Chevette "Silhouette" and other 80's editions

[geeman237]

I was browsing the classic classifieds and came across this 1982 Vauxhall Chevette Silhouette edition with only 11k miles and 11,500GBP price.
https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C1271325
Price aside, it jogged my memory on this 'limited edition' and got me thinking, how many similar models can you remember from the late 70's and into the 80's?
Escort "Harrier" was another with slightly more sporting pretensions.
These were usually run out models with a few graphics/stickers and a bit of different trim etc. to give flagging sales a boost. I am not talking cars like Sierra Cosworth's etc, but more the hum-drum stuff.
Would you count the Sierra 2.0iS, Chasseur, 2000E as such models?
The TR7 had the Coca-Cola model, but I think those were competition prize cars.
The 'classic' Mini was cranking out a few around at that time too.
What was the Vauxhall 'Merit' spec on the Astra and Nova?

What others can you remember?

[Mark A S]

Not sure re limited editions, but looking at that very tidy Chuvvit got me thinking about building an HSR replica with around 300 bhp

[Car_Nut]

How much???

[Scrump]

I used to own a MkV Cortina Carousel (two tone paintwork)
Not sure if it was a limited edition but my sister used to own a 205 Denim (denim fabric seats) she went on to own a Golf Rolling Stones (a few stickers and some patterned seat fabric).

Edit:
The 205 was a Junior as corrected by Turbobanana.

Edited by Scrump on Thursday 8th October 07:08

[geeman237]

A couple more Fords come to mind

Cortina "Crusader"....didn't it have a sort of Daily Express crusader logo on the bootlid?
Capri "Calypso"

I'm struggling with the BL products, but perhaps the Allegro "Equipe".
Triumph had the Dolomite 1500SE, all black with the silver/grey velour interior.

VW Beetle "Jeans"?

[OLDBENZ]

Aah, yes!

Cortina Crusader was the run out Cortina where they used up the Ghia model wooden door caps and other 'executive' bits and bobs on what would have otherwise been a fairly lowly model.

The Dolomite 1500 SE is a similar story from BL. A 1980 runout model based on the basic 1500 Dolomite (simply known as the 1500 before all the small Triumph saloons were given the Dolomite name) glittered up with left over Spitfire wheels and trims, Dolomite Sprint tinted glass etc but still the poverty dashboard with no rev counter. Strangely this was the only Dolomite model to have gloss woodwork. Also had unique seat material.

I have no idea why I remember this useless trivia.

[Turbobanana]

Reliant Robin Jubilee (silver vinyl interior)
Mk 2 Escort Linnet (bizarre stripes)
205 with the denim trim was the Junior
Saab 900 Tjugofem (25 in Swedish)
Metro City (Atrocity?)
Any number of Minis with increasingly fluffy interiors
Renault 5 Le Car
Porsche 924 Le Mans
Fiat Panda Italia 90 with soccer ball wheel trims
The list is long and distinguished

[85Carrera]

Turbobanana said:

The list is long and undistinguished

FTFY

[Crafty_]

My first car was a Mk1 Astra "Celebrity" like this: https://www.bradleyjamesclassics.co.uk/wp-content/... 2 tone paint and a (IIRC) webasto sunroof that was opened by twisting a knurled knob ( https://www.bradleyjamesclassics.co.uk/wp-content/... ) in the middle was a screw, which was like a cam lock, half a turn and it released the entire unit, allowing you to lift it out and store in the boot.

I also remember a limited edition Mk2 Cavalier commander https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b7/46/25/b74625f55a...

Above pics not linked cos they're quite big.

Also remember the Mk2 Cavalier Calibre which was an SRI 130 with a very 80s Irmscher bodykit
[img[https://www.classiccarshq.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/4-1-500x375.jpg[/img]

Vauxhall used the "Merit" badge on numerous cars which as a poverty spec model.

They also did a Nova Sport, which was an SR model with a pair of twin 40s and (IIRC) a cam in the boot.. Lots went rallying I think? this one sold, as asking £34,500 !


I think it was a short lived production model, but they also did a Mk2 Astra SR, if I recall a 1600 with a few stickers.. There was also a Mk2 cavalier with the same running gear, quickly replaced by the SRI.

[Lily the Pink]

Crafty_ said:

They also did a Nova Sport, which was an SR model with a pair of twin 40s and (IIRC) a cam in the boot.

Pardon ?

[Doyliestag]

Vauxhall Antibes models in Nova,Astra and Cavalier variants.Also,the Club models all offered in white.

[Boosted LS1]

A TR7 coca cola with denim trim has been restored. I don't know how many were made or if just the one.

