Beat me to it, Lada Niva. They sold them in Brazil for a while.
There was a Russian invasion about a decade ago. They started selling the Niva and the Samara for dirt cheap. I'm talking less than 1/2 the price of a new Fiat or Chevy.
The taillights are unique for 1967 Mustang. I just saw a blue one, 2+2 fastback, being towed on I75 this morning in Cincy. It looked like it was on its way to rebuilding; it wasn't that the car had failed.
that the Mustang was a 1967 and not a 1968 was that if it was a '68 there would be a side marker light in the rear quarter panel.
As for the Cutlass, I just looked at some online pics, and it seems the rear was almost totally different between '64 and '65. The '64 was more squared-off and blocky, and kinda makes me think of a cross between a mid/late 60's Dodge and a mid-60's Pontiac. Here's a pic of a '64.
Within 2 years, they were falling apart so badly that noone wanted one. You could get a year-old used one for the equivalent of $2000. Asking price. And no buyers.
That was for the Samara. The Niva was not quite as bad.
Lada still failed in a market that wasn't even very competitive at the time. Brazil gets mostly european designs a few years behind.
Canada got the Samara and Niva too. Can't recall the last time I saw a Samara even around not-rusty Van, but I see a Niva/Cossack now and then, I think they have a little cult behind them. I think all the Samaras were in the junkyard by the time they hit 5 years old.
In Recife, Brazil, it was more like 2 years. But it is a coastal town, so the salt from the sea really does eat up cars. Mom had a hole in her Fiat Uno on around the 3rd year of ownership. :sick:
Yep I remember the Skoda, IIRC it was pulled from Canada when VW took over. I liked those more than Ladas (save for the Signet, which being such an antique always caught my eye, and I always thought was handsome in a Fiat way). The Canadian Skoda was the 120 or 130, I think. They rallyed them a lot back in the day I think, too.
I liked those more than Ladas (save for the Signet, which being such an antique always caught my eye, and I always thought was handsome in a Fiat way).
The Signet IIRC was a rebadged Fiat 124 Berline, a pretty good car for the 1960s and the basis for the wonderful 124 Sport Spider and Coupe.
Fiat builds cars in Brazil, so there are tons of those. Last time I was there the Palio was the best selling "domestico".
In Brazil what counts is where it's made. No big manufacturers are based in Brazil, so the Fiats made there are considered Domestic. Refreshing, no?
When I lived there, from 1980-1985, there were 4 manufacturers: Fiat, Chevrolet, Ford, and VW.
For a short period, while Fernando Collor de Mello was president, he opened up the doors for imports, so Brazil had just about every single manufacturer in the world. And yes, that included Seat. I remember seeing Ibizas there.
But, they were all "importados", i.e. imports, and basically low volume.
When they pretty much closed the doors again, Peugoet set up a factory. Them came Toyota, and then Honda. I think Renault as well. So now there are least those 8, that I can think of off the top of my head.
They basically all build sub-compacts. The hottest segment is the "Mille" cars, because with engines under 1 liter they pay a lot less taxes, plus gas costs a fortune there, especially compared to average incomes.
The cool part? Flex-fuel cars are old news there, been around for ages. They burn enough Ethanol that the country actually exports more fuel than it uses.
Nothing at all like the US car market. Never has been, really. Sort of like europe, but for some strange reason diesel hasn't made it big there yet. Diesel costs HALF what gas costs in Brazil.
Very interesting. I like the small offerings from Fiat and its competition...but I'm not gutsy enough to drive such things in the American SUV jungle here!
Good guess, Fin, it's an IFA F8 but it's obviously a rebadge of a 1970s Wartburg link title.
Honestly the proliferation of brands and models emanating from Eisenach makes my head spin. Apparently Sachensnring, IFA, and Wartburg were all used as brand names but I can't figure out if any of these was the actual company name. :confuse:
The Polish produced Fiats were either called the "big" Fiat: The big Fiat was produced up until 1990's IIRC
The "small" Fiat (126P)
The Polonez: which was later taken over by Daewoo and updated in the 90's.
And the Syrena (polish built, not really based on anything).
Our family had Syrena in 1985. It was 1 year old and it was sitting on blocks cause it had many problems (no warranty).
My dad told me that there was a 2 year wait list for that car. When your time came up to get it, you went straight to the factory to pick it up, no dealerships.
He said that they had about 10-15 a month ready for pickup and the people who were there to pick up their car had to wait in front of the gates. The colors were not assigned. When they opened the gates to the factory parking lot where the cars were parked, you had to run and touch the car/color that you wanted to lay claim on it. If you were old, or slow and couldn't run as fast you would end up with a crappy color.
He said many people also brought mechanics with them to inspect these new cars.
Then you'd finalize the paperwork and drive home in your state of the art communist car
It's the funniest story I heard in a while but it was true.
Other than that, people brought in black market imports from Western Europe. When my dad bought a Morris of some sorts, we were the only ones in our town of 100000 who had that car.
Wow, that Syrena looks like a 50s design. Which local cars were best? Fiats?
I remember I was very interested in all the activity when the Berlin wall came down and people from east of there started to travel. I still remember a report from (then) Czechoslovakia with a guy in a Toyota Corolla coupe, and how I thought that must have been quite a car there.
Big Fiats were the best, but if you had a Lada, it meant you were well off.
