Obscure cars you have owned

[Dos_Box]

I was having a chat with some friends the other day where we were discussing cars that we had all owned (a surprising amount of Ford Capri 2.8's featured for some reason!) and when it came to mine I had missed one out as it was so obscure and forgettable, that I left it out of my list. A couple of other also remembered cars that were so niche or unforgettable they too had missed them off their lists.

Mine was a Daewoo Leganzo which I owned in the early 2000's. It was a rather good car, right up until its cylindar head cracked (it had a GM 2.0 engine)! It would have been a lot prettier if it wasn't for the radiator grill! I got it as an almost emergency purchase after my early 90's BMW 3 series rotted to death!

 

 

Anyone else had a car that has slipped from the collective consciousness or was just so obscure that hardly anyone can place it when you tell them?

[Ditto]

Second ever car was a Citroen GS Club - I think it qualifies! 1222c air cooled engine, wacky suspension which can be set to high, super higher and giraffe high. Handbrake in the dashboard and worked on front wheels which made handbrake turns amusing! Brake pedal with no travel and very fierce. It was surprisingly driveable and lively. Once had 12 people in it after college graduation - but don't tell HSE! Would drive on 3 wheels, although I never tried.

 

 

See https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/features/car-culture/citroen-gs/ for feature length article!

 

 

 

[OldTimeIT]

https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-eurocars/shed-of-the-week-volvo-240-glt/29951

I had this car, not just one of these but the very car featured in the article although I had it in the mid 90s when it had less than 100,000 miles on the clock.

[Dos_Box]

https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-eurocars/shed-of-the-week-volvo-240-glt/29951

I had this car, not just one of these but the very car featured in the article although I had it in the mid 90s when it had less than 100,000 miles on the clock.

 

My brother had one of those. I don't think he even changed the oil once in the two or three years he had it!

[djm968]

Lancia Beta 2.0 IE. While all contemporaries around me were driving Ford XR3i's, Capri 2.8 injections and RS Turbos, I went for a bit of Italian exotica! Brilliant twin cam fuel injected engine (I wanted the supercharged VX version but was a bit out of my league at the time) The body surprisingly lasted very well on my 1983 model and the handling was fantastic. I only got rid of it, because I wanted a BMW.

 

Edited April 17, 2023 by djm968

[Jaan]

I had a MK1 Fiat Punto "GT" (newer version of the Fiat uno Turbo)

 

It was heavily modified weighed a little over 950Kg and had 224.8Bhp It was an absolute weapon! it spat flames also

 

My friends used to refer to it as the Starship enterprise

 

happy times

 

[2ilent8cho]

My daily driver a Citroen C6 , less than 500 on the UK roads, and less than 1000 sold in the UK, very quirky, love driving it and you never see another one on the road. I've had people knock on my door to ask about it and stopped on car parks by people to chat about the car. Since around 2016 had about £20,000 in servicing and repairs, so don't buy one unless you can stomach the bills. Had the injectors go once £300 an injector, V6 engine, so that was £1800 before labour. If the exhaust ever needs replacing I might say goodbye, it has 2 cats, 1 dpf plus the pipe from the engine, Citroen don't sell them individually just the whole lot as a kit and it's £3500.

 

 

I did until 2 years ago have a Citroen Xantia Activa which was a special version of the Xantia and added extra bits onto its Hydroactive suspension. It could corner completely flat which made for fun driving, especially large roundabouts, if the car detected more than 0.5% body roll these hydraulic jacks would lock the anti-roll bar to stop it rolling further. They sold around 1000 total in the UK and less than 20 now registered on the roads. I've owned 3 of these in my life, I do miss it still but I had 4 cars and parts were getting impossible for the car so its the one I said good bye to.

 

[Dos_Box]

My daily driver a Citroen C6 , less than 500 on the UK roads, and less than 1000 sold in the UK, very quirky, love driving it and you never see another one on the road. I've had people knock on my door to ask about it and stopped on car parks by people to chat about the car. Since around 2016 had about £20,000 in servicing and repairs, so don't buy one unless you can stomach the bills. Had the injectors go once £300 an injector, V6 engine, so that was £1800 before labour. If the exhaust ever needs replacing I might say goodbye, it has 2 cats, 1 dpf plus the pipe from the engine, Citroen don't sell them individually just the whole lot as a kit and it's £3500.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]68623[/ATTACH]

 

I did until 2 years ago have a Citroen Xantia Activa which was a special version of the Xantia and added extra bits onto its Hydroactive suspension. It could corner completely flat which made for fun driving, especially large roundabouts, if the car detected more than 0.5% body roll these hydraulic jacks would lock the anti-roll bar to stop it rolling further. They sold around 1000 total in the UK and less than 20 now registered on the roads. I've owned 3 of these in my life, I do miss it still but I had 4 cars and parts were getting impossible for the car so its the one I said good bye to.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]68624[/ATTACH]

 

I've never owned a Citroen before, although I gather they are one of the more reliable French brands. I gave up on French cars after my Renault Scenic RX4 proved to be an unreliable mish-mash of random components (they would buy in from various parts suppiers as the production went along according to a garage I took it too). Loved my 205GTi back in the day though.

And don't even get me started on Series 2 Discoveries!

