Dinosaurs: Cars you cant believe they made so late

[LuS1fer]

On the subject of Alfas, the Alfetta ran from 1972 until 1987 - 15 years - and was essentially restyled into the 75 which ran from 1985 to 1992 effectively extending the shelf life to 20 years. the fact it was still reasonably competitive speaks volumes.

[jbi]

The russians keep things running until the tooling falls apart

GAZ-66

1966 - 1999



Ural -375D / -4320

1961 - Still in production today



UAZ-469



1973 - Still in production today

ZIL-130



1958 - Still in production today built by Ural

UAZ-452



1965 - Still in production today

Edited by jbi on Wednesday 6th April 01:55

[BenMk3]

Ooh, just remembered. Saw an R-reg Austin Maestro earlier. Did they really make these in 97/98 or was it one of the late registered ones?

[ralphrj]

BenMk3 said:

Ooh, just remembered. Saw an R-reg Austin Maestro earlier. Did they really make these in 97/98 or was it one of the late registered ones?

Wikipedia said:

In September 1995, production was transferred to Varna, Bulgaria, in complete knock down (CKD) kit form. Around 2,000 vehicles were produced before the company (Rodacar AD) ceased production in April 1996 due to high import costs of the components and little demand for the cars. The majority of the Maestros produced were exported to other countries, including the UK. A small number of these were sold by Apple 2000 Ltd. of Bury St. Edmunds, and registered on an "N" prefix.

In 1997, Parkway Services of Ledbury, Herefordshire, purchased a batch of 621 Maestro cars and vans in CKD kit form. These had been stored at Cowley, Oxfordshire, since their production in mid-1996, when they became surplus to requirements. The company built up the cars and converted the majority of them to RHD form using up Rover's supply of parts. The National Database for Motoring Insurance has records of models registered between "R" and "51" number plates, meaning the overall period of Maestro availability, new in the United Kingdom, was from 1983 to 2001.

[230TE]

Fiat Panda (old shape). UK sales ended around 1994 but Fiat carried on making them until 2003 for some European markets. I have just been on holiday in northern Italy and old dusty white Pandas were everywhere, mostly driven by old men in hats.

[zirazira]

Horns said:

Mine:



1993.

so sexy stuff. I love it.

[Lets Torque]

BenMk3 said:

Ooh, just remembered. Saw an R-reg Austin Maestro earlier. Did they really make these in 97/98 or was it one of the late registered ones?

This one was posted on the first page of the thread ,

[BenMk3]

Ahh interesting, probably the rarest car I've seen in a while with just 600 odd made, funny that

[Deluded]

jayfish said:

Park them side by side and look, and then explain why the strutbrace that fitted my HGT was labelled up as 147...

Because it was for a HGT 147, not the HGT 155? I dunno. Probably not

Anyway, the 147 was based on a 156 platform which was based on the 155 platform which originally came from the Tipo. Obviously modified along the way but going on that, the 147s underpinnings date back to 1988.

[Munich]

njsimca said:

The French Simca 1100 was introduced in 1967 and sold, in commercial versions, until 1986 as the Talbot Simca 1100 (and, in some markets, the Dodge 1100). Over two and a half million were sold, and the Simca 1100 can arguably be called the first of the modern hatchback cars!
Matt Cotton
Lake Parsippany, NJ

That car was also the basis for the cool Matra-Simca Rancho. It only took the mainstream car manufactures another 20 years to catch up to the idea of a FWD "soft-roader".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matra_Rancho

[ajprice]

I remember seeing a few Matra Ranchos around, back in the day .

[shoestring7]

oniznorb said:

hairyben said:

Right if we're including vans this thread is incomplete without mention of this old dog:




Rover/sherpa/leyland/daf/200/ldv/pilot/sh!theap, Made to the same basic design from 1974 until LDV were mercifully snuffed out in '08

Of course the Sherpa itself wasn't entirely new, there was a lot of this in it.

Rarely nowadays do I learn anything from PHs, but I never knew that.

Cheers,

SS7

[shoestring7]

Lancia Delta.

Launched in the 70's, based on the 1978 Fiat Ritmo/Strada.

The last Deltas were built in 1993 in Integrale Evo 2 form, having snaffled up 6 (count 'em) world rally championships in the interim.

SS7

[allgonepetetong]

twazzock said:

ZAndy said:

Spotted a 10 plate one of these last week, couldn't belive it. Who's buying the things??
Are they still based on the mk4 golf?

I was walking past one the other day, admiring the blemish-free paint, thinking 'Who the fk details a Beetle?', then I got to the front and it was on a 60 plate
(it was in Norfolk - ah, that explains it.)

The young girls round where I live seem to love them. For example, opposite my house are 2 late teen / v early 20s girls still living at home with mummy and daddy. One has a black beetle and one has a cream convertible. I also see numerous blue ones driving around. Seems to be some sort of trend.

Bloody horrible things - flower on the dashboard anybody?

Edited by allgonepetetong on Wednesday 13th April 10:19

[carlove]

Just seen an 11 reg..... Suzuki Jimny I thought they stopped selling them years ago.

[CDP]

shoestring7 said:

Lancia Delta.

Launched in the 70's, based on the 1978 Fiat Ritmo/Strada.

The last Deltas were built in 1993 in Integrale Evo 2 form, having snaffled up 6 (count 'em) world rally championships in the interim.

SS7

Good call. The X/19 was a similarly long production span, almost the start of the 70s to the end of the 80s.

Italian cars can often look pretty fresh when old.

[LuS1fer]

Vauxhall Viva HC 1970-1979 - always "between" the Escort and Cortina, the Chevette came along to steal it's thunder and that became a saloon itself, making the Viva (also made as a Firenza and Magnum at various points)into a bargain basement "bigger car" a bit like the original Mk II Cortina before that expanded. Even when the Cavalier came along, it never quite went away.

[Blakewater]

How about the Land Rover Defender? Launched in the mid 80s and only now is there talk of a replacement at some point in the future. It's still largely the vehicle launched back in the 50s.
Lada is still churning out Samaras in Russia that have only been mildly facelifted since Lada withdrew from the UK.
http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&...



lada-samara-russia-2001d (1) by Benjamin 1985, on Flickr

Edited by Blakewater on Friday 15th April 23:39

Edited by Blakewater on Friday 15th April 23:39

[The Boy Lard]

Of the posts so far it'd the Lada Niva for me..

Mk 2 Astra was sold in Aus / Nz as the 'Pontiac Le-mans', but I don't know how long after astra production this was stopped.

[CO2000]

Mazda pickup B2500

Must be 20 - 25 years on the go ??