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Oddball Convertible Weekend: The Nissan Micra/March Cabriolet
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This weekend will centre around the kind of convertible cars, which can make you think “I didn’t know they made these. Why did they make these?” The first one to go is the K11 body Nissan Micra Cabriolet, also known as the March in its home market. The first generation Micra had only the Canvas…
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Fastback Friday: 1987 Volvo 480 ES
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Let me just begin by shooting myself in the foot, and asking whether the squared-off Volvo 480 ES is a fastback. Is it a hatchback? Glassback? Shooting brake? Doorstop? An anteater? In any case, it’s one of the quirkiest Volvos ever, and it’s their pioneering front-wheel-drive outing. I’ve always been fascinated by them, so it…
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Night Owl: Citroën BX 16 TGI Break
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Ever tried to photograph a car at two in the morning – Sunday morning? Last weekend, I did just that, while being out with friends. You see, this place I like to frequent has a nice view to the street behind it, and the white Citroën BX wagon just peeked out in there. I immediately…
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Wagon Wednesday: BMW E30 325i Touring on video
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I’m sure you read the recent reader submissions depicting a Slovenian BMW E30 touring on twisty Balkan coastal roads. Now, you can see and hear the white wagon in action, with FinalGear’s video crew having created two short films about that particular, recently restored car. The straight six sounds particularly good under a dedicated owner‘s care.
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Diesel Hatchback Weekend Edition: Volkswagen Auto 2000
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Continuing with diesel hatches and Volkswagens, it must be noted that VW did see the future quite clearly in the early 1980s. They envisioned a diesel hatchback of the turn of the millennium, and sort of designed the late-’80s Passat while they were at it. The 1981 Volkswagen Auto 2000 concept was an interesting-looking three-door…
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Diesel Hatchback Weekend Edition: Volkswagen Öko-Polo
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Back in the ’80s and ’90s, you could have the tried-and-tested Volkswagen Polo with a 1.3-litre diesel engine. That one produced 45 horsepower, and managed a commendable 3,8 l/100km fuel consumption. But as an engineering feat, Volkswagen, together with IAV, designed a two-cylinder supercharged version. The “Öko-Polo” (German for eco) was manufactured in a small…
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Diesel Hatchback Weekend Edition: Talbot Horizon GLD
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The streets today are full of diesel-powered hatchbacks, at least around these parts. But all that torque and economy cannot really be taken for granted, without taking a look at the earlier equivalents from 30-odd years ago. What was it like to pootle around in a clattering hatch in the early ’80s? Funny thing is,…
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Truck Thursday: 1995 Jeep Cherokee 2.5
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Every now and then, driving past used car lots, you do an absolutely classic double take. Then you make sure there’s no-one right behind you, hit the brakes and head over to inspect closer whatever it is you just glimpsed. In my case, it was a red Jeep Cherokee XJ and I did the complete…
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Wagon Wednesday: 2001 Mercedes-Benz W210 ex-Ambulance
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You often see somewhat run-down Mercedes-Benz W210s in Finland. Due to some quality control issues with the bodywork, coupled with the hard use the W210s saw in their years, as taxis and repmobiles, it’s not uncommon to see significant amounts of rust on the sheetmetal of these turn-of-the-millennium Benzes. While this 2001 E220 CDI example…
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Two-Wheel Tuesday: Building a Suzuki cafe racer with Spede and Urkki
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In case you do not know who Spede and Urkki are, you are probably not a Finn. The former was a comedy jack-of-all-trades, movie director and businessman, who made a large impact in the Finnish entertainment business from the early 1960s onwards. The latter was also known as UKK, and we’re talking about a man…
