wish i could, but we are going on vacay up to New Hampshire. While we COULD stop on the way home, there's just no way I'm dragging 2 tired and cranky kids through the expo.
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I specifically wanted to see the Porsche with the "extra" electric drive wheels at the Detroit show a few years back and it was only on exhibit for press days. Pretty irritating, since it indeed got a lot of press coverage.
I remember test driving one of these when they first came out. Brand new car, that drove like an old ragged out one. It was down there with the mid-80s Hyundai Excel my grandmother bought as crappiest feeling new car I ever experienced.
I remember test driving one of these when they first came out. Brand new car, that drove like an old ragged out one. It was down there with the mid-80s Hyundai Excel my grandmother bought as crappiest feeling new car I ever experienced.
G'day
I reckon it was pretty much the same as the 1978 VW Derby, the booted version of the early Polo that I bought for GBP500 in London in 1990. Judy still claims the reason she never got her drivers test was the uncertainty over the gearshift which tended to come out of its socket. I fixed it with a roofing nail, trimmed with a file. Not a favouritev car.
Over time VW has used the "Fox" name for models in many different markets. Some of them have been Polo variants but most have been lower end, more basic cars, including the US version from the 80s and 90s based on the Brazilian Gol..
I test drove a used white 2 door, somewhere around 1988. Sharp. Except it ran like a thresher, and I think it smoked (or maybe just ran like crap, enough that I walked). hey, it was a long time ago!
Around the same time I test drove a Scirroco, 1st gen, that had no seatbelts because the owners dog had chewed through them. Passed on that one too!
Wow...it's mind-blowing just how much automotive styling has NOT advanced, in recent years. Think about it. That Taurus came out in 1986 (not the SHO, but that style). 29 years ago, yet it still looks modern today. Heck, considering the retro craze of late, and the way cars have gotten taller, blockier, and with higher belt lines, it looks MORE modern than many brand-new cars.
Now, go back another 29 years, from 1986. And you end up with my '57 DeSoto.
I guess there's only so much you can do with modern cars, though. There are only so many aerodynamic shapes out there that can still hold passengers and their luggage, meet modern crash test standards, fuel economy standards, etc.
I thought it looked familiar. I am hopeless with most US cars after about 1960, but hired a Taurus in 1990 to drive LA to SF up the coast. The trip was memorable but the only memory (i think it was in this car biut might have been another hire on thst trip) of the Taurus was the weird seatbelts which whipped around the door frame in some way, threatening to chop you off at the neck. Happily they never made them out of the USA. Do you still use them or are you allowed to put your own seat belts on ?
At this distance in time, I am mystified by my stupidity, picking up a hire car for my first experience of driving on the wrong side of the road and the wrong side of the car, in peak hour from LAX to Hollywood, where we were staying. Things got better as we drove up the coast; I will go back to Morro Bay at a moment's notice and we chased every Steinbeck reference around Monterey. Your sea otters are pretty much the coolest animals ever.
The trip was memorable but the only memory (i think it was in this car biut might have been another hire on thst trip) of the Taurus was the weird seatbelts which whipped around the door frame in some way, threatening to chop you off at the neck. Happily they never made them out of the USA. Do you still use them or are you allowed to put your own seat belts on ?
Those types of seatbelts, thankfully, are now a distant memory. Back in the late 80's, the US government pretty much gave the auto makers an ultimatum...put air bags in the cars or else. There was some protesting, so as a stopgap, the auto makers had the choice of putting in an airbag (driver's side only), or putting in some kind of "passive restraint" seatbelt.
Fords tended to use that system you described, with the motorized shoulder strap, and a separate lap belt that you had to put on yourself. Chrysler made the move to airbags pretty quickly...by mid 1988 I think they had them in all of the cars. However, I did own an '88 LeBaron coupe that had a crude form of passive restraint. It had a shoulder belt that anchored in upper part of the door frame, which in theory swung out of the way when you opened the door, but it was still a hassle. And then there was a separate lap belt that you still had to fasten yourself. GM came up with the bright idea of just using one belt, but anchoring the whole thing in the door, so when you opened the door again, in theory, it was out of the way, but in reality it was usually a different story. And worse, if the door swung open in an accident, you'd find yourself suddenly unbelted.
At some point, the government required that all cars sold in the US have a driver and passenger side airbag, and I think the auto makers all met that requirement ahead of time, so thankfully, those awkward "passive restraints" faded into memory.
My mom had those in her Protege. Back in those days she was a chain smoker, and when I'd drive her around, the belt was always knocking her lit cig out of her mouth.
