Sir, the car doesn't have feelings. It can't get hurt.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

So essentially you had a Pontiac Acadian then

In the States, it was called the Pontiac T1000. Or 1000.

My grandma used to drive one of those until it got broadsided by a truck pulling a trailer. Grandma survived.

[zzapp the witch]

Ok then, you sally of know it all gearheads, what's my Austin Heely 1964 Sprite related to?

[Jester]

I wasn't ignorant of the practice...

I wasn't speaking of you (or anyone) in particular, merely commenting on how a lot of people are.

[protege]

Ok then, you sally of know it all gearheads, what's my Austin Heely 1964 Sprite related to?

The MG Midget. Also related to the Sprite, was the Italian-built Innocenti Spyder

Back on topic, quite a few cars have been badge-engineered over the years. GM and British Motor Company (later British Leyland) were notorious for it. At the time, it was seen as an easy way to ensure that every division had the "hot" product. In reality, all it did was segment the market, and have too many similar cars chasing the same dollars.

For example, BL's 1100/1300 wore 6 different badges--Austin, Morris, MG, Riley, Vanden Plas, and Wolseley. Other than different grilles, a slightly 'hotter' engine in the MG and Riley, and plusher interiors on the Wolseley and VdP, not really much made them stand out. Still, BMC/BL sold 2 million of them.

Occasionally, such "engineering" can backfire--GM found that out with the Cadillac Cimarron. Customers simply couldn't see paying thousands more for what was essentially, a tarted-up Chevy Cavalier. They felt that Cadillacs (at least then) should be large, powerful, comfortable cars...things which the Cimarron was NOT!

[Andara Bledin]

Occasionally, such "engineering" can backfire--GM found that out with the Cadillac Cimarron. Customers simply couldn't see paying thousands more for what was essentially, a tarted-up Chevy Cavalier. They felt that Cadillacs (at least then) should be large, powerful, comfortable cars...things which the Cimarron was NOT!

Poorly tarted up Cavalier. The Cimarron had lousy handling, especially for something with a Cadillac badge on it. Their more recent foray into smaller cars had similar issues with the handling not being on a par with the rest of the vehicle.

^-.-^

[protege]

Their more recent foray into smaller cars had similar issues with the handling not being on a par with the rest of the vehicle.

Yep, the awful Catera...which was a tarted-up Opel Seriously, Caddy should stick to what they do best--build gas-guzzling land yachts instead of prostituting their logo on less-expensive cars

[Argabarga]

The Cimarron was bad enough that Car Talk on NPR rated it the 9th WORST car ever made when they listed the worst cars of the 20th Century, specificaly saying that you were getting a small, poor-handling car, with a CADDY PRICE TAG.

Saw a white one in town here the other day and almost crashed my own car doing a double-take, you have to see one to believe how transparent a "rebadge" job it really is.

[WhiteWolf]

This story kinda reminds me of the one episode of Top Gear, where they use 3 female models to try and explain the difference between 3 types of Porsch 911 models


But yea, using similar parts for cars, is nothing unusual, heck, occasionally, cross company, the Pontiac Vibe, (GM) is the same as a Toyata Matrix (Uses the same engine, same overall parts, just slightly different shape, and interior)

[Andara Bledin]

And it looks to be getting more interesting.

Daimler, Renault, and Nissan are setting up to share parts lines on common parts, particularly their compact lines.

^-.-^

[Argabarga]

THis is why I get a big chuckle on the inside whenever someone still tries to argue that there's any meaningful difference in "import" vs "domestic" cars.

[wildman]

It's actually nice that VW and Porsche are under the same roof again.

The original VW (the old Beetle) was designed by none other than Ferdinand Porsche - though, pressed for time under Führer's orders, he "borrowed" a lot of design elements from the Tatra T97 - including the unusual air-cooled flat-four in the back. It's said that Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia partly to "deal with" a patent suit.

The original 911 models were essentially tweaked Beetles, too (for some value of "tweaked"). A stronger chassis, two fewer seats, a bigger engine, and a shape that at least looked faster... but still the same basic design with a flat air-cooled engine in the back, just like a small Tatra.

Tatra are still in business, but don't make cars any more - they make all-wheel-drive trucks that make a Humvee look pussy. With - you guessed it - air-cooled engines!

Wow, That is amazing! I didn't know that about the VW Beetle design! I owned 3 VW Beetles in the 70's and 80's. Loved 'em.
You learn something new every day!

[WhiteWolf]

THis is why I get a big chuckle on the inside whenever someone still tries to argue that there's any meaningful difference in "import" vs "domestic" cars.

Tell me about it, in general, Foreign Car Manufacturers that have plants here in the States, are more Domestic than Groups like GM or Chrysler (Most of their parts instead come from Canada, Mexico, or China)

[Bandit]

But yea, using similar parts for cars, is nothing unusual, heck, occasionally, cross company, the Pontiac Vibe, (GM) is the same as a Toyata Matrix (Uses the same engine, same overall parts, just slightly different shape, and interior)

And for double-bonus points, they were build on the same line with (mostly) the same tooling.....

B

[mattm04]

I had someone claim that their GMC Envoy was a completely different vehicle than my Chevy TrailBlazer. Um. No. essentially same vehicle minus banding and sheet metal. same goes with the GMC Yukon and Chevy Tahoe.

[Argabarga]

You can throw the Escalade in with the Yukon/Suburban too! And the last of the Oldsmobile Bravadas were also from the same branch of the family tree as the Envoy/T-Blazer