Crap cars from history that you secretly love!

[blue_haddock]

Following on from a post elsewhere in the forum about driving a reliant robin down through africa i was thinking about crap cars that you have a soft spot for.

My great uncle Roly had a light blue reliant rialto that we went on some amazing family days out in back in the early to mid 80's and i've thought about buying one to relive those days.



I have also considered buying a fiat 126 bis as our neighbour when growing up had one which i just loved to bits as a kid.





I also have asoft spot for Citroen 2CV's!

I then remember that neither were particularly well regarded back in the day and would both probably be equally crap to own and drive in modern times!

So what is your guilty crap car pleasure???

[Lefty]

Pretty much anything Land Rover made between 1947 and 1995

[Bernie_78]

2 friends and I bought this for the value of the numberplate back in 2017 I think 9certianly before they became cool(ish)



Similarly I bought this for a friends 40th Austin/Rover only roadtrip to Wales. Was stolen from outside my partner's house Christmas 2023 and recovered 4 days later so can't really part with it and its pretty much worthless.



Anything a little naff has huge appeal to be honest.

[TCEvo]

Eastern Bloc chod, particularly a late model Wartburg 353 Tourist or an early Skoda Favorit.

[Stick Legs]

Volvo 360GLT. My first and second cars. Would still love one.



Every rational fibre of my being says no, but I occasionally look for one of these. There's something about them I just like.

[andyb28]

I have always thought that the Lada Niva is pretty cool.

[ExBoringVolvoDriver]

For some unknown reason I have a soft spot for this

https://www.imcdb.org/i588451.jpg

We had one of the same era and it always felt quite sporty and having twin carbs added to that. The thing is I seem to recall that it had rostyle wheels which none of the pictures appear to show. Maybe my Dad added them!!

[donkmeister]

Stick Legs said:

Every rational fibre of my being says no, but I occasionally look for one of these. There's something about them I just like.

Ah yes, the Aston Martin Lagonda.

I'd have an ADO17, preferably with some retro modding done to bring it up to snuff with handling, braking and going abilities. Unfortunately there don't seem to be many about now.

[Stick Legs]

donkmeister said:

Stick Legs said:

Every rational fibre of my being says no, but I occasionally look for one of these. There's something about them I just like.

Ah yes, the Aston Martin Lagonda.

I'd have an ADO17, preferably with some retro modding done to bring it up to snuff with handling, braking and going abilities. Unfortunately there don't seem to be many about now.

I'd like a Lagonda too, and they are crap.

[Hoofy]

andyb28 said:

I have always thought that the Lada Niva is pretty cool.

Ditto. It's probably awful to drive but I love it.

[Decky_Q]

Bit gutted that the 126 was in the first post! I love mine. It's cute as cars come and have had some properly spirited drives in it down mountain passes with gravity assistance.

[swisstoni]

I like 'crap' cars and have enjoyed them as much as the quality cars I have had.
For different reasons, but they all get you down the road.

[robemcdonald]

Any 1980s Alfa Romeo..

Objectively not as good as the competition, but simultaneously somehow soooo much better.

I’d have a 33 over a golf any day.

[entropy]

Austin Princess. Probably my first memory of a car. They were everywhere and had a distinctive wedge design, and usually in beige, dark orange or yellow. If I see a picture of one I instinctively go back in time to 1983 being very little walking to town with mum and baby brother in a pram and seeing Princesses everywhere. I thought they were cool and I think I still have my yellow Matchbox toy.

[Arnold Cunningham]

My parents had a metallic green princess. BPE 746T. 2 litre auto, I think, with a vinyl roof and black interior.
I liked it, it was a good car for us.

My secret desire is a vauxhall chevette hatchback.

[sixor8]

That photo is from the ACA auction catalogue, hands off!

I had a brown 1979 Princess in 1987. Cost me £200 and £95 to replace the slipping clutch. One of the comfiest cars I've had.

[dxg]

Fiat X1/9

Looked fantastic. Notorious for failing to restart when warm and rusted like all Fiats of that era did...

Still want one.

[Lester H]

entropy said:

Austin Princess. Probably my first memory of a car. They were everywhere and had a distinctive wedge design, and usually in beige, dark orange or yellow. If I see a picture of one I instinctively go back in time to 1983 being very little walking to town with mum and baby brother in a pram and seeing Princesses everywhere. I thought they were cool and I think I still have my yellow Matchbox toy.

Odd, isn’t it.? They had a terrible reliability record but they do now look “ cool” .

[BigMon]

We had a brown 1.7 Princess when I was growing up. Even then I knew it was dreadful. It couldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding, but it was in a fetching shade of brown, with a vinyl roof with red crowns on the side, and had a very nice interior with a fold down rear armrest which was a step up from our previous Beetle.

My Dad could have bought a 2.2 Talbot Tagora too from the car pool at his work before he got the Princess but bottled it.

My crap car would be a 2CV. I wish I'd bought one when I was younger but the amount of piss taking from my mates would have been unbearable. At the time they had a 'Dolly' limited edition which would have made it even worse.

[Mr Squarekins]

I always lusted after a Jensen Healey.