The 1960s was a significant period for Japanese cars, where their ambitions grew to overseas markets. In order to appeal to the European market, several Japanese companies utilised Italian design schools to create more appealing looking vehicles. Some like Bertone were very resolved to a European sense of aesthetics but had limited appeal in their […]
Italian styled Japanese cars Read More »
The ‘80s will go down as the era of the Hot Hatch, a phenomenon that most of the mainstream mass producers willing to have a crack at. The main European players have created classics out of their cars, with Ford, VW, GM and Peugeot creating some very memorable cars, so it’s worth having a quick
Alternative ’80s Hot Hatches Read More »
1977 Coupe cars. A genre that has become virtually extinct today is the compact coupe. There was no rhyme or reason, other than pose value for these cars to have existed but bought by those who liked a little extra style by sacrificing the extra rear doors. A measure of status, rather than performance, it
Captured very early in 2020, prior to the 1st lockdown, an imaginative train of thought entered @grosvenorgibbs mind when he bought a tatty Datsun 120A several years ago. The process of converting the car into an X-1R replica stems from his interest and passion of the JDM only versions which are highly regarded in Japan
1975 KPE10 Datsun 120A X-1R Replica Read More »
I was recently asked how have I managed to stay sane during the past year? I simply said I’ve submerged myself in classic cars. It almost certainly a psychological disorder, but it’s become a very welcome distraction this year, where I have focused even more energy than usual on car-related activities. There’s something hugely addictive
Owner Profile – Minesh Pattni Read More »
As things still look uncertain for overseas travel, how about a staycation in a suitably retro pick-up truck with a camper body? Conversions were enormously popular back in the day where you often buy one for the facilities and berth of the camper body rather than the mule hauling it. Options were varied, so we
Retro pick-up based Campers Read More »
In terms of new car sales sectors, the budget estate car has become a rarity today. This may be partly due to the styling of the modern hatchback being considered good enough to cope with most scenarios where a small load-lugger is required, with the boxy utilitarian nature of a no thrills estate car being
Early ’80s budget estate cars Read More »
For this sort of money, the appeal tended to revolve around value for money rather than performance. Technically we could throw in some small 2 door saloons, such as the Alfasud or Avenger but the following were specifically marketed as coupes. At the time the option of a coupe version was justified as the segment
Budget ’70s coupes Read More »
There were plenty of option if you were in a position to buy a large saloon car in 1982. We’ll set a budget of 8.5K to 10K for this review. There is a real motley crew of prestigious brands, value-oriented cars loaded with everything, FWD load carriers and cars designed to go on forever. We’ll
Early ’80s Executive cars Read More »
1980 was a significant year for new releases, and the optimism of a new decade meant that there was a hopeful outlook for the motor industry after several years of gloom. One significant car that did offer a positive British outlook was the Mini Metro. Based on the Mini, it was a clever piece of
