More cars you didn't know existed...

[Mikebentley]

Flumpo said:

Mikebentley said:

I saw a couple of new ones to me yesterday and both new.
Audi A3 Saloon and a Volvo S60 saloon (hence the S).

I do 35k miles a year and have seen neither before. Both on 72 plates.

Are you saying you didn’t know there was such a car as the Volvo s60 and a3 saloon until yesterday or that you had just never seen one in person before?

Sorry if not clear. I wasn’t aware that either car was actually manufactured having never seen either on the road. See lots of the V60 estate cars and actually owned a V90 but have only ever seen a new model S60 yesterday. I then parked next to what I thought was a brand new A4 saloon until I saw the badge was A3. Saloon bodied cars are certainly less common these days.

[el romeral]

At the marina in Puerto Banus the other day. Always the usual exotic Italian supercars on display there, but also spotted these 2 rather more unusual ones (at least to me). Both were big beasts.

Maybach GLS600


Also this old Bentley with a mammoth exhaust tailpipe!

Edited by el romeral on Saturday 11th February 21:34

[V 02]

Mikebentley said:

Flumpo said:

Mikebentley said:

I saw a couple of new ones to me yesterday and both new.
Audi A3 Saloon and a Volvo S60 saloon (hence the S).

I do 35k miles a year and have seen neither before. Both on 72 plates.

Are you saying you didn’t know there was such a car as the Volvo s60 and a3 saloon until yesterday or that you had just never seen one in person before?

Sorry if not clear. I wasn’t aware that either car was actually manufactured having never seen either on the road. See lots of the V60 estate cars and actually owned a V90 but have only ever seen a new model S60 yesterday. I then parked next to what I thought was a brand new A4 saloon until I saw the badge was A3. Saloon bodied cars are certainly less common these days.

You definitely have seen an Audi A3 saloon. They’re common as muck. And so bland you don’t even notice they are there.


S60 is far less common. A pretty rare car.

[Dapster]

AndrewCrown said:

It is a one off design project with Pininfarina...by the legendary Tom Tjaarda

Back in 1968 a Dutch millionaire asked Mercedes to build him a coupe version of the then Saloon only 300SEL 6.3 - the request was turned down. So he bought a car and asked Sergio Pininfarina to do it for him, which he did as a one off. This predates the Pininfarina designed Camargue by 5 years.

Edited by Dapster on Saturday 11th February 21:47

[Mikebentley]

You might be right with the A3, as I said I thought it was an A4 so that’s probably what happens everytime I’ve seen one without the chance to see the boot badge.

[Silvanus]

V 02 said:

Mikebentley said:

Flumpo said:

Mikebentley said:

I saw a couple of new ones to me yesterday and both new.
Audi A3 Saloon and a Volvo S60 saloon (hence the S).

I do 35k miles a year and have seen neither before. Both on 72 plates.

Are you saying you didn’t know there was such a car as the Volvo s60 and a3 saloon until yesterday or that you had just never seen one in person before?

Sorry if not clear. I wasn’t aware that either car was actually manufactured having never seen either on the road. See lots of the V60 estate cars and actually owned a V90 but have only ever seen a new model S60 yesterday. I then parked next to what I thought was a brand new A4 saloon until I saw the badge was A3. Saloon bodied cars are certainly less common these days.

You definitely have seen an Audi A3 saloon. They’re common as muck. And so bland you don’t even notice they are there.


S60 is far less common. A pretty rare car.

I don't think S60s are particularly rare either, certainly plenty of the old shape about, seen plenty of new shape too. A3 Saloons are certainly fairly common.

[Mikebentley]

New shape S60 Silvanus don’t join the PH pedant list,

[rodericb]

Dapster said:

AndrewCrown said:

It is a one off design project with Pininfarina...by the legendary Tom Tjaarda

Back in 1968 a Dutch millionaire asked Mercedes to build him a coupe version of the then Saloon only 300SEL 6.3 - the request was turned down. So he bought a car and asked Sergio Pininfarina to do it for him, which he did as a one off. This predates the Pininfarina designed Camargue by 5 years.

Edited by Dapster on Saturday 11th February 21:47

Apart from the front, that Merc looks close to a BMW 6 series.

[StescoG66]

Dapster said:

I see Lancia Gamma coupe in that... and I do realise this pre dates the Lancia by some margin

[Calinours]

I guess many will be familiar with the hideous Aston Martin Lagonda from the 70s and 80s…

It came about when bon vivant seat designer Bill Towns was allowed the freedom to go a bit crazy with his pencil and ruler when fresh USA/Canadian owners took over post another AML bankruptcy in 1974. We may now wonder what they were thinking, but it’s possible to understand how the then futuristic design got approved by the enthusiastic new American owners, just look at what was thought to be cutting edge American car design of the time.

I’d suspect many may not have seen the original or Series 1 Lagonda, designed (by Towns, always clearly influenced by American designs) initially as an enlarged, 4-door DBS V8 albeit under the restraining influence of David Brown, and then produced in single-digit numbers as an enlarged AM V8 under the subsequent asset-stripping owners ‘Company Developments’ just before the wheels came off.

