The original boxy Volvo saloon, the 140-Series was the model which saw the brand gaining increased popularity in the UK, building on the reputation for rugged build and practical appeal which had been established with the Amazon...
Few readers of CW will be unaware of the history of the Citroën 2CV, the car which had its development interrupted by WW2, causing the early prototypes to be literally buried to escape occupying forces.
Mitsubishi may be better known today for its hybrid crossovers but don't forget that the firm has some really credible performance machinery in its back catalogue – including of course the fast and furious Lancer Evo series and the frantic FTO, a favourite of the grey import years...
Subaru has been relying on the horizontally-opposed boxer engine since the ’70s, the ‘Brat’ pick-up featuring the flat-four which ultimately powered the Impreza. When it decided to produce its flagship sports car the firm stayed true to the concept and went for a 3.3-litre flat-six.
Like a modern-day 500, Fiat’s original Panda was designed originally as affordable utilitarian transport but the minimalist approach encouraged some innovative thinking which gave the car a cult appeal across Europe.
The origins of the Cavalier go back to the ’60s when Vauxhall needed to downsize its UK range and the solution was for parent company GM to more closely integrate its German Opel and UK Vauxhall operations...
It was only natural that when the 68-year-old Defender production line creaked to a halt, interest in the iconic vehicle would accelerate...
The Metro became a Rover in 1990 and suddenly also became the car it perhaps always should have been: in place of the 50-year-old A-Series motor was the modern alloy twin-cam K-Series motor and finally interconnecting the Hydragas gave it grip like an insistent little terrier...
You could consider the Alfasud as a kind of Italian Hillman Imp: a great design pairing sporting appeal with small car practicality but flawed by government interference in manufacturing.
Think of TVR’s ‘wedge’ series of cars from the ’80s and you’ll probably picture a thundering open-topped V8-powered creation. The range started off though with the much less hairy chested Tasmin, which essentially debuted Oliver Winterbottom’s wedgy body style but with the more subtle engine options of either the 2.8-litre Ford Cologne V6 or even briefly the four-pot Pinto and the ‘TVR 200’ badge...