The Sorry State of Affairs in Automobilia in the 1970s, 80s and 90s

[bugo]

Somehow I get the feeling McLaren wouldn't be involved with something like that today.

This is the Mercury Capri ASC McLaren. It was the only convertible Fox Capri ever built. They were rare when new and scarce today. It would be a lot cooler than a typical Mustang.

[Henry]

Somehow I get the feeling McLaren wouldn't be involved with something like that today.

This is the Mercury Capri ASC McLaren. It was the only convertible Fox Capri ever built. They were rare when new and scarce today. It would be a lot cooler than a typical Mustang.

I tend to agree with that statement, especially with the most telling clue being the blunt nose instead of the Mustang's slanted one. It is worth noting that the Fox body served as the Cougar's full circle moment, as it (and the Thunderbird) were built off the same platform as the pony cars, and the Cougar was originally twinned with the '67 Mustang before moving up to the T-bird's class in '74.

[Stephane Dumas]

Speaking of a lack or a safety, I'm always intrigued by Central American variants of cars.  Most of the newer lower tier cars I see in Mexico only have two air bags.  The prices usually are somewhere under $20,000 USD. 

South American cars are fascinating as well. One of the most interesting is the 1966-1981 Argentine IKA/Renault Torino. If you look closely at the roof, you will see that it was based on an American Rambler American with unique front and rear sheetmetal (The infamous AMC SC/Rambler used the same bodyshell). The European style dashboard was unique to the Torino.  IKA stood for "Industrias Kaiser Argentina". In 1970, IKA was purchased by Renault, and the Torino eventually got Renault badges. The Torino was available as a 2 door hardtop or a 4 door sedan. The engine is perhaps the most interesting part of the car. It used the Kaiser Tornado engine which was introduced in mid-1962 and was used in Jeeps in North America. This was an unusual design for the day, as it was an overhead cam inline six cylinder engine, when the vast majority of American sixes were either flathead or overhead valve engines. This engine made up to 248 horsepower in a Torino, which made for excellent performance.

Here is an IKA Torino.



Here is a Renault Torino. The Torino was one of the only front engine, rear wheel drive Renaults ever built.

Other cars from Argentina and Brazil who are worth to mention.
-Ford Falcon, the basic 1960 Falcon was built in Argentina until the early 1990s, here the changes they did for the Argentinian model year 1973.
1973 Ford Falcon Futura (Argentina) by Michael, sur Flickr

The 1965-66 Ford Galaxie body was made to Brazil until 1982 (or 1983 depending of the sources)
Ford Galaxie 500  1973 by eduardo lopes, sur Flickr

And there was a panel truck version of the Dodge D-100 Sweptline (1961-71) who was sold in Argentina unless it was done by a coachbuilder aftermarket. https://imcdb.org/vehicle.php?id=853263  While in North America, Dodge keep the old "Power Giant" generation Town Panel and Town Sedan built until 1966.

[Max Rockatansky]

One I've never heard of before, the AMC Cowboy concept:

[Henry]

One I've never heard of before, the AMC Cowboy concept:

Well, back then the El Camino was so popular that other automakers wanted to copy off of it.

Other cars from Argentina and Brazil who are worth to mention.
-Ford Falcon, the basic 1960 Falcon was built in Argentina until the early 1990s, here the changes they did for the Argentinian model year 1973.
1973 Ford Falcon Futura (Argentina) by Michael, sur Flickr

The 1965-66 Ford Galaxie body was made to Brazil until 1982 (or 1983 depending of the sources)
Ford Galaxie 500  1973 by eduardo lopes, sur Flickr

Must be the U.S. leftovers that were shipped to South America and revived for many years after their original versions were discontinued.

And a Falcon with quad square headlights? Those Argentinians must've gotten pretty creative with that, not to mention the Futura name predated the North American Fairmont by five years.

[Stephane Dumas]

And a Falcon with quad square headlights? Those Argentinians must've gotten pretty creative with that, not to mention the Futura name predated the North American Fairmont by five years.

And once used for a Lincoln show car in 1955 and if that car look familiar, it's because George Barris saved it from the car crusher and customized into the 1966 Batmobile.
1955 ... Lincoln Futura by James Vaughan, sur Flickr

[bugo]

Well, back then the El Camino was so popular that other automakers wanted to copy off of it.

