DIOCCUSA: The Imports Section

"Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available" (whoistheleader2)
06/10/2020 at 11:00 • Filed to: DIOCCUSA, Old Car City USA, Imports

Today, I have a brief video for you where I walk through the imports section !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

There is some crazy stuff buried in there, including a Ford Anglia, an Austin America, a Borgward Isabella, an Opel Kadett, and even a Toyota Corona.

The easiest way to get what I’m talking about is to watch this three minute video I made.

See? That’s a lot of cars now scarcer than hen’s teeth here in North America. Here’s the post I did prior where I thoroughly documented the Ford Anglia.

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And that Fiat was examined in detail here.

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That Austin America was one of rarer ones pictured. The proportions are very strange, which gave its predecessor the nickname “landcrab.”

I think this is an Opel Kadett like the sporty yellow coupe seen in the video.

Elsewhere, !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! managed to avoid being stacked like firewood, a fate that befell many of these rare imports. What do you think?

DISCUSSION (30)

fintail > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/10/2020 at 12:48

Yes, the 2 door wagon is an Opel.

This place would be an unobtanium parts Klondike for people restoring such cars. Sadly, as the cars are low value even in concours condition, few to none are restoring them, and that likely won’t change.

Jim Spanfeller > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/10/2020 at 12:58

Ugh, I hate it when junkyards stack the cars. Many of those cars would’ve been much easier to save/salvage if they hadn’t been partially crushed like that. Of course, nobody thought anyone would want them at the time...

Borgward Isabella is intriguing. From what I hear, they’re actually very good cars (if a bit slow) , and there’s a decent supply of spare parts in Europe at least. If you had one, it’d certainly be the only one at any car show you go to. I love the idea of driving a car that nobody else recognizes.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > fintail
06/10/2020 at 13:11

Yes, but this is the only place in the state I know of where I can see such a huge variety of vintage European automobiles. I think finding an Austin America and a Borgward Isabella within a few miles of each other anywhere else is basically impossible.

The time to salvage these cars for parts passed when the junkyard closed (before being a tourist attraction), so people had their chance.

fintail > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/10/2020 at 13:16

I agree, m aking them a museum/art piece is better than the crusher.

Some whine about old ca rs being scrapped, usually those people refused to buy the old cars for scrap value beforehand. These cars aren ’t one of a kind exotics, rather oddballs that were sometimes marginal when new, and will never be revived. Again, better this way than lost for good.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Jim Spanfeller
06/10/2020 at 13:16

Yeah, but these were basically worthless for a long long time and no one thought that they would ever be otherwise. A fully restored one would still be basically worthless, so preserving the parts wasn’t a priority. At least it made for a spectacular photo opportunity.

I never even knew Borgward existed, much less sold cars in America, before I went there. Fascinating how a car could leave so little impact on the public zeitgeist. I imagine taking it to a car show would be a little like showing up in a Daewoo Lanos 50 years in the future. There is actually a 3 door hatch sitting in a shop near me and it took someone publishing a photo of one for Teal Tuesday for me to recognize what it was. I may try to stop and take a picture before it is hauled off to be scrapped or sold.

Speaking of cars that came and went without a word, what would your ultimate circa 2010 obscure USDM car be to take to a car show in the future? I am thinking an I-MiEV would shock at least three people who knew what it was.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > fintail
06/10/2020 at 13:22

That’s part of why I enjoy that place so much. It isn’t full of pristine desirable cars, but rather unloved examples of cars normal people drove. It’s like going back in time and perusing the inventory of a buy-here-pay-here lot on the wrong side of the tracks. Washed up old cars that would haven’t seen in ages, but mostly interesting as a novelty.

I’m sure years down the line, I would find the inventory of any bargain used car lot of today endlessly fascinating. I actively try to appreciate the mundane before it becomes lost to history because no one else does. Sure, I wouldn’t personally want to own an early 2000s Malibu in 2050, but I would love to see one again. Same story with many of these cars.

fintail > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/10/2020 at 13:31

Maybe they were set aside because of their oddity. You can find a neglected 68 Chevy anywhere, but a Borgward or Renault, not so much.

I suspect the survival rate of unloved modern cars will be even lower than these. Imagine a yard full of Daewoos and Suzukis and Saturns.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > fintail
06/10/2020 at 13:38

With maybe the odd Isuzu and Oldsmobile thrown in. Suzuki was very popular here (comparatively) and I still see lots of them (other than Aerios). That would be a sight to see. Also, those lesser known brands tended to sell better in areas where finances didn't leave many other options and those same conditions tended to lead to deferred maintenance.

