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Opel Kadett C (1973-1979)

Opel Kadett C

Manufacturer : Opel
Productions : 1973-1979
Engine : inline 4 cylinder, 48.00 PS (34,83 kW or 46,77 HP) at 5600 Rev. per min.
Transmission : 4 speed manual transmission
Source : wikipedia.org

The Opel Kadett C appeared in 1973 and was Opel’s version of General Motors’ “T-Car”. The T-Car was also built in Japan by Isuzu and sold as the Isuzu Gemini and in Australia where it was marketed as the Holden Gemini. In South Korea, Saehan Motor then Daewoo Motor built a version of the Gemini originally known as the Saehan Gemini, later becoming the Daewoo Maepsy and Maepsy-Na after a final facelift.

The Kadett C formed the basis of the British Vauxhall Chevette, which had a restyled front end and launched with a hatchback body, in addition to using a 1256 cc OHV (over-head valve) Vauxhall engine rather than the 1196 cc OHV Opel engine. The Chevette made the Kadett C notable by allowing it to become Opel’s first hatchback — a version named Kadett City appeared in August 1975, based on the Chevette’s hatchback body. The Kadett’s coupé body style was never manufactured as a Chevette however. Although Kadett C production ended in 1979, the Chevette was produced until January 1984. Unusually for Vauxhall models, the Chevette was imported to Germany starting in 1979 to satisfy the need for a cheaper car than the Kadett D, and was quite a success for a year or two[citation needed] before being replaced by the Corsa A.

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Opel Kadett Roadster (1938)

Manufacturer : Opel
Productions : 1938
Engine : 1.1 liter displacement, 23 hp
Transmission : three-speed transmission
Source : netcarshow.com

The Opel classic experts were so fascinated by the 3.62-meter long study that they came up with the idea of producing the Strolch 70 years after its was initially developed. In this way they could also demonstrate that even back during the first compact class generation, Opel engineers put a tremendous amount of imagination and passion into their work on new models.

A normal Opel Kadett from 1938 in the classic car collection that has served as a source for spare parts is to be used as the basis. The technology specialists in the classic team immediately started in on their new project. Particularly challenging were the design of the aerodynamic rear and work on other body parts that were not part of the Opel Kadett series. Building the folding fabric top without detailed plans required a lot of imagination and technical skills, especially because the only reference materials were the old pictures.

But the engineers managed to elicit even some of the old pictures’ secrets. In order to determine the color of the old prototype, the historical black-white pictures were put through a precise greyscale analysis. This showed that the original Strolch was a bright red.

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Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet (1974-1979)

Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet (1974-1979) 1

Manufacturer : Volkswagen
Productions :  1974-1979
Engine : 588 cc engine to 110 PS (81 kW/108 hp)
Source : netcarshow.com

The first Golf began production in 1974. Marketed in the United States and Canada from 1975 to 1984 as the Volkswagen Rabbit and in Latin America as the Volkswagen Caribe, it featured the water-cooled, front wheel drive design pioneered by the Citroën Traction Avant in 1934 with the addition of a hatchback pioneered by the Renault 4 in 1961. The Golf was Wheels magazine’s Car of the Year for 1975. The name is short for Golf-Strom, German for Gulf Stream; it was named for that oceanic current to reflect its international character. It was originally named the Rabbit in North America and the Caribe in Latin America, ironically, because marketers decided that no one in the Western Hemisphere would understand the European name.

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Volkswagen Derby (1977-1979)

Manufacturer : Volkswagen
Productions : 1977-1979
Engine : 50 PS (37 kW) 1043 cc
Source : netcarshow.com

The Mk I Polo, a rebadged version of the Audi 50, was introduced in 1975. The differences between the Audi and VW models were minor, with the Polo being cheaper and much more basic. The two cars were initially sold along side each other, but the Audi 50 never sold as well, and was withdrawn in 1978. The Polo was manufactured at the Volkswagen plant in Wolfsburg. In 1977, the Derby sedan was released, which was simply a Polo, identical to the hatchback from the C-pillar forward, with a large boot attached (an old Audi proposal, but never sold by this brand).

When first on sale the range topping car, the LS model, featured the 50 PS (37 kW) 1043 cc engine found in the Audi 50. Other specifications included parking lights, rear wash wipe, sun visors, chromed bumpers and 4.5J X 13″ wheels. The N model was the basic starting spec lacking many of the features of the LS. In 1979 the GLS was introduced, replacing the LS as the range-topping car; specification upgrades included chrome headlight and grill surrounds, sunroof, a cigarette lighter and chrome wheel trims.

