Unlikely car clubs

[Vitorio]

Hi guys

Today on the way back from a family obligation, we drove past a restaurant and there was a carpark meeting going on, nothing unusual really.

What surprised me though, that instead of the usual alfas/hondas/VWs etc.. There were 15 Kia Rios lined up.

Judging from the Kia website, they dont have a hot halo model to compete with the GTIs of the world, and the previous models felt like 3rd white goods, so i am very surprised to see Kia having gained such a following this soon.

You guys have any thoughts on this?

[TheHeretic]

Wouldn't be surprised of there were clubs for every car out there. People like different things.

[Pontoneer]

There is a club for Austin Allegro owners : both of them turn up to have regular meetings ; when one can't manage along , the other 50% generally still attend .

[Vitorio]

TheHeretic said:

Wouldn't be surprised of there were clubs for every car out there. People like different things.

Fair enough, i'm just surprised to see Kia make such progress, the most exciting engine they offer on the Rio is 1.4 with 109hp, and the previous models were awefull, so apparently the styling for the new Rio is a massive hit

[Dave Hedgehog]

Pontoneer said:

There is a club for Austin Allegro owners : both of them turn up to have regular meetings ; when one can't manage along , the other 50% generally still attend .

if theirs a marinia owners club anything else surely goes

[HeatonNorris]

Vitorio said:

Fair enough, i'm just surprised to see Kia make such progress, the most exciting engine they offer on the Rio is 1.4 with 109hp, and the previous models were awefull, so apparently the styling for the new Rio is a massive hit

There was nothing wrong with the old Rio.

It wasn't the last word in styling or dynamics - however, it was better than average at most things and offered almost as much space as a Focus for less money than a poverty Fiesta.

[Vitorio]

HeatonNorris said:

There was nothing wrong with the old Rio.

It wasn't the last word in styling or dynamics - however, it was better than average at most things and offered almost as much space as a Focus for less money than a poverty Fiesta.

I've driven a previous model cee'd for half an hour, it was awefully bad. I've driven a Hyundai i30 for three months, the Kia felt like a cheap knock-off hyundai (which in turn felt like a cheap knock-off focus)

As a white good i have no issue with korean cars so far, but from my personal experience i would so much class them as cars, but rather a methods of transportation

[cambiker71]

Pontoneer said:

There is a club for Austin Allegro owners : both of them turn up to have regular meetings ; when one can't manage along , the other 50% generally still attend .

Sadly, they seem to have expanded...

[cambiker71]

Dave Hedgehog said:

Pontoneer said:

There is a club for Austin Allegro owners : both of them turn up to have regular meetings ; when one can't manage along , the other 50% generally still attend .

if theirs a marinia owners club anything else surely goes

There is, they were at BL day this year, couldn't bring myself to take a photo though!

[Zigster]

Suzuki SC100?

I was at a country show last year and there was a whole bunch of these basic little 1970s hatchbacks. I'd never even hear of them before so was surprised to find a car club dedicated to them. [Cue lots of outraged SC100 fans.]

[TheHeretic]

Zigster said:

Suzuki SC100?

I was at a country show last year and there was a whole bunch of these basic little 1970s hatchbacks. I'd never even hear of them before so was surprised to find a car club dedicated to them. [Cue lots of outraged SC100 fans.]

They are brilliant looking cars though!

[HeatonNorris]

Zigster said:

Suzuki SC100?

I was at a country show last year and there was a whole bunch of these basic little 1970s hatchbacks. I'd never even hear of them before so was surprised to find a car club dedicated to them. [Cue lots of outraged SC100 fans.]

They're not a 'basic little 1970s hatchback', though.

They're a sporty little 2+2 coupe.

Cracking little things. Still lust after one today.

[nagsheadwarrior]

That is bizarre, at least Allegros are old but a seouless modern thing like the Rio is rather odd!

I cant talk though,I was a member of the Classic Hearse Register, the club magazine was brilliantly called the Mourning News!

[HeatonNorris]

nagsheadwarrior said:

That is bizarre, at least Allegros are old but a seouless modern thing like the Rio is rather odd!

Not sure if that's deliberate or not... but if not, it's one of the best typos ever.

[spaximus]

I always find this sort of thread sad. We need people to keep our history alive and just because the cars were awful when new does not make them not worth saving. The Austin 7 was a poor car against the jags etc from the same era but they are valued by their owners.
It takes a lot to make the world go around and if it makes people happy so what if others find it sad. Personnaly I find the sight of 30000 people watching 22 others kick a ball around the saddest sight in the world but if that makes them happy that is fine by me.
We should stop laughing at others who don't see the world like we do.

[Veeayt]

HeatonNorris said:

Zigster said:

Suzuki SC100?

I was at a country show last year and there was a whole bunch of these basic little 1970s hatchbacks. I'd never even hear of them before so was surprised to find a car club dedicated to them. [Cue lots of outraged SC100 fans.]

They're not a 'basic little 1970s hatchback', though.

They're a sporty little 2+2 coupe.

Cracking little things. Still lust after one today.

[Zoobeef]

One of my mate is far away from being a petrol head, hates any car driving sport ie go karting or tracks but has bought himself a new Kia.
He now waves at every Kia he sees and takes great pleasure in getting one back.
Must be an underdog appreciation society :/

[rehab71]

There is a Ford S-Max owners club!

[BorkFactor]

The Vauxhall Vectra C has a huge following, not a bad car in any way, but still a bit unusual.

[HeatonNorris]

BorkFactor said:

The Vauxhall Vectra C has a huge following, not a bad car in any way, but still a bit unusual.

Early versions of these, along with the older Vectra, have now reached knuckle dragging chavdom and are mostly seen being driven really badly and aggressively.