[Dos_Box]

I had a MK1 Fiat Punto "GT" (newer version of the Fiat uno Turbo)

 

It was heavily modified weighed a little over 950Kg and had 224.8Bhp It was an absolute weapon! it spat flames also

 

My friends used to refer to it as the Starship enterprise

 

happy times

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]68621[/ATTACH]

 

I had a freind that had a Fiat Uno Turbo in the early 90's. That thing was a real rocket. It's just a shame there really only seesm to be Ford, of the major manufacturers, making sporty small cars these days that don't try to hide what they are.

Edited April 17, 2023 by Dos_Box

[3s-gtech]

I had a freind that had a Fiat Uno Turbo in the early 90's. That thing was a real rocket. It's just a shame there really only seesm to be Ford, of the major manufacturers, making sporty small cars these days that don't try to hide what they are.

 

Ahem *Toyota* cough splutter

Ford have sounded the Fiesta’s death knell, while the GR Yaris is a modern classic.

You could count Fiat/Abarth, though the 500 is long in the tooth!

[djm968]

I had a freind that had a Fiat Uno Turbo in the early 90's. That thing was a real rocket. It's just a shame there really only seesm to be Ford, of the major manufacturers, making sporty small cars these days that don't try to hide what they are.

 

Renault are still making the Clio RS.

[Davit2005]

Lancia Beta 2.0 IE. While all contemporaries around me were driving Ford XR3i's, Capri 2.8 injections and RS Turbos, I went for a bit of Italian exotica! Brilliant twin cam fuel injected engine (I wanted the supercharged VX version but was a bit out of my league at the time) The body surprisingly lasted very well on my 1983 model and the handling was fantastic. I only got rid of it, because I wanted a BMW.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]68620[/ATTACH]

 

I don't know why but I always fancied the Granada 2.8i GHIA, lol. My friend had the Beta Volumex, sounded awesome and looked great, he then decided to get a more sensible ford which turned out to be a Turbo Technics converted sleeper, lol.

 

Myself, I owned a Opel Kadett for about 24 hours.

Edited April 17, 2023 by Davit2005

[Dos_Box]

I don't know why but I always fancied the Granada 2.8i GHIA, lol. My friend had the Beta Volumex, sounded awesome and looked great, he then decided to get a more sensible ford which turned out to be a Turbo Technics converted sleeper, lol.

 

Myself, I owned a Opel Kadett for about 24 hours.

 

I almost bought a 2.8 GHIA X back in 1990. A palatial car with a HUGE engine. Wish I'd got it now!

[Andrew_C]

I had a couple of Xantias. Really, really comfortable.

 

One the weird front, a couple of Mitsubishi Delicas. Basically, one of their pickup trucks with a body kit and 8 seats. Some of which swivelled and could have a table.

 

One lost all the oil, the second, being a 2. something, rather than the 3l was miserable for spares.

[MartinT]

My previous car was a Honda CR-Z, so rare that it doesn't appear in the How Many Left? site.

 

 

My current car is a Subaru BRZ and that is quite rare, too, showing just 376 in the country.

 

[Dos_Box]

I also had one of these for a few months (I couldn't stand to drive it any more):

 

 

A Volvo 340 GL. A more uninspiring car you could never wish to drive. It was terrible in every respect apart from reliability. I just wish it would have broken down do I could have got rid of it sooner!

[Ketlane]

I has a Citroen GS. Suspension definitely weird; car was known among friends as The Inflatable. But the suspension system meant that you didn't need to jack the car up to change a wheel , the car did the work for you. Radio panel installed lengthwise between the front seats. And typical Citroen one-spoke steering wheel.

[Oaktech]

I had a Renault Fuego as my second car - it cost me £150 and I sold the alloys to someone who was restoring one for £300. When I scrapped it. if you lifted the carpet you could see from front to back through the rust holes.

[tdk1069]

I used to commute in one of these

 

Still had it's holes in the bumpers to mount officer flags, holders next to the lapbelts to stick the butt of your rifle when on parade. Oh and nylon tyres were fun in the rain.

[Dos_Box]

I used to commute in one of these

[ATTACH=CONFIG]68637[/ATTACH]

 

Still had it's holes in the bumpers to mount officer flags, holders next to the lapbelts to stick the butt of your rifle when on parade. Oh and nylon tyres were fun in the rain.

 

I was in the army in West Germany in the late 80's and remember the German army cutting around in those (and VW Transporter minibusses). They got replaced by G Wagons, which looked a lot more warry.

Those old VW's do still look great though, but I don't think suitable for anywhere north of Crewe!

[Miscbrah]

Did once have one of these:

 

 

Think I was the only one.

[DalekSec]

Not me but my Grandad used to own a lime OG Audi Quattro, sadly he sold it before i was old enough to drive

[Ketlane]

Had one of these - would go to places Land Rovers were too big and heavy for. 800cc engine.

[Squelch]

I had a Cosworth Scorpio, it was awesome, there were so many buttons to push. It had to go when it started failing emissions, too many cats to replace.

 

[nicholab]

I also had one of these for a few months (I couldn't stand to drive it any more):

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]68634[/ATTACH]

 

A Volvo 340 GL. A more uninspiring car you could never wish to drive. It was terrible in every respect apart from reliability. I just wish it would have broken down do I could have got rid of it sooner!

 

You must be the only person who had a reliable one of those. They where DAF’s and supposedly the worst Volvo of all time my Grandfather had the salon auto box and it was towed twice.

 

My Grandfather last car was a Rover 416GTI auto box it went like stink. It was a brand new G reg. I remember being picked up from school and hitting the dual carriageway we where up to 70 very quickly!

Edited April 18, 2023 by nicholab