Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/25 for details.
Options

Have You Ever Heard of a _________?!!

1…457910…13

Comments

  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    A cross between an Acura Legend and something british. As one would expect, the elecricials were nothing but trouble.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Merkurs weren't that fast actually...about an 8 second car, but good for its day with all the anemic, emissions-burdened American cars to compare it to.

    Sterling...oh, yeah, Honda quality AFTER it passes through British quality control.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Do the Brits have quality control checks?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I think they do now, or they're faking it rather well. It depends on the car you buy, I suspect--sort of like an extension of the class system. Of course, that theory goes out the window when you think of all the people who were punished for buying a Rolls Royce.

    My favorite name for a British car is the Ogle. As I'm sure you all know, the Ogle became the Fletcher GT in 1964.
  • carnut4carnut4 Member Posts: 574
    on TV news last night, the new Rolls Royce Corniche convertible was shown-I think the price was something like 350 thousand? I know what I think-but Shifty, I'd like to hear your take on this new "creation"....
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    That's a ridiculous amount for a car of any kind, much less a Rolls. Even if one had money to burn, they should buy a nice Mercedes S-Class and give the other $250,000 to one of the more than 800,00,000 people who go hungry every day. Not only do you get a better car this way, you can leave this earth without the reputation for being a profligate waster of perfectly good money.
  • robinverner1robinverner1 Member Posts: 1
    Aristocraft Thrust anybody ever heard of one?
  • dgraves1dgraves1 Member Posts: 414
    I was on a recent trip to West Palm Beach, FL and while there I saw three Consulier GTPs over the course of five days. I've never seen even one on the road before but I seem to remember seeing adds for them many, many years ago. As I remember, the adds claimed some impressive performance numbers (for the time anyhow). Anybody know anything about these and why there would be a grouping of them in Southern Florida?
  • dgraves1dgraves1 Member Posts: 414
    I thought about the Sterling for a while. Luckily, I didn't go for it. I was thinking I would get a reliable, Acura drivetrain and a little more distinctive styling than the Legend. Somehow, according to Consumer Reports, the Sterling drivetrain had much worse reliability than the Legend. Acura must have sent Rover it's rejects.
  • wwahlwwahl Member Posts: 1
    I believe that the Consulier GTP is a limited production car/kit car produced in Palm Beach, FL. Which would explain seeing three of them in one place.
  • gtt1gtt1 Member Posts: 63
    How about a Nash- (or Jeffrey) Quad?
  • julierobjulierob Member Posts: 1
    '85 Olds Firenza- My grandmother has one with only 23,000 miles. How can I find out what it is worth? It doesn't seem to be listed anywhere.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Hi julierob,

    It's just a nice old used car, it has no collectible value...figure $2,500 to 3,000 if it's really pristine and not likely to appreciate further.
  • 20992099 Member Posts: 63
    Mr. S,

    when I was in England in the mid-70's, I remember seeing cars with only one wheel in the front (in the center, obviously)What were these and were they stable?
    I do remember the Isetta (sp?) being sold here.Was it also a 3-wheeler? I remember it had one door in the front...my dad and I had one on our used lot at our small dealership in the late sixties. Can't remember if we made much on it, but it sure generated a lot of traffic!!
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    No, Isettas have 4-wheels last time I looked. The one you remember was probably made by BMW, and the car you saw in England was probably the 3-wheel Reliant.

    Another famous 3-wheeler was the Morgan trike of the 1930s, which is a driving experience that is difficult to put into words.
  • spokanespokane Member Posts: 514
    Yes, the Isetta was marketed in the US but apparently for only a short period during the 1950's. As Shiftright says, it had four wheels. However, the two rear wheels were quite close together; c/c distance between them was about 12 to 14 inches. Because of this, at a glance, it often appeared to have only three wheels. Fantastic fuel economy but very little power as I recall.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Yes, these cars are really "toys" and quite impractical for modern roads.

