company cars from the 80s

[johnfromstaffs]

As you ask for the 80's, I'll go back no further, but:

1984 Escort 1.6GL
1986 Escort 1.6 Ghia
1989 Vauxhall Astra LXI Estate which was the version with the 1.8 fuel injected engine and imitation Recaro seats. It ended its days buried in the side of a Mk2 Escort who pulled out of a side turning in front of me.

Car phones? The whole point of having an outside job is that you communicate with base, not them with you!

 

[Ian Donkin]

Fiat Mirafiori

My Dad had a brand new (yellow) SuperMirafiori in 1980 as some kind of throw back to a previous 125S he'd owned in the early 70's... Apart from the nice sound of the Twin Cam when revved hard, my abiding memory of that car is the 4 or 5 visits to the dealer to fix rust issues in the 9 or so months he owned it!

My 80's company cars were an XR2, Nissan estate (can't remember the exact model), Sierra 1.8 GL, XR2 again and then a 205 1.9GTI.

 

[BTB 500]

My Company Cars from the 80's
Metro Van - MG Metro Turbo - Maestro Vanden Plas (??) MG Montego We had a British policy

I had a Maestro Vanden Plas as a personal car ... the talking dash was a bit gimmicky but apart from that it was excellent.

 

[Dieselman]

Were these two of the worst, given their reputation? I didn't think they'd feature heavily on company cat lists due to high depreciation.

Not at all. In fact these were the first brand new cars that I had that went for more than two weeks without a failure. Even the Honda had ABS and heater control issues straight away.
The first XM was an early car and had a few issues, sticky front height corrector linkage and a main feed pipe LHM leak, would occasionally select sport mode suspension for no reason, and a failed wheel bearing, other wise no problems.

The second one had no problems at all from start to finish.

The Cavalier had the indicators fail, a front damper fail and misfiring in the first two weeks.
The misfiring and heavy oil consumption turned out to be the piston/rings, which blew in fine style 3 months and many dealer visits later.
The Sierra had a few moments with things, the biggest being gearbox failure as the clutch auto adjuster kept releasing the pedal part way through changes.

But the crowning glory goes to the Volvo...God that car was unreliable. It broke down completely twice in the first two weeks and just continued like that forever more until getting shot at 16 months old.
It was so bad I was given a 460 to drive pre launch.

Whats going on??? Yet another person who had one.....and liked it! I thought these were largely detested by most people (except me - I'm a deluded fan), especially those that owned one.

So chaps....what is it exactly about the XM that you liked?

XM are great cars.
The styling is very different, general quality is great, the seat comfort is as good as a W221 S class, the ride is supple, but the handling is pin sharp.

I take mine out for a blast all the time just for fun. Being early models they are not as NVH insulated as a modern high level car, but the feedback is much better. Last w/e I drove a late V6 and it was very refined, yet still handled very well indeed.
I bet I could have been quicker than you down the twisty lanes on the LOMP.

Everyone who's never had an XM loathes them, everyone who's had one loves them.

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[ricardo62]

My Company Cars from the 80's
Metro Van - MG Metro Turbo - Maestro Vanden Plas (??) MG Montego We had a British policy - Cavalier GSI
Mercedes 190 E 2.0 - BMW 325 Coupe - Audi A6 -BMW 328 M Coupe - Jaguar XJ-S -
Happy Days !!

A jag , so you ended up as MD then lol!!!

 

[Harrythedog]

Nobody has mentioned the Austin Princess, the one shaped like a wedge of cheese. Quite popular in the late 70's early 80's

 

[Heanster]

Nobody has mentioned the Austin Princess, the one shaped like a wedge of cheese. Quite popular in the late 70's early 80's

I once repossessed an Austin Princess and, bizarrely, the owner had replaced the badges with Ford ones ?!?

 

[Heanster]

A long list...

I started having Company cars in 1979. First a Marina 1.8, Cavalier 1.6, Datsun Cherry FII, then about 15 Mitsubishi's back-to-back as the company I worked for had common directors with a Mitsubishi dealer. Drove just about every one of their cars. Favourite was a Galant VR4...

