Anecdotal proof that the Renault Dauphine was a crap car.

[Jim Bow]

I have not seen one, even in a scrapyard, in 40 years. They’ve all rusted to dust.

[hawkeye54]

They must be in 'import car heaven' along with the Simca 1000 and the Fiat 850 ! ! !

[gypsie]

A get-out-of-the-war-recession-quick industrial idea.....?

[Tom from Rubicon]

Rode in a new one back in the day. Compact cars were still a novelty.

[leikec]

Not a lot of Fiat 128’s out there anymore. For that matter, not that many Pinto’s, Vega’s, or Opel Kadets either.

Jeff C

[elf]

We needed evidence?

I passed my first drivers test on a Fiat in 1958. The test guy was pretty pissed. My 3-point turn was two points. He thought it was cheating.

[Nicholas Carey]

They must be in 'import car heaven' along with the Simca 1000 and the Fiat 850 ! ! !

The Fiat 850s we're all recalled, late 70s/early 80s.

Distressing tendency to rust, and eventually break in two whilst driving.

[Canoeyawl]

39 mpg, they sold over a million of them
The best selling 4 door import in the 1950's
I remember them, almost bought one when I was in high school, but became enamored with a Crosley "Woodie" instead! $10 and drive it away...

https://www.hemmings.com/stories/art...r-the-dauphine

[ShorelineJohn]

I thought the Yugo was the worst car ever built, but they do sell for more than my AH Sprite.
The car I haven't seen in years is a VW Thing.

[sandtown]

"Anecdotal proof" is majorly oxymoronic.

There is no such thing, never was, never will be.

[Breakaway]

^
Dumfounding Didact should be added to that list.

[leikec]

4DB17A32-52E2-41CB-B407-08836454E0CD.jpg


Don’t see many of these around. I always liked them.

Jeff C

[Andrew2]

Like many swing axle rear engined cars of the day, they had a distressing way of biting you if pushed too hard. There was a Gordini version, which was about as quick as a Mini.
Friend's mother had a Gordini. Late for a train, turned into the station a bit hard and ended backwards up the steps to the booking office

The Yugo was based on the Fiat 127 (not a bad car..) and a car mag tested one, saying "Unless you have to have a new car, you would be better buying almost any other second hand car for the money"
They couldn't understand how such a bad car could be made from a half decent one.

[Nicholas Carey]

4DB17A32-52E2-41CB-B407-08836454E0CD.jpg


Don’t see many of these around. I always liked them.

Jeff C

High school friend had a Capri like that -- same turd-brown color, too, with a "big" V-6 in it.

We were driving south in it on the West Virginia Turnpike (twisty two-lane mountain highway) en route to North Carolina one night at about 0300. He was driving, I was navigating. Nice clear night. Running fast, 100-120 mph. Because we were 18 and immortal, as one is at that age.

Went into a tunnel. Came out the other side into pea-soup fog. Couldn't see more than a 100 yards.

[Did I mention we were going north of 100 mph? And that it was a twisty 2-lane mountain highway that wasn't really big on guard rails?]

Locked up the brakes, we did, getting the speed down to something reasonable, what with visions of pulling a Thelma and Louise and sailing off into the void, never mind that Thelma and Louise was years from being released.

[dutchpp]

My wife owned an Alfa Romeo "Alfa Sud" in the 1970's, a nice little car that later became known as the only car that started rotting away in the showroom.
(the lady in the picture is no my wife )
alfa sud.jpg
Two years !! after the purchase of the new car she had a "mild" accident and when the mechanic in the garage inspected the car, both front seats were pushed through the bottom plate by the impact. There was just 0,5 mm of bottom plate left under the rust, the car was a total loss. She never bought an Alfa Romeo again.

[David W Pratt]

I remember seeing Ramblers by the side of the road with a characteristic collapsed front wheel mounting that apparently rusted away enthusiastically.

[ShorelineJohn]

High school friend had a Capri like that -- same turd-brown color, too, with a "big" V-6 in it.

That "big" V-6 is one of my favorite motors. It was a Cologne 60 degree V-6, timing gears, no timing chain. Way over square (big bore short stroke). Mine was yellow.

[Nicholas Scheuer]

Was driving a Renault LeCar on I-35 thru Minneapolis when the engine threw a rod out of the block at 50 mph. Called a nearby junk yard to ask whether I could have it towed there if I delivered the title the next day. They said OK.

