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Is it part of being British - we love the underdog? Is it because it's nice to reject the stuff that everyone else likes and take the path less travelled? Is it because we can see a wasted opportunity? Whatever the reason, there were some great cars that just didn't make it in the hard commercial world. Put your favourites here! I am deeply in love with the Lancia Gamma Coupe, achingly pretty but with a cambelt that tended to jump off when you wind on the steering lock against a kerb I also love the Fiat 130, the coupe is sexy but the saloon is menacing. But who'd buy a prestige priced car with a Fiat badge on it? The NSU Ro80 is an easy one to choose, fantastic styling, futuristic engine, semi auto gearbox, loads of space inside... What a shame the motor needed expert care that the dealers couldn't give Last one for now is the Austin A40 Farina. They sold in reasonable numbers but I can't help thinking they let it wither on the vine when the Mini was released. I'd love one now with Spridget bits ;D Your turn!
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Bioshock
Posted a lot
It aint hip to be square.
Posts: 1,861
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My ole 411. Not one of VW's greatest success story's
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Almera GTI = ugly bird who turns out to be great in the sack = Win
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Firstly its got to be the Lancia Beta, i had 2 a 1600 and a 2000, both great cars. Rusted like crazy but if you could get one before that you were in for a treat. Next is the Alfa sud. Absolutely brilliant. My mate bought a new XR2 in 1988 and i had a 1979 Alfasud 1500 4 door in beige and he couldn't keep up! Understated and great.
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'82 944 Lhasa green
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Bioshock
Posted a lot
It aint hip to be square.
Posts: 1,861
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Another unusual one I owned,was an Alfa 90. Boxy looking thing but powered by a 2.5 V6 Tiny amount of rust on it,and I think I paid £200 for it Known for its bizzare handbrake! (not mine)
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Almera GTI = ugly bird who turns out to be great in the sack = Win
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The Maserati Quattroporte II, only 13 ever made as far as I know?! Love love love the look of that car, Citroen hydropneumatic suspension, Maserati V6, turning headlamps mmmmmmmm Last time I thought about this car it took a week to dry the mattress.
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Great choices so far, esp the Lancias, Fiat & NSU! The heroic failure that I desire most is the Riley Pathfinder. Stonking 2.5 litre 4 cyl hemi with twin underhead cams producing 110bhp @ 4500rpm & a lovely torque curve due to the 120mm stroke! Will do over the ton & o/d equipped examples are turning just 3k at 90mph - this is a mid '50s car remember. Combine this with lovely styling (imho by far Gerald Palmer's best effort) and those ridged hubcaps are sooo deeply cool! ;D
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the Skoda 1100GT. who wants a poverty spec sportscar? anyone? alongside:
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the Skoda 1100GT. who wants a poverty spec sportscar? anyone? I'd have thought loads would - MG's business model of the 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s worked ok on it ;D The Renault Safranne was a runaway sales success compared to the Renault Avantime
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Rob
Posted a lot
You know, for kids!
Posts: 2,515
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The Marina ? nice looking mota... 30 yr old underpinnings... down to cost that one... Could have been a great car (as proved by any 'sorted' TC)... Imagine if they'd have built a V8 Coupe !!
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Last Edit: Dec 5, 2006 14:30:59 GMT by Rob
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LMAO @ garethj, you have pretty much named every car in the Mr_Bollox barn of fancy!!! As for the Avantime, love it, shall have one soon, however it was quite a success in France, rather like all the large luxury cars from Pug, Ren and Citroen. Same as the VelSatis, which is also ACE! My favourite failure, the much maligned BMW 745i turbo. Top work, but who cares!?! BB
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Yesterday at 7:54, pogweasel wrote:
Nothing wrong with creature comforts. If I want masochism, I'll just go and slam my knackers in the fridge door for a bit.
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*Foul ref* The Marina wasn't a failure, they sold hundreds of thousands. Even the Ital was sold in reasonable numbers wasn't it? Good choice with the VW 411, because by VW standards they barely sold half a dozen. It also gets into the 'failure' category by being a complete dead-end for VW as far as design and technology (other than the engine). I loved my old 412 ;D
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As for the Avantime, love it, shall have one soon, however it was quite a success in France, rather like all the large luxury cars from Pug, Ren and Citroen. Same as the VelSatis, which is also ACE! Often the case that cars are ok in their home markets but complete failures in the much needed export market. I can't imagine right hand drive Avantime's were worth tooling up for ;D
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qwerty
Club Retro Rides Member
Posts: 2,410
Club RR Member Number: 52
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Your favourite failureqwerty
@qwerty
Club Retro Rides Member 52
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The renault/AMC "alliance". Basically the american version of the Renault 9/11 but with coupe and Cabriolet versions. Americans didn't like it because it was to small to FWD and to european! Would love to find and import a coupe version. Convert in to RHD and 1.7 Volvo Turbo ;D Maybe one day **Edit** Quick search on Ebay.com and it may be viable!! How much is shipping from the states?? And they seemed to do a 2.0 version which surely means a renault 21 turbo engine will fit in ;D;D
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Last Edit: Dec 5, 2006 15:00:57 GMT by qwerty
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Rob
Posted a lot
You know, for kids!
Posts: 2,515
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are we talking economic failure (ie they solld loads as you say) or a failure in as much as it should have been a different car but stifled by management ad economic issues ? (that is a genuine question not a cocky retort )
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i'm surprised no one has posted one of these up yet so far ahead of its time,with digital instruments ,futuristic looks and an aston powerplant how could it fail?
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There was an Alliance soft top for sale in Classic Car Weekly a few weeks ago! I'd not seen one over here before.
Marina - not a failure. Not a great car but not a failure.
Renault Safrane is the same - didn't do well over here but big French fancies rarely do. Go to France and start drooling! Saw a Renault 30 when I was over there last year. Renault 25s everywhere still.
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1986 Citroen 2CV Dolly Other things. Check out my Blog for the latest! www.hubnut.org
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1986 Citroen 2CV Dolly Other things. Check out my Blog for the latest! www.hubnut.org
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are we talking economic failure (ie they solld loads as you say) or a failure in as much as it should have been a different car but stifled by management ad economic issues ? (that is a genuine question not a cocky retort ) I think the minimum to be a failure here is to have fields of them unsold for a year or more. Taking the company to bankruptcy FTW (like NSU) or forcing them to leave the market (Lancia in the UK) to get an honourable mention. ;D The Alfa Arna has just phoned up and asked to be put here, I could only agree! The Alfasud was such a promising car in the 70s, the Datsun Cherry was a handy thing too. Just hopeless together though
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Another one - The Alfa 6. Looked like the smaller ones, but cost almost twice as much. Throw in six individual carbs that needed to be kept synchronised and the usual Alfa issues of casual rust protection and all the elements are there. Apparently you could still buy one from stock two years after they stopped importing the things!
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