Bad executive cars of the past

[CrystalBall]

Re: Bad executive cars of the past

The Chrysler 180 was quite a handsome car but never had the kudos to be a sales success. It was designed by Rootes (you can tell from the design that it is basically an upscaled Avenger) but built in Spain, where it was a popular car. Far better looking than the disastrous Tagora which was only sold for about two years before being pulled from the market. Described in the motoring press at the time as 'Everything a big car should not be - apart from big possibly'. Having said that, it was developed on a shoestring budget and had to make use of the existing PSA parts bin. I seem to remember that the huge gaps in the rear wheel arches resulted from having to use an existing Peugeot axle that was too narrow for the car! The Fiat Argenta was another lemon. In reality it was of course just a penny-pinching update of the old (but again more attractive) 132, which had been on sale for a decade and was well past its sell by date. And 1982 was not a good time to be launching a car called the Argenta in Britain! Why not go to town and call it the Malvinas?

[Richard1978]

Re: Bad executive cars of the past

Some of the earlier big Japanese cars didn't sell well in the UK, probably better suited to the American 2nd car market.

Examples:

Datsun Cedric

Toyota Crown

Colt (Mitsubishi) Sigma (Also imported as the Australian built Lonsdale)

Mazda 929

[Zincubus]

Re: Bad executive cars of the past

Some of the earlier big Japanese cars didn't sell well in the UK, probably better suited to the American 2nd car market.

Examples:

Datsun Cedric

Toyota Crown

Colt (Mitsubishi) Sigma (Also imported as the Australian built Lonsdale)

Mazda 929

My cousin had a stunning Totota Supra 3litre back in the day ..

It was the ex company car of one of the Toyoto executives and had every conceivable extra fitted .. I just loved the flick up / down headlights


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[Richard1978]

Re: Bad executive cars of the past

I remember reading that in the 1990s the Toyota Camry was a good car to own, but a bit too big to be a family car, & not the right image for an executive model.

[CrystalBall]

Re: Bad executive cars of the past

The Japanese were best at small cars in the early years, e.g. Datsun Cherry, Toyota Starlet, Honda Civic, Mazda 323 etc. They made an impact in this sector and then turned their attention to larger, more expensive cars. Hard to imagine now, but Japanese cars were often regarded with suspicion/contempt until the early 1980s. Remember the phrase 'Jap c**p'? It is also worth noting that German luxury cars were much less evident up until about 1980. An executive car meant a big Ford, Vauxhall or BL model to most people, with owning what is perceived as a premium brand being far less important. Would a modern equivalent of the Ford Granada/Scorpio find a ready market today? I doubt it.

[staffslad]

Re: Bad executive cars of the past

I agree with CrystalBall on prestige brands being not quite so important in earlier decades. Before marques like Mercedes and Jaguar expanded their ranges into lower price brackets, most people simply couldn't afford to buy and run such a car, so up-market versions of popular cars were seen as a more affordable alternative. My dad owned a 1968 Ford Corsair 2000E, the "executive" version of the standard Corsair.

[CrystalBall]

Re: Bad executive cars of the past

I agree with CrystalBall on prestige brands being not quite so important in earlier decades. Before marques like Mercedes and Jaguar expanded their ranges into lower price brackets, most people simply couldn't afford to buy and run such a car, so up-market versions of popular cars were seen as a more affordable alternative. My dad owned a 1968 Ford Corsair 2000E, the "executive" version of the standard Corsair.

Don't forget Volvo and Saab as well, which were 'almost premium' in that they were more upmarket than Ford/Vauxhall/BL but still regarded as family cars. Remember how many Volvo 200s and Saab 99s there were in the late 1970s/early 1980s, before the Germans took over? Volvo seem to be back on track after a few years in the doldrums, but sadly (although unsurprisingly) Saab did not survive.

[Richard1978]

Re: Bad executive cars of the past

The Volvo 264 was quite classy, & replaced in the 1980s by the 760.

[Cartimand]

Re: Bad executive cars of the past

My dad had a Humber Sceptre and I remember having a few driving lessons in it. It was a bit boring bit OK I suppose. I remember trying to persuade him to get a Ford Capri instead.

[Richard1978]

Re: Bad executive cars of the past

On another site there was a discussion on the Mk4 Ford Zehpyr / Zodiac / Executive made from 1966 to 72.

In spite of being an almost fresh design it missed the mark by quite a way, not helped by having a small boot & a bonnet like the flight deck of an aircraft carrier.

[escorteclipse1990]

Re: Bad executive cars of the past

Any executive car made by the French, Renault20/30/25, Peugoet 604/605/505, and Citreon CX, and Italian big Fiats all lost value faster then sand though fingers.

[Richard1978]

Re: Bad executive cars of the past

The Talbot Tagora was another mostly French executive car that didn't inspire much.

Some of the bigger Japanese cars didn't sell well in the UK during the 1970s, possibly as they were designed for the American 2nd car market. My Dad remembers they had a niche with people who wanted a big cheapish car, often large families as the bigger estates had 3 rows of seats.