Thirty plus

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Purchasing classics there

A few years ago we placed in Auto Motor Klassiek an article about cars that would turn thirty that year. They have now already achieved classic status outside the Netherlands. In the Netherlands this changed after 2014. Below you will find the list that changed the world in their way.

De Chevrolet Corvette C4 for instance. This American dream, however, does not stand out because of its engine power (205 hp in the debut), but it drives very well. Up to 1996 - when the C5 came on the market - 364.180 units were built in all available versions.

Something very different is the Renault Fuego Turbo Diesel who saw the light of day in 1983, then, with a top speed of 175 kilometers per hour, the fastest diesel in the world. A coupé with four seats that was shown in 1980 as a replacement for the R15 and R17 for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show. The Fuego has never achieved the intended success at Renault, despite a performance in the scroll print Qui a tué Pamela Rose. 265.367 pieces have been built.

At Fiat they managed to get it done Fiat Uno to present to the press - and therefore the public - on the Cape Canaveral site. The basis of American space. That was in January 1983. The three- and five-door versions were just as beautiful there. The design studio of Giugiaro had signed the model. A tall carriage that made the trolley look 'long'. Available as gasoline and as a petroleum set. A great commercial success for Fiat, manufactured in no fewer than eight countries, including Pakistan. In 1984 the car became Auto-of-the-Year. No less than 6.272.796 units were built.

At the then-Austin-Rover at that time, they took a different approach, a different horizon. The designer of the Austin Maestro must either have driven a Simca Chrysler Talbot Horizon or have been so charmed by it that he was guided by it when drawing the "big Austin Metro". The British car industry was in heavy weather, factory workers were not in the mood and that reflected in the quality and therefore also the sales figures. The Austin Maestro was also available as an MG, with the Turbo good for 152 hp. Only 505 buyers have ever been able to enjoy it. More than 600.000 units were built from the Austin Maestro (also available as Van and even Pickup) (correct figures are not known ...). In 1995 the Maestro was assembled in Bulgaria; the production line went to China in 1998. The Chinese, however, used Toyota technology and suddenly it was a reliable car ...

At Alfa Romeo also had a hard time three decades ago. According to the Milanese manufacturer, the Alfa Romeo 33 something completely new. It soon became apparent that use had been made of the bottom part of the Alfasud… In doing so, the model range was expanded and the 33 even appeared as a 4×4. A total of 989.324 units were built.

So are almost all Alfa Romeo 33's finished. Because of the rust
So are almost all Alfa Romeo 33's finished. Because of the rust

De Peugeot 205 is the most controversial in this list. An absolute box-office success for the then already ailing Peugeot. The counter stopped in 1998 after 5.278.300 copies. The 205 was replaced by the 206. Tip: If you also like the 205, act quickly, because it only takes a while and then they are prohibitively expensive. Go for a beautiful, neat and rust-free copy. The GTI 1,6 I is the nicest. After the 205 T 16, but it now costs more than one and a half tons.

De Toyota MR2 Mk I, available as Coupé or Targa, is actually the Japanese Porsche Boxster. Available with an 1500 cm3 or 1600 cm3 engine, such a thing was good for a top speed of more than 200 kilometers per hour! Only in 1984 was it available in Europe. The curtain fell for the third generation in 2005. Of the first type, only 5 units were manufactured in 163.000 years. Not much for a Japanese car.

Also with the design of the Lancia Prism Giugiaro's design studio was called upon. Lancia was already part of Fiat at that time, so the Prisma is on the chassis of the Fiat Ritmo and Regata. The latter also experienced its introduction in 1983. Available with an 1,3 or 1,6 liter gasoline engine. 386.932 copies were built. The second series followed from 1986.

Ten years after the introduction of the Golf, they decided on Volkswagen de Golf II to put on the market. The new model - 28 centimeters longer and 10 centimeters wider, but also considerably heavier than its predecessor, was designed in Wolfsburg and not in Italy. They hadn't worked on the engine of the GTI. At the time of introduction, it still supplied 112 hp. Only in the summer of 1985 did the GTI get more muscle: 139 pk. The disc brakes at the rear in particular were not able to cope with this 'violence' ... The Golf II was immensely popular. And a best seller. Went no less than 6.301.000 times ...

If we cross the Atlantic then we end up at the Pontiac Fiero. Available with an asthmatic four-pitter (93 pk) and then the more powerful V6 with 140 pk. Many of the Pontiac burned down in the early beginnings. This was due to oil leaking onto the exhaust manifold. The Fiero is popular with builders of all kinds of kitcars. A Ferrari (...) or Lamborghini (...) can easily be made of it ... A total of 370.168 copies were produced.

Pontiac Fiero, very popular with kitcar builders. You simply make a 'Ferrari' or 'Lamborghini' out of it ...
Pontiac Fiero, very popular with kitcar builders. You simply make a 'Ferrari' or 'Lamborghini' out of it ...

De Chrysler Voyager is seen as the first Monospace. And so not the Fiat 600 Multipla! 1983 came to the showroom in December, but in Europe it was only available in 1988 through the official importers. They were built in Austria at Steyr- (Daimler) -Puch, among others. The fifth generation can now be enjoyed. More than 13 million copies have since been delivered ...

Back in Europe we end up at the Citroën Visa Découvrable, a Visa with an open roof. The Visa was already available in 1978. With an 652 cm3 two-cylinder and then with an 1124 cm3 four-cylinder from Peugeot. From the 104, of which one at Citroën used the bottom plate. The famous French bodybuilder Heuliez created the Découvrable based on the Visa Super E (where the letter stands for Cost-effective). Kitsch trolley, which is also expressed in the number of production: 2633 pieces.

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