    They were made primarily as a solution to providing affordable cars to people in war-ravaged Europe. Times were very hard in the early 1950s, and even though America was pumping out lots of cars, Europe wasn't, and besides, not that many people had the cash to buy a "real" car. So the Isetta and similar "bubble cars" served a real purpose, to get Europeans around as they rebuilt their countries.

    Small car but noble deeds.
  • carnut4carnut4 Member Posts: 574
    In fact, in 1958, there were some Buick dealers who sold Isettas [and Fiats] in the LA area. At one point, my Dad sat down and explored a package deal on a 58 Buick special and an Isetta as a 2nd car[with a 55 Chev 210 as trade]. Luckily, my Dad din't go for that one. But I had visions of building a ramp so he could park the Isetta on the trunk of the Buick...would have been so much fun!
  • dave1442397dave1442397 Member Posts: 12
    It was my parents' first car back in Ireland in the late '60s. It was a Heinkel, but I forget the exact model number. I still have the owner's manual here in my bookcase.
    It sat two in front, one (me) in the back, plus my baby sister in a basket when she very tiny.
    We upgraded to a Ford Anglia when my Mom got pregnant again.
  • bigbozerbigbozer Member Posts: 22
    Dear Mr Shiftright: While on an outing last Sunday to Bodega Bay. I stopped at a Shell station to fill gas in the Town of Sonoma, Calif. There I saw a white open (it has no top) sports car with the name "Pegasso" or was it "Pegasos". On looking into Hemmings I found out that it is a are sports car made in Spain! Do you know more about these cars? Are they classics? How are are they? I have a picture of the car.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    You are very fortunate bigbozer...that is a very rare and very unusual car. There's an interesting story behind the car, that Generalissimo Franco, dictator of Spain in the 1950s, wanted to show the world that Spain was not a backward and poor country under his rather brutal regime (it was, nonetheless, at the time), and so he decided to ask engineer Wildredo Ricart, a Spaniard who was working for Alfa Romeo at the time, to come back to Spain to "build a jewel for the rich". The result was the incredibly complicated, very expensive Pegaso. They are exotic and demonically difficult V-8 sportscars of generally shabby build quality and poor reliability. Now, of course, probably each Pegaso (maybe 125 made total) has been restored to a standard much higher than ever attained at the factory, so the cars no doubt look pretty good, but are still a very tough car to restore. They can be quite valuable to the collector of automotive esoteria, and have allure to some extent because of Ricart and Franco and the car's complexity, but the car never really attained distinction from either racing or its durability or quality.

    Nonetheless, it's a rare sighting, and if it was actually running when you saw it, rarer still!

    More power to any shop who can rebuild one. They are tough to deal with.
  • andy_jordanandy_jordan Member Posts: 764
    reading about some of the cars here. As some of you may have gathered from a few of my recent posts (now that I have ventured beyond the pickups conference) I have a love for the more unusual.

    I found a great website with links to many of what can best be called the fringe of the automotive world. Take a look and count the "oh yeah I'd forgotten about them"

    http://www.team.net/www/ktud/index2.html
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    That's a fun site...I especially liked one sentence...."After World War II, Europe was ruined"

    Gee, they could have cleaned up after they were done...
  • drake4985drake4985 Member Posts: 3
    Have you ever heard of a Bianchina Berlina?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I've heard of Autobianchi, which made the Bianchina (a model, not a car brand per se)..."berlina" is just a word for a sedan, but I've never seen a 4-door Bianchina, no.

    Autobianchi was absorbed by Fiat in 1968. Cute, weird little cars.
  • modvptnlmodvptnl Member Posts: 1,352
    So if this was brought up I apologize. To everyone except Shifty (just kidding) has anyone ever heard of a T-5? Hint; it's a very popular well known '60's car.
  • modvptnlmodvptnl Member Posts: 1,352
    The question is for everyone except Shifty because I'm sure he knows the answer. The apology is for everyone if this is a redundant question.
  • andy_jordanandy_jordan Member Posts: 764
    its a Mustang - European export model, Germany if memory serves.

