Pointless & impractical vehicles

[Bonefish Blues]

Can I nominate the humble Austin Allegro as a pointless vehicle?

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Not only did they completely fail to enter the growing 'hatchback' market by giving the Allegro a normal boot on it's hatchback body shape, but their attempt at giving it some 'middle class' styling with the Vanden Plas was equally baffling.

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It did transport 4 people in reasonable comfort though, based on a mate's in the late 70s, when we used to go everywhere in one.

 

[gbb]

Can I nominate the humble Austin Allegro as a pointless vehicle?

View attachment 546811

Not only did they completely fail to enter the growing hatchback market by giving the Allegro a normal boot on its hatchback body shape, but their attempt at giving it some 'middle class' styling of the Vanden Plas model was equally baffling.

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It was a failure in many respects, given the strictures BL were under for years.
I had an older 1750HL, twin carb, went well, never broke down (although I didnt own it that long)

It wasnt a brilliant car, no-one would pretend otherwise...but a terrible car it wasnt (imho)

 

[raleighnut]

Can I nominate the humble Austin Allegro as a pointless vehicle?

View attachment 546811

Not only did they completely fail to enter the growing hatchback market by giving the Allegro a normal boot on its hatchback body shape, but their attempt at giving it some 'middle class' styling of the Vanden Plas model was equally baffling.

View attachment 546812

The 1750 was pretty quick though.

 

[Drago]

My first car was a 1750HL, the twin carb job. 95 odd bhp, which was fairly swift for the time...on the rare occasions it actually worked properly.

 

[Oldhippy]

Saw a Rolls Royce at a show once with a Merlin Spitfire engine in it. I would imagine flooring that would either flip the rear axle through the boot.

 

[raleighnut]

Saw a Rolls Royce at a show once with a Merlin Spitfire engine in it. I would imagine flooring that would either flip the rear axle through the boot.

Nah that's 'The Beast' built by John Dodd,


View: https://youtu.be/OxMxFE37Sxw

 

[Drago]

Strictly speaking it was a Meteor engine.

 

[raleighnut]

Strictly speaking it was a Meteor engine.

Say's that at the end of the vid, it's still a 27 litre RR motor though gobbling fuel at 8 pints a minute

 

[TheDoctor]

And there was me about to mention the Vauxhall Mokka I had as a hire car a few weeks ago.
It was utterly horrid.
The Focus ST line I've just handed back, OTOH, I liked far too much.

 

[FrankCrank]

Seen many a fatbike over here on tarmac roads - often hear them trundling along way before you see them - nowhere near the beach, and yet to see any snow

 

[chriswoody]

Seen many a fatbike over here on tarmac roads - often hear them trundling along way before you see them - nowhere near the beach, and yet to see any snow

Pah that's nothing, there's a lady who commutes on the same train as me who has one of these:

It's so heavy from the battery and motor that she can't lift it and it's so fat it doesn't fold properly. I'm mean really what is the point of it!

 

[Profpointy]

Strictly speaking it was a Meteor engine.

Probably crap performance compared to the supercharged Merlin version; bet he wishes he'd
paid the extra now

 

[Drago]

I guess thar if a car is so unreliable it is of little utility as an actual car, then it becomes pointless and impractical.

I didn't think it was humanly possible to build cars as unreliable as Land Rovers, but Elon Musk's crew have shown what hard work and dillgence can achieve...

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/land-rover-and-tesla-top-list-of-unreliable-makes-8pzppz5m5

 

[screenman]

I have always considered an old Land Rover a anti boredom tool, it gives you something to do at weekends. I should add although I have bought and sold a few I do not like them.

 

[Drago]

I think LR have suffered through neglect during the ford ownership era, continuing lack of investment in development, combined with resting on their laurels, poor product planning and short sighted product planning. It would surely be hard to be that bed deliberately, although MGRover under phoenix group ownership managed it, and Tesla seem to be having a good crack at the title.