How long does it take for a hated car to become desirable? - Page 2

new2ford · 12-09-2012, 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xxxg

never like the P76 and never will, so time hasn't changed my mind on that.

Did you ever drive one?!

This one never got a chance to be liked or hated but still highly desirable:

http://www.carsaroundadelaide.com Ferenghi

Local club site:
http://www.leylandp76.com/general/force7/force7.html

mike_nofx · 12-09-2012, 08:50 AM

Ok I think it's been established that AU is on the list. (let's try not make this 10 pages and 500 photos long of "AU"??)

As for "hated, but now sorta cool"
Holden Gemini, particularly early models, but definitely not FWD models.
VB and VC Commodores.
Datsun 120y.

noosacuda · 12-09-2012, 08:56 AM

What about a Valiant? Used to be able to buy a fully loaded 360 Chrysler by Chrysler cheap as because no one wanted one, now they pull good dollars. A Chrysler Centura on the other hand, um er well......

2011G6E · 12-09-2012, 09:00 AM

Mmmmm....Force 7....

I still firmly believe that the old logic from years back is correct...the msot desirable "ordinary" Commodore (leaving out Brock specials, etc) is a VB SL/E 4.2 four speed with disc brakes all round, with the factory optional 15" mags. Light weight, handled better than any other Australian car at the time, and had loads of equipment, some of which new cars now don't have (headlight washer-wipers for example). The last one I saw for sale was a red with red velour interior one, for about $15,000...this was back in the late nineties. I believe I've only seen one other one since then, a blue SL/E 4.2, in Nambour a few years back.

Centura...four cylinder version? Ugg.
Version with a 265 Hemi and a manual? Yeeeehaaaaa!!!!!!

120Y just for the laugh value...go to the wreckers, find a 2ltr Bluebird engine and five speed, whack them in with a Weber and extractors, and have the time of your life chucking around the wobbly little bucket of bolts...

blownv8au · 12-09-2012, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SumoDog68

I can understand Ford enthusiasts expressing their admiration for Ford product but in reality AU series Falcon was image and sales disaster and BA was rushed through to try and save the Falcon brand. Ford Australia is still paying the price for that mistake.
I am yet to meet someone who liked or likes AU style and design . That is not taking away its qualities as reliable daily driver.

Disaster? They sold heaps. I have always liked the au style, yeah the au1 forte looked crap and people get hung up on it and say au 2/3 look better, well it's only bonnet and grill change for heaven sake. It was the first thing i did to my ute. For me it's the back of the au i like best, obviously missed out on that with the ute lol.

The XA-C utes have really grown on me, never used to like them and thought they were only good for donating their doors to hardtops.

**cs123** · 12-09-2012, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blownv8au

Disaster? They sold heaps. I have always liked the au style, yeah the au1 forte looked crap and people get hung up on it and say au 2/3 look better, well it's only bonnet and grill change for heaven sake. It was the first thing i did to my ute. For me it's the back of the au i like best, obviously missed out on that with the ute lol.

They looked different when they came out and that was a bit polarising but the style grew on me. I like the look of them and to me the styling looks fresher today than a VT commo, but that's just 1 persons opinion. I'd happily buy one today.

I'm surprised by the comments about the Centura. They were well regarded as a street weapon 20 years ago with a 265 under the bonnet.

I cannot imagine a Morris Marina ever becoming collectable... worst car ever...

302 XC · 12-09-2012, 10:49 AM

Is it the fact a hated car is in limited surviving numbers that makes it desirable or worth some coin ???
There are many cars that were bad when new and dont magically become better with age,maybe its becasue the rising price of the main streem has forced people to look outside the square

imugli · 12-09-2012, 02:30 PM

Apparently with the AU it took a Mercedes Benz CLS badge and a $100,000 price tag...

NX74205 · 12-09-2012, 03:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by imugli

Apparently with the AU it took a Mercedes Benz CLS badge and a $100,000 price tag...

I never liked the Benz CLS either. Give me an E-class over a CLS.

strobe · 12-09-2012, 04:05 PM

Is the car a holden?...

GT0132 · 12-09-2012, 04:11 PM

There's 3 model Aussie made Fords that I loved from day 1 and still do….the XA/XB/XC series, EF/EL series and the BA/BF

The XD/XE/XF was ok but a radical departure shapewise from its predecessor and I ended up owning both an XD and an XF but find they've got ugly over time. The square roofline and large rear windows look dated.

