Niche versions which outlived the base car

[mk4gtiturbo]

My E36 Compact is a 2000 on X plate and I believe the E46 started in 1999 on a S plate, I think there are a few coupes as well on "late" plates

Mk1 Skoda Octavia "Taxi spec", I've seen on a 58 plate and possible later but the Octavia mk2 was introduced in 2004.

[Willy Nilly]

The Citroen Xsara Picasso out lived with Xsara by years.

[ClaphamGT3]

I also recall that the last W124 mercs to trickle into the UK from South Africa were on 51 plates

[Truckosaurus]

LankyLegoHead said:

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

Citroen C15 van, shared a nose with the Citroen Visa at very least.

[gazzarose]

I think the Escort van carried on for a fair few years after the Escort turned into the Focus.

[sim72]

abitlikefiennes said:

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.

Certainly in mainland Europe, though I wouldn't be surprised if it was the case in the UK as well, not all the Mk3 models were released at the same time, so for a short time you could buy a new Mk1 cab, run-out Mk2 (especially GTI), or Mk3 simultaneously.

[DanielSan]

bazza white said:

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

Close, Mk3 chassis with Mk4 front end on it.

[DJFish]

ajprice said:

1938 and still going, am i doing this right?

If memory serves the 996 turbo S was. Released after the launch of the 997, in the past Porsche have continued producing 'old shape' GT & turbo cars alongside the new model.
They've been a bit quicker with the 991.2.
That's what you meant wasn't it?

[skyrover]

Land Rover supplied the millitary with V8 defenders and 2.5 non-turbo diesels long after they had been taken off public sale.

The same happened with the 300tdi which the military used right up until recently as they had no interest in the electronically controlled TD5 and puma engined Defenders

[MarshPhantom]

The MB R107 SL continued for nearly 10 years after they stopped selling the SLC.

[anonymous-user]

I think Fiat did it twice with the Fiorino vans, based on the 127, then on the Uno, for a while after the hatchbacks had gone out of production.
The Renault 5 Campus stayed in production (or at least on sale) as a bargain basement offering in parallel with the then-new Clio.

[Lordbenny]

[S0 What]

The Mk4 escort cab stayed in production untill a K reg(ish) whilst Ford made the Mk5 escort stiff enough to make a cab out of it (2-3 years extra).
The Mk4 cortina estate carried on for the full Mk5 production run with Mk5 front end and rear bumper(3 years extra).
The cortina Mk5 carried on as the P100 until an E reg alongside the sierra untill ford made a sierra version (5 years extra).
The Mk6 escort van carried on till a 52 plate (ish) until Ford made the connect (3-4 years extra).
You obv get late sold vehicals like A/B/C reg cortinas, M reg sierras and 51 plate escorts but production is a differant issue.

[bigvanfan]

mk4gtiturbo said:

My E36 Compact is a 2000 on X plate and I believe the E46 started in 1999 on a S plate, I think there are a few coupes as well on "late" plates

Mk1 Skoda Octavia "Taxi spec", I've seen on a 58 plate and possible later but the Octavia mk2 was introduced in 2004.

Good shout on the Skoda , but surely that's a base model that outlived all other variants ?

[bigvanfan]

mk4gtiturbo said:

My E36 Compact is a 2000 on X plate and I believe the E46 started in 1999 on a S plate, I think there are a few coupes as well on "late" plates

Mk1 Skoda Octavia "Taxi spec", I've seen on a 58 plate and possible later but the Octavia mk2 was introduced in 2004.

Good shout on the Skoda , but surely that's a base model that outlived all other variants ?

[Northernchimp]

I think the Calibra outlived the Cavalier if that counts.

[amstrange1]

skyrover said:

Land Rover supplied the millitary with V8 defenders and 2.5 non-turbo diesels long after they had been taken off public sale.

The same happened with the 300tdi which the military used right up until recently as they had no interest in the electronically controlled TD5 and puma engined Defenders

A military Defender programme I worked on used the 07MY Puma-engined Defender as its basis, so I don't think the latter comment above is entirely true.

[skyrover]

amstrange1 said:

skyrover said:

Land Rover supplied the millitary with V8 defenders and 2.5 non-turbo diesels long after they had been taken off public sale.

The same happened with the 300tdi which the military used right up until recently as they had no interest in the electronically controlled TD5 and puma engined Defenders

A military Defender programme I worked on used the 07MY Puma-engined Defender as its basis, so I don't think the above is entirely true.

Land rover discontinued production the 300tdi in 2006, so they probably had no choice.

[njd27]

There were a bunch of Austin Maestros which were bought back from Bulgaria around 1999/2000 when UK production originally stopped in 1994.

[vournikas]

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

Aye, probably an urban myth.

The MD of the company I was working for at the time back in 1991 bought a new V12 XJ40