My mom had those in her Protege. Back in those days she was a chain smoker, and when I'd drive her around, the belt was always knocking her lit cig out of her mouth.
Must have worked - she quit about 15 years ago (being in rehab for 6 weeks due to a stroke with no access to cigs may have had something to do with it). She's 93 now....
I thought about buying her Protege when she quit driving around 7 or 8 years ago, but I knew I'd never get the smoke smell out. It was a great runner though. And in her car you could unclip the shoulder harness and hook it on manually, bypassing the motorized gizmo.
Yeah smoker cars are the worst. Especially when they're smoked in with the windows closed. A rookie sales person once told a customer who bought an accord that we'll get the smoke smell out. Customer picked up the car and brought it back for redetail but it just didn't happen. This Accord was so bad that the headliner by the driver's window was black from smoke. I smoke too but I don't do it in the car, or if have to I'll have all the windows open and my hand is out the window with the cigarette.
Must have worked - she quit about 15 years ago (being in rehab for 6 weeks due to a stroke with no access to cigs may have had something to do with it). She's 93 now....
I thought about buying her Protege when she quit driving around 7 or 8 years ago, but I knew I'd never get the smoke smell out. It was a great runner though. And in her car you could unclip the shoulder harness and hook it on manually, bypassing the motorized gizmo.
Steve, we owned a '91 Protege LX with the motorized belts. I really liked it.
Comments
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
I'll watch for the Alfa.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
With 2 doors, I'm going to guess VW Fox, or some other low-line model.
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Not to be confused with the Audi Fox either (U.S. msarket rebadge of the original Audi 80).
P.S. That's not a typo, the Brazilian version was a Gol, not a Golf.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Alfa Matta. Roughly translates as Maddy!
Cheers
Graham
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
I reckon it was pretty much the same as the 1978 VW Derby, the booted version of the early Polo that I bought for GBP500 in London in 1990. Judy still claims the reason she never got her drivers test was the uncertainty over the gearshift which tended to come out of its socket. I fixed it with a roofing nail, trimmed with a file. Not a favouritev car.
Cheers
Graham
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Not sure of the model designation, though.. appears to be from the early-mid '80s
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2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige
Around the same time I test drove a Scirroco, 1st gen, that had no seatbelts because the owners dog had chewed through them. Passed on that one too!
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Post war Pininfarina designed Alfa 6c cabrio. One of the prettiest cars
Cheers
Graham
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Now, go back another 29 years, from 1986. And you end up with my '57 DeSoto.
I guess there's only so much you can do with modern cars, though. There are only so many aerodynamic shapes out there that can still hold passengers and their luggage, meet modern crash test standards, fuel economy standards, etc.
I thought it looked familiar. I am hopeless with most US cars after about 1960, but hired a Taurus in 1990 to drive LA to SF up the coast. The trip was memorable but the only memory (i think it was in this car biut might have been another hire on thst trip) of the Taurus was the weird seatbelts which whipped around the door frame in some way, threatening to chop you off at the neck. Happily they never made them out of the USA. Do you still use them or are you allowed to put your own seat belts on ?
At this distance in time, I am mystified by my stupidity, picking up a hire car for my first experience of driving on the wrong side of the road and the wrong side of the car, in peak hour from LAX to Hollywood, where we were staying. Things got better as we drove up the coast; I will go back to Morro Bay at a moment's notice and we chased every Steinbeck reference around Monterey. Your sea otters are pretty much the coolest animals ever.
Cheers
Graham
Fords tended to use that system you described, with the motorized shoulder strap, and a separate lap belt that you had to put on yourself. Chrysler made the move to airbags pretty quickly...by mid 1988 I think they had them in all of the cars. However, I did own an '88 LeBaron coupe that had a crude form of passive restraint. It had a shoulder belt that anchored in upper part of the door frame, which in theory swung out of the way when you opened the door, but it was still a hassle. And then there was a separate lap belt that you still had to fasten yourself. GM came up with the bright idea of just using one belt, but anchoring the whole thing in the door, so when you opened the door again, in theory, it was out of the way, but in reality it was usually a different story. And worse, if the door swung open in an accident, you'd find yourself suddenly unbelted.
At some point, the government required that all cars sold in the US have a driver and passenger side airbag, and I think the auto makers all met that requirement ahead of time, so thankfully, those awkward "passive restraints" faded into memory.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
I thought about buying her Protege when she quit driving around 7 or 8 years ago, but I knew I'd never get the smoke smell out. It was a great runner though. And in her car you could unclip the shoulder harness and hook it on manually, bypassing the motorized gizmo.
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
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2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige