Niche versions which outlived the base car
Discussion
Spumfry said:
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.
As did the Peugeot 205 alongside the 106, Peugeot 206 alongside the 207, original Fiat Panda and Uno alongside the Cinquecento and Punto and also the mk3 Fiesta alongside the nk4 as the Fiesta Classic? The Renault 5 Campus stayed in production (or at least on sale) as a bargain basement offering in parallel with the then-new Clio.
I'm going with the Malaysian import Alfa 156 Selespeeds that soldiered on till 2007, after the series production ended in 2005.
Apparently they were built for the Malaysian market but the laws changed before being sold so were returned to Europe for sale "as new".
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...
They are a good used buy, as very well-specced, if your eyes are wide-open.
Apparently they were built for the Malaysian market but the laws changed before being sold so were returned to Europe for sale "as new".
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/2015...
They are a good used buy, as very well-specced, if your eyes are wide-open.
jamiebae said:
Another car which I don’t think has been mentioned is the current VW Scirocco, which soldiers on with its Golf 5 underpinnings two generations behind the current model. The Beetle was the same, running on a Golf 4 platform long after it’s more popular brother had been put out to pasture.
Good point. In that case, also the mkII Scirocco and Corrado were available concurrently and the Corrado overlapped the mk3 Golf but was based on the mk2.More on the Maestro here. Including on to its Chinese life, and it apparently STILL has its underpinnings in some chinese things!
http://definitelymotoring.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/c...
http://definitelymotoring.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/c...
Are you only counting niche vehicles that were/are on sale in the UK?? There's loads of examples of stuff like this in the so-called "Developing World".
I remember a business trip to Iran in the early 1990's where the local taxi du jour was invariably a re-badged Hillman Hunter. I think Rootes group sold them the production line tooling not so long before they themselves died.
Ditto eastern Europe before the Berlin wall came down. Lot of ex-FIAT designs but locally-manufactured stuff running around there at the time. Then there's India, where the Hindustan Ambassador is based on the 1950's Morris Oxford and still in widespread use. I have the backache to prove it...... .
I remember a business trip to Iran in the early 1990's where the local taxi du jour was invariably a re-badged Hillman Hunter. I think Rootes group sold them the production line tooling not so long before they themselves died.
Ditto eastern Europe before the Berlin wall came down. Lot of ex-FIAT designs but locally-manufactured stuff running around there at the time. Then there's India, where the Hindustan Ambassador is based on the 1950's Morris Oxford and still in widespread use. I have the backache to prove it...... .
andybu said:
I remember a business trip to Iran in the early 1990's where the local taxi du jour was invariably a re-badged Hillman Hunter. I think Rootes group sold them the production line tooling not so long before they themselves died.
The Pakyan. It went out of production, finally, a few years ago but probably only five or so. By the end it was more Peugeot 504 than Hunter as it had the French car's drivetrain but was a firm favourite right up until political pressure killed it - the pollution it spewed out was terrible and had to be sorted somehow. The Hindustan Ambassador in India is a similar story, Morris body with Isuzu oily bits.
Was the Vauxhall Viva HC running as a single model only once the Chevette was launched? I watched a Vauxhall ad from '79 on Youtube recently with Patrick McNee describing the range, and pointing out the Viva was 'still going strong' or words to that effect - it surprised me that it was still being made that late, even for a car designed at the start of that decade it looked old fashioned compared to the Chevette (In fact an HC looks like an older design than a HB in my eyes!)
A guy a road over from had a banana yellow HC 2 door which he kept immaculate, until he died in about '95 and must have passed it on to his siblings. I saw it a year later and it was much more brown than yellow...
A guy a road over from had a banana yellow HC 2 door which he kept immaculate, until he died in about '95 and must have passed it on to his siblings. I saw it a year later and it was much more brown than yellow...
The E46 M3 is an obvious one. When the E46 was facelifted, the M3 wasn't and retained the pre-lift face for its entire run (which as said earlier by someone else also actually continued past the introduction of the E90. As with the E30 convertible and touring: BMW continued to produce the old version until they got around to covering the niche with the newer model).
Also you have to give a nod to the Mexican version of the Beatle and South African Mk1 (or was it Mk2) Golf which continued for a lot of years after VW axed them in the rest of the world for newer variants. The old VW camper too (which was even water cooled before phased out generations after it was replaced in Europe).