The EA/EB/ED I couldn't warm to until EB2 was released in 1992 and I ended up buying a EB Fairmont. Pristine EB's you see on the road today from time to time look great

Never liked XW/XY , AU (unless T series) or current FG series

bingoTE50 · 12-09-2012, 04:12 PM

HB Torana . I thought they looked ok.

Nikked · 12-09-2012, 05:42 PM

I can't beleive no one has mentioned Ford's ill-fated 50's up-market attempt...

Now finding favor as a basis for some nice kustoms...

And that grill has found some clever use...

JG34JA · 12-09-2012, 05:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2011G6E

Mmmmm....Force 7....

I still firmly believe that the old logic from years back is correct...the msot desirable "ordinary" Commodore (leaving out Brock specials, etc) is a VB SL/E 4.2 four speed with disc brakes all round, with the factory optional 15" mags. Light weight, handled better than any other Australian car at the time, and had loads of equipment, some of which new cars now don't have (headlight washer-wipers for example). The last one I saw for sale was a red with red velour interior one, for about $15,000...this was back in the late nineties. I believe I've only seen one other one since then, a blue SL/E 4.2, in Nambour a few years back.

Brother had a stock standard VH SLX 4.2 auto, beautiful car, sleek, small and smoothly powerful. Rear axle not as planted as my Kingswood of the time, but it's handling was definitely better.

H.G · 12-09-2012, 05:52 PM

Addmittedly it wasnt until I saw the AU on the circuit with the CAT colours all over it that I started toreally like the,.. although I was considering buying an AU ute at the time and put on a step side rear tub instead of the standard ugly one..

Quote:

Originally Posted by cedric

another was the vl walkie, not liked by many at all

maybe not where you are from.. I cant stand them.. I think the only thing uglier is an SLR Torana... but where I grew up and surrounding towns.. everybody ejaculated if they saw either of them..
and I always found it odd how these cars only had 2 forward moving gears.. either that or the owners didnt know they had more..

ugliest current car on the road would be a Hummer.. cant say off road cause Ive never seen one off the bitumen.

imagination is all it takes to make something ugly attractive...

**hawkgirl** · 12-09-2012, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nikked

I can't beleive no one has mentioned Ford's ill-fated 50's up-market attempt...

whats that quote .... An Oldsmobile sucking a lemon?

Jeddak · 12-09-2012, 07:19 PM

time heals all wounds or so they say...

about the only hated aussi car that comes to mind is the 3.2lt cfi EA

remember them ?

about 90kw's of power ( some starter motors have more!)
top speed? 160km... if you wait for it (3speed auto)
good point? only one. on a long drive 10 lt per100 consistently
we had one and drove it ( if that's the word) for three years and then changed the engine for a 3.9 multi point.
why, you say?
the engine was the only bad part of the whole car so... fix the problem!
the change was incredible! (still 3 speed auto)
wasn't hard, had a doner wreck to supply all the correct bits including the a/c bracket and hoses
bad point ?(only one)
12lt per 100k economy

I dont think that the 3.2 will ever become desirable

mind you.. the Trabant did !!

so one never knows

**DJM83** · 12-09-2012, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SumoDog68

I can understand Ford enthusiasts expressing their admiration for Ford product but in reality AU series Falcon was image and sales disaster and BA was rushed through to try and save the Falcon brand. Ford Australia is still paying the price for that mistake.
I am yet to meet someone who liked or likes AU style and design . That is not taking away its qualities as reliable daily driver.

You just met another one, disaster eh? go and do some research and come back.

GREGL · 12-09-2012, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by H.G

Addmittedly it wasnt until I saw the AU on the circuit with the CAT colours all over it that I started toreally like the,.. although I was considering buying an AU ute at the time and put on a step side rear tub instead of the standard ugly one..

maybe not where you are from.. I cant stand them.. I think the only thing uglier is an SLR Torana... but where I grew up and surrounding towns.. everybody ejaculated if they saw either of them..
and I always found it odd how these cars only had 2 forward moving gears.. either that or the owners didnt know they had more..

ugliest current car on the road would be a Hummer.. cant say off road cause Ive never seen one off the bitumen.

imagination is all it takes to make something ugly attractive...

