Fifty Years of Kawasaki Z's

[ajlog]

I think the main reason for the lack of retro cars is, for cars it’s much more difficult to make a mass produced product to meet current design standards.
The old shapes just would not meet the required dimensions for bonnet height/angle and location of wipers etc for protection of pedestrians, compliance with the survivability after a crash and many other design requirements.
That’s one of the reasons along with fuel efficient drag shapes that cars today are more homogenous.

Small runs of re-engineered classics like Aston and Jag turn out or the resto modded models such as the Singer 911s can be approved due the small volume vehicle approval rather than the need for full type approval for a mass produced product.

[KungFooBob]

The old shapes just would not meet the required dimensions for bonnet height/angle and location of wipers etc for protection of pedestrians

The two cars in our household have lower than allowed bonnets... kind of.

They both get round it, the Merc has rear bonnet hinges that popup in a crash to reduce the angle for a pedestrian and the Volvo actually has a pedestrian airbag in the windscreen scuttle.

[Dodgy69]

Further thinking on subject complete.

Would anyone buy a cheap, new, reliable, retro, Morris minor traveller.

[Mr. Dazzle]

It is interesting though that the motorcycle industry does the 'retro' new thing unlike any other businesses. You don't see Ford making an old Escort look alike, or Audi making a 1980's Quattro... but weirdly the motorbike thing LOVES a bit of retro.

Ford make the Mustang. They neve actually stopped making the Mustang, but it came back into the forefront again when they restyled it to look like the 60s version.

Ditto with the Camaro.

Or the Mini.

Or the Fiat 500.

Or the VW Beetle.

Or the new Land Rover.

Or the Mercedes G Wagon.

Or the....you get the point

[slowsider]

The mini only looks like the old one until you put them beside each other.

[weeksy]

It is interesting though that the motorcycle industry does the 'retro' new thing unlike any other businesses. You don't see Ford making an old Escort look alike, or Audi making a 1980's Quattro... but weirdly the motorbike thing LOVES a bit of retro.

Ford make the Mustang. They neve actually stopped making the Mustang, but it came back into the forefront again when they restyled it to look like the 60s version.

Ditto with the Camaro.

Or the Mini.

Or the Fiat 500.

Or the VW Beetle.

Or the new Land Rover.

Or the Mercedes G Wagon.

Or the....you get the point

Nah, because they're nothing like the older thing they're based upon. At least a z900rs looks like it could have been made 30 years ago.

[KungFooBob]

Nah, the radial mounted callipers give it away.

[Dodgy69]

They were bought by the young who didn't remember the original, they just liked the new one. If an original copycat was made, with same dash/trim/window fasteners etc, would the over 55s buy it with there newly claimed pensions. ??

[Horse]

It is interesting though that the motorcycle industry does the 'retro' new thing unlike any other businesses. You don't see Ford making an old Escort look alike, or Audi making a 1980's Quattro... but weirdly the motorbike thing LOVES a bit of retro.

Pah! I go to the trouble of sorting pics - and whippersnappee Dazzle just posts a list. Pah.

[Horse]

The mini only looks like the old one until you put them beside each other.

They look more alike than those two Kwaks.

[KungFooBob]

I love the look of the modern Fiat 500, not the Abarth, but the council spec Fiat one.

I'm far too manly to actually drive one and I'm not goy or nuffink, so it's never going to happen.

[Dodgy69]

Proper pics..





Quite like the new 500 aswel.

[Mr. Dazzle]

What about a Radford?

No, me neither, but Jenson Button is involved.

[Rockburner]

I love the look of the modern Fiat 500, not the Abarth, but the council spec Fiat one.

I'm far too manly to actually drive one and I'm not goy or nuffink, so it's never going to happen.

They're quite good fun tbh.

[slowsider]

The mini only looks like the old one until you put them beside each other.

They look more alike than those two Kwaks.

Yebbut that's a paint scheme homage.

[Druid]

I saw that advertised somewhere on Youtube and I think it looks ace, like a Scalextric car, but my first thoughts were that the rear view mirror would be useless and it would be a pain over speed bumps.

You are getting old and sensible

If I had the money I'd definitely have one of those Mk1 Escort replicas. There is a firm in Shropshire that fit uprated brakes and suspension to Mk2 Jaguars, I'd have one of those too

[Horse]

The mini only looks like the old one until you put them beside each other.

They look more alike than those two Kwaks.

Yebbut that's a paint scheme homage.

So put a 'Mexico Rally' sticker in a new Ford Focus? Job jobbed?

[Horse]

The mini only looks like the old one until you put them beside each other.

Hot wash?

20220108_111934.jpg (19.68 KiB) Viewed 83 times

[mangocrazy]

What about a Radford?

No, me neither, but Jenson Button is involved.

You'd never get that down our (unadopted) cul-de-sac without ripping the (very expensive) arse out of it.

Like the look of it though.

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

What about a Radford?

No, me neither, but Jenson Button is involved.

I'd love that, but I did grow up on a council estate.