Also you have to give a nod to the Mexican version of the Beatle and South African Mk1 (or was it Mk2) Golf which continued for a lot of years after VW axed them in the rest of the world for newer variants. The old VW camper too (which was even water cooled before phased out generations after it was replaced in Europe).
ch108 said:
gazzarose said:
I think the Escort van carried on for a fair few years after the Escort turned into the Focus.
I remember a pal of mine had a hired Escort van on a 51 reg, must have been one of the last.The Mk5 Astravan outlived its car variants, as did the Peugeot 305 van and 504 pickup.
That's probably the record.
LankyLegoHead said:
More on the Maestro here. Including on to its Chinese life, and it apparently STILL has its underpinnings in some chinese things!
http://definitelymotoring.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/c...
Bloody hell it lives on! beats my* HA van as well. You should CYFP.http://definitelymotoring.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/c...
The Monaestro is hilarous, should be in the "cars you didnt know existed" thread.
- please ignore those plagiarists above.
Seem to recall an overlap in TR6/TR7 pruduction, certainly recall pictures at Southampton docks of both side by side USA bound. I also have vague memory that that a last batch of Morris Ital diesels were produced for the Maltese taxi market, however the deal fell through and they were later sold off in the UK.
Well, the B110 Nissan Sunny/Datsun 1200 was sold from 1970 to 1973.
However, the pick-up version was (well, it still is) a favourite in South Africa until it was replaced by a rebadged Dacia Logan Pick-Up in 2008.
Not only did it survive SEVEN new Sunny models (B210, B310, B11, B12, B13, B14 and B15), even the name had been retired by then (it was reintroduced in 2011 for the Latio).
By the way, Chevrolet will gladly sell you a brand-new Uzbekistan-made Opel Kadett E (since replaced by five generations of Astras) if you are so inclined:
http://chevrolet-uz.com/nexia/
However, the pick-up version was (well, it still is) a favourite in South Africa until it was replaced by a rebadged Dacia Logan Pick-Up in 2008.
Not only did it survive SEVEN new Sunny models (B210, B310, B11, B12, B13, B14 and B15), even the name had been retired by then (it was reintroduced in 2011 for the Latio).
By the way, Chevrolet will gladly sell you a brand-new Uzbekistan-made Opel Kadett E (since replaced by five generations of Astras) if you are so inclined:
http://chevrolet-uz.com/nexia/
SEAT Inca/VW Caddy. Based on the Ibiza 6K, it remained basically unchanged from 96 to 2003, surpassing the 6k2 facelift and even remained in production after the new generation 6L was launched
Also the Reanault Express, based on the 5, it stayed in production during the first generation Clio.
Also the Reanault Express, based on the 5, it stayed in production during the first generation Clio.
LankyLegoHead said:
More on the Maestro here. Including on to its Chinese life, and it apparently STILL has its underpinnings in some chinese things!
http://definitelymotoring.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/c...
More on the Maestro - but not all http://definitelymotoring.blogspot.co.uk/2014/06/c...
. He forgot to mention the Apple2000 Maestros which were registered on N-plates in 2000 (they also had Rover Maestro VINs higher than that of the last Maestro, whereas the Ledbury Maestros had their own non-Rover VINs) - and it was the Apple2000s which had the LHD wipers and mirrors (the bloke at TET - Trans European Trading aka "Ledbury" - who sold the Maestros from R to 51-plates was hopping mad that Apple got away with this
as he had to change the LHD wipers and mirrors to UK-spec RHD). All were Maestro 1300 Clubman models but with 14" wheels (a la Montego) to give greater ground clearance on the rough roads of Bulgaria.And (cheaper, VW-based) Skodas appearing on the local market scuppered Maestro's potential success in Bulgaria; did the boy who wrote the article mention that? Thought not...
Y-suffix through 21 years of prefix number plates to 51-plate isn't bad going...
Not quite in the same vein as the thread, but the Argentines failed to register a lack of the horse's pulse and continued to give the 1961 Ford Falcon a good flogging right up till 1991
to this (approximately)
Meanwhile, the Aussies had moved on through several generations to this:
to this (approximately)
Meanwhile, the Aussies had moved on through several generations to this:
Edited by AER on Thursday 11th February 02:42
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