There really IS one of everything in Dallas

[Alasondro Alegré]

I saw an Alliance here once. Even the 9 which it's based on isn't very common anymore.

 

[Correspondent75]

....What Renaults before these did we get here?

To answer your question , AFAIK there were two other models imported by Renault in the 50's and the 60's :

the Dauphine :

and the Caravelle :

 

[rickhamilton620]

To answer your question , AFAIK there were two other models imported by Renault in the 50's and the 60's :

the Dauphine :

and the Caravelle :

Interesting to see the 40+ mpg marketing happened even decades ago!

 

[Spectre]

Interesting to see the 40+ mpg marketing happened even decades ago!

That was because 1) it was more a measure of range than operating expense and 2) it didn't actually have any other selling points.

 

[rickhamilton620]

That was because 1) it was more a measure of range than operating expense and 2) it didn't actually have any other selling points.

Wouldn't being french be a selling point to style concious people? (Yes, I spot the irony....)

 

[Spectre]

Wouldn't being french be a selling point to style concious people? (Yes, I spot the irony....)

At the time, not only no but hell no. The French were even more despised then than now.

 

[Spectre]

Not exactly a car sighting, but... it seems someone imported a British 'hoodie'.

On a recent junkyard raid, I went to L&L Cycle Salvage, which also buys, sells and services motorcycles that are not intended for salvage purposes. This guy was wandering around the place, up in the salvage warehouse, down in the service area, etc., etc. Wasn't a problem until he went out front and started fingering the customers' motorcycles - while the customers were there, and without asking permission.

Several of the customers took offense (you can observe several of them in the last two pictures) and one (not me) quickly explained to him that if he kept doing that the best thing that would be happening to him in the next five minutes was he was going to get shot. He spent the rest of the time I was there looking sketchy and hanging about with a pout on his face - but not touching peoples' bikes.

Edit: Also, before someone starts yelling RACIST! RACIST! it should be pointed out that there were exactly zero white people present. Yours truly included.

 

[MWF]

Shit, RaptorJesus really let himself go!

 

[Spectre]

And to bring this back to vehicles:

Very unusual on this side of the pond.

 

[argatoga]

They sell for $30-$80k here. Yes. You can buy three or four new Defender in the UK for that much.

 

[Dr_Grip]

Edit: Also, before someone starts yelling RACIST! RACIST! it should be pointed out that there were exactly zero white people present. Yours truly included.

Can't see anything racist in that story, but for the record, it should be pointed out that "racism" is neither a whites-only nor a round eyes-only game.

 

[Perc]

I realize I'm quoting a post from January of 2009, but what the hell. :lol:

It was because of the suspension system. The US managed to get the DS and SM minus some features like the directional headlights due to regulations. But when the CX came out, there was a ban on cars with height adjustable suspension for whatever reason. The suspension was the strongest suit of the CX and there would be no reason to sell it here without it. But there must have been gray imports because there were a lot on sale on Ebay once. They were all the less quirky mid to late 80's models though.

AFAIK, the NHTSA introduced a law that required headlights, bumpers etc to be a certain distance from the ground at all times. At ALL times. This instantly made the entire Citro?n lineup illegal since the suspension system meant that they slowly sank and bottomed out a while after turning the engine off. Nevermind the fact that they all maintained their ride height better than any other car on the planet when the engine was running... which it is when the vehicle is, you know, ACTUALLY IN USE. The ride height IS adjustable using a lever inside the cabin, but it isn't designed for altering the ride height while driving so I don't think it should've been an issue as far as the NHTSA was concerned. There's a "normal" mode and a slightly raised mode for bad roads at slow speeds, that's it.

And the CX found its way into the US via a small company called CX Auto. The cars were sold as "The CX, from the production lines of Citro?n". They did a small handful of XM's as well, using Pontiac headlights for DOT approval.

CX Sales Brochure and a forum post by an old CXAuto employee.

 

[Spectre]

Except NHTSA regs didn't quite work that way. The headlight rule was only in cases where the headlights were operational. See pop-up lights such as the Celica's roll-forward and later roll-down kind, the Corvette's pop-up and rotate-forward ones - the C4's rotators actually have the headlights facing backwards when the headlights are off and retracted, the 'half-hidden' Z31 retractable lights, etc., etc.

The bumper height law interpretation only took place from 74-81. All adjustable height car suspensions were banned due to inconsistent bumper height measurements when tested (at what setting should a car be tested if some of the settings take it out of the allowable range?) However, it was available both before and after. In fact, shortly after the ban was removed, Subaru began offering the XT, GL and later the Legacy with adjustable height suspensions in the US.

They made the CX from 74-91, though, so "US bumper height regs" don't explain why it wasn't sold here from 81-91.

 

[HatePersonified]

the Corvette's pop-up and rotate-forward ones - the C4's rotators actually have the headlights facing backwards when the headlights are off and retracted

Spectre's gonna make a joke about how complex and or how often they break, but the C4's pop-ups are probably the coolest looking ones ever made.

 

[Spectre]

Spectre's gonna make a joke about how complex and or how often they break, but the C4's pop-ups are probably the coolest looking ones ever made.

Well, it's hard to tell since you never see them flip open. They're all broken.

 

[Spectre]

Current Ford Focus ST, apparently driven by an SMU student.

 

[laxmax613]

Are those Missouri plates? THE FUCK?

 

[Spectre]

Nope, Mexican.

 

[laxmax613]

You gotta admit they look a bit like Missouri plates. Anyways, massive jealousy.

 

[Spectre]

1952-1955 Bentley R-Type - right hand drive, no less:







Trafficators! (in their retracted position)




Edit: Apparently it's a prop for Edison's Dallas wedding hall (not used as a wedding car, apparently, just a prop): http://www.edisonsdallas.com/