Recent-ish cars that were once ubiquitous but which you don't see anymore

blackbox

Renault Megane

rizzodun

P11 Nissan Primera

Loads around when they came out, haven't seen one in ages, always liked them since their days in British Touring Cars

You'll still see a few N15 Almeras of the same vintage on the roads though.

James Bond Junior

Agricola wrote: »

You'd rarely see an E36 on the road now. Uninsurable as daily drivers due to age and they aren't yet old / sought after enough to see them at classic shows.

There are quite a few tucked away in sheds and garages up and down the country. Prices are climbing slowly but surely too. I have one but it due to tax it is SORN most of the year.

downburst

Great question this. Mark 2 Mondeos, B 5 series Passats, so many back in the day up and down motorway. The Vectras too, but in general Less Opels, Fords, no Rovers anymore, the Koreans here, a good thing too. Has the Tucson replaced the Avensis for the middle of the road Avensis man? Have to mention FIAT of course, late 1990’s they sold a lot of Puntos and cinquecento thingy on a final ballon payment deal, common back then and looked good compared to fiestas and Cora’s, now non existent in comparison

Tzardine

Arthur Daley wrote: »

Alfa 156 were a big success. Alfa 147 did well too. Alfa had a great decade from 1997 to 2007 with the gtv also. But at this stage there are not that many of them about.

Plenty of them with snapped timing belts in breakers yards :pac:

colm_mcm

For Forks Sake wrote: »

Would you have paid €15k for one in 2005?

Not when they were going for around €7/8k. That place beside Fairyhoise pretty much had a monopoly on the market in Ireland.

elperello

Nixonbot wrote: »

Mk1 Mondeos. Must have rusted to nothing, because they used to be everywhere! Compared to a fair few Corollas, Primeras, 406s and Carinas from the time, there's very few Mondeos left.

Anyone getting the longing?
By coincidence there is one on DD tonight €250.
https://www.donedeal.ie/vintagecars-for-sale/mondeo-mk-1/20392294

SCOOP 64

seanmaol wrote: »

Opel Astra, Opel anything to be precise!

Still see plenty Astra G on the road.

JoeA3

In fairness the MK1 Mondeo is 20+ years old now. I’d expect them to be rare! I remember it and the MK2 had chronically brittle bumpers. They seemed to be made of eggshells. A mondeo with gaffer taped bumpers and foam hanging out was a common sight.

Loads of stuff already mentioned in this thread from the early ‘00’s has almost vanished now. Insurance is probably a big reason, but cars are just a lot more disposable nowadays. Cheap and easy finance, gimmicky scrappage deals, etc.

The Koreans have completely hoovered up the customers who used to buy Opels, Fiats...

Wibbs

For Forks Sake wrote: »

During the height of the Celtic tiger years, you couldn't turn around in south Dublin without seeing one of these abominations (they were going for mad money for what is essentially a 15+ year old Micra with an arse welded onto it). Thankfully a decade of recession seems to have put paid to such idiocy.

I kinda like them... :o:o *runs*

Another type that has all but disappeared are the Jap imports of the late nineties to mid(even late) noughties. From the above 15+ year old Micra with a welded on arse through to the various fancier and more sporty models. I remember standing outside a Dublin city centre pub having a ciggie with a bunch of visiting Italians in 2006 and their eyes were out on stalks with the fairly regular parade of JDM iron driving by. Evo's, Mitzi's, Type R's, Levins and the like. They told me that they were vanishingly rare on Italian roads(for obvious reasons, like them insisting on having the steering wheel in front of the passenger).

Insurance really buggered that scene. And lads and lasses growing up. And tech changing. And the drift(actually... ) into getting into German RWD iron, that was both quick and comfortable and more socially acceptable with it. The manufacturers coming out of the 2008 crash with a large case of overstock and really pimping the finance/PCP deals also killed the general driving to the shops Japanese import market.

I'm still rocking the 90's JDM thang as a daily driver, but that was pretty much by mistake. Though it has been daftly cheap to maintain and run and reliable as granite(90's Jap car so...). Insurance being the only downside and the grubby highwaymen in cheap suits keep upping it.

M7roadrunner

Probably before the time frame your referring to,
But does anyone remember the Isuzu Gemini on our roads?
For a few years in the early nineties they were everywhere, every farmers wife had one, and the rattle from the Diesel engine was instantly recognisable (a bit like the transit).
Then, all of a sudden, there was none, it’s as if they all melted into the ground.

Wibbs

M7roadrunner wrote: »

it’s as if they all melted into the ground.

I seem to recall they did. They succumbed to corrosion similar to the way a sugar cube in a hot shower would melt. The Japanese Lancia. Actually rust protection on Japanese cars was poor in general and quite late in coming. Like post 2000 late in coming.

Eric Cartman

the 200u7 Hyundai Santa Fe , every middle class estate had hundreds of them for the school run , replaced by smaller crossovers.

The mk1 insignia - hyped as irelands next avensis killer, then the problems started and many have disappeared into oblivion

The Avensis T250, now this one will be controversial but hear me out. in about 2005 they were the main staple family car all over Ireland, wherever you went there was sure to be one on a driveway or supermarket carpark. Now rurally they are still very present, but Dublin people - whens the last time you saw one without a taxi sticker on it ? for private owners they seemed to just melt away.

James Bond Junior

Wibbs wrote: »

I seem to recall they did. They succumbed to corrosion similar to the way a sugar cube in a hot shower would melt. The Japanese Lancia. Actually rust protection on Japanese cars was poor in general and quite late in coming. Like post 2000 late in coming.

My first car back in 07 was a 97 Almera and it was literally rusting from the inside out. The sills were like crepe paper. Hard to imagine 10 year old cars today even rusting in the same way.

