SAABaru ever happen?

[1111giles]

Don't forget the Falcon ute with the big Nissan sticker on the tailgate, the Vauxhall Viva of the late 60's/early 70's with the Holden Brabham/Torana badges that then turned into the incredible 6 cly GTR XU1.
And the MG/Rovers are being made here in China and they are doing a bloody good job of it too.
Then of course in Pommy Land there was the badge engineered Mini/Morris 1100 that was an MG/Wolsley/Morris/Austin/Riley.........any others??

Any chance you can post some pics of the Chinky MG/Rovers?
So we can see what we are missing hahaha!

[steptoe]

Gee, that gets the brain ticking. There was an MG that was much the same as a Morris 1100 but wth a big toothy grille.

We may be going off tangent a little. It is not badge engineering when a Subaru ute is called a Brumby in Australia, BRAT in the US or Little Lorry in the UK. It is badge enginering when some unsuspecting fan of Wottoy buys a car believing it is a product of the manufacturer like a quality import, and not one made around the corner by a local manufacturer Oldhen. I wonder if many salespeople mentioned the heritage of some of these cars, when the real manufacturer may not be of a higher standing.?

Gosh, sunlight creaping through the blinds at a new angle revealing the GROT forming on the sides of all my keys on this keyboard!! erk!

[Gannon]

When dad was buying a new ute, we looked at the Mazda BT50. When the dealer was explaining the features of the vehicle, i said to dad "its nearly identical to the Ford Ranger thats in the car yard across the road".

The Mazda guy was very defiant in telling me that they are completely different vehicles and that the Mazda/Ford sharing deal ended with the last of the B series/Courier models.

I asked him "so why do they both have the same Duratorq engine and gearbox?"

He replied with "No im pretty sure they are different" and then changed the subject.

We ended up buying a Hulix

[d_generate]

I'll try my best to get some MG/Rover pics but they aren't as common here in the mid west of China, the only difference is the badging which looks very similar to the original Rover badges.

Funny story about the Viva/Torana, my sister bought my mothers old 67 Viva off her back in the mid 70's, she drove it for a year or so and decided it was a pile of junk so she went and traded it in on a 70ish 4cyl Torana................Virtually identical car except for the body shape lol.

[1111giles]

I'll try my best to get some MG/Rover pics but they aren't as common here in the mid west of China, the only difference is the badging which looks very similar to the original Rover badges.

Funny story about the Viva/Torana, my sister bought my mothers old 67 Viva off her back in the mid 70's, she drove it for a year or so and decided it was a pile of junk so she went and traded it in on a 70ish 4cyl Torana................Virtually identical car except for the body shape lol.

Cheers I would appreciate that.
The Chinks that bought the MG side of MG/Rover now import back to the UK 'kit form' MGF Sports cars (have you see these with the mid engine?)
They assemble them from a new building on a tiny part of the once vast Longbridge site in Birmingham.
The cars are fully loaded and are pretty affordable. Pity they dont really cut it against newer sports cars though. They are not selling by the bucket here but you do see them about.
Cant wait to see the TOYUBARU - This sounds to be more Scoob than Toyota and will be sold to us in the UK as a Subaru.
Cheers
Giles

[1111giles]

When dad was buying a new ute, we looked at the Mazda BT50. When the dealer was explaining the features of the vehicle, i said to dad "its nearly identical to the Ford Ranger thats in the car yard across the road".

The Mazda guy was very defiant in telling me that they are completely different vehicles and that the Mazda/Ford sharing deal ended with the last of the B series/Courier models.

I asked him "so why do they both have the same Duratorq engine and gearbox?"

He replied with "No im pretty sure they are different" and then changed the subject.

We ended up buying a Hulix

Dont some sales guys talk S H 1 TEA!!!
We all know these trucks are 99% the same 1% been badges, trim and grilles!

(Gotta be careful as my primary role is sales.........hahaha)
Giles

[d_generate]

Giles, I've never seen a soft top MG here yet, only the little MG Hatch & the Rover sedans but looking at the shut lines & panel quality etc they are doing it right, the funny thing about cars here is you never see parking dings, guess because ownership is still a luxury and they take really good care of what they have, the most common car here would be the old VW Santana sedans from the 80's, most Taxi's, Police & many businesses still use them, I popped into a VW dealer and they had an 89 Santana for sale at 87,000rmb....$12,000AUS, admittedly it looked in good nick but I nearly died laughing at the price as you can buy a new QQ mini car here for about 35,000rmb though everything else is expensive.

