Ever bought a car you couldn’t live with?

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Pug 206. I found the pedals to be so close together I had to really concentrate not to push the wrong one! I’m only size 10-11!
 
I thought I’d treat my wife to European car of the year.........1979, she’s not forgiven me yet!
Within the first year, we were reversing off the drive, put full lock on and the lower control arm ball joint popped out.
I also seem to have avoided brownie points on subsequent choices.
If only you’d got COTY 1978, your life could have been so different. You’d still be spending those brownie points even now.
 
So true, but I’ve made up since then, she’s swanning around in a 10 year old Fiat Panda.
Really can’t understand why my sex life went downhill faster than the cars she’s had.
 
Hi , I ordered my Lancia Beta Coupe.

However , this was all happening around the rust era and Lancia would not allow the dealer to supply the car !

I actually saw my car that I had ordered months before (even tried a bribe ) but made no difference.( Not for sale in UK )

A already had a Fiat 131 Supermifori that was a great car and ordered a Fiat 131 2000 to take the Lancia place.

Fiat answer to Lotus Cortina .

Suberb car.
 
I managed to write off the Ital - they put me back in a Marina:doh:
At the time I had a 12' Sprite caravan, these Morris's really struggled with the hills in Norfolk with a caravan on the back.
I knew someone who had a marina as their company car, he said that the people who designed it, manufactured it and assembled it should have been forced to eat one every day for a month, without salt. It spent the first two months of its life being fixed. It broke down incessantly and he left his job to get rid of the car.
 
If you bought a marina and didn’t know how your front suspension and steering was put together......and are still alive, you are very lucky!
 
I have had 2 vehicles I could not live with. First was a Mitsubishi Shogun. If I or passengers travelled in it for more than 20 minutes, we ended up with severe headaches. Quite why, I am not sure, perhaps something to do with the cheap plastics. The second was a BMW 3.0 D auto sport. The combination of sports suspension and run flat tyres meant if you hit even a minor bump on the road, it seemed like the end of the world.
 
I got back from a holiday and the boss said I have a new car for you,I expected a hand me down car,but when I went out the back there was a new 1.8 Marina,it was in a beige colour,but it was new so I took it for a drive,left out of our place was a straight of 200 yds and then a S bend and then soon after a right angle bend,the Marina lurched all over the place in the S bend I slowed right down for the right angled bend and nearly went into the ditch ,I got back and said I cannot drive that car,he said neither could I,it's on approval,you can use that 105e van for now until I find something else phew!!
 
I've never had a car I couldn't live with, but I bought one for my wife once; a VW Polo saloon - the boxy one. Bright red, very low mileage, drove perfectly; absolutely nothing wrong with it.

I brought it home, she took one look at it, she said "I'm not having that; it looks like a Trabant".

And that was that; end of story.
 
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I knew someone who had a marina as their company car, he said that the people who designed it, manufactured it and assembled it should have been forced to eat one every day for a month, without salt. It spent the first two months of its life being fixed. It broke down incessantly and he left his job to get rid of the car.
I absolutely agree and often prompted the comment that Brits can't make cars.
Then again what about the "One Leg Crow "? Austin Allegro !
But I suppose the Ital Marina with O series engine has to be the B/L crap of all time!
As a past employee of B/L Truck & Bus Div, I bought my dad such a "mechanical device" as they were heavily discounted ticket priced for employees.
A mechanical disaster, my brother working for Citroen UK got him a "Cit" trading that junk !

BUT, Not all is lost, a Silver lining!
Remember George Turnbull of Austin Morris & was sent to Korea to open a motor industry sector locally, called Kia Hyundai ?.
Their first rendition targeted for the US market was the Hyundai Pony.
Based upon the Marina hatch back it sold like hotcakes and met all US emissions /safety standards as well !.
Lottsa Dollars earned for Korea.
So how can Koreans fresh into the world market place produce a world beater when us Brits could only produce a crap house beater ?.

They call it a Carcacha in Spanish--Jalopy !
Shame on us as an industrial nation that created the Industrial Revolution making things people around the world wanted to buy !