I think that people tended to keep cars with better parts availability because those reso ur ces made them more valuable. You could keep a 2000s Chevy on the road much longer than a 2000s Suzuki because you could practicably rebuild the car from the copious spare parts. When your Austin America breaks something hard to find, it’s the end of the road and it's hauled off to be crushed . A contemporary big 3 car would just sit because it would be easy to repair as a backup if your daily was wrecked.

fintail > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/10/2020 at 13:45

I think cars like Austin America often didn’t make it to 10 years old. Even then, parts weren’t easy, and the cars were cheap when new, worthless when used.

I see a Suzuki SUV here and there, but the cars are getting thin on the ground. I saw a Kizashi not long ago, and there’s a Reno with too-wide wheels in the area, maybe not much else. I’ve been seeing a first gen Geo Prizm on the road a few times a week lately, but that’s just a Corolla, so it will be fine unless hit.

Add Daewoo to that list, those are seriously uncommon now even here.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > fintail
06/10/2020 at 13:50

The last time I saw a Dawoo besides that Lanos at a shop lot was a Leganza wagon about a year ago.

I think the closest equivalent to the America is the Mirage, but that has a pretty strong dealer network and sold in much higher numbers. I see an Isuzu Axiom and the Trailblazer rebadge every now and again, but they are getting much less common. I actually saw an Equator a while ago. Always so surprising and they are always black for some reason. Or maybe I just keep seeing one.

I think I see less Kizashis than Aerios, or maybe I just don't notice them.

fintail > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/10/2020 at 14:08

I think there was a Nubira wagon in my area a while back, but I haven’t seen it for some time. I remember the brand was all over the place for a brief period. Certainly something that attracted neglectful ownership.

I think I saw a Hombre a while back, too. GM and its badging, creating competition for its own brands. Can’t be many of any of those you mention left, now. Now and then I will see the small first gen Kia Sportage on the road, getting rare. The early Kia cars are going extinct.

Someone in my prior workplace had a SX4 hatch, older woman, so it might live for awhile, as I recall fro driving behind her, she definitely isn’t hot rodding around in it.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > fintail
06/10/2020 at 14:13

Yes, a few will always find ways to survive, even if just lying broken in a garage. I used to always pass an early Hombre but I believe it has been replaced now.

Trying to remember about the Sportage. can't say I’ve paid much attention to them.

fintail > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/10/2020 at 14:22

That will be how many survive - via not being used.

Early Sportage was smaller, also available as a 2 door:

Kinja'd!!!

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/10/2020 at 18:00

Holy crap, a Borgward! Not exactly common anywhere, let alone on North American shores! That FIAT Millecento still makes me sad, as does that white FIAT...I THINK it’s a 128...? :(

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
06/10/2020 at 19:09

It was obscure enough that I only it exists because I saw one. Sadly it was in a really annoying place to photograph. Very minimalistic and subtle, which I guess is appropriate given they sold because they were cheap.

White Fiat was an automatic. I bet ROW got a much more decontented version.

Kinja'd!!!

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/10/2020 at 19:58

Boo, auto! Most classic FIAT engines are fizzy little things, so an auto would just sap the fun out of them bigtime :(

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
06/10/2020 at 20:09

If you think about it, America’s love affair with the V8 probably was heavily influenced by the fact that an automatic was a status symbol and they weren’t very good yet. With gobs of torque, you can pretty much accelerate without having to shift down. I don’t think a low power Fiat would have been a very convincing status symbol so why go for the fun sucking slushbox? You had to be a little quirky to buy one, so most people were quirky enough still to drive a standard.

All that interior trim does look pretty fancy though. I imagine some of the global models dispensed with the luxurious console and plastic bits. What does that large letter print on the console say?

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/12/2020 at 07:46

I think they liked the auto because a lot of America was wide open space, so they just didn’t need to do a lot of shifting as well....it’s the same here in Canada, autos were always more common....though people ARE more willing to drive manuals and small cars here (that’s why, for example, we got the recent Nissan Micra, and you didn’t...or why we have the current-gen Hyundai Accent hatch and sedan whereas you guys only get the sedan).