    No clue on the other one though.
  • andy_jordanandy_jordan Member Posts: 764
    Not unless you are referring to the Volvo 850 T-5 Mr. S.
  • modvptnlmodvptnl Member Posts: 1,352
    Good job Andy. I don't know the other T-5.

    Does anyone know why Ford couldn't use Mustang in Germany? It's obvious but what the heck.
  • andy_jordanandy_jordan Member Posts: 764
    I guess either it means something in German, or more likely they didn't want the Germans to be reminded of the P-51
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I was thinking of the T-5 Porsche coupe and cabriolet, 60-61, but it was never marketed under that name, but rather called a 356 B.

    And a close third would be a TR-5, the fuel-injected TR6 from Triumph.
  • modvptnlmodvptnl Member Posts: 1,352
    was a small motorcycle manufacturer. They offered Ford the name for $10,000 and Ford refused.....as the legend goes.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I could see where anyone who was straffed might want to forget the name Mustang--might not be a true story (it sounds too perfect to be true) but who knows?

    I think some names just don't translate well...would you buy a 1965 Wild Horse? Or turning it around, German brand names don't always sound so good in English...a 1965 Kabinroller? An Isabella? A Variant (Isetta, Borgward, VW model names)
  • spokanespokane Member Posts: 514
    I do remember a small motorcycle called a Mustang; sold in the US in about 1958-1960. Were they German made? Anyone know anything about the company and its motorcycles - or other products?
  • andy_jordanandy_jordan Member Posts: 764
    it doesn't really fit anywhere, so rather than start a new topic:

    I am looking for a serious off road truck for some land that I am looking at buying here in Ontario. An ATV just isn't going to do the job, and I want to be able to haul dogs / sleds / wood etc over some really inhospitable terrain. On road performance isn't an issue.

    So, I know of these vehicles, but I don't know anything about them - any help would be appreciated on the following:

    Unimog
    Tatra - I have been offered some ex military (Europe somewhere), but they are in California.
    Kamaz - think these may be excessive - I have seen them in Dakar and similar, but have never seen one that is more 'personal use' sized.

    So apologies for going slightly off topic, but any help is appreciated.
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    Couple of thoughts. Whatever you get, it will require maintenance and/or spare parts. Esoteric East European offerings may have their attractions, but easy access to parts and service is not one of them. So, have you considered domestic product? Jeep, 4x4 Ford/Dodge/Chevy truck, etc. Looking a little further afield, coil sprung Land Rovers of all types are SERIOUSLY good performers off road. Finally, from your list, the Unimog has to be the top choice. A very capable vehicle with available (though not readily) spares. The downside? Price!
  • andy_jordanandy_jordan Member Posts: 764
    Sorry, I guess I should have provided a little more background.

    I drive a Dodge 4x4 right now and find it more than capable for the off roading that I do, even in some fairly harsh winter conditions. However this time we are talking a little (read a lot) beyond its capabilities.

    I am not looking to spend a fortune because this thing is only going to be used maybe 2000km a year - its just the nature of those km. I have seen some fairly reasonably priced unimogs - OK they are 20 odd years old but I don't care. I only started looking at the others because they kept coming up in conversations - mind you so did the hummer, but let's not go there.

    I have driven Land Rovers before, but never in anger so I don't have much idea of them - I'll have to see if I can borrow one - I must admit they do have some appeal if they can do the job, the gimmicky nature of some of these more serious trucks makes me nervous - you know off centre axles and the like.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    There are some unimog owners online with us but I'm not sure where they hang out. I'd suggest the > conference. I personally would not take a Rover out in the wilderness, not because they aren't capable off-road (they are) but because of maintenance and reliability hassles.

