Dreaming of a new Triumph?

This was the last Triumph 2000 series off the line; a 1977 2500S estate

As far as British car marques of yesteryear are concerned, Triumph has to be one of my favourites. Many were sporty, plenty were good looking, (having been styled by Michelotti) and most were pretty cool.
Favourites of mine? They'd have to include the six-cylinder Herald Vitesse, the Stag, TR6 and Dolomite Sprint. I even have fond memories of Triumph's last car; the Acclaim. Although effectively a Honda and not in any way sporty, I remember being taken out in one owned by my grandparents.
It's well known that Triumph suffered from reliability issues and inner-house rivalry as part of the British Leyland empire. Like many BL brands, Triumph suffered as a result. Funnily enough, the Acclaim was actually very reliable, even though it lacked the passion and character that a lot of the brand's earlier models had in spades. The last Triumph rolled off the Cowley production lines in 1984.
BMW currently own the rights to the Triumph marque. The Bavarian manufacturer acquired the name at the same time it bought the Rover Group from British Aerospace in 1994.
It came to light in 2012 that BMW had rather quietly applied for a European trademark in order to use Triumph's laurel wreath badge. It's still unclear as to what BMW's plans were for taking this action. There were rumours that BMW were thinking of introducing a slightly cheaper and lower powered range of sports cars based on BMW underpinnings.

Triumph TR6

Of course, BMW applying for a trademark doesn't necessarily mean producing a new Triumph was a serious consideration. They could have merely been protecting their ownership of the brand or maybe were just considering selling some branded Triumph accessories. It's an interesting thought though...
Certainly Triumph has a lot of brand kudos. Triumph sports cars, (in particular the TR series) were very well received and sold healthily in the US as well as Britain. The allure of owning a modern day Triumph roadster which offers simple and rewarding driving thrills maybe hard for many to resist, myself included...
Would anyone out there like to see a modern day Triumph? If so, what model would you most like to see reinterpreted?...

'Dats off' - A Brief History of Datsun

The Datsun 240Z was widely regarded as Japan's answer to the E-Type Jaguar

It's a shame really that when I think of Datsun I think of models such as the Cherry and Sunny, cars that were known for being reliable but unashamedly dull. It doesn't take long to remember the exception, the Datsun 240Z. This great looking and spirited coupe transformed the image of the Japanese marque, even though the magic was somewhat shortlived.
I decided to do a little bit of research on the company as like many people of my age, I was really only aware of Datsun giving way to Nissan in the 80's and its more recent rise from the ashes.
The name stems from the Japanese DAT Motorcar Company which started out as an independent car manufacturer in its own right. DAT decided to launch a smaller model and came to the conclusion that 'Datson' would be an ideal name for their new entry level car - the reason being that 'son' would indicate the smaller size. In 1933, fellow Japanese car maker Nissan bought the DAT Motorcar Company and renamed the marque Datsun. The reasoning behind altering 'son' to 'sun' was due to the Japanese language - 'son' means 'loss' in Japanese, not a good omen for success and prosperity. The sun is also depicted on the Japanese national flag so Datsun was believed to be the most sensible name for the new marque.
Later Datsun began importing cars into Britain and Europe. It's not hard to understand why the Japanese car industry was growing in the 1970's, especially in Britain. Although brands like Datsun often had a bit of an image problem, owners could be assured of total reliability and decent value, something that couldn't be said for cars made by British Leyland. (It's interesting to point out that in the UK, it wasn't Toyota, Datsun or Honda that introduced the first Japanese car to British consumers, it was Daihatsu. Now due to slow sales and the Yen/Sterling/Euro exchange rates, Daihatsu has completely withdrawn from the UK and European markets).
By the late 1970's, Nissan was concerned that its name wasn't well enough established compared to rivals Honda and Toyota and so decided on a plan to phase out the Datsun brand entirely. By 1986, the marque was consigned to the history books with all products sporting the Nissan badge. The strength of Nissan at this time was evident, particularly in the UK. Production of the Bluebird saloon commenced at the company's new plant in Sunderland. Nowadays this factory is thriving, producing popular models such as the Juke and Qashqai. It's often credited as being one of the most efficient car factories in the business.
Fast forward to 2013 and the Renault-Nissan Alliance decided to revive the Datsun brand. CEO Carlos Ghosn announced to the world that Datsun would become a budget brand for emerging economies and would focus on the Indian, Russian and Indonesian markets. The models would be built in Asia in order to keep production costs down and would focus on Datsun's key strengths of value and reliability. Ghosn pointed out that Datsun consumers could move up through the ranks to buy Nissan models allowing them to remain loyal to the brand as personal incomes grew. 
There's plenty of similarities to how Renault revived Dacia. Dacia has been a huge success for the French firm and the wider Renault-Nissan Alliance. In fact at times, Dacia has sold more models in selected European markets than its owner. Datsun will look to follow in Dacia's footsteps by offering affordable vehicles for certain markets using tried and tested components from its owner's parts bin.
Datsun models, like those from Dacia, will hold a strong appeal to those who want to buy into a brand that sells affordable cars that are reliable, clean, safe and just do exactly what they say on the tin.
So far there's been controversy...
Datsun's Indian built Go supermini scored zero stars in Global NCAP crash tests. The model was said to have collapsed during the test. The world safety organisation called Nissan to withdraw the model from sale. (It's only fair to point out that Nissan hasn't been the only carmaker to have been accused of skimping on safety to increase profit margins. GM have also been in a similar boat with the Mexican market Chevrolet Aveo).
Either way Datsun is back on the road. It's just unfortunate that cars like the 240Z aren't on the horizon anytime soon. After all, market priorities change.
So what do you think?... Does anyone out there have fond memories of Datsun? If so, which ones?...

DeLorean Rises from the Ashes

The DeLorean is making a comeback, this time as an EV

Thanks to its futuristic looks, stainless steel body and appearances in the Back to the Future film franchise, the DeLorean DMC-12 is one of the most recognisable cars ever made, despite the fact the product itself was a commercial flop.
The company was set up by businessman John DeLorean and thanks to a British government grant, production was set for Dunmurry in Northern Ireland. Production kicked off in 1981 at which time things started to go south...
At the DMC-12's launch, the US was facing one of its biggest slumps since the 1930's. Not only were sales slow in the DeLorean's key market but John DeLorean himself was accused of embezzling company funds. The FBI even accused him of plotting to smuggle cocaine into the US in return for cash to keep the