Retro mass production cars you’d like to see redesigned as an EV

Oscar_Madison · 20-10-2024 8:41am #1

A purely fun chat thread but rumours of retro remakes as EVs especially welcome also.

I got the idea for this thread when discussing the new Renault 5 and 4 in another thread. The 5 is certainly a great looking reinvention , but the 4, from limited pics online so far, much less so.

Obviously, we’ve seen the massive success of the Fiat 500 as an ICE and now as an EV.

What other mass production cars from the distant past would you like to see go into production as a modern EV?

For me, Citroen 2CV has to be considered - not entirely sure why they didn’t reboot it as an ICE, especially given the success of the much less practical Fiat 500.

Firblog · 20-10-2024 9:14am

Citroen DS from the 60s/70s 1974 Citroën DS 20 Pallas - CLASSIC.COM

Though KIA seemed to make an attempt with the EV6 :)

Buddy Bubs · 20-10-2024 9:21am

Bmw E39 5 series and E46 3 series. Although BMW are going very futuristic with their neu klasse in the near future.

Problem though with bringing back retro cars is they would have to be altered as EVs to have batteries under the floor and would be higher and aerodynamic changes needed too.

Oscar_Madison · 20-10-2024 9:25am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122739604#Comment_122739604

I was thinking of the original 2 series actually as I think it’s a cracking design - but such cars and especially saloons seem to be dead from a demand perspective now.

Hellrazer · 20-10-2024 9:29am

Citoren 2CV -Could even market it as the Citroen 2EV.

Buddy Bubs · 20-10-2024 9:35am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122739613#Comment_122739613

Yeah they do unfortunately, I loved them for years. From my early 20s I was buying well used 3 series E46 and quickly moved to 5 series E39 of which I had and stuck with 5 series all the way through from 2006 e60, 2013 F10, 2018 g30 I had one of each as well as a C7 Audi A6, every one of them sportline and msport.

New 5 series saloon is not a looker, A6 I think will be but it's a hatchback.

I do have to admit though that I've no interest in owning a saloon boot opening again though so I can see why they have gone out of fashion.

Oscar_Madison · 20-10-2024 9:39am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122739582#Comment_122739582

Yeah I think that Kia has major throwbacks to classic 50s and 60s design - not sure I’m totally convinced about it I have to say but it’s good that it stands out in not a bad way from a lot of the sameness

freddieot · 20-10-2024 9:57am

Saab 900 Turbo ...

New Home · 20-10-2024 10:01am

The original Fiat 500.

Buddy Bubs · 20-10-2024 10:01am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122739666#Comment_122739666

Yeah it's what I like about the EV6, it looks like nothing else on the road,although very sensible and practical is still quite a quirky design, like the crazy engineers from Citroen used to throw out quite often. Id be interested in an EV6 if in the market for an EV today.

Car design is quite generic today because of regulations there's a sea of SUVs out there that you'd struggle to identify from the side at all and difficult from the front if they took the badge off and I include my own etron in that, it wouldn't look out of place with a VW or a Merc badge on the front. BMW have their own design language at least but I don't like it.

I've gotten more positive comments about my cupra styling than my etron, although the etron gets them when people sit it more than the Cupra.

Although hating them at the start, I find myself looking at EQE and EQS Mercedes a bit now and I think it's because they are very different, not good looking, I wouldn't go that far, but different. Wouldn't buy an EQE though because it's saloon but when EQS prices come tumbling down I might.

Oscar_Madison · 20-10-2024 10:09am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122739752#Comment_122739752

In some respects Mercedes styling nearly HAS to be radically different if they’re to maintain their status as a luxury brand .
There was a former Dragon from Dragons den in the Uk - I think it was Theo (can’t spell his second name 😀) who reviewed the EQS- he wasn’t impressed - felt the luxury interior just wasn’t up to standard -might hasten the depreciation for you 😀

Must say out of all the secondhand EVs in my price range (mid 20s) that I’d consider buying when my ICE finally dies, I do like Cupra as a brand and I think their cars really do look well on the road .

Rosahane · 20-10-2024 10:14am

Renault 14 has to be the most appropriate!

Launched to great acclaim by motoring journalists it turned out to be a lemon 😏

Buddy Bubs · 20-10-2024 10:22am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122739789#Comment_122739789

Theo Paphitas (spelling might be wrong) yeah I saw that review. I see prices dropping so fast these days it doesn't take things long to come into different budgets once you're willing to buy used - it seems like only yesterday I watched the original etron bring launched as a luxury 400bhp EV and next year they will be widely available as a mid 20k car.

3 year old cupra born will be only a smidge over 20k next year.

One other car I'd like to see come back as an EV from my childhood in the 80s would be Peugeot 205 which I would have liked far more than Renault 5. Although the 208 isn't radically different, just modernised.

