Cars that have aged badly and look very odd now

[Patrick Bateman]

  On 01/09/2021 at 21:16, Sheaf Saint said:

Is that a mk2 Fiesta 2nd from the right?

Have we really reached the stage where they are being displayed as classic cars?

Wow. I must be getting really old because I learned to drive in one of them!

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Sadly, yes. Although to be fair that Fiesta is very well cared for. 

[buctootim]

  On 01/09/2021 at 21:16, Sheaf Saint said:

Is that a mk2 Fiesta 2nd from the right?

Have we really reached the stage where they are being displayed as classic cars?

Wow. I must be getting really old because I learned to drive in one of them!

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I had the 950cc version when I was a student. Wouldnt even do 70mph flat out in third going up hills.  

[Sheaf Saint]

  On 02/09/2021 at 08:03, buctootim said:

I had the 950cc version when I was a student. Wouldnt even do 70mph flat out in third going up hills.  

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I'd imagine it would struggle to do 70 even going downhill In top gear (4th?) on a motorway!

[buctootim]

  On 02/09/2021 at 08:07, Sheaf Saint said:

I'd imagine it would struggle to do 70 even going downhill In top gear (4th?) on a motorway!

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Ha very nearly true! It was super tinny. I left it parked near the pier one weekend when I went to see my mum on IOW by Red Funnel. Somebody must have climbed on the roof and jumped around because it was so bent in I could only just get in the drivers seat.  I forced my head up against the roof and the whole thing just pinged out again like a spring. Not even a crack in the paint! 

Edit - actually think it was a Mk1 - W reg.  

Edited 2 September, 2021 by buctootim

[Sheaf Saint]

Back to the original point of this thread though...

The Mark1 Ford Focus, that was released to replace the Escort at the end of the 90s, was a revolutionary design for a family hatchback at the time. I even remember Clarkson almost wetting his pants in excitement about it when it was launched.

They just look a bit ridiculous now...

[Uncle Albert]

  On 02/09/2021 at 08:17, Sheaf Saint said:

Back to the original point of this thread though...

The Mark1 Ford Focus, that was released to replace the Escort at the end of the 90s, was a revolutionary design for a family hatchback at the time. I even remember Clarkson almost wetting his pants in excitement about it when it was launched.

They just look a bit ridiculous now...

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The styling is very much of its time, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say it looks ridiculous.

[buctootim]

  On 02/09/2021 at 09:48, Uncle Albert said:

The styling is very much of its time, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say it looks ridiculous.

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Agree, it just looks a bit dated. tbh what i find ridiculous are those Blade Runner wannabe styled SUVs for the urban jungle (arf) - all pretend muscle and flashing lights. Maybe thats just a creeping thing tho

[whelk]

I remember having a Ford Capri and became totally impractical when had kids. Couldn’t give it away and was in good nick and ran like a dream. Would go for £5000+ now. I loved that car

[Sheaf Saint]

  On 02/09/2021 at 09:48, Uncle Albert said:

The styling is very much of its time, but I wouldn’t go so far as to say it looks ridiculous.

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Yeah OK, perhaps "ridiculous" is a little extreme.

The interiors though...

I had one of these as a company car in about 2001/2002, and the dash was just an ill-thought out, cobbled together mess even back then.

And the saloon version they made as an afterthought always looked terrible. The shape didn't work because the back end looked like it was just bolted on.

[OldNick]

  On 22/08/2021 at 10:58, kyle04 said:

Not quite adhering to the topic description as it was bad in the beginning, but this must be the winner (the car that was going to save BL) :

 

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There was a really interesting doc regarding the design of this car. At first it was stunning but due to lots of politics and bad management etc they forced in parts in the engine that changed the shape and this end product came into pass. It was ridiculous and could have been the car that saved them if they had not veered away from the initial design.

[Uncle Albert]

  On 02/09/2021 at 10:01, buctootim said:

Agree, it just looks a bit dated. tbh what i find ridiculous are those Blade Runner wannabe styled SUVs for the urban jungle (arf) - all pretend muscle and flashing lights. Maybe thats just a creeping thing tho

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Yeah I’m with you on that one.

[Uncle Albert]

  On 02/09/2021 at 10:28, Sheaf Saint said:

Yeah OK, perhaps "ridiculous" is a little extreme.

The interiors though...

I had one of these as a company car in about 2001/2002, and the dash was just an ill-thought out, cobbled together mess even back then.

And the saloon version they made as an afterthought always looked terrible. The shape didn't work because the back end looked like it was just bolted on.

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Yeah the interior is pretty terrible, the sort of sash looking thing above the radio going down to the wheel looks very cumbersome.

However it doesn’t look to bad compared to one of its contemporaries.

 

Now that’s ridiculous!

Edited 2 September, 2021 by Uncle Albert

[badgerx16]

  On 02/09/2021 at 11:28, Uncle Albert said:

 

However it doesn’t look to bad compared to one of its contemporaries.

 

Now that’s ridiculous!

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"I see you baby,

shaking that ass".

[Sheaf Saint]

  On 02/09/2021 at 12:52, badgerx16 said:

"I see you baby,

shaking that ass".

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The fact you remember that after 20 years just demonstrates the insidious power of advertising.

[Sheaf Saint]

  On 02/09/2021 at 11:28, Uncle Albert said:

Yeah the interior is pretty terrible, the sort of sash looking thing above the radio going down to the wheel looks very cumbersome.