    You may laugh at me, but how about an old VW transporter pickup truck with refitted stronger engine and larger tires. You can fix them with a paper clip and they have decent traction with snow tires.
  • andy_jordanandy_jordan Member Posts: 764
    you know, just buying up an old 'something' and turning it into something 'unique'. Wasn't sure what to use though - never thought of the VW. I'll have to look into what I can bolt on it / in it that would do the trick.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    You can buy rebuilt VW engines really cheap, that's the nice part...biggest issues would be ground clearance...it won't go over big rocks like some 4X4s, but they are pretty rugged...the basic design worked very well for the German army, unfortunately.
  • andy_jordanandy_jordan Member Posts: 764
    Why unfortunately???

    I assume that you refer to WW2, but I thought that the Transporter was one of their first post war vehicles - 1948?

    I think the ground clearance could be a problem because without some serious body modifications there isn't much scope for bigger tires - could be getting into custom lift kit, which may make the venture economically unsound.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Yes, I was referring to the basic WWII "jeep" type thing they used.

    Well, if ground clearance is an issue, this limits you quite a bit...unless you wanted to go to an Army 6X6 (duece and a-half, as they used to call them). These are automatics, way cheaper than a Hummer, and pretty bullet-proof, no pun intended.
  • andy_jordanandy_jordan Member Posts: 764
    That was what got me a bit off the Unimog theme initially - I heard about these:

    http://192.9.5.5/~uni/mog/tatra/tb1.jpg>

    Tatras out of California (where else). Thinking about it though these may just be a post cold war gimmick in the west - I haven't met anyone yet who could give me a convincing reason to buy one over a North American vehicle.
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    I think I get the idea. Something a little unusual is ok. Has to be able to tow through all types of terrain, maybe even be amphibious if you break through the ice? Has to operate in low temperatures and possibly damp conditions? How about a six wheel drive vehicle, hinged in the middle, driven by an air cooled diesel? One section contains the engine and transmission, and four driven wheels. The other part, connected by a universal joint, contains the cab, passenger area etc., and two driven wheels. From memory, it's probably the size of a Ford SuperDuty 350 SuperCab Longbed. Oh yes, it originates from Eastern Europe, there are some over here, and it's called a Gamma Goat!
  • andy_jordanandy_jordan Member Posts: 764
    I know nothing of them, but have heard the name.

    A search at Hemmings reveals one, no picture, in Wisconsin. Asking $9,500 and mentions that it is inexpensive. No year mentioned.

    Would this be that price because if it breaks down it may as well be thrown away or is it just too specialized to have a market?
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    Can't help on pricing (you'll have to do some more research). Also, I was wrong about it's origin. It was built here, back in the late seventies, which might make parts availability a little better. I'd forgotten that it also had four wheel steering, front and rear axle. I just did a quick search and came up with a couple pictures and some information.

    http://4wd.sofcom.com/Mil/M561/M561.html

    http://4wd.sofcom.com/Mil/M561/Intro.html
  • andy_jordanandy_jordan Member Posts: 764
    4 wheel steering!!!!!

    I have heard horror stories about learning this - in fact that second link referred to special training required.

    I suspect that it could be fairly 'interesting' to learn how to steer something that has the two steering axles that far apart.

    Nevertheless, another one on the list - thanks for the info.
  • isellhondasisellhondas Member Posts: 20,342
    Yesterday, I spotted an old Plymouth parked in our town with a for sale sign on it.

    Of course, I had to stop.

    It was a 1940 Plymouth. On the sign, the guy said it was a "Road King"

    Anybody heard of that?

    It's a two door sedan, and appears to be the most basic of models. Stripped to the max.

    Looks like Earl Schieb painted it with Krylon.
  • dgraves1dgraves1 Member Posts: 414
    Saw an ad for a 1972 Puma GTE. Very interesting - Looks kind of Ferrari-ish. Has a 2 litre engine. Right next to it was a Iso Rivolta with a Chevy (claimed to be Offy built) engine. Was this one of those attempts at blending Italian styling with American mechanicals? Claimed to be the fastest foor door around.
This discussion has been closed.

Helpful Tools

Most popular vehicles