Ironlord
Well-Known Member
Inspired by the board of the same name on Top Gear Australia, I can't believe nobody's started an official "What Were They Thinking?" thread on these forums yet, so I'm going to do it. It's not on the TGA forum, as it should be open to everyone, and it's about cars. So I stuck it here.
Here's three to start you off.
1. CityRover
It's 2003, and Rover are in trouble. They're in financial difficulties, they have a line-up of cars that are ancient and hopelessly outclassed, but still pitch themselves as a premium brand that people aspire to. They need a new car to save the company from extinction, and will preserve their premium image. So, what do they do? They have a word with Tata, stick a Rover badge on the Indica and sell it for twice what it's worth. Indian cars may be fine for the Indian market, but they fall so far short of the quality standards expected in Europe that the not-so-old saying "there's no such thing as a bad car anymore" can come surging back as if the old nails from Cold War-era Eastern Europe never went away. This move from Rover can only be described as suicide.
2. Alpine A310, GTA, A610
There's a reason why cars with one windscreen wiper have only one, so I'm told; it's because the conventional setup of two wipers ceases to be of any use above 130 mph. Apparently. (At this point, I'm sure someone has tweaked a Fiat Uno to go faster than that, so any comments about that one can be directed to that brick wall...) The disadvantage of the single wiper is leaving the top corner of the driver's side of the windscreen covered in muck. So, when Alpine replaced the A110 and decided to stick with two wipers for the A310, what possessed them to came up with this arrangement? It has the disadvantage of the single wiper without its apparent benefit. And it leaves a line of junk down the middle of the screen. Strangely, the same wiper arrangement continued on the GTA, and the UK-spec A610... and can be seen in action on one of the episodes of Old Top Gear, if anyone's that anorakish.
3. Ssangyong
Need I say more?
Of course, we must finish this post with a dramatic waving of the hands and the whole forum chorusing: "WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?"
Here's three to start you off.
1. CityRover
It's 2003, and Rover are in trouble. They're in financial difficulties, they have a line-up of cars that are ancient and hopelessly outclassed, but still pitch themselves as a premium brand that people aspire to. They need a new car to save the company from extinction, and will preserve their premium image. So, what do they do? They have a word with Tata, stick a Rover badge on the Indica and sell it for twice what it's worth. Indian cars may be fine for the Indian market, but they fall so far short of the quality standards expected in Europe that the not-so-old saying "there's no such thing as a bad car anymore" can come surging back as if the old nails from Cold War-era Eastern Europe never went away. This move from Rover can only be described as suicide.
2. Alpine A310, GTA, A610
There's a reason why cars with one windscreen wiper have only one, so I'm told; it's because the conventional setup of two wipers ceases to be of any use above 130 mph. Apparently. (At this point, I'm sure someone has tweaked a Fiat Uno to go faster than that, so any comments about that one can be directed to that brick wall...) The disadvantage of the single wiper is leaving the top corner of the driver's side of the windscreen covered in muck. So, when Alpine replaced the A110 and decided to stick with two wipers for the A310, what possessed them to came up with this arrangement? It has the disadvantage of the single wiper without its apparent benefit. And it leaves a line of junk down the middle of the screen. Strangely, the same wiper arrangement continued on the GTA, and the UK-spec A610... and can be seen in action on one of the episodes of Old Top Gear, if anyone's that anorakish.
3. Ssangyong
Need I say more?
Of course, we must finish this post with a dramatic waving of the hands and the whole forum chorusing: "WHAT WERE THEY THINKING?"