Mate if you grew up in bundy or Toowoomba all cars had only one forward gear to go lappin on friday night. I was a teenager then and toranas were hot. Light bodies, high horsepower and plenty of understeer . My brother bought a slr500 brand new in '74 and it spent a lot of time with the needle sitting past the 225 kmh mark.(the front window frames used to vibrate over 220kmh). Some rellys lived in Sydney at the the time and on a whim he picked up our gran from Brrissy one evening and arrived around 5am the next morning which was pretty good in it's day.
I loved those old Toranas then, the potential was enormous even with a red motor 6. Where as I thought the equivalant XB/Cs were a ugly car (coupes especially). These days any car over 20 yrs old kept in good order makes me smile, and a old X series with big rubber under the bum makes me drool.
Now back on topic a ssannyong( or how ever you spell it ) is definately up there as a car I hate to look at, it makes a taurus look attractive in comparison

imugli · 12-09-2012, 11:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJM83

You just met another one, disaster eh? go and do some research and come back.

And another, actually.

An AU3 XR8 220. Dropped on its guts. Yes please.

SumoDog68 · 13-09-2012, 06:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJM83

You just met another one, disaster eh? go and do some research and come back.

I was part of AU launch and know how they came together - dont remember any of my workmates buying an AU .
BA could not come soon enough at a cost of $500 mill - now AU's are admired for being a stylish car you say ??
AU was a disaster for Ford Australia - most punters went shopping elswhere and havent returned.

302 XC · 13-09-2012, 08:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SumoDog68

I was part of AU launch and know how they came together - dont remember any of my workmates buying an AU .
BA could not come soon enough at a cost of $500 mill - now AU's are admired for being a stylish car you say ??
AU was a disaster for Ford Australia - most punters went shopping elswhere and havent returned.

The Edsels were probably a bigger lose for Ford as a company,gee they lost some money there
I heard the other day that the 57 chev wasnt such a massive seller compared to the years Ford, but i know whats more popular and $$$ demanding nowadays
Im sure there are many other brands,makes ,models that cost the parent company a lose,but doesnt automatically mean 30 years down the track that car will become an instant collector "must have"
I bought my AU because it was good value for money,i dont care that the parent company lost money or cost millions on a facelift, most new or late model cars depreciate faster than falling rain
Why on earth would i buy a clapped out holden 1 tonner "bogan must have" when for less money my AU is leaps and bounds more advanced,and probably give a carbed 5 L a run

Nikked · 13-09-2012, 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SumoDog68

I was part of AU launch and know how they came together - dont remember any of my workmates buying an AU .
BA could not come soon enough at a cost of $500 mill - now AU's are admired for being a stylish car you say ??
AU was a disaster for Ford Australia - most punters went shopping elswhere and havent returned.

I would say it was the later release on the market compared to the VT, and the run-out deals on the EL that hurt sales more...

Falcon SXR8 · 13-09-2012, 08:50 AM

Compared with the sales figures for the fg falcon au was a massive success ha ha. Yes another au lover here, well not so much a series 1 forte.

RASER · 13-09-2012, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DJM83

Knew it wouldnt take long for the AU to come into the convo...

Granted i never liked it when it was released, but i was young and naive. But after a cpl years i fell in love. And to this day i still love them.

Who ever designed the front of the AU should have been shot!

That was the start of the downward spiral for the Falcon in AUS

**DJM83** · 13-09-2012, 09:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RASER

Who ever designed the front of the AU should have been shot!

That was the start of the downward spiral for the Falcon in AUS

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, i like it i could give a flying you know what if you or anyone else doesnt like it.

Anyway this thread isnt about the AU.

zilo · 13-09-2012, 10:44 AM

mitsubishi 380 most recent hated car, ugly as an XD or p76

The Yeti · 13-09-2012, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ugg

mitsubishi 380 most recent hated car, ugly as an XD or p76

I'm driving one ATM while I wait for my new company car, OMG it will never be desierable, on paper it has some really cool features, in practice its up there with the biggest pile of crap Ive ever driven

RedHotGT · 13-09-2012, 11:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jpd80

AU 3 changed my mind, before that I wasn't sold on AU with waterfall or egg crate grilles...
AU3 Ghia with 5.0 and leather trim would be a lovely car to own...

I've got an AU II F/Ghia with V8 and Leather. It's great!

XBROO · 13-09-2012, 11:44 AM

Hate to up set some of youse, but the AU is ugly and still is ugly, and it looks a bit like a Taurus in some models.

I think some of the old 4 pots a looking well. Gemini, 120Y, 240K, Celica all in coupes. Even Cortinas and Escorts a in thier prime now.