, wasn't the Mk4 Golf convertible really a Mk3?

[ajprice]

1938 and still going, am i doing this right?

[Truckosaurus]

Leins said:

Also, wasn't the Mk4 Golf convertible really a Mk3?

I believe the mk1 convertible was sold in the UK while the hatchback Golf had evolved to a mk3.

[ClaphamGT3]

The Corniche/Continental was all Silver Spirit/Mulsanne under the panels from about 1984, if I recall correctly.

The original Mini achieved the feat of remaining in production longer than its replacement, the Metro, but still not as impressive as the 2CV6 which saw off three successors, remaining in production beyond the Dyane, the Ami and the Visa

I also recall that the Ford Capri 2.8i staggered on until 1987 when most of the range was discontinued in 1983 and the 2.0s and 1.6 Laser were put out of their misery in 1985

[sato]

The one I still cant get my head around is how the XJ12 continued in series 111 shape until 1992, where as the six cylinder models became the boxy XJ40 in 1986.

[Johnnytheboy]

LotusOmega375D said:

Golf GTi Mark 1 cabriolet. I think this was still being produced for several years after the Mark 2 hatch was introduced.

IIRC all the way until the Mk3 was introduced.

I'll add the not-very-niche Clio Campus (?), i.e. the mk2 Clio that for some reason continued for quite a while after the mk3 came out.

[bazza white]

Johnnytheboy said:

IIRC all the way until the Mk3 was introduced.

I'll add the not-very-niche Clio Campus (?), i.e. the mk2 Clio that for some reason continued for quite a while after the mk3 came out.

Didn't the mk3 cab stay into mk4 production. Mk4 headlights but mk4 chassis.

[loose cannon]

sato said:

The one I still cant get my head around is how the XJ12 continued in series 111 shape until 1992, where as the six cylinder models became the boxy XJ40 in 1986.

Because they are bloody lovely, though I seem to remember something about the v12 not fitting into the xj40 originally without some Re engineering though I'm not sure how true that actually is,

[ClaphamGT3]

loose cannon said:

sato said:

The one I still cant get my head around is how the XJ12 continued in series 111 shape until 1992, where as the six cylinder models became the boxy XJ40 in 1986.

Because they are bloody lovely, though I seem to remember something about the v12 not fitting into the xj40 without some
Re engineering though I'm not sure how true that actually is,

The urban myth is that Jaguar deliberately engineered the engine bay of the XJ40 to be too narrow to accept a large displacement V configuration engine to prevent BL from foisting the Buick/Rover V8 on them

[Carfield]

LotusOmega375D said:

Difficult one to summarize in a one line heading, but try and list any niche versions of cars which were still being built and sold directly in the UK, long after the rest of the range had been replaced.

I'll start with a few. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Golf GTi Mark 1 cabriolet. I think this was still being produced for several years after the Mark 2 hatch was introduced.

E30 BMW convertible

E30 BMW Touring

I think the Audi 80 convertible was still being built and sold after the advent of the A4 saloon, but am not 100% sure.

Also didn't Range Rover continue to offer the "Classic" for a while alongside its replacement P38?

Finally I the most extreme example I can think of is the Rolls Royce Corniche / Bentley Continental convertible which soldiered on for a full 15 years after the Silver Shadow had been replaced.

Golf Mk 3 convertible soldiered on into the Mk 4 period with the lightest of makeovers (Mk 4 headlights etc)

Audi 80 niches - the Coupe continued for another 2 or 3 years and the convertible until 2000 (six years after the 80 stopped)

Car based vans are a happy hunting ground for this kind of thing:

Vauxhall Viva HA, discontinued 1966 - the van carried on to 1983

Austin A55 Cambridge, discontinued 1959 - van continued to 1973 (probably there was lots of messing about as to whether they were badged Austin or Morris in any given year)

Citroen Dyane, discontinued 1983 - the van (Acadiane) carried on to 1987.

[LankyLegoHead]

The "Mk4" Golf Cabrio was a MK3 with a MK4 nose bolted on, and a MK4 Golf Steering wheel. Still had mostly MK3 interior. Hence why most call it a "MK3.5 Cab"

Clio Campus is a obvious shout.

It was in another thread, but I pointed out the fact they kept building the MK1 Golf in South Africa up until about 2009. The very last ones had a Fabia dash inside!


EDIT: That Citreon AX Van thing kept going for years didn't it!?

[loose cannon]

ClaphamGT3 said:

The urban myth is that Jaguar deliberately engineered the engine bay of the XJ40 to be too narrow to accept a large displacement V configuration engine to prevent BL from foisting the Buick/Rover V8 on them

Yes was aware of that but it is a myth, because a rover v8 certainly fits into an xj40 as my friends old xj40 had exactly that fitted after the 2.9 it had originally died a death, going back a few years now though mind,

[Johnnytheboy]

bazza white said:

Johnnytheboy said:

IIRC all the way until the Mk3 was introduced.

I'll add the not-very-niche Clio Campus (?), i.e. the mk2 Clio that for some reason continued for quite a while after the mk3 came out.

Didn't the mk3 cab stay into mk4 production. Mk4 headlights but mk4 chassis.

Sorry, I don't know.

[AlexHat]

The E46 3-Series Coupe and Convertible were sold alongside the E90 saloon for a couple of years, does this count?

[anonymous-user]

Mk1 Golf Cabrio ran from 1979 right up until 1993. There are a rare handful of L reg ones in the UK. it outlived both the Mk1 and Mk2 production periods.