Duke O Smiley

M7roadrunner wrote: »

Probably before the time frame your referring to,
But does anyone remember the Isuzu Gemini on our roads?
For a few years in the early nineties they were everywhere, every farmers wife had one, and the rattle from the Diesel engine was instantly recognisable (a bit like the transit).
Then, all of a sudden, there was none, it’s as if they all melted into the ground.

Yes!! We were the only country in Europe to get them. Pino Harris imported and sold them first in Dublin, then he started distributing them to his agents around the country in Cork, Athlone etc so they were common wherever there was a Hino Harris franchise. There was also the Isuzu Aska at the same time. They were basically an Opel Ascona. For a time when you bought a Hino truck you got an Aska free too.

There is still a blue 89 Gemini hatchback in use in north Dublin. I posted a picture of it on. the Oldest Car thread ages ago but I will have to go and find it.

tuxy

Wibbs wrote: »

I kinda like them... :o:o *runs*

Another type that has all but disappeared are the Jap imports of the late nineties to mid(even late) noughties. From the above 15+ year old Micra with a welded on arse through to the various fancier and more sporty models. I remember standing outside a Dublin city centre pub having a ciggie with a bunch of visiting Italians in 2006 and their eyes were out on stalks with the fairly regular parade of JDM iron driving by. Evo's, Mitzi's, Type R's, Levins and the like. They told me that they were vanishingly rare on Italian roads(for obvious reasons, like them insisting on having the steering wheel in front of the passenger).
.

The Corolla AE111 was by far the most popular out of the lot and many days around my town it seemed like it was the most common car for people to have. Do you think they were scrapped as soon as the super-strut suspension when or were they exported? Their engines were fairly desirable and could be modified to fit in a variety of different cars.

Wibbs

I'd reckon the vast majority were scrapped and ended up as manhole covers.

CorkMan_

It is amazing how quick not that old of a car becomes scarce in Ireland and the UK. But definitely Ireland. I spent a couple of weeks in rural France in August and it is absolutely amazing the amount of 205s, Renault 5s, Mk 1 Meganes, Lagunas, Saxos, Xantias, 405s etc still on the road there.

I have a 1997 Mk 1 Laguna since 2004 and I know no one else that has one (cause they are probably more sane than I am!!)

EPAndlee

I haven't seen a Nissan Sunny in years

elperello

CorkMan_ wrote: »

It is amazing how quick not that old of a car becomes scarce in Ireland and the UK. But definitely Ireland. I spent a couple of weeks in rural France in August and it is absolutely amazing the amount of 205s, Renault 5s, Mk 1 Meganes, Lagunas, Saxos, Xantias, 405s etc still on the road there.

I have a 1997 Mk 1 Laguna since 2004 and I know no one else that has one (cause they are probably more sane than I am!!)

And lot's of little local garages keeping them going.
Interesting that the insurance companies are not putting them off the road like here.
Ireland with no car building industry has no interest in helping people to keep older cars on the road.

Spook_ie

In all likelihood it's just the tax regime for pre 2008 cars and insurance companies reluctance to insure older cars that's getting the majority of them off the road, who but an enthusiast would pay some of the crazy costs involved?

Focus c max & whatever the big fiesta was called.

elperello

Spook_ie wrote: »

In all likelihood it's just the tax regime for pre 2008 cars and insurance companies reluctance to insure older cars that's getting the majority of them off the road, who but an enthusiast would pay some of the crazy costs involved?

Yes it's a pity to see some very serviceable cars being scrapped.

JoeA3

EPAndlee wrote: »

I haven't seen a Nissan Sunny in years

A Nissan Sunny hardly falls into the "recent" category. Replaced by the Almera circa 1994 or '95?!

I think this thread is more about cars that were all over the place in the early to mid 2000's and I don't think the Sunny was a plentiful sight even back then.

JoeA3

CorkMan_ wrote: »

It is amazing how quick not that old of a car becomes scarce in Ireland and the UK. But definitely Ireland. I spent a couple of weeks in rural France in August and it is absolutely amazing the amount of 205s, Renault 5s, Mk 1 Meganes, Lagunas, Saxos, Xantias, 405s etc still on the road there.

Definitely yes... you'll see this in lot of countries, even in the USA... very old cars still in daily driver use. We are much more of a throw-away society here.

I wonder is climate a factor too? I suspect old Pug's and Renaults will fare much better in the south of France than in our soggy climate. And of course I'm sure there's loads of back street mechanics in France who are well used to working on French cars and keeping them going.

CrankyHaus

JoeA3 wrote: »

Definitely yes... you'll see this in lot of countries, even in the USA... very old cars still in daily driver use. We are much more of a throw-away society here.

I wonder is climate a factor too? I suspect old Pug's and Renaults will fare much better in the south of France than in our soggy climate.

Certainly in the US the dry and warm south west is the home of the cheap and cheerful prehistoric daily driver.

bri007

MG ZR I think they were called, old rover with body kit on it, seen many always wanted one when I was in college in 2003 and my friend bought one second hand and spent more time in the garage than he got to drive it..... nice looking car and quick for a 1.4

ofcork

Mech1 wrote: »

Mercedes ML range, thank god they are gone, broke my heart.

Mk 1 models I assume didn't have a great reputation built by the yanks.

Muckie

The Ford Escort, rare to see a 00 one, specially the estate version, which i kinda liked!

bri007

I loved the the Ford escorts, they still look great today. I seen one a few months back, looked in great nick, can’t remembed the year of it but definitely early 00’s

Muckie wrote: »

The Ford Escort, rare to see a 00 one, specially the estate version, which i kinda liked!