895 cc, 1093 cc and 1272 cc engines were used, with the smaller one used only in the Polo hatchback, and the 1272 cc only in the Derby, Audi 50, and the rare Polo GT. Different levels of compression were used on each size to achieve different power outputs, and the variations are numerous, often differing depending on the country of sale, ranging from 35 to 60 PS (26 to 44 kW).


Honda Prelude (1978-1979)

Manufacturer : Honda
Productions : 1978-1979
Engine :  1751 cc SOHC CVCC I4
Transmission : 5-speed manual transmission, and 68 hp with a 2-speed automatic
Source : netcarshow.com

The Honda Prelude was a front wheel drive I4-engined coupe that was manufactured by Honda between 1978 and 2001. It spanned five generations of cars but was discontinued upon the release of the fourth-generation Honda Integra in Japan in late 2001, due to its decreasing sales and popularity.

The Prelude’s perennial competitor has been the Toyota Celica, another I4-powered coupe introduced several years prior to the Prelude. Throughout the 1980s, it was challenged by the Nissan Silvia, Isuzu Impulse, Mitsubishi FTO, Mitsubishi Cordia (later the Eclipse), and the Mazda MX-6.


Dodge Ram Van (1984)

Dodge Ram Van (1984) 2

Manufacturer : Dodge
Productions : 1984
Engine : Six cylinder, 225 in³ Slant Six
Source : netcarshow.com

The Dodge Ram Van was a full-size van marketed under the Dodge brand by the Chrysler Corporation and later DaimlerChrysler. The Ram Van, which was a cargo van, was also available in a passenger van version known as the Dodge Ram Wagon.

Built on the B platform (later AB), the full-size vans entered production for the 1971 model year. At the time, the cargo vans were marketed as the Dodge Tradesman and the passenger vans were called the Dodge Sportsman. The Ram nameplate replaced both previous names in 1979. Due to a rail-through unibody design (uniframe), the Dodge platform was lighter and stronger than the competition, at the expense of NVH. Despite this unibody design, the B-series van was popular for cab-over motorhome conversion until Chrysler Corporation’s egress from that market during their bankruptcy proceedings in the 1970s.

All generations of the B-series van feature similar construction, with only small variation from era to era. The most pronounced changes were to the front fenders, hood, grille, and bumpers, which tended to follow their full-size truck counterparts in each era. Additionally, the first generation’s side door was mounted back several inches, using a fixed panel between the passenger’s side front door and the side door, allowing for more access to the side door without interfering with the front passenger’s seat. This panel was eliminated for the second generation van as it debuted in 1979, and its elimination allowed for a shorter wheelbase vehicle. Similar construction for the entire 32 years of production made the Dodge Van very popular with upbuilders, service companies, and other fleets due to the compatibility of installable options from year to year without necessitating a redesign.

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Aston Martin Bulldog Concept Car (1980)

Manufacturer : Aston Martin
Productions : 1980
Engine : 5.3L twin-turbo V8 delivering 700 bhp (522 kW)
Source : netcarshow.com

Styled by William Towns, the Aston Martin Bulldog was ultimately built as a one-off testbed. Originally, it had been intended to be a limited run of about 25. The code name for the project was DP K9, named after a Doctor Who character. It was built in the UK, but is a left-hand-drive car (UK cars are right-hand-drive). It has an incredibly low height at 43 inches (1.1 meters) high, and featured a sharp, distinctive gull-wing door design. The interior uses digital instrumentation and the rear view is delivered via a television monitor mounted on the center console (a later addition). The Aston Martin Bulldog was powered by a 5.3L twin-turbo V8 delivering 700 bhp (522 kW).

The first test drive of the Aston Martin Bulldog came in late 1979 and was a great success. The Aston Martin Bulldog achieved a verified top speed of 191 mph (307 km/h), but the theoretical top speed is estimated at 237 mph (381 km/h). The car was officially launched on March 27, 1980 at the Bell Hotel at Aston Clinton. After the development program was over, Aston Martin sold the only Bulldog to the highest bidder. The total design and construction cost of the Aston Martin Bulldog was estimated to be about £130,000.

The Aston Martin Bulldog spent some time in the United States, but later surfaced back in Britain, for sale and with a new green paint job (the original exterior colours were silver and light grey). The interior has also been changed from the original dark brown and black to light tan.

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