The year is 1991.....

Doodah7 · 08-07-2019 11:30am

Another vote for the Proton!! I learned to drive in it!!

TheBoyConor · 08-07-2019 11:43am

How on earth were they allowed to sell those Reliant 3 wheelers. Were they not fantastically unstable and dangerous? How many people died in them I wonder?

Imagine having to swerve to avoid something...all of a sudden you'd be upsidedown.

zilog_jones · 08-07-2019 12:32pm

road_high wrote: »

Think they were loosely rebadged Corolla. Used be a few about

The previous Charmant was Corolla-based, but the Applause was a completely original design with their own engines and unusual notchback that looked like a normal saloon - a product of the height of the bubble economy in Japan.

Later it was replaced by a rebadged Camry, the Daihatsu Altis (probably not exported).

TheBoyConor wrote: »

How on earth were they allowed to sell those Reliant 3 wheelers. Were they not fantastically unstable and dangerous? How many people died in them I wonder?

Only if you're in Top Gear fantasy land. Those cars were deliberately modified to fall over.

TheBoyConor · 08-07-2019 12:44pm

Oh I see. Still, they were a dreadful thing nomatter what way you look at it. I really wonder what made people buy them over a normal car with 4 wheels. Would one more wheel really cost that much extra?

Nekarsulm · 08-07-2019 1:03pm

TheBoyConor wrote: »

Oh I see. Still, they were a dreadful thing nomatter what way you look at it. I really wonder what made people buy them over a normal car with 4 wheels. Would one more wheel really cost that much extra?

Nearly impossible to dodge a pot-hole with them .....
BUT 25% less tyre and brake parts cost.
I got the impression they sold mainly to sedate pensioners who drove slowly and carefully.

And what about motorbikes?
When you come to a stop, they fall over every time!

wonski · 08-07-2019 1:12pm

mondeo wrote: »

I thought the Fiat Tipo was quite a nice car in 1991'.

My dad's first car, bought second hand in Germany. Electric windows, sunroof and other fancy stuff. Definitely not cheap car.

It also broke down very often. Way too often from what I remember...

zilog_jones · 08-07-2019 1:52pm

TheBoyConor wrote: »

Oh I see. Still, they were a dreadful thing nomatter what way you look at it. I really wonder what made people buy them over a normal car with 4 wheels. Would one more wheel really cost that much extra?

A full motorcycle licence in the UK would allow you to drive B1 class trikes and light quadricycles (up to 550kg) - Reliant with their expertise in making lightweight fibreglass bodies were some of the more competent vehicles in this class (some even had four wheels!). There seemed to be a significant niche of motorists in the UK who didn't want to or couldn't get a full B licence for whatever reason, until the licensing was changed in 2001 (which led to the end of Reliant car production).

Yakuza · 08-07-2019 6:36pm

alentejo wrote: »

I had a crush on a Mazda 323f back in 1991. I remember I wanted a car with new Euro plates.

Same, my (then) boss let me borrow hers for a day to wow the girlfriend. It was a 1.8 rocket (standard was 1.6 back in the day). I had a 1.4 Clio then, which was no slouch (tiny body, so went like the clappers with just me in it).

I also had a thing for the JDM Honda CRX, but my insurance company laughed at me.

rabbidpeach · 09-07-2019 9:13am

ba_barabus wrote: »

Seat - Fiat cast offs but the Ibiza "by Porsche" and new Toledo weren't all that bad.

The Ibiza "special edition" seemed to be more common here. 903cc Fiat engine rather than the Porsche.

Tails142 · 09-07-2019 9:23am

My first car was a 91 Rover Metro 1.4 litre. Front suspension was a hydrogas setup instead of an anti roll bar, would drop down overtime and became very expensive to have topped up. Made the car look lowered but the exhaust would scrape on bumps. Went up the featherbeds for a drive near the end of my ownership and didnt think i'd make it back due to the camber in the road. Had a fake vent on the bonnet too. Other memorable aspect was 'headrests' that were rock hard plastic.

09-07-2019 10:14am

Tails142 wrote: »

My first car was a 91 Rover Metro 1.4 litre. Front suspension was a hydrogas setup instead of an anti roll bar.................

It was instead of the coil springs

It was also front and rear. The front and rear units were linked on each side.

Sharp MZ700 · 12-07-2019 7:25pm

Yakuza wrote: »

Same, my (then) boss let me borrow hers for a day to wow the girlfriend. It was a 1.8 rocket (standard was 1.6 back in the day). I had a 1.4 Clio then, which was no slouch (tiny body, so went like the clappers with just me in it).

I also had a thing for the JDM Honda CRX, but my insurance company laughed at me.

Pedant but they were a 1.5. My now missus had one, I had a 1.9 80 couldn't wait to drive her car. God knows how fast the 1.8 were

filbert the fox · 13-07-2019 7:49am

Morris Ital

watch out for the dangerous manoeuvres !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkoEQeJu7x8

Scrap that (the car as well) - sorry wrong decade but hey who could miss that dodgy ad!

Yakuza · 15-07-2019 3:35pm

Sharp MZ700 wrote: »

Pedant but they were a 1.5. My now missus had one, I had a 1.9 80 couldn't wait to drive her car. God knows how fast the 1.8 were

*cough*

ba_barabus · 15-07-2019 6:40pm

Yakuza wrote: »

*cough*

Iirc the 1.5 was a Japanese import.

Sharp MZ700 · 15-07-2019 6:46pm

I must be wrong so Yakuza, I was 100% until you posted that. Wouldn't have said it was an import, she bought it second-hand,but not so sure now.

Interceptor · 15-07-2019 10:11pm

In 1991 I was in college but working weekends in a bar and the cheapest decent car I could find was a 1980 Renault 4 with 80k miles on it. 850cc's of throbbing power and the impact resistance of a wet chip bag. My first insurance quote at the time was £2,600 and the car cost £600. I ended up getting my mother to insure it and drove it as a named driver for three years. Good times.

The year is 1991.....

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