[hawkeye54]

The Fiat 850s we're all recalled, late 70s/early 80s.

Distressing tendency to rust, and eventually break in two whilst driving.

I had a Fiat 850 Spyder roadster, purchased well - used in Southern California, drove it a couple years, flat towed it with a custom built bumper and tow bar to Chicago, then Philadelphia. It ran well, until encountering a huge pothole in a rain-flooded Philadelphia street, the darn thing folded up at the door hinges and shattered the fixed wing windows - as it was a convertible, I climbed out over the door and sent it off to the scrapyard. At the advice of an old family friend, I bought a Dodge Colt (1975) 4-door - which had a bad habit of fogging the windows from the off gassing vinyl upholstery, as well as the nasty habit of throwing both passenger doors open during a left turn (I kid you not ! ! )


Rick

[willin woodworks]

Chevy dealers had to keep Vegas in the showroom so they wouldnt rust before they sold....

[Boatbum]

I have not seen one, even in a scrapyard, in 40 years. They’ve all rusted to dust.

Same is true for most Fiat's - remember the Fiat 128? Affordable but complete junk. They used to say that FIAT stood for Fix It Again Tony.

[ron ll]

Given the average age of us bilgerats, most of our past cars have turned to dust. See a few of my oldies in car shows, but none as daily drivers.

[L.W. Baxter]

on the other hand, ever looked for parts for a first through fifth gen toyota pickup at the pick and pull?

also not seen in scrapyards, for different reasons.

[blacksmith]

Same is true for most Fiat's - remember the Fiat 128? Affordable but complete junk. They used to say that FIAT stood for Fix It Again Tony.

Does anyone remember the Borgward Isabella?

[Gerarddm]

Also, Renault LeCar.

An old pal of mine had one rusting away quietly under a tree, where it had been for decades. It's the only one I have seen since they were actually current.

[Andrew2]

Also, Renault LeCar.

An old pal of mine had one rusting away quietly under a tree, where it had been for decades. It's the only one I have seen since they were actually current.

Still some wandering about here as daily drives, along with others of the era. While it gets a bit chilly and occasional snow, they don't salt the roads. There is even a local X19.

Borgward Isabella, now your talking!

[Garret]

Does anyone remember the Borgward Isabella?

My folks had an Isabella wagon when I was a kid. Black with red interior. Really nice car from the point of view of a 10YO...

A gal I went out with had a DKW (another ring in the Audi symbol) - 4 on the column & the linkage was held together with rubber bands - from the factory.

[leikec]

Same is true for most Fiat's - remember the Fiat 128? Affordable but complete junk. They used to say that FIAT stood for Fix It Again Tony.

Mine was a great little car. I had mine rustproofed, and that helped a lot.

Jeff C

[Jim Bow]

A friend has a VW Thing. He can’t park anywhere without drawing a crowd.

[Garret]

Same is true for most Fiat's - remember the Fiat 128? Affordable but complete junk. They used to say that FIAT stood for Fix It Again Tony.

Or First Italian Attempt at Technology.

I sold my last 124 Spider with 160K miles on it. However, summer only makes a big difference.

[Dan McCosh]

I thought the Yugo was the worst car ever built, but they do sell for more than my AH Sprite.
The car I haven't seen in years is a VW Thing.

FWIW, Sprites are going for some $20,000 today/ Yugos about $6,000.

[Dan McCosh]

As for rusty cars: The Dodge Omni/Horizon introduced a galvanized steel body in 1978, about the same time as Porsche. That vastly extended the lifetime of car bodies, most of which were lucky to last five years in areas where salt was used on the roads in winter.

[Ron Williamson]

Didn't the Omni/Horizon have a 60k km engine life.
VW built IIRC
R

[John B]

I watched 78 or 79 Toyotas rust in one year in real time. It was quite the scandal considering our temperate climate , no salted roads. Very shortly after they began the body dip process.
I'm driving my 68 MG as an everyday drive at the moment. My neck hurts. Need to take the roof off.

[Garret]

Didn't the Omni/Horizon have a 60k km engine life.
VW built IIRC
R

The main problem was owners who had no concept of timing belts (VWs had 'em too, as did Fiats) & that they had to be replaced as a maintenance item - back in those days about 60K miles IIRC. Belt breaks on an interference engine -and you get bent valves & maybe a hole in a piston.