Then of course touching slightly off topic of Marinas we had the Sterling .
Assembled by Triumph in PKD form we even managed to screw up a perfectly good Acura ! 👿 :eek:
We really should hang our heads in shame !
Tuercas viejas
 
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@Tuercas viejas , the Marina and Allegro were bad cars, but (imho) not as bad as they are often painted. The Marina was much cheaper than the Cortina and, terrible clutch and rampant rust aside was an adequate if mediocre car, spoiled by dreadful build quality.
The Allegro was a decent handling and decently quick, in 1750 guise car, again, my overriding memory was terrible build quality, although nothing was as bad as the output from Speke.
I remember George Turnbull from his days at Standard Triumph, and I remember him going to Hyundai to set up production.
From what I remember he was well respected by Management and ‘workers’ alike - very unusual at the time.
Coincidentally I live three doors away from his daughter, and speak to her most days while walking our dogs.
I’m also three doors away from the UK residence of John Towers - he of the Phoenix Four who led to the demise of MG Rover, but he is rarely seen, spending most of his ill gotten gains playing golf in Spain.
 
I never really understood how popular changing cars is! I have bought 3 cars in total in my life. 1 got written off, and the other 2... I still have.
 
@Tuercas viejas , the Marina and Allegro were bad cars, but (imho) not as bad as they are often painted. The Marina was much cheaper than the Cortina and, terrible clutch and rampant rust aside was an adequate if mediocre car, spoiled by dreadful build quality.
The Allegro was a decent handling and decently quick, in 1750 guise car, again, my overriding memory was terrible build quality, although nothing was as bad as the output from Speke.
I remember George Turnbull from his days at Standard Triumph, and I remember him going to Hyundai to set up production.
From what I remember he was well respected by Management and ‘workers’ alike - very unusual at the time.
Coincidentally I live three doors away from his daughter, and speak to her most days while walking our dogs.
I’m also three doors away from the UK residence of John Towers - he of the Phoenix Four who led to the demise of MG Rover, but he is rarely seen, spending most of his ill gotten gains playing golf in Spain.
I remember all the Phoenix affair quite well but I just looked up John Towers on Wikki. What a bastard.
 
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I never really understood how popular changing cars is! I have bought 3 cars in total in my life. 1 got written off, and the other 2... I still have.
Either you're still very young, or you're not trying...
 
@Tuercas viejas , the Marina and Allegro were bad cars, but (imho) not as bad as they are often painted. The Marina was much cheaper than the Cortina and, terrible clutch and rampant rust aside was an adequate if mediocre car, spoiled by dreadful build quality.
The Allegro was a decent handling and decently quick, in 1750 guise car, again, my overriding memory was terrible build quality, although nothing was as bad as the output from Speke.
I remember George Turnbull from his days at Standard Triumph, and I remember him going to Hyundai to set up production.
From what I remember he was well respected by Management and ‘workers’ alike - very unusual at the time.
Coincidentally I live three doors away from his daughter, and speak to her most days while walking our dogs.
I’m also three doors away from the UK residence of John Towers - he of the Phoenix Four who led to the demise of MG Rover, but he is rarely seen, spending most of his ill gotten gains playing golf in Spain.
Hey Ted
Good comments and your "key" words piqued my attention:-
From what I remember he was well respected by Management and ‘workers’ alike - very unusual at the time

Yes, UK factory labor relations in the 70's/80's were in the trash can with measured day work, collective bargaining, and socialist leaning posture by shop stewards having taken over the plants & production.
Chrysler (Roots Group) at Linwood was similarly affected.
In short management lost control of production. & with it went quality and volume production.
As you stated they weren't as bad as often painted ,and since Hyundai re-produced it to be a world beater being rebadged & called a Pony.
You are right ,its a poster child example of what could have been.
Ford & Vauxhall being operated in the UK by an American influenced management had a track record of better profits from a smaller /slimmer set of operations whereas B/L made up of 70 distinct plants at the time and it showed in the High St with popular models' like the Cortina /Capri & Escort .