If you saw a Porsche, it was a rare occasion. My first Porsche sighting was when I was 5 (in 1977), it was a 928 parked somewhere, with a huge crowd around it.
That 126P was sold in Brazil. My cousin drove one, I barely remember but I do, that was back in the 70s I think. I remember him complaining about how bad it was.
In a twisted sort of way, I kinda like it, whatever it is! I think it would look neat if the fender tops were as low as the hoodline, and it had hidden pop-up headlights.
The grille makes me think just a bit of a '66 T-bird
Comments
There was a Russian invasion about a decade ago. They started selling the Niva and the Samara for dirt cheap. I'm talking less than 1/2 the price of a new Fiat or Chevy.
-juice
There's a reason for that.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
As for the Cutlass, I just looked at some online pics, and it seems the rear was almost totally different between '64 and '65. The '64 was more squared-off and blocky, and kinda makes me think of a cross between a mid/late 60's Dodge and a mid-60's Pontiac. Here's a pic of a '64.
Yep, If you can't see the side marker light it's '67.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Within 2 years, they were falling apart so badly that noone wanted one. You could get a year-old used one for the equivalent of $2000. Asking price. And no buyers.
That was for the Samara. The Niva was not quite as bad.
Lada still failed in a market that wasn't even very competitive at the time. Brazil gets mostly european designs a few years behind.
-juice
We got her a new Palio, at least.
-juice
Speaking of eastern European cars, we also had Skodas out here in the late 80's. they sold for about the same price as Ladas.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
I once saw a Mexican plated Seat in WA state.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
The Signet IIRC was a rebadged Fiat 124 Berline, a pretty good car for the 1960s and the basis for the wonderful 124 Sport Spider and Coupe.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Yep, the Lada Signet was really a 60s Fiat... a real retro car as I believe they were sold in Canada through about 1990
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
In Brazil what counts is where it's made. No big manufacturers are based in Brazil, so the Fiats made there are considered Domestic. Refreshing, no?
When I lived there, from 1980-1985, there were 4 manufacturers: Fiat, Chevrolet, Ford, and VW.
For a short period, while Fernando Collor de Mello was president, he opened up the doors for imports, so Brazil had just about every single manufacturer in the world. And yes, that included Seat. I remember seeing Ibizas there.
But, they were all "importados", i.e. imports, and basically low volume.
When they pretty much closed the doors again, Peugoet set up a factory. Them came Toyota, and then Honda. I think Renault as well. So now there are least those 8, that I can think of off the top of my head.
They basically all build sub-compacts. The hottest segment is the "Mille" cars, because with engines under 1 liter they pay a lot less taxes, plus gas costs a fortune there, especially compared to average incomes.
The cool part? Flex-fuel cars are old news there, been around for ages. They burn enough Ethanol that the country actually exports more fuel than it uses.
Nothing at all like the US car market. Never has been, really. Sort of like europe, but for some strange reason diesel hasn't made it big there yet. Diesel costs HALF what gas costs in Brazil.
-juice
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Russian plates too, I believe...and a Lada beside it, too
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Honestly the proliferation of brands and models emanating from Eisenach makes my head spin. Apparently Sachensnring, IFA, and Wartburg were all used as brand names but I can't figure out if any of these was the actual company name. :confuse:
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Boomcheck - in Poland did they get the full eastern bloc mix of cars - Polish, East German, Czech, and Russian?
The Polish produced Fiats were either called the "big" Fiat:
The big Fiat was produced up until 1990's IIRC
The "small" Fiat (126P)
The Polonez:
which was later taken over by Daewoo and updated in the 90's.
And the Syrena (polish built, not really based on anything).
Our family had Syrena in 1985. It was 1 year old and it was sitting on blocks cause it had many problems (no warranty).
My dad told me that there was a 2 year wait list for that car. When your time came up to get it, you went straight to the factory to pick it up, no dealerships.
He said that they had about 10-15 a month ready for pickup and the people who were there to pick up their car had to wait in front of the gates. The colors were not assigned. When they opened the gates to the factory parking lot where the cars were parked, you had to run and touch the car/color that you wanted to lay claim on it. If you were old, or slow and couldn't run as fast you would end up with a crappy color.
He said many people also brought mechanics with them to inspect these new cars.
Then you'd finalize the paperwork and drive home in your state of the art communist car
It's the funniest story I heard in a while but it was true.
Other than that, people brought in black market imports from Western Europe. When my dad bought a Morris of some sorts, we were the only ones in our town of 100000 who had that car.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
I remember I was very interested in all the activity when the Berlin wall came down and people from east of there started to travel. I still remember a report from (then) Czechoslovakia with a guy in a Toyota Corolla coupe, and how I thought that must have been quite a car there.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
If you saw a Porsche, it was a rare occasion. My first Porsche sighting was when I was 5 (in 1977), it was a 928 parked somewhere, with a huge crowd around it.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Hint: It's eastern european, made by a company that had an inexpensive car for sale in North America in the 80's/90's.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
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2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
Aah the Yugo gives it away...from the parent company, Zastava
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
-juice
It's also sold in Egypt as the El Nasr 128. The Yugo of course is heavily 128- based and it's still sold as the Zastava Yugo
.
How curious that the Yugo car outlasted the nation it was named after. :confuse:
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
The grille makes me think just a bit of a '66 T-bird
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
This is a tough one so I'm going to give you guys a link to a bigger picture of it.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
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