My Little Introduction to Oppo

"RaymondStantz" (RaymondStantz) 10/08/2013 at 17:33 • Filed to: talbot, solara, talbot solara, ridiculous cars

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I like cars. I like ridiculous cars. There's just a bizarre and natural allure to cars that are none too good, but have features which are ultimately quite lovable. Now, I drive a Golf GTI on a daily basis. It even has DSG. BLARGH. You might tell me that it's largely quite a boring car, and you're largely right. It's fun, but liveable. So what's ridiculous? A car that leans into corners like an old man in his chair, sounds like it has cams done when it's really quite broken , and putts along town with all 90 roaring horses.

What sort of pot of magic is this? Why it's the 1986 Talbot Solara. Yes. I own one. No, it's not a convertible built for middle aged women suffering a midlife crisis. And no I don't have pictures. Largely because it's sitting under a tree 3000 miles away and I never think of snapping a picture when I'm working on it. Here's a file photo for your amusement.

Obviously I own the premier SX version with an equally premier TorqueFlite 3 speed automatic. Extremely rare, actually. Yet, as awful as it all sounds, and perhaps looks, it still puts a ridiculous smile on my face. The way the 1.6L 4 pot designed by men more worried about the parts in their hair and their respective mistresses taps and struggles to move. The way it can't corner whatsoever. The way it still takes super, nothing less. The way everything is lovably French. The two spoke steering, the analog beep off the trip computer, and so on. It is truly ridiculous, yet I can't get enough of the thing. More file photos!

So this is my intro to Oppo, hope to write more soon. I certainly wouldn't mind it. Pictures are coming, I swear.

Photo credits to: Motorbase and NTLWorld respectively

Velocity- Peuguette Connoisseur > RaymondStantz 10/08/2013 at 17:37

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Hello! Welcome! I just started posting here today as well. Pretty cool little Talbot. I've never heard of it (the Solara, not Talbot)

RaymondStantz > Velocity- Peuguette Connoisseur 10/08/2013 at 17:39

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It's based off of the Simca 1307/Alpine. Chrysler, Simca, Rootes, Peugeot all had their hand in this. Needless to say, it's a mutt.

Velocity- Peuguette Connoisseur > RaymondStantz 10/08/2013 at 17:40

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Mmm, tasty. Haha

duurtlang > RaymondStantz 10/08/2013 at 18:17

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Furthermore, if I remember correctly the hatchback version of this was used as a blueprint for a mass produced Communist car.

RaymondStantz > duurtlang 10/08/2013 at 18:20

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You are correct. The Simca 1307 was more or less copied in the Moskvitch Aleko.

pdthedeuce > RaymondStantz 10/08/2013 at 18:35

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welcome to the creepshow !

911e46z06 > RaymondStantz 10/08/2013 at 19:15

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You'll fit right in amigo

SpeedSix > RaymondStantz 10/08/2013 at 22:56

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Here, you can add it to the Jalopnik Reader's Rides Spreadsheet .

RaymondStantz > SpeedSix 10/08/2013 at 23:11

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Certainly will do!

AMC/Renauledge > RaymondStantz 11/18/2013 at 13:52

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I love the look of the Solara. Why Chrysler never offered the Alpine in America when they had the chance, I'll never know. Why the Solara took 4 years to add to the lineup is a mystery only "chronic mismanagement" seems to explain properly.

Why they didn't do an estate version mystifies me, as well.

Oh well. Glad you have a Solara of your own. They've got to be rather rare these days. Good on you for keeping such a dapper car alive.

RaymondStantz > AMC/Renauledge 11/18/2013 at 13:56

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The engine was just quite simply outdated and rough. If the engine was more up to date, they would've been far more successful. At least a 1.8 should have been in order, but c'est la vie.

Thanks for your compliments and input though!

Cé hé sin > RaymondStantz 04/06/2014 at 16:42

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Oh, the excitement!

The first car I ever hired was an automatic Solara.

It wasn't very good.

That's an understatement.

RaymondStantz > Cé hé sin 04/06/2014 at 16:45

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Automatic Solaras are hilariously slow. I should know.

Cé hé sin > RaymondStantz 04/06/2014 at 16:51

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Indeed. DJT 548Y was my first car ( I think) with power steering. After you steered about half way towards lock it would self centre the wrong way and go to full lock all by itself which was quite an intriguing experience and not necessarily in a good way.

It had an automatic choke which meant that I had to hand it back to the hire company the following day so see if they could get it to start. (Kind of, in answer to the question)