[Doofus]

Calinours said:

I guess many will be familiar with the hideous Aston Martin Lagonda from the 70s and 80s…

It came about when bon vivant seat designer Bill Towns was allowed the freedom to go a bit crazy with his pencil and ruler when fresh USA/Canadian owners took over post another AML bankruptcy in 1974. We may now wonder what they were thinking, but it’s possible to understand how the then futuristic design got approved by the enthusiastic new American owners, just look at what was thought to be cutting edge American car design of the time.

I’d suspect many may not have seen the original or Series 1 Lagonda, designed (by Towns, always clearly influenced by American designs) initially as an enlarged, 4-door DBS V8 albeit under the restraining influence of David Brown, and then produced in single-digit numbers as an enlarged AM V8 under the subsequent asset-stripping owners ‘Company Developments’ just before the wheels came off.

I think you underestimate the carknowledge on this forum. You're not the only classic car expert here.

[Fermit]

Calinours said:

the original or Series 1 Lagonda, designed (by Towns, always clearly influenced by American designs) initially as an enlarged, 4-door DBS V8

Surely BMW must have had something to say about the kidney grills, or is it a case that they were just different enough?

[MarkwG]

Fermit said:

Calinours said:

the original or Series 1 Lagonda, designed (by Towns, always clearly influenced by American designs) initially as an enlarged, 4-door DBS V8

Surely BMW must have had something to say about the kidney grills, or is it a case that they were just different enough?

Not worth bothering with: BMW were still establishing their style in the seventies. It's also historically the Lagonda grill anyway, which definitely predates the BMW one & IIRC only eight were built anyway. One had the original DBS front, the last head the standard coupe front, the others got the nose like this one.

Edited by MarkwG on Sunday 12th February 20:52

[Fermit]

MarkwG said:

Fermit said:

Calinours said:

the original or Series 1 Lagonda, designed (by Towns, always clearly influenced by American designs) initially as an enlarged, 4-door DBS V8

Surely BMW must have had something to say about the kidney grills, or is it a case that they were just different enough?

Not worth bothering with: BMW were still establishing their style in the seventies. It's also historically the Lagonda grill anyway, which definitely predates the BMW one & IIRC only eight were built anyway. One had the original DBS front, the last head the standard coupe front, the others got the nose like this one.

Edited by MarkwG on Sunday 12th February 20:52

Interesting, thanks for the reply.

[tril]

Calinours said:

I guess many will be familiar with the hideous Aston Martin Lagonda from the 70s and 80s…

It came about when bon vivant seat designer Bill Towns was allowed the freedom to go a bit crazy with his pencil and ruler when fresh USA/Canadian owners took over post another AML bankruptcy in 1974. We may now wonder what they were thinking, but it’s possible to understand how the then futuristic design got approved by the enthusiastic new American owners, just look at what was thought to be cutting edge American car design of the time.

I’d suspect many may not have seen the original or Series 1 Lagonda, designed (by Towns, always clearly influenced by American designs) initially as an enlarged, 4-door DBS V8 albeit under the restraining influence of David Brown, and then produced in single-digit numbers as an enlarged AM V8 under the subsequent asset-stripping owners ‘Company Developments’ just before the wheels came off.

Yes, there is a blue one with the plate 'LWB 1' which I've seen driving on the M25. Very cool thing.

[Dapster]

tril said:

Yes, there is a blue one with the plate 'LWB 1' which I've seen driving on the M25. Very cool thing.

I believe "LWB 1" was subsequently upgraded to 7.0 spec and the bonnet bulge and air dam added. Also, the bootlid and rear wings were modified to integrate the lip like the Vantage coupe. Later BBS cross spokes as well.

[biggbn]

Calinours said:

I guess many will be familiar with the hideous Aston Martin Lagonda from the 70s and 80s…

It came about when bon vivant seat designer Bill Towns was allowed the freedom to go a bit crazy with his pencil and ruler when fresh USA/Canadian owners took over post another AML bankruptcy in 1974. We may now wonder what they were thinking, but it’s possible to understand how the then futuristic design got approved by the enthusiastic new American owners, just look at what was thought to be cutting edge American car design of the time.

I’d suspect many may not have seen the original or Series 1 Lagonda, designed (by Towns, always clearly influenced by American designs) initially as an enlarged, 4-door DBS V8 albeit under the restraining influence of David Brown, and then produced in single-digit numbers as an enlarged AM V8 under the subsequent asset-stripping owners ‘Company Developments’ just before the wheels came off.

Was this not the original Lagonda?


Aston Martin four door Aston Lagonda, the Lagonda Rapide?

[RosscoPCole]

Continuing with the four door Aston Martin/Lagonda theme, what about the Vantage Special Type I. Only three were built, all RHD.

[Fermit]

I present to you the IAD Magia Concept Car from 1992. I saw it at a UK motorshow (NEC or Earls Court) alongside the Hyena (which made production) and thought it looked stunning. Given the later success of the Tigra, I imagine it could have been a sales success.

[-TorqueR]

Maxus T90 EV PickUp.
I spotted one today, never knew this existed.