 

[Benzowner]

Nobody has mentioned the Austin Princess, the one shaped like a wedge of cheese. Quite popular in the late 70's early 80's

I was offered one as a company car, but they were so unreliable, I declined and had the Cavalier instead. The one where the adverts says "It's a 1.6 that thinks it's a 2litre" Yea, dream on

 

[Dieselman]

The one where the adverts says "It's a 1.6 that thinks it's a 2litre" Yea, dream on

It was 90bhp which bettered all the oppositions 75bhp from a 1.6 litre engine.

 

[gIzzE]

My Dad was talking about company cars the other day.

He was promoted to European Sales Director at Bally Shoes, he managed to swap his Rover SD1 for the 2.8i Capri, after twisting the CEOs arm for weeks. He was only 30 at the time.
First day he got it he want up to Liverpool for a sales meeting and when he got back to the car park the car was gone!
The guy at the car park when asked if he had seen a bright orange Capri said "yeah, two young lads who had lost their ticket drove out in it, they asked the quickest route back to Manchester."
Great!
The police said the Manchester thing was a ploy, they would be in Bristol or somehwere by now.
My Dad got the train home.
The next morning he got a call at 8am saying "They were telling the truth, your car was found in Manchester, it is in the pound, you better come up."
When he got there the wheels were missing!
He got the train home again.

On Monday morning he was called into the office and the CEO asked "You got the Capri thing out of your system?? Good." and threw him a set of keys for another Rover!

 

[MrVix]

I didn't think ford produced the 2.8i capri in orange. If my memory serves me right when i bought a new one in 1984 at the age of 18 they were only available in black, silver, red and maybe blue. My mind could be playing tricks on me though. Think i paid about 8k for it and it was a good enjoyable car that as i remember used to pull the birds!!

 

[gbrand42]

I didn't think ford produced the 2.8i capri in orange. If my memory serves me right when i bought a new one in 1984 at the age of 18 they were only available in black, silver, red and maybe blue. My mind could be playing tricks on me though. Think i paid about 8k for it and it was a good enjoyable car that as i remember used to pull the birds!!

I was thinking the same thing, don't remember them in orange. Mine was an 86/7 Brooklands in dark green.

 

[Dieselman]

Perhaps more Red.

probably not yellow.

 

[gbrand42]

Ah yes I remember that first colour, could understand how it could be remembered as orange

 

[NOMONEYBUTAMERC]

Ford Escort mk2 , Cortina mk4 (1.3) , Mustang 2.3 , Chevrolet Celebrity station wagon , Montego 2.0hls , Vauxhall Carlton , Peugot 405GRI.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

When I was a lad I loved the 2.8 Capri in blue over silver

 

[Piff]

After wrecking my Hillman Hunter, work felt sorry for me & I got my first company vehicle - all that was available was a Chevette van.
Replaced soon after by a Morris Marina
Followed by an Ital which I planted in the back of a stationary lorry
After a serious talk I was allowed another Ital
Left that firm & joined another where to start with I got the bosses hand-me downs. He changed his cars every 18 months & passed down his old one to me & mine went to the next guy down the chain.
Started with an Ford Escort, followed by an Orion. Then into the big league with a 1985 Audi Coupe 1.8 - chalk & cheese compared to the Fords of the day.
Then he changed policy & didn't hand down his Audi Coupe 2.2 Quattro
Next was a new Volvo 440 1.8i.
Then changed to an allowance to provide own cars & I bought an Audi 100 Avant 2.2.
Firm went t*ts up before I got my first monthly allowance!

 

[Dieselman]

Ah yes I remember that first colour, could understand how it could be remembered as orange

Isn't this Sunburst Red.?..better known as Red Oxide.

 

[Piff]

It was 90bhp which bettered all the oppositions 75bhp from a 1.6 litre engine.

My first Audi Coupe 1.8 was 90bhp if I remember correctly. Soon after Ford introduced the 1.8 Sierra with 90bhp. I didn't feel quite so superior after that.