The El Camino was introduced in 1959 as a reaction to the Ford Ranchero, which came out in 1957. So if anybody was copying, it was Chevrolet.

[bugo]

Those Argentinians must've gotten pretty creative with that, not to mention the Futura name predated the North American Fairmont by five years.

The Falcon Futura was introduced in 1962. so it predated the American Fairmont Futura by 16 years.

[Max Rockatansky]

Never heard of this one.  Apparently there was a Malibu M80 exclusively sold in the Carolinas in the early 1980s.

[Stephane Dumas]

Never heard of this one.  Apparently there was a Malibu M80 exclusively sold in the Carolinas in the early 1980s.

It remind me of the story of the "Iraqibu", where some 1981 Malibu sedans was planned to be sold in Iraq but the deal drop dead.

[bugo]

Never heard of this one.  Apparently there was a Malibu M80 exclusively sold in the Carolinas in the early 1980s.

A regional car, kind of like the 1968 Ford Mustang California Special. These cars were usually modified after they left the factory, often by dealerships.





Colorado got its own version, called the High Country Special.




An early regional model was the Dodge Coronet Texan.

[Max Rockatansky]

I spotted a 1976 GMC Spirit at a car show in Clovis today.  These are virtually identical to the El Camino and I have never seen one in person:

IMG_6097 by Max Rockatansky, on Flickr

[kphoger]

Am I the only one who dislikes huge front grilles like this?

[Max Rockatansky]

The Norelco shaver look Lexus does isn't for me.

[kphoger]

The Norelco shaver look Lexus does isn't for me.

Found on Reddit:

Lexus grilles look like somebody grafted an electric razor onto the face of a drunken rhinoceros.

[GCrites]

I think they call that the Predator Mouth:

[Takumi]

I think they call that the Predator Mouth

I've seen it called the "Predator grille" online a lot, but I think Lexus officially calls it the spindle grille. Sort of like how the 2010-ish Acura grille is colloquially called a beak but its official name was "power plenum".

[Stephane Dumas]

That "predator grille" looks like it was more or less inspired from the front end of the 1961 Plymouth Belvedere and Fury.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pvNWg66jbkQ

[Henry]

Am I the only one who dislikes huge front grilles like this?

Not only that, but who the hell thought it was a good idea to turn their headlights into a "Z" shape?

[Max Rockatansky]

1992 GM model lineup:

It was quaint to hear vans referred to as "trucks."  I sure wish GM would get back basic vehicles like these rather than exclusively the high margin stuff they push now.

[bugo]

1992 GM model lineup:
It was quaint to hear vans referred to as "trucks."  I sure wish GM would get back basic vehicles like these rather than exclusively the high margin stuff they push now.

I'll take the GMC Typhoon.

[Max Rockatansky]

1992 GM model lineup:
It was quaint to hear vans referred to as "trucks."  I sure wish GM would get back basic vehicles like these rather than exclusively the high margin stuff they push now.

I'll take the GMC Typhoon.

As cool as that would be at this point I would take a W-Body with a fresh 3.6L LFX V6 or even a Buick 3.8L.

[bugo]

As cool as that would be at this point I would take a W-Body with a fresh 3.6L LFX V6 or even a Buick 3.8L.

I would rather have a Pontiac ASC/McLaren Grand Prix Turbo Coupe or a Chevrolet Lumina Z34 with the Twin Dual Cam 24V DOHC V6 and a 5 speed manual transmission.

[Henry]

As cool as that would be at this point I would take a W-Body with a fresh 3.6L LFX V6 or even a Buick 3.8L.

I would rather have a Pontiac ASC/McLaren Grand Prix Turbo Coupe or a Chevrolet Lumina Z34 with the Twin Dual Cam 32V DOHC V6 and a 5 speed manual transmission.

I think you meant 24V, as 32V would've been a V8. But anyway, I would've loved to have a Cutlass Supreme International Series with a Quad 4 engine and the same 5-speed manual transmission (man, I really miss Oldsmobile!).

[GCrites]

Honda was Oldsmobile for a while (late 2000s/early 2010s) but now they're back to being Honda.