Re: Forgotten cars of the last 35 years

 OK, here's 3 forgotten cars from this part of the world.

First-up, the Ford/Mercury SA30 Capri, a Mazda 323/Ford Laser-based convertible which had the misfortune of being launched at the same time as the MX-5.

Second, here's the Toyota Lexcen, a badge-engineered Holden VP Commodore (bonus points to Batty if you can find a picture of the Nissan Ute).  This was the result of industry rationalisation in Australia in the late-80s that led to a range of badge-engineered cars, none of which survived in the marketplace as viable alternatives to their donor.

Lastly, the Mazda Roadpacer AP, a rotary-engined Holden Statesman from the 1970s, thus showing that when it comes to putting rotaries into unlikely donor vehicles, the factory has been just as guilty as the backyard mechanics.

Re: Forgotten cars of the last 35 years

Here's a few, all unintentionally Mazda, and all cars that I have admired;

The Mazda Xedos 6, 9, and Cosmo.

The latter never made UK shores, but always loved them, and supposedly frighteningly quick cars.

MAzda deserved to do better with these cars

Re: Forgotten cars of the last 35 years

didn't know of it either, but can see why forgotten, where are the RO80's great looks?

you can definitely see the influence the RO80 made on Audi.

As for why it failed, I seem to recall the engine wasn't up to the job. Owners drove past each other holding up fingers (no, read on...... ) with the number of fingers denoting how many engines they had gone through!
 

Re: Forgotten cars of the last 35 years

livc4411

Correction, the M35 was "leased out" to regular clients that were known to tally up a high mileage each year. Several were sent to customers here in Holland for example... All on the agreement that after a year or two the factory would buy them back to analyse the wear and tare on the vehicles...  It's a pitty that the subsequent GSA Bi-Rotor never really caught on, cause the engine was genuinely innovative, even after the ongoing experiments in the previous decade(S)

As for the Ro80 looks being visible in the Audi80... not surprising really, NSU was part of AutoUnion, later of VAG, and hence closely related to Audi... chances are the 80 was originally intended to be the Ro80 successor (even the name is a clear link Ro80, drop the rotary engine and you're left with, indeed, just 80)

Interesting to see the cars listed here, either we are all really special petrolheads with an incling for the rare or unloved classics, or these cars aren't all that forgotten....

I am missing my personal favourites in this row though, things like the Matra-Simca Rancho (favoured car of Clown and Acrobat Bassie en Adriaan, who made a few television series for kids down here together with ther robot alarmclock-radio) for example, or the Bagheera from the same manufacturer. Anyone remember the Venturi's the Atlantique and such.... Or something like the Alfa Romeo 6 2.5? And then of course there is the often raped Pontiac Fiero (why on earth try and turn it into a Ferrari?) Which is actually nicer than I care to admit... and here in Amsterdam, there's still a few driving around....

Re: Forgotten cars of the last 35 years

here's another; the Lancia Thema 8.32, with the Ferrari engine, from the Mondial?

A proper Q-car if one ever existed.