vicfarlowe
veteran brummie
Very true!I think the writing was on the wall for all car industries. I think that Toyota & Honda forced everyone to make better cars, those that did not follow are now different companies or gone!
Very true!I think the writing was on the wall for all car industries. I think that Toyota & Honda forced everyone to make better cars, those that did not follow are now different companies or gone!
Izzy, I used to love driving a stick shift primarily because that’s what I grew up with. Ford tractor, Austin 7 MG TC, BMW, Triumph etc. Now we drive automatics Acura or Toyota with Jatco automatics (Japanese automatic transmission company) makes most automatics for Japanese cars. With two artificial knees and lots of arthritis I doubt I could drive very well in city traffic!______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
At least you admit to being a Dinosaur! personally I've never understood the desire for manual cars, having to repeatedly shove one lever with the foot and another with your hand goes back to the dawn of motoring, all that's missing is the handbrake on the outside of the car
I first drove an automatic in 1999 on holiday in the USA, back then they were the horrible fluid type that made you think there was a slipping clutch. When I got my first automatic it was a Fiat Panda that had a robotised electronic gearbox, it just did the gear/clutch work for you.
I've been driving Toyota Prius for the last 10 years, the transmission is via sun & planets gearing so it's 100% totally smooth from a standing start to full speed. So relaxing to drive and a boon in stop start heavy traffic with no clutch to hold down and the engine off.
I think that was defiantly the case with the motorcycle industry. In the Uk, motorcycles had really become an enthusiast’s pastime, whereas in the developing counties of the far east, motorcycles were an essential form of travel. The manufacturers had to up the game with cost effective and reliable machines.I think the writing was on the wall for all car industries. I think that Toyota & Honda forced everyone to make better cars, those that did not follow are now different companies or gone!
What make of car is this?got to be the worst
1960s the villiers engine from a bond mini car was used.
1970 the engine from the Austrian-built Fiat 500 was used, a Steyr-Puch air-cooled flat twin of 493cc and 20bhp.
propelling the contraption to 80 mph on test,
View attachment 171095
I had a colleague way back when who had a standard pale blue one of these provided to him. He was less than impressed and called it the plastic pig. I agreed, horrible thing. It did give him independent mobility though.AC Invacars
Invacar - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
true there was a firm in garrets green that the workers used them, at 5 pm it was like the start of a hednesford race when they left for home driving off.as you say it gave people independent mobility.after driving one i can see why they were banned.I had a colleague way back when who had a standard pale blue one of these provided to him. He was less than impressed and called it the plastic pig. I agreed, horrible thing. It did give him independent mobility though.
Andrew.
Had a TR4 in the US, hand brake came in my hand the day I took it home, down hill from there!Sorry if I offend some of you guy's but I think the Triumph TR6 belongs here. Lovely sports car to look at...super looking dash...However; sagging rear springs, exhaust muffler hangers that broke regularly (had to make my own leather ones...temporary electric wire worked better...lump of a push-rod engine that only made 90HP with twin Stromberg carburetors...handling always a bit iffy in my opinion...a little Datsun 510 could singe you. When I picked it up from the dealer, I found a handfull of loose screws in the trunk...hmmm.
It could be made into a nice sports car if you made some changes and ditched the engine and cured the rear spring fatigue.
We always drive automatic cars here in North America now. Standard shift cars are too much of a nuisance...on the highway here...makes your leg ache pushing the clutch. You know; stop/go highways. Do you have them. Trading a standard shift is also a looser.
How things have changed!I recall the problem automatics was you did not want to take a test in one, otherwise you needed to take a manual gear box test if you changed.
They also needed a bigger engine, the smaller one’s felts quite underpowered. Of course the later technology has made smaller car nice to drive and quite efficient.
I pushed Julie to take a manual test for that very reason. Does it still apply ? I wonder how taking a test in an electric car will be handled in the future. My impression is that they are very close to automatics in driving style.I recall the problem automatics was you did not want to take a test in one, otherwise you needed to take a manual gear box test if you changed.
They also needed a bigger engine, the smaller one’s felts quite underpowered. Of course the later technology has made smaller car nice to drive and quite efficient.