While Japan got the Honda Beat, what did Europe get?

"Svend" (svend) 06/07/2019 at 23:10 • Filed to: None

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What sporty numbers did Europe get between the 1980s and the naughties?

The ones I like, the more mainstream affordable ones.

Vauxhall Tigra.

Vauxhall Calibra.

Ford Puma.

Audi 80 coupe.

Mazda MX-3.

Toyota Celica.

Toyota MR2.

VW Corrado.

carcrasher88 > Svend 06/07/2019 at 23:16

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No mention of the Fiat Coupé or BMW 3 Series Compact?  

I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker > Svend 06/07/2019 at 23:19

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I fucking love the Puma. So cool. 

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Svend 06/07/2019 at 23:21

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You forgot the best one

BlueMazda2 - Blesses the rains down in Africa, Purveyor of BMW Individual Arctic Metallic, Merci Twingo > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 06/07/2019 at 23:30

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“ Yes, he’s only going to drive it to the shops very, very, very rarely.”

someassemblyrequired > Svend 06/07/2019 at 23:46

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For some reason, there was a second gen Tigra that used to live somewhere near me when I lived in Connecticut (2010-2014) even though they are verboten in Trumpworld until 2029 at the earliest . Not sure how in the world it got there, but I’d see it pretty frequently, on Connecticut plates. Apparently it was there even earlier, because there’s a Murilee Martin article from 2008, with a (bad) picture of the car.

https://jalopnik.com/vauxhall-tigra-makes-some-kind-of-statement-in-new-engl-396621

Honeybunchesofgoats > Svend 06/07/2019 at 23:57

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I’ll never like that generation MR2. I mean, I’ll like it, because it’s a fun Toyota, but it pressages bubble cars too much for me to ever want it. 

Svend > carcrasher88 06/08/2019 at 00:00

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I think the Fiat Coupe is an ugly car.

Like a travel size dust buster.

The BMW 3 Series Compact was just a BMW 3 Series for those that couldn’t afford the 3 Series Coupe or the insurance for it. 

Svend > I like cars: Jim Spanfeller is one ugly motherfucker 06/08/2019 at 00:11

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It was just a coupe body on a Ford Fiesta but it worked, then they gave it a 1.7 litre engine then gave it a widebody kit and went from a little restyled Fiesta to a boys toy.

Svend > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 06/08/2019 at 00:12

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Lol. No one would be seen dead in one of those, then or now. 

fhrblig > Svend 06/08/2019 at 00:20

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No one here wanted them either.

The first Tiburon was kinda that way too, but the second generation one was pretty ok. They all seem to have disappeared though.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > fhrblig 06/08/2019 at 00:21

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Wikipedia claims the Scoupe was sold here but I've yet to see any evidence of that

fhrblig > Svend 06/08/2019 at 00:21

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Really? I think the Fiat Coupé is attractive. It’s probably the only Chris Bangle design I like.

Svend > someassemblyrequired 06/08/2019 at 00:21

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Nice.

The Tigra went from a Vauxhall Corsa coupe into a hard top convertible.

The second gen was a nice car also but was 2004 to 2009. 

fhrblig > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 06/08/2019 at 00:26

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Once every blue moon one appears, belching blue smoke into the air.

I find rare cars like the Scoupe every so often in rural towns on the eastern Colorado plains.  Small towns here are like automotive time capsules. They keep their cars forever, and we don’t have moisture to eat away at them.

Svend > Honeybunchesofgoats 06/08/2019 at 00:26

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I don’t know, i t grew in and out of favour with me as did the other Toyota Celicas. 

Cé hé sin > Svend 06/08/2019 at 05:29

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I saw a Tigra the other day, but otherwise all of those are gone.

Svend > Cé hé sin 06/08/2019 at 05:36

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Me to, it was a black on in surprisingly great condition.

I’ve seen a Puma and a Coraddo in the last week or so and quite often see a Celica of that gen quite often. 

pip bip - choose Corrour > Svend 06/08/2019 at 07:13

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Mazda MX-3 aka Eunos 30X

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Svend 06/08/2019 at 07:18

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I’ve always loved the Puma. We never got it here in Canada, but a friend of mine had it’s larger brother, the Ford Cougar (sold as Mercury Cougar here in Canada). The Puma just looks like a fun little car!

Svend > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 06/08/2019 at 07:34

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The Cougar and the Probe, both died a death over here.

The Puma is a great little car. 

InFierority Complex > Svend 06/08/2019 at 08:17

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Any love for the Fiat B archetta?

someassemblyrequired > Svend 06/08/2019 at 08:23

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Yeah I really thought it was a cool car, even given its Corsa underpinnings.   

Svend > InFierority Complex 06/08/2019 at 08:38

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Certainly not at the time, no.

They just weren’t desirable back then.

The cabrios you wanted were the Escorts.

Early 80s

Late 80s

90s

The Mazda MX-5 did okay for itself but wasn’t really desired except by women, hair dressers and beauticians.

The MG MGF was the male equivalent to the Mazda MX-5.

Peugeot 306 cabrio, was popular. Designed by Pininfarina, it was inexpensive and good looking.

and of course the VW Golf cabrio (which was more 90s).