Also...that white FIAT, that interior pic you posted for it... I am starting to think that interior pic is not a FIAT? You sure that pic is from the interior of that white car? That white car may not even be a FIAT...it’s pretty far gone to tell what it is, and I’m not 100% sure...It looked sortof FIAT 128 Coupe to me at first, but looking up pics of that, it doesn’t match.

The lettering on the console is a dealership logo, apparently....for a Ford dealer:

Kinja'd!!!

But the steering wheel badge doesn’t add up either...I think that’s a Toyota Corona badge?

Kinja'd!!!

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
06/12/2020 at 11:16

I messed up. That was the next picture over in my gallery and I meant to post this.

Kinja'd!!!

I’m pretty impressed you figured out it was a Toyota Corona, since that is what it is next to in the gallery. Looks like the gearbox was removed so we will never know.

Kinja'd!!!

Yup, 1600z since names always seem to change when it is based on displacement of the engine.

I wish we got the Micra. Hyundai had been reaso nably successful selling their hatches here before, but now they are just down to the Elantra GT. Great car but I don’t see too many of them.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/12/2020 at 14:10

I quite like the current Elantra GT! The Micra seems like a cheap and cheerful never thing....I’ve not driven one or been in one, but if they were zippy enough to be in a one-make racing series, they have to be reasonably fun!

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
06/12/2020 at 14:20

I’ve not even seen an Elantra GT up close. They are not common at all. I wouldn’t buy one unless I needed more practicality than the Veloster offers but I like them. Not half bad looking either.

I’m tr ying to think of the other hatchbacks on the market. Nissan, Ford, Chevy, Dodge, they all don't offer any. I suppose the Kia Niro is more of a hatchback than an SUV. Kind of a fatback rather than a sport futility vehicle. Corolla hatch is very nice and sees a lot of the market share.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/12/2020 at 15:27

We get the current Kia Rio and Hyundai Accent in hatch form up here...there’s also the current Corolla hatch, the Yaris (which is just a rebadged current Mazda2, though we don’t get the Mazda2, itself, up here anymore) , the Mazda 3...the Micra (discontinued after 2020 here though), the Mirage....uh...the Impreza...

I quite like the current Veloster alot...would consider one (or even the last-gen) as a replacement for Humdrum when the time comes!

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
06/12/2020 at 15:59

Forgot about the Impreza. It’s getting a little old so it may not be around too much longer. We haven’t had the Mazda2 or the Yaris for a while. Too bad about the Micra.

I think the current generation of Veloster is much better than the first because it has the unqui e interior and driving dynamics to back up the looks. I would love any trim but the N is just so delicious in every way. Too bad I won’t have car buying money until well after it is out of production, if I ever buy new that is.

I totally forgot about the Rio since I never see them. Turns out the hatch is also sold here but I can’t for the life of me remember the last time I saw one.

The So ul is also worth considering and by all accounts is excellent. Too bad the manual is base trim only and is limited to white and black colors.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/12/2020 at 16:55

I do like the current Veloster more than the first-gen as well, but I still like the first gen :)

We don’t get the Soul with a manual option here! :(

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
06/12/2020 at 18:07

I’ve never seen a current gen with the manual. Can’t imaginea many were made.

I could live with the first Veloster without any performance bump but the interior didn't match the exterior's funkiness. It wasn't quite full Karmann Ghia but rather funky on the outside but an Elantra everywhere else.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/12/2020 at 19:07

That’s true....I like quirky interiors but I’m OK with basic ones too :P

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
06/12/2020 at 20:08

I think I’ve been spoiled by the Cruze with its luxurious two tone padded dash and Bluetooth calling (not music :/). But who ever turned down a cool interior?

Kinja'd!!!

Me sitting here enjoying a non basic interior.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/12/2020 at 20:44

I should add some ambient lighting to the Accent sometime...I imagine yours is just wired to the interior light or some such?

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars
06/12/2020 at 21:17

No, it is a remote controlled thing that runs any time the car is on, using a fuse adaptor borrowing power from the never used rear cigarette lighter. It’s got a little remote control and I keep on a slow smooth color cycle that looks epic at night. Doesn’t affect visibility either because all 6 lights are pointed down from under the seats and dash. I would highly recommend it. But I don’t remember the name or price as it was a birthday present.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available
06/13/2020 at 11:28

I borrow power from my front-right 12V socket (my car has two 12v sockets in the front! :D) to power the switch/relay for my fog lights! :D

https://oppositelock.kinja.com/re-post-the-fog-lightening-the-beginning-and-a-req-1827937609