If this was a communist country ...

peasant

Imagine for a minute Ireland would turn into an Atlantic North Korea (or German Democratic Republik) tomorrow. Communist austerity and insularity and all that ....
To keep the country going, car dependent society as it is, the new communist Ireland would need its own car industry. Because of the planned economy there would of course only be ONE car maker, offering ONE car in different guises. Let's say as a saloon for general purposes and as an estate for larger families and tradespeople/public services (mustn't forget the postman).
As building a new car and the according facilities from scratch is too expensive, the new Ireland would have to buy a run out car design including all the tools and the complete factory ...more or less like the Russians did with the Fiat 124/ Lada.

So what would the planners try to get to keep everybody sort of satisfied ?

Remeber ...it has to be discontinued and cheap and simple ...so no Cayennes for everone in the audience:D It would also have to be simple to maintain and repair ...as of course all the major component suppliers would have communist Ireland on their embargo list ...so no fancy electronics or HDI's /JTD's etc


Me ...I'd say it would probably be the last incarnation of the Ford Escort ... with the old 1.3 pushrod engine only (for our sins:D ) ..to be built in the peoples republic of Cork ...just for old times' sake ...

What would you inflict on us all ?

mike65

Nah it would have to be a derv powered Pug 405!

Mike.

unkel

R4 ftw

peasant

unkel wrote:

R4 ftw

Oh how could I forget ... replacement exhaust every year ...only cost something like 35 euro. Put a dent in it? New body panel is yours for 50 euro ..all you need is a screwdriver and a bucket of paint, job done ...
How I loved that car !

Max_Damage

We'd probably all be driving 2-stroke Trabants 601's and the like. Proper order!

G Luxel

mike65 wrote:

Nah it would have to be a derv powered Pug 405!

Mike.

this car is still made in Iran in two versions, the 405 and one called the Pars.
Its also built in china.
As for North Korea, it never had a car industry, did built a lorry and a jeep but that was an old russian design. There are very few cars in the country now, mostly old 70s/80s cars like lada's/volgas from the old soviet era. Kim jung il spent all of last years budget on a fleet of 30 S Class mercedes for his family..
What kind of car could be built here, probably the present Corolla or maybe a slightly updated version of the Ford Anglia/Popular.

unkel

Oops took some effort to switch back from Windows Vista Ultimate down to good old windows XP. I guess talking about old cars is a bit trivial at this stage

imeddyhobbs

I assume you think you will drive cars that will run on fossil fuels
in the future?:DYou should be more concerned
with democracy than communism

cargrouch

Like a really wet, grey version of cuba (except they get yank classics)?

peasant wrote:

What would you inflict on us all ?

Early to mid 90's Corolla or Nissan Sunny.
Which wouldn't change anything for thousands of Irish drivers, myself included!
We could convert em to run off gas/moonshine.

Seth Brundle

Massey Ferguson 135 along with transport box!

colm_mcm

kbannon wrote:

Massey Ferguson 135 along with transport box!

you may as well throw in a high visability cab and a silage grab for frontal impacts.

maidhc

colm_mcm wrote:

you may as well throw in a high visability cab and a silage grab for frontal impacts.

Being a pre 1979 tractor (the year H&S legislation required quiet cabs) the 135 never really had much in the way of operator comfort.

The front axle simply wouldn't be able to handle a silage grab!

colm_mcm

the sileage grab would more for aesthetics than anything else.

peasant

colm_mcm wrote:

the sileage grab would more for aesthetics than anything else.

Just as long as the three spikes are a minimum of 2 meters

mikedragon32

Datsun Cherry, anyone?

colm_mcm

mikedragon32 wrote:

Datsun Cherry, anyone?

Er.... no, you're grand - thanks!

bazz26

Public transport!

_Kaiser_

bazz26 wrote:

Public transport!

Ahh now.. we were just messin around, but you had to go too far!!