On a more colorful note I was given the task of removing staff fleet cars from Iraq so that I could take over the position as our B/L man in Baghdad.
Two Marina units had gone out for my processors to support a new bus fleet, and the third an O series powered unit was abandoned by a fellow service engineer in Mosul .
I located the latter unit parked with a Mosul Bus Company, and the other two at the British Club .One had been rolled and cannibalized to keep the other in service.
The object was to get them out of the country, so that the carnets and the bonds could be released.
The orders were to get them out of Iraq by any legal means possible.

In short it took me about 6 months to pursue channels & get customs release letters etc .
Having got the paperwork in order I fettled the cannibalized unit so that it could be dead towed by the other which was suffering.
The O series would be the back up and a command car.
AlI I had to do was recruit some blokes to drive the two as a 'Toed" combo !

First to step up were some Auzzie friends, so one morning we set out from Baghdad heading to Amman.
Jordan, Iraq Reopen Main Border Crossing on Baghdad to Amman Highway

Getting about 100 miles from the border crossing the clutch on the "Toed" was smoking, so the later O series unit was hitched up like road train & full of Auzzie blokes it got released out into No Mans Land & out we went, carnets all stamped proving the two old Marina crocks has been removed.
Once into a lonely desert spot, we pulled off, doused the pair in petrol and set fire to 'em.
We stood there for a while as they were consumed in flames and cracked a Castlemaine tinny.---Well a few .:D:cool:
Then on to Amman and the Shepherd's Hotel for more beers.

Since the O series had no number plates I used one of the burnt unit's Iraqi plates to keep things looking legit like !!
Two of the Auzzies went home from Amman and the third accompanied me back to Blighty.
The management got their carnets and one lonely Marina back to the motor pool ,not a scratch on it having driven up into Syria & Turkey then on across Europe !
Tuercas Viejas
.
 
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Reactions: Ted
Hey Ted
Good comments and your "key" words piqued my attention:-
From what I remember he was well respected by Management and ‘workers’ alike - very unusual at the time

Yes, UK factory labor relations in the 70's/80's were in the trash can with measured day work, collective bargaining, and socialist leaning posture by shop stewards having taken over the plants & production.
Chrysler (Roots Group) at Linwood was similarly affected.
In short management lost control of production. & with it went quality and volume production.
As you stated they weren't as bad as often painted ,and since Hyundai re-produced it to be a world beater being rebadged & called a Pony.
You are right ,its a poster child example of what could have been.
Ford & Vauxhall being operated in the UK by an American influenced management had a track record of better profits from a smaller /slimmer set of operations whereas B/L made up of 70 distinct plants at the time and it showed in the High St with popular models' like the Cortina /Capri & Escort .


On a more colorful note I was given the task of removing staff fleet cars from Iraq so that I could take over the position as our B/L man in Baghdad.
Two Marina units had gone out for my processors to support a new bus fleet, and the third an O series powered unit was abandoned by a fellow service engineer in Mosul .
I located the latter unit parked with a Mosul Bus Company, and the other two at the British Club .One had been rolled and cannibalized to keep the other in service.
The object was to get them out of the country, so that the carnets and the bonds could be released.
The orders were to get them out of Iraq by any legal means possible.

In short it took me about 6 months to pursue channels & get customs release letters etc .
Having got the paperwork in order I fettled the cannibalized unit so that it could be dead towed by the other which was suffering.
The O series would be the back up and a command car.
AlI I had to do was recruit some blokes to drive the two as a 'Toed" combo !

First to step up were some Auzzie friends, so one morning we set out from Baghdad heading to Amman.
Jordan, Iraq Reopen Main Border Crossing on Baghdad to Amman Highway

Getting about 100 miles from the border crossing the clutch on the "Toed" was smoking, so the later O series unit was hitched up like road train & full of Auzzie blokes it got released out into No Mans Land & out we went, carnets all stamped proving the two old Marina crocks has been removed.
Once into a lonely desert spot, we pulled off, doused the pair in petrol and set fire to 'em.
We stood there for a while as they were consumed in flames and cracked a Castlemaine tinny.---Well a few .:D:cool:
Then on to Amman and the Shepherd's Hotel for more beers.