Oscar_Madison · 20-10-2024 10:22am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122739814#Comment_122739814

not sure it would have fond memories 😀

But the Renault 16 was beautiful - I’d certainly love to see that design rebooted

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_16

CramCycle · 20-10-2024 12:36pm

Ford Capri or a Saab 93 executive. Purely sentimental though.

Flinty997 · 20-10-2024 12:49pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122739631#Comment_122739631

Ummm

https://youtu.be/2enBRbJaT4c?si=h8PwVCnGAawDl3Ed

freddieot · 20-10-2024 1:25pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122740396#Comment_122740396

I think your Capri wish has already been fulfilled...

AMKC · 20-10-2024 1:31pm

Mk 1 Megane. The class leader when it came out. Maybe in 20 years they will revive it.

CramCycle · 20-10-2024 1:49pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122740595#Comment_122740595

Nope, that's just a ford called a Capri, I want a MK1, similar look /style

Inviere · 20-10-2024 1:51pm

Ford Sierra Cosworth....absolute yum.

freddieot · 20-10-2024 2:01pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122740682#Comment_122740682

True for you. What's in a name. I'd like to see one of those myself..

teediddlyeye · 20-10-2024 2:12pm

I love a modern 60s-70s US style "personal luxury car". Absolutely massive 2 door coupe focused on driver comfort. No more worries about fuel consumption!

Soarer · 20-10-2024 2:35pm

Peugeot 205GTi

Clio Williams

Oscar_Madison · 20-10-2024 2:40pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122740797#Comment_122740797

Or a late 50s to 60s/early 70s Cadillac Fleetwood

AMKC · 20-10-2024 2:49pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122739845#Comment_122739845

I am going to go back one further and say the Renault Frégate. Way before my time but beautiful,

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renault_Fr%C3%A9gate

Oscar_Madison · 20-10-2024 3:12pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122740952#Comment_122740952

ah sorry yes lovely

yagan · 20-10-2024 3:20pm

I see the crowd who bought the Saab brand are developing a new EV with a new body shape but I'd just love the old 900 hatchback model as an EV.

Oscar_Madison · 20-10-2024 3:45pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122741111#Comment_122741111

I love Saabs - I had a “hot” turbo - I think it was 205 hp? It broke my heart with servicing costs as a number of things went wrong but I loved every minute of driving it - especially on the continent back when speed limits were a mere guide 🤪

AMKC · 20-10-2024 4:07pm

Renault Avantime I think would make a great EV but will probably never happen not for another decade or two now anyway :( .

freddieot · 20-10-2024 4:13pm

Datsun 120 Af2 coupe...

Kiteview · 20-10-2024 4:38pm

The Trabi (Trabant) - a Paper Mâché car with a high acceleration EV engine. What could possibly go wrong? :-)

Exiled Rebel · 20-10-2024 5:04pm

The original VW Scirocco

freddieot · 20-10-2024 6:12pm

Opel Mantra.

Varik · 20-10-2024 6:16pm

The sad thing is a lot of retro cars couldn't be done as an EV with modern internals (or done as an ICE either). Aerodynamics, bonnet angle & height, and shape for crash performance.

Look at Delorean, all the reasons in the world to make their new ev look like the original but it's just a pair of gullwing doors and some louvers on a car that could have been made by any company.

ablelocks · 20-10-2024 7:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122742085#Comment_122742085

came in to post this too - the first car i ever drove on a road, I was about 10 or 11 maybe. My aunts husband had one - in gold. Pure class it was.

but definitely any of the cars the astronauts in the 50's and 60's had - they featured in the first season of For All Mankind on Apple TV

Chevrolet Stingray particularly

Apollo Astronauts and Their Iconic Cars - Apollo11Space

Most astronauts took up a special deal with Chevrolet, but some went their own way….

Bullitt Mustang…

the_amazing_raisin · 20-10-2024 10:07pm

The original VW Type 2 van

Yes I know about the Buzz, and love it, but the T2 just has such an air of nostalgia around it

There was even an electric version made some time ago

Of course it wouldn't be possible to make it look like the original. The split windows and lack of any crumple zones could never be made safe

If you try to remake it you'll basically just end up with the ID.Buzz again

On that note, an electric Beetle would be cool. It's been talked about on and off for years but VW seemed to axe it officially a while ago

WolfSpinach · 20-10-2024 11:15pm

Lancia Stratos. It was mental then, make it mental now in a new way.

A proper Mini, not the bloated thing we got.

Volvo station wagon, of some description.

CramCycle · 21-10-2024 5:51am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122741111#Comment_122741111

I had the 93SE, beautiful inside, most fuel efficient car I ever owned and was just an absolute dream to drive. Only thing modern missing was cruise control.