Toyota may have appeared to be a latecomer to the hatchback trend as the automotive giant tended to cater for their conservative customer base. The company did release a hatchback Corona as early as 1965 but the brand was still treading water in Europe at the time and the few that did make it into […]
1979 T130 Toyota Corona GL Liftback Read More »
Toyota, the master of the niche, have produced thousands of different models over the years and only a fraction of those are officially sent to European markets. Subsequently, the reputation and value offered by personal imports have seen the British roads coloured by a vivid and imaginative number of cars never officially sold here. Categorised
2004 Toyota bB 1.3 SX Read More »
The MR2 was one of Toyota’s finest mid-engined sporting cars, arriving when the genre was considered dormant. Toyota had been developing it since the 1970s, setting the unique brief for a lightweight sports car that was not only cheap to run but also practical. The 4A-GE 1.6-litre engine loved to be worked hard, which heightened
1988 saw the last of a handful of a diverse range of cars, but rather disproportionately of a coupe persuasion. The Alfa Romeo GTV was an exception, and it took the company several years to line up a successor. Imports actually ended in 1987, but could still be found lurking in dealerships well into 1988.
Selection of cars that ceased in 1988 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 »
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
The ‘80s was a period where safety legislation which almost made the open-top car obsolete. Fortunately for those with an appreciation for the wind in the hair experience, a handful of cars were officially listed for sale. Lancia launched the spyder version of the Beta coupe in the UK in 1975 and retained for 7
1980’s production cabriolets Read More »
Like many others, I’ve been catching up on old films over the last year, and it’s always a bit of fun to ‘car spot’. In no particular order, I’ve collated 10 cars that have made appears in 10 well-acclaimed British films. First up is Jack Carter’s MK2 Cortina featured in ‘Get Carter’. Registered in Newcastle,
10 Classic cars in UK films 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 »
