While Fiat has a well-known connection with Spain, Renault also developed a close relationship with the country and went through a phase of producing vehicles specifically for the Spanish market. From 1951 to 2000, FASA (Fabricación de Automóviles Sociedad Anónima de Valladolid) produced several family cars at their Valladolid and Palencia plants, including this higher-spec […]
1979 FASA-Renault 12TS Read More »
Talented equine sculptor Georgie Welchs and partner Stuart Delaney, a famed Industrial sculptor have been using this utterly charming Renault 4 van as an occasional car. The car has become part of the family, which made selling it a tough decision. Imported from the South of France where it served as a utility van, it
This is a selection of cars created to build a car industry. This was once quite a common practice, where proven designs would be built under licence to help establish a presence for local markets and eventual export. One of the first cars to achieve global coverage was the Soviet-era Lada, which was based on
Cars that started an industry Read More »
The availability of cheaper and frugal cars has always been very much in the French national psyche, taking advantage of domestic tax laws. Thanks to their high gearing and lower-capacity low-stress engines, they were ideal for the fuel crisis. The brand had been a regular sight on British high streets since the late 1940s and
The best-selling 1970s Renaults in the UK Read More »
Car design in 1986 was notable for the use of technology for both manufacturing and product, but from a styling point of view, the development in aerodynamics had many advantages too. Along with improved fuel economy, the improved airflow suppressed noise, made cars more stable and therefore improve traction and speed. Handy points for the
1980s Car aerodynamics Read More »
The first of nine selected cars is the Audi Coupe. While a pleasant-looking machine, it lacked the sheer aggression of the original and early models also suffered from poor handling and ride but the status of the four rings on your driveway was never going to be looked down upon. BMW had a significant year,
1988 New car releases Read More »
A selection of early ‘90s estate cars, which were noted for their qualities beyond load-lugging. The era represented the extra development that had gone into the design, rather than an afterthought to the saloon versions. The Alfa Romeo 33 was aimed at the leisure market, rather than hauling grandfather clocks. It had a tuneful engine
Early ’90s mid-sized estate cars Read More »
Always a few surprises and some friendly faces Silverstone Auctions who hold their first event of 2021, as part of the Everymans Classics auction. There are 240 or so cars there, ranging from competition race cars, top-end supercars as well as the established classics, but I decided to focus on in the general ambience of
1983 Renault 18 GTL 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
