You learn something new... - Cars you didn't know existed, until now!

  • Thread starter Thread starter Rue
  • 6,248 comments
  • 1,196,522 views
TexRex
Leyland Mini Clubman GT, apparently unique to Australia and New Zealand.

2216278514.jpg


I like the striping but it seems the arches are standard and that's a little disappointing.
Click to expand...
I don't know about elsewhere around the world but here those arches on the Clubman GT came out a couple of years before they were on later models. One of my friends had one.
 
Last edited:
It's Christmas time. So, of course me and my family are watching the requisite Die Hard-Hime Alone-National Lampoon's-Jingle All the Way flicks.
While looking up the cast of Home Alone, I see this pic of Catherine O'Hara.
image_23.png_1891639823.png


Checked a couple more images and she's with other Canadian actors in and ON different cars.
The particular car she is sitting on in the above photo is a car(trim) I didn't know existed.

That's pretty darn cool.

"Merry Christmas you filthy" animals.
 
Last edited:
1990 Subaru Legacy LSi - Japanese market.

1735943237226.png


Shortly after the release of the BC Legacy, Subaru World Trading, a subsidiary of Fuji Heavy Industries brought over either 30 or 50 (I can't find solid production numbers) of the USDM Legacy, LHD and all, and sold them within select Subaru dealerships.

While I'm not incredibly surprised - Honda were doing this at the time on a much larger scale with their Honda of America offerings, but I had no idea until now. All of them were 2.2, which was an engine not offered for the Japanese market cars at the time.

1735943386257.png
 
Something else about the Legacy in Japan. Bruce Willis did ads for the Legacy.




IMG_5679.jpeg
IMG_5678.jpeg
IMG_5677.jpeg
IMG_5676.jpeg
IMG_5675.jpeg



What’s also interesting is the ads reminded me of this article, back to the Gran Turismo initial concept Kazunori had. Almost seems like he got inspiration from some of those ads.
www.gtplanet.net

Proposal for Original Gran Turismo Revealed in Kazunori Yamauchi Interview

This is the discussion thread for an article on GTPlanet: Proposal for Original Gran Turismo Revealed in Kazunori Yamauchi Interview An interview with Kazunori Yamauchi posted recently to the official PlayStation Blog in Japan has revealed more about the origins of Gran Turismo, including the...
www.gtplanet.net www.gtplanet.net
 
Last edited:
SVX
1990 Subaru Legacy LSi - Japanese market.

View attachment 1418019
Click to expand...
Interesting, is there a reason they did this? Was it just an experiment to see if Japanese buyers would spring for a larger engine that would put it in their higher registration/tax bracket, or something else entirely? I know Honda offered US market stuff over there as you mentioned, and I believe Mitsubishi sold the Eclipse as is over there too, but those have far more of a USP and reason to be marketed than what is a mostly identical Legacy.
 
INEEDNAWZZZ
Interesting, is there a reason they did this? Was it just an experiment to see if Japanese buyers would spring for a larger engine that would put it in their higher registration/tax bracket, or something else entirely? I know Honda offered US market stuff over there as you mentioned, and I believe Mitsubishi sold the Eclipse as is over there too, but those have far more of a USP and reason to be marketed than what is a mostly identical Legacy.
Click to expand...
Honestly, that would make the most amount of sense.
 
1988 Mercury Concept 50

Screen Shot 2025-01-09 at 12.15.28 PM.png


Screen Shot 2025-01-09 at 12.15.18 PM.png


Screen Shot 2025-01-09 at 12.15.37 PM.png
​

Screen Shot 2025-01-09 at 12.17.55 PM.png



The successor to the Ford EXP/Mercury LN-7 that never was, probably due to overlapping with the Probe which had been in development years earlier. The Concept 50 had clean cab-forward styling resembling that of the 1989 Probe, and its 102.6-inch wheelbase, 177.4-inch length, and the 50.6-inch ride height were very similar dimensions. The Concept 50 featured a multi-valve V6 engine and even AWD. The car was shown at the 1988 Montreal Auto Show and was supposed to make a more official debut at the 1989 Detroit show, but this never happened.​
 
-Fred-
Never heard of the Holden Crewman before today, and looking at it, I kind of wish it was yesterday still.
holden-crewman-index.png
Click to expand...
I don't hate this? The front end is a little awkward and could be helped a lot by using the round Monaro headlights, but I think I prefer the shell to that of the coupe.
Draggon
I like this version quite a lot!
1741193541890-png.1433715
Click to expand...
Looks like something in a sketchy downtown used car lot next to a bail bonds agency and across the street from a bus depot.
 