This is the only abandoned car I've ever seen in China and it looks like it just wore out and died...........VW Santana

[GTlegs]

I dont care what you, blue jacket wearing, rally gravel lacerated eye people think.

Ths 9-2X SAABaru looks much better than an equivalent WRX with a MUCH better looking and feeling interior.

[1111giles]

Got me grey cells going over the weekend.....
What was that Colt / Mitsubishi thing we got here (in UK) called a LONSDALE it was plugged at the time as a car from Australia maybe late 70's or early 80's....anyone help me out with this one???

Also we got somthing called a VW TORO which was in fact a TOYOTA hilux pick up - the only differance being the badge. Lift the hood and there was a Toyota engine starring at you!
With toyota garages in every town - why would you buy a badged one??
Did you get this one also in Aus?
Cheers
Giles.

[1111giles]

I dont care what you, blue jacket wearing, rally gravel lacerated eye people think.

Ths 9-2X SAABaru looks much better than an equivalent WRX with a MUCH better looking and feeling interior.

Nah mate - your only saying this cause you fancy that tasty Swedish bird down the road from you!

Gotta agree with you but only 50% - Subaru have made some styling clangers on the last Impreza's front end - the bug eye comes to mind and the very last ones didnt quite cut it for me.
If you look closely at a Saab 93 (current) the flow lines work very well. I ran one for a year as a company chariot (inherited) I worked for a Swedish firm at the time and got to appreciate the style/form/function of the car.
The Swedes can pen some nice flowing lines.

The Saab would not cut it as a rally car though now - theyre tuned for the corporate sell now.
Cheers
Giles

[steptoe]

Ooh, Toyota did a Corona in late 70's or early 80's featuring an engine that looked suspiciously like the Oldhen Backfire Four that Holdens put in their Torana and called it the Starfire 4. You may be annoyed somewhat to find you did not get a Japanese made engine in your locally? assembled Toyota. This was back when the Tax Office gave incentives to manufacturers to include as much local content as would allow in 'imported stuff'

[1111giles]

Was just surfin on the net the other day and could not believe my eyes.....In New Zealand there are cars there PRETENDING to be Subarus!
The offending objects are about as far removed from a Scoob as you could possibly get.
They exist under the name of.....TRAVIQ (eh? WTF does that mean?)

This car is actually a Vauxhall (UK) / Opel (Mainland Europe & Ireland) Zafira (another stupid name) it is a 'mumsy' compact people carrier - usually found on the school run or at the supermarket. It can seat in some versions 7 people (at a pinch)
They are front wheel drive and are made in Europe!
AAARRGGH - if you want to have a look at one of these 'name rapists' look at http://www.autotrader.co.nz/used-cars-f ... aru-traviq
Then check out the (original) version we get here http://www.autotrader.co.uk/search/used ... t/priceasc

Awful..... truly awful! Shame on you General Motors! Thank god you are out of Subaru now!

I thought the Isuzu trooper / bighorn sold as Scoob was bad - the suzuki / subaru well its Japan all round but a 'kin European bland soap box well - I feel sorry for those Kiwi's who have been duped by the General.
Can anyone truly top this one????

Rant over,
Cheers
Giles.

[steptoe]

We get the Holden Zafira here too with telly ads showing you can separate two kids far enough from lipsticking each other in the huge choice of seating arrangements in the back. In real life they are not as big as imagined. Traviq would come out sounding different in NZ too!

[1111giles]

We get the Holden Zafira here too with telly ads showing you can separate two kids far enough from lipsticking each other in the huge choice of seating arrangements in the back. In real life they are not as big as imagined. Traviq would come out sounding different in NZ too!

I guess so - I can sort of see Holden Zafira - but Subaru Traviq is so far away from the Subaru DNA. plus its made in Spain or Germay!

Cheers
Giles

[steptoe]

If made in, Fuji forbid, germany it would have W as its first letter in the VIN

[steptoe]

It is a W, has that Barina and Astra feel about it.