Has any diesel powered car been considered a classic?

[churchie2856]

Other than by virue of age, has any diesel powered car been considered a classic?

Are their any cases of where the diesel version of a model is held in higher regard than the petrol version?

Suggestions.

[Pica-Pica]

Well, there seem plenty of VW GTDs around.
Having owned and driven one for nearly four years now (where has that time gone?), I would venture the BMW 335d xdrive as up for contention.

[Fastdruid]

335d (mapped) obviously.

[samj2014]

I'd venture that the mk1 skoda fabia vrs could be considered a modern classic

[Keep it stiff]

Landrover 88s & 109s perhaps the most obvious.

[randomeddy]

Citron ZX volcane.
Considered to be the first diesel 'hot hatch'.

[agent006]

I think it needs to wait until the 90s cars start to become 'proper' classics. Even then, other than a few, it'll be cars that are classics that happen to be diesel, rather than being notable simply because they were diesels. Things like the XM or Avantime, Rover 800 etc.

[DuncanM23]

W124 Merc? The classic "Berlin taxi" ought to be diesel, and the engines go on for ever...

[MJK 24]

randomeddy said:

Citron ZX volcane.
Considered to be the first diesel 'hot hatch'.

MK2 Golf GTD was earlier.

[Griffithy]

Mercedes /8


Mercedes L319

[anonymous-user]

VW XL1

2 cylinder 800cc diesel

IMO already a classic. But doesn’t fulfil your second question to be fair.

[paintman]

To the first part of your question: Range Rover Classic?
VM & TDi engines.

[jagfan2]

205 STDT ?

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1013274

[Castrol for a knave]

504 Diesel - most of Africa ran on these things.

The XD engines were a leap ahead and a platform for numerous versions thereafter, in various makes. They're a bit of an unsung gem - Indenor made something that would be evolved down the years into various formats, and shift away from the usual chuggy diesel such as the Merc, to capable and efficient turbo and naturally aspirated units.

I'd also argue the Pug 306 D-Turbo, which was one of the earliest diesel hot hatches, running the XUD1.9 variant. People realised the mid range of a pokey oil burner could offer comparable performance to it's petrol rivals. Golf had the GTD and Rover the 200 D Sport or whatever it was, but neither had a Pinninfarina body and were pretty meh.

[RazerSauber]

Audi Q7 V12 diesel maybe? These are bound to end up going up in value and, if memory serves, still command silly prices for a Q7 with an engine difficult to get bits for.

[Dapster]

DuncanM23 said:

W124 Merc? The classic "Berlin taxi" ought to be diesel, and the engines go on for ever...

Agree, though I think the real classic is the previous gen W123. There is definitely some humble charm to a pov spec, million km restored beige Berlin taxi. Definitely a niche within a niche but classic none-the-less.




Original Golf D as well.

[geeks]

The 306 D-turbo moved things on quite alot as I recall as well. Gotta be a modern classic too now.

[Mouse Rat]

Along with a couple the W124 Merc's I would also thought the 306Dturbo S will become a collectors car especially if only a few survive. Its was also one of the first cars I remember making diesel sexy, although probably not as desirable as the GTi6

The Touareg R50 will maybe regarded as a modern classic. Halo model in the UK as I don't think the W12 was on sale over here, I maybe wrong.

[Lotobear]

Audi A2 potentially? - they did a 3 cylinder diesel model

The car itself was unique in (ISTR) being the first aluminium monocoque and it it was fairly short lived. Wifey had a 1.6 petrol back in the day - plagued by leccy gremlins and without doubt the worst car ever in our household.

[Deranged Rover]

paintman said:

To the first part of your question: Range Rover Classic?
VM & TDi engines.

Noooo!!! A Range Rover Classic should have a Rover V8 - full stop.

Just because it has "Classic" in the name, doesn't make it one...