Last edited:
I learned today that the 1997-99 Ford F-250 Light Duty exists. Which was made to bridge the gap between early 90s F250s and the 1999 F250s. They look basically like 10th Gen F-150s, but with 7 lug bolt wheels. Also, they had reinforced frames, better cooling, and heavier springs.

and I don't want one.
1742270146745.jpeg
 
Seen a couple of these in person. Shook my head at the 7-lug wheels both times.
 
The 'Hahne' Ford Escort Cosworth. The final Escort Cosworth ever built, used for 2 years as a company car by the director of Karmann for a couple of years before Ford's SVE Manager Dieter Hahne acquired it. It had to be registered as a Single Type Approval in Germany, and therefore has a one off custom VIN. It has a modified bonnet and grill as the original style wasn't available at the time the final one was built, giving it the unique look compared to other Cosworths.

Hahne-Escort-Cosworth.jpg


collectingcars.com

1996 FORD ESCORT RS COSWORTH - FINAL CAR BUILT for sale by auction in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany

The last example of the iconic rally-derived homologation model.
collectingcars.com
 
This Ferrari that I observed at the 2025 Greenwich Concours d’Elegance yesterday was apparently one of a kind! The crowd seemed to have been really rooting for it to get the Best in Show award, too, as the disappointment was audible when it was selected as the runner-up. I recall that it had Pininfarina bodywork and a competition-spec engine.

IMG_5565.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Amidst all the tuned Nissans and Subarus in the mid 2000s, Tommykaira also offered a… Daewoo Matiz.

IMG_4343.webp


IMG_4344.webp


Apparently it was a bit more than just a stripe, wheels and some questionable aero; they did actually breathe on the engine a little bit, giving it a proper port polish, cylinder head resurfacing, exhaust and revised intake, taking it up to 70HP instead of the base 50.
 
TIL Vauxhall/Opel built and tested a Group A rally Cavalier/Vectra with a view to joining the likes of Mitsubishi and Subaru in the early 1990s. It didn't go far as Vauxhall weren't fully behind the idea and chief test driver Dave Metcalfe was killed during a test of the Calibra 4x4 rally car in December '92. The tax ran out on G112OUE in September '93 so I guess the car is either in a bunker of Vauxhall's or no longer exists.

Vauxhall/Opel continued rallying through the 90s with the Astra F2 kit cars.

546261782_791663460033999_541585537837176452_n.jpg


545551949_791663456700666_698744681703297756_n.jpg


545696167_791663463367332_9185844276245277842_n.jpg


From Facebook
 
I'm amazed that it was only in the last week that I discovered that the Volvo 480 was a thing. Apparently it had pop-up headlights and was powered by a Renault inline-four. The design seems a lot like a predecessor to the C30, too.
 
Last edited:
The US release was dumped basically at the eleventh hour, too, after they had already done all the work; though I don't think to the extent that the Alpine GTA was (where they had already just started building USDM ones when it was cancelled).
 
Last edited:
MIE1992
I'm amazed that it was only in the last week that I discovered that the Volvo 480 was a thing. Apparently it had pop-up headlights and was powered by a Renault inline-four. The design seems a lot like a predecessor to the C30, too.
Click to expand...
A friend at college had one back in the 90's, I really liked it and thought about getting one, but the insurance on the 2 litre or the Turbo was painful.
 
Wait that's a second gen? Looks more like the first than the angery thing I'm familiar with.

IM2kQ1VQdSOlfEh7gyNv


So angery. I like the first gen.
 
Last edited:

Latest Posts

Back