[Yertis]

A long time ago I worked for a company that came up with ‘limited editions’ for a local Vauxhall dealer. Basically the dealer would come up with a spec (based on the options list I guess) then someone usually the boss would come up with a name and design a little logo to go on the car somewhere.

[Dapster]

A few from memory


A particular low point for VW, the Harlequin



Saab 96 Anniversary (a mate at school had one - it was THE best babe magnet this side of a all white Countach!). Celebrating 25 years in the UK



75 off UK spec 924 Le Mans with the "Le Mans" script that the rest of the world cars didn't get



Triton green, 1979 year only V8-S



There was actually a Granada Chicken Chasseaur as well of course



Triumph Acclaim Avon Turbo https://www.aronline.co.uk/cars/triumph/acclaim/av...



Bottom of the range glumness from Ford



25 off UK market only M3 Roberto Ravaglia Edition



Golf G60 Limited. 71 built worldwide



Merc W124 E60 AMG. 100 built (approx)



Harrods Range Rover by Wood and Picket. You could only buy this in the Harrods store (£35k back in 1983....) and only 1 rhd one survives. All the rest went to the middle east. Available for sale for only one month!



Metro Vanden Plas 500. Special to commemorate half a million Metros produced.





Fiesta Festival with the correct wheels I think



That's it for the moment - I may come back to this....

Edited by Dapster on Wednesday 7th October 20:47

[Crafty_]

Lily the Pink said:

Pardon ?

Vauxhall went rallying with the Nova, but the car was lacking a bit. The rules were any car that was rallied also needed to be sold as a road car (minimum 500 units). This is where the Sport came in, the car was a normal model with different seats from factory, but also came with a box of bits which included a pair of weber carbs, an exhaust and (optionally) an upgraded cam. Pulled power up from 75 to 90-odd horsepower which was a lot in those days!
The idea was that the carbs etc would be dealer fit, but it seems some did leave dealers without the bits fitted.

More info here http://www.novasportregister.com/history/ - that website is a bit broken but you can get to some pages in the history section that have some good information.


The above post made me think of the Mercedes Cosworth 190E - were they a limited edition run ?

Also the Mk3 Escort RS1600i which (I think) was sold alongside the XR3I before the RS Turbo came along ?

Edited by Crafty_ on Wednesday 7th October 21:05

[Dapster]

Crafty_ said:

The above post made me thinkof the Mercedes Cosworth 190E - were they a limited edition run ?

The "standard" 2.3 and 2.5-16v cars were production cars with c 20,000 made. The 2 evo models, the EVO I and EVO II really were special editions with 500 made of each.

[Equus]

geeman237 said:

...came across this 1982 Vauxhall Chevette Silhouette edition...

I had one of those, to which someone had fitted a 2 litre Fiat Twin Cam on twin Webers, with its 5-speed gearbox. Best part of three times its original horsepower. Bloody evil handling thing, it was - great engine, though.

I recall the Escort Harrier being regarded with something close to awe in my very working-class neighbourhood when I was a kid. ISTR it was regarded as superior to the RS2000 by the cognoscenti, 'cos it was lighter and nimbler, and the Crossflow engine was more free-revving and could be tuned for just as much power as the Pinto.

[AMGSee55]

What could evoke the memory of a luxury railway service better than this beauty?

[Duke Caboom]

I've mentioned it here before but I'm sure Ford used to do regional special editions. I grew up on the Solent and in the early 80s would see special editions (stripe, white hub caps, pop-out sunroof etc) called something like the Fiesta "Seaspray" or "Wave", complete with a little graphic. I would then be dragged to visit relatives somewhere else in the country, see the same combination of hubcap and stripe, but with a different name. I'm pretty sure the literature (single side of A4, not full brochure) would also have the regional dealer group identified in the bottom corner.

[Turbobanana]

Duke Caboom said:

I've mentioned it here before but I'm sure Ford used to do regional special editions. I grew up on the Solent and in the early 80s would see special editions (stripe, white hub caps, pop-out sunroof etc) called something like the Fiesta "Seaspray" or "Wave", complete with a little graphic. I would then be dragged to visit relatives somewhere else in the country, see the same combination of hubcap and stripe, but with a different name. I'm pretty sure the literature (single side of A4, not full brochure) would also have the regional dealer group identified in the bottom corner.

Probably just dealer-created specials, using whatever accessories they had in the parts department at the time.

Prior to my time with them, a Fiat dealer needed to get shot of their last allocation of Regattas. They did an exercise similar to the above, and named them "Director". The directors then invited each buyer to the dealership one evening for a reception and prize draw, the winner getting their money back. Thinking back it would have been better if the winner got to give the car back...