Since the O series had no number plates I used one of the burnt unit's Iraqi plates to keep things looking legit like !!
Two of the Auzzies went home from Amman and the third accompanied me back to Blighty.
The management got their carnets and one lonely Marina back to the motor pool ,not a scratch on it having driven up into Syria & Turkey then on across Europe !
Tuercas Viejas
.
F**k me! You on drugs?? 🤣🤣
 
Not actually I got congratulated by senior management .
One memorable comment from the financial director Stating quote "Your time spent in the USA as a kid has obviously made you think out of the box ,well done. You saved the company a lot of money".

And basically boiled down that was the problem with B/L (and Rootes Group) as volume producer. Scant profits, timid British attitudes, and weak British management, all supported by successive Governments until Thatcher shook Britain by the neck. By that time export guarantees, loss of old empire and commonwealth markets , lowering of tariffs from Euro competitors had really sealed its fate.
It ended up as being totally impotent to compete on product , age, quality & value, faced with imports from Europe & Japan that had significantly higher production efficiency than our own British industry.
The Hyundai Pony as such an example of how the Koreans have grown an auto industry as volume producer, when nowadays the UK can hardly make anything without foreign control or investment.
We should be ashamed of ourselves really as a nation.

Just a comment.

Brits who think out of the box are often regarded as criminals or drug trafficker's , and about 30 years ago I had a long discussion with Freddie Laker of Sky Train fame at the British American Chamber of Commerce in Ft Lauderdale. Now he really did upset the applecart with his "out of the box thinking", and was accused of being a criminal with activities challenging the other big entrenched & totally inefficient British company called British Airways (BOAC ) remember them?

Really boiled down BOAC was involved in a cartel controlling tariffs & pricing.
In an "out of the box thinking act" he opened an office in the Pan Am building in NY over a weekend under everyone's noses establishing his business as an American Corporation.
That really put the fat in the fire, and he got no help from the Thatcher Gov who were messing themselves over impending lawsuits again UK Gov on US anti trust violations and National Westminster bank engaged in some shady business with loans on aircraft and jeopardizing the sale of BOAC .into private hands .

All funny stuff looking back but its about business and making profits from supplying things that people want to buy.
Our track record hasn't been very good on that score has it ?
Tuercas Viejas
 
I absolutely agree and often prompted the comment that Brits can't make cars.
Then again what about the "One Leg Crow "? Austin Allegro !
But I suppose the Ital Marina with O series engine has to be the B/L crap of all time!
As a past employee of B/L Truck & Bus Div, I bought my dad such a "mechanical device" as they were heavily discounted ticket priced for employees.
A mechanical disaster, my brother working for Citroen UK got him a "Cit" trading that junk !

BUT, Not all is lost, a Silver lining!
Remember George Turnbull of Austin Morris & was sent to Korea to open a motor industry sector locally, called Kia Hyundai ?.
Their first rendition targeted for the US market was the Hyundai Pony.
Based upon the Marina hatch back it sold like hotcakes and met all US emissions /safety standards as well !.
Lottsa Dollars earned for Korea.
So how can Koreans fresh into the world market place produce a world beater when us Brits could only produce a crap house beater ?.

They call it a Carcacha in Spanish--Jalopy !
Shame on us as an industrial nation that created the Industrial Revolution making things people around the world wanted to buy !

Then of course touching slightly off topic of Marinas we had the Sterling .
Assembled by Triumph in PKD form we even managed to screw up a perfectly good Acura ! 👿 :eek:
We really should hang our heads in shame !
Tuercas viejas
Hi , well here goes regarding the build quality of the Austin Allegro built in Ledbury Herefordshire.

I have spoken to people who have purchased the car and they all loved them.

Don't know how many were built !
 
@John , Nope Brutus was a handful, more akin to having a relationship with a whore, Great ride but you would never take it home to show your parents before Marrying it lol.

My E55k Estate on the other was sublime.

Hi , I took mine home and my dad loved her !
 

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