ALMOST EXTINCT – SEVEN RARE CLASSICS
By Harry Brown |
18th September, 2020
There is, as many of us are all too aware, a grim fasciation in perusing www.howmanyleft.co.uk/ for the numbers of once-familiar sights. Here are seven cars that are on the verge of vanishing from our roads -
Peugeot 104
Not, as popular myth would have it, the original FWD Peugeot – that honour goes to the 1965 204 – but certainly the company’s first “supermini”. The 104 debuted in 1972 as a four-door but 1974 saw the introduction of the short wheelbase three-door ‘Z’ version and, two years later, the very desirable high-performance ZS. That same year marked the replacement of the original saloon with a five-door hatchback. British sales of the 104 commenced in 1973, and by the beginning of the 1980s, the SR version was perfect for a motorist who regarded the Ford Fiesta S as ever so slightly naff. Production ceased in May 1988, over four years after the introduction of the 205, but you would be hard-pressed to find any of the 1,624,992 examples still in use.
Vauxhall Viceroy 1980 – 1982
The Viceroy was never a bad vehicle. It represented the British version of the Opel Commodore C and was tasked with bridging the gap between the Carlton and the Royale. However, Vauxhall’s marketing is best descried as ‘low-key’ and Luton managed to sell just 2,295 units in only two years. Motor described the Viceroy as ‘a perfectly pleasant car, with no bad points to speak of’, asides from the poor fuel economy and modest performance, and that it represented ‘sound value for money’. However, the Viceroy suffered from an uncertain identity within the Vauxhall family – plus a name reminiscent of a chocolate-mint biscuit.
Lancia Prisma 1982 - 1989
There was once a time when the Prisma, the saloon version of the original Delta, was Lancia’s most popular model, despite this hilariously “Channel Nine” style advertisement - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oB8TLavjmGk. The two cars shared the same doors and wheelbase, and the Lancia with ‘Prisma Class’ was intended to provide a smaller alternative to the Trevi. Meanwhile, British dealers hoped Yuppie-types would regard it as a more affordable alternative to the BMW 3-Series, and in 1986 the 1.6 i.e. cost £7,400 as opposed to £8,445 for the 316. The sales copy suggested that such a price difference added up to a test drive in a Lancia Prisma but, unfortunately, too few motorists heeded this advice.
Lonsdale 1982 – 1984
A few readers of a certain vintage may recall seeing advertisements some 38 years ago for an exciting new car – one that bore a remarkable similarity to the A160-Series Mitsubishi Galant. It was, of course, merely a cunning ruse to circumvent the voluntary import quota of Japanese cars by shipping in models from Australia. Unfortunately, the parent vehicle continued to be available in the UK. When Autocar tested the flagship Lonsdale 2.6 they asked ‘Why, you might ask yourself, should I buy an Australian-built Japanese car when I can buy the Japanese-built version of the same car?’. The sales figures provided the answer to that very fair question.
Polski-Fiat 125p 1968 – 1983
Forty-five years ago, the 125p was the ideal car for anyone seeking a new and very inexpensive transport, £1,159 for the saloon or £1,299 for the estate compared very favourably with £1,579 for a Ford Cortina Mk. III 1300 2-door or £1,180 for a Mini 850. Better still, the list of standard appointments included a laminated windscreen, a wiper delay, a cigarette lighter, electric screen washers and reclining front seats. Even Car magazine thought that the Polski-Fiat ‘could not be faulted in terms of value for money as all-round family saloon’.
The 125p harks back to 1965 when Turin granted Fabryka Samochodów Osobowych (Passenger Automobile Factory or FSO) the licence to build a new car. The essential ingredients consisted of the body and disc brakes of the forthcoming 125 with the power plant, suspension, gear change and dashboard of 1961 1300/1500. UK sales began in 1975, and to the driver considering trading in their ten-year-old Hillman Super Minx for a Polski-Fiat seemed almost up to the minute. The 1983 expiry of the Fiat agreement meant the demise of the brand name but the “FSO 1300/1500” continued in production until 1991. Some 1,445,689 examples left the Warsaw plant – but there is now just one example of the car ‘Built to ensure your motoring pleasure’ on the road in this country…
Dacia Denem 1982 – 1983
On paper, the Denen stood a sporting chance with British motorists. It was based on the popular, and only recently demised Renault 12, and it looked more up-to-the-minute than the Lada 1200. Better still, the top-of-the-range GLX boasted a vinyl roof, alloy wheels, five-speed transmission, a radio-cassette player and even electric front windows. Alas, the car from Romania entered a very crowded sector of the UK market, and comparatively high prices did not enhance its sales prospects. Imports ceased in October 1983 and today they are best remembered for the advertising slogan - ‘The Very Acceptable Dacia Denem’.
Talbot Tagora 1980-1983
It is somewhat of a myth that the Tagora was a poor car and that it was ill-received by the press. Certainly, What Car claimed the bodywork represented ‘such a complete blandness of style as to disqualify it instantly in a market where character and status count for so much’ – a somewhat ill-founded comment, given that the flagship Talbot now appears rather elegant. The more-fair-minded Autocar thought the Tagora ‘excellent, if not a great advance’ while Motor Sport noted that ‘the ride and the handling are both excellent, enabling the driver to press-on hard with confidence’ and they regarded the performance of the flagship 2.6 SX as ‘quite exhilarating’.
However, the challenges facing any Talbot dealer were that this was the replacement for the very slow-selling 180/2-Litre range, so there were a limited inherited customer-base, as opposed to the well-established Ford Granada Mk. II, plus the marque’s ill-defined identity. If only the Tagora had made its bow in 1977 rather than 1980.
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We have links with some of the top classic car clubs around the country and some of our policies even offer discounts of up to 25% for club members.
Other benefits of classic car insurance through Lancaster can include:
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Give your classic the protection it deserves and get a quote for your classic today.
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