However it doesn’t look to bad compared to one of its contemporaries.

 

Now that’s ridiculous!

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Agreed. However, I don't think it qualifies as a car that has aged badly, because it was shite from the moment if first rolled off the production line.

[Uncle Albert]

  On 02/09/2021 at 12:57, Sheaf Saint said:

Agreed. However, I don't think it qualifies as a car that has aged badly, because it was shite from the moment if first rolled off the production line.

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Yeah suppose you’re right.😂

[badgerx16]

  On 02/09/2021 at 12:55, Sheaf Saint said:

The fact you remember that after 20 years just demonstrates the insidious power of advertising.

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I can remember adverts much older than that.

[Manuel]

It was a good advert in fairness, as was the VW squeaky earring one.  

I know this isn't a thread about cars that were just plain ugly, but how the PT cruiser ever got past the initial drawing stage is beyond me.  

[buctootim]

  On 02/09/2021 at 17:05, Manuel said:

It was a good advert in fairness, as was the VW squeaky earring one.  

I know this isn't a thread about cars that were just plain ugly, but how the PT cruiser ever got past the initial drawing stage is beyond me.  

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Ha! I had once of those because at the time I needed a newish reliable car that could carry two young kids and their stuff but had just got divorced and was skint. It was cheap and had a Mercedes 2.2 diesel so I bought it. A few months later I was driving with my boss in his car in the US and he pointed out a cruiser on the road, laughed loudly and mocked the people driving it. His embarrassment when I owned up was worse than mine.   

[Manuel]

Ha ha, I don't get embarrassed easily by what I'm driving, am often seen using my daughter's 20 y/old banger Yaris (and love driving it and think it's a decent motor) but I would draw the line at one of those.  Needs must I guess 😆

[kyle04]

  On 02/09/2021 at 10:59, OldNick said:

There was a really interesting doc regarding the design of this car. At first it was stunning but due to lots of politics and bad management etc they forced in parts in the engine that changed the shape and this end product came into pass. It was ridiculous and could have been the car that saved them if they had not veered away from the initial design.

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That's right, I vaguely remember a James May programme that featured the Allegro, apparently it was the heater matrix or similar that BL had millions in the parts bin that it wanted to get rid of. The original design was far sleeker but to accommodate the heater it had to be made taller so to speak, hence the end product. Says it all really...

[Fan The Flames]

  On 02/09/2021 at 16:57, badgerx16 said:

I can remember adverts much older than that.

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The flake ones

[OldNick]

  On 02/09/2021 at 18:03, kyle04 said:

That's right, I vaguely remember a James May programme that featured the Allegro, apparently it was the heater matrix or similar that BL had millions in the parts bin that it wanted to get rid of. The original design was far sleeker but to accommodate the heater it had to be made taller so to speak, hence the end product. Says it all really...

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Thats it, shows how ridiculous the management were at that time. You could see in the designers face how frustrated he was.

[the colonel]

Just list all Renaults, Peugeots and Citrons. All pile of odd looking shite.

Only decent French car manufacturer being Bugatti. 

 

 

[Whitey Grandad]

  On 04/09/2021 at 19:47, the colonel said:

Just list all Renaults, Peugeots and Citrons. All pile of odd looking shite.

Only decent French car manufacturer being Bugatti. 

 

 

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Citroen Traction Avant?

[Colinjb]

  On 04/09/2021 at 19:47, the colonel said:

Just list all Renaults, Peugeots and Citrons. All pile of odd looking shite.

Only decent French car manufacturer being Bugatti. 

 

 

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You say that, the Saxo/106 still look alright.

Always had a soft spot for this particular Citroen too, they wouldn't make it now of course. But, it had something. A colleague had one, god it was comfortable.

Edited 4 September, 2021 by Colinjb

[Whitey Grandad]

  On 04/09/2021 at 23:41, Colinjb said:

You say that, the Saxo/106 still look alright.

Always had a soft spot for this particular Citroen too, they wouldn't make it now of course. But, it had something. A colleague had one, god it was comfortable.

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Designed for French roads with all those cobbles.

[egg]

  On 05/09/2021 at 09:27, Whitey Grandad said:

Designed for French roads with all those cobbles.

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  On 04/09/2021 at 23:41, Colinjb said:

You say that, the Saxo/106 still look alright.

Always had a soft spot for this particular Citroen too, they wouldn't make it now of course. But, it had something. A colleague had one, god it was comfortable.

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Was a decent car, but it was released years after it was supposed to be, so looked out of date when it arrived. I had a xantia once and drove it down to the Languedoc. I've never had such a comfortable long drive. 

[Behind Enemy Lines]

  On 01/09/2021 at 21:16, Sheaf Saint said:

Is that a mk2 Fiesta 2nd from the right?

Have we really reached the stage where they are being displayed as classic cars?

Wow. I must be getting really old because I learned to drive in one of them!

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It is! I had one as my first car. A white 1.1 Ghia. 
 

Blew the engine up on it! Luckily had my next car lined up already. 

[Manuel]

  On 01/09/2021 at 21:16, Sheaf Saint said:

Is that a mk2 Fiesta 2nd from the right?

Have we really reached the stage where they are being displayed as classic cars?

Wow. I must be getting really old because I learned to drive in one of them!

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My first car was the same colour Fiesta 1.4s.  It was actually pretty quick.  Insurance wasn't such a problem 30 years ago.