The likes of the BMWs and Audis were much more expensive to really be affordable for many and the Fiats, just not desired, some city folk liked them down south but not many. 

Svend > someassemblyrequired 06/08/2019 at 08:41

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The early Tigra is almost timeless, while the later convertible hard top version simply defines Vauxhall/Opel of a very specific time. 

InFierority Complex > Svend 06/08/2019 at 09:42

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I suppose being LHD only also hurt them in the UK. Couldn’t have helped at least.

How about the 406 coupe? I’m still irrationally mad that Fiat didn’t use that design for their coupe and went with their own. Not that I hate the Fiat coupe, but the pininfarina  design is just so much better.

Svend > InFierority Complex 06/08/2019 at 09:50

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The Fiat Barchetta I rarely saw to even pay any attention to the fact they were LHD only.

The Peugeot 406 coupe was a lovely car, I'd have one in a heart beat right now. But they were quite large cars, sort of Ford Cougar in size, and so didn't have a following with the younger crown, it was more the older generation likes 40s and 50s or someone that wanted a cruiser not a performance racer. 

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Svend 06/08/2019 at 11:07

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Yous still see Cougars over here every so often, but I haven’t seen a Probe in YEARS.

Svend > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 06/08/2019 at 11:51

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Not seen a Probe in years or a Cougar in longer here.

I never even really saw either where I live even when I worked for a Ford dealership here. 

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Svend 06/08/2019 at 13:08

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Can confirm regarding the 3 series. Had a compact, now I’m less poor I have a coupe. Do still like the compact though.

Svend > Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. 06/08/2019 at 15:42

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The Compact was like the gateway into a BMW 3 Series.

I never quite liked the small round headlamps though.

I preferred the box style.

Twingo Tamer - About to descend into project car hell. > Svend 06/09/2019 at 07:44

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Yeah the second generation was certainly controversial. I had a first gen similar to the one in your comment.

Nauraushaun > Svend 06/09/2019 at 19:06

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Wasn’t the MR2 the mx-5 for men?

Svend > Nauraushaun 06/09/2019 at 19:11

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The 80s ones were, the 90s, not so much. The MGs were cheaper. 

Nauraushaun > Svend 06/10/2019 at 18:27

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And why do you say that?!

Svend > Nauraushaun 06/10/2019 at 19:14

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In the U.K. you could get an MG MGF with quite a discount as they were built here and by Rover. After the first gen MR2, the second gen got more expensive to insure. 

Nauraushaun > Svend 06/10/2019 at 23:54

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Ah. Very much UK problems ;)

In Australia we got both cars, but neither was built here and insurance was probably a wash. I daresay the Toyota would’ve been cheaper, and would’ve lasted longer.

Svend > Nauraushaun 06/11/2019 at 01:57

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The MGFs did well and sold a lot more than the MR2 and even though there was issues with the 1.8 K Series engine, it didn’t seem to be in all the cars, just certain ones, later the Rover 75 (Though our Rover 75 1.8 was perfectly fine). The MR2s got some bad insurance rep so it became more expensive to insure.

Most of the cars manufactured in the U.K. get sold cheaper here than elsewhere so offers as, 'VAT free, we'll pay the VAT for you', etc... so why not take advantage of it. 

Nauraushaun > Svend 06/11/2019 at 02:42

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That’s very cool. We used to get cheap Commodores.

Used to

Svend > Nauraushaun 06/11/2019 at 03:29

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With the large down turn in car sales i t’s starting to get like that from foreign manufacturers here. Honda closing it’s Swindon plant in 2021 (restructuring the factory in Turkey) , Ford closing the Bridgend engine plant in 2020.

We’ll see what PSA do with Vauxhall/ Opel.

Nauraushaun > Svend 06/11/2019 at 19:53

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Ah. Australia is no longer a country that manufactures cars. I hope UK doesn’t go that way.

Svend > Nauraushaun 06/11/2019 at 20:29

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We've still got a dozen maybe large factories or so and about 25+ niche car companies (Morgan, Bowler, Supacat, etc...). 

Nauraushaun > Svend 06/11/2019 at 20:54

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Not dead yet ;)

RT > Svend 06/20/2019 at 08:41

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Out of all the cars posted, only the MR2 was conceived as a sports car from the ground up.

Tigra -> Corsa

Calibra -> Vectra/Cavalier

Puma -> Fiesta

80 Coupé -> 80 Saloon

MX-3 -> Familia/323

Celica -> Corona/Carina

Corrado -> Golf/Jetta

Most of these base cars are still pretty respectable, but it still helps to put it in perspective.

Svend > RT 06/20/2019 at 11:43

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Ye’, the perspective was these were sportier than there stablemates while also being inexpensive, as in ‘mainstream affordable.

There were many sports cars that are remembered but at the time were out of financial range of Joe Bloggs on the high street.

So while there were Jaguars, Aston, etc... designed as sports cars from the off, these were simply too expensive and the MR2 only scrapes in as the car wasn't too expensive, but the insurance was getting more because of the reputation of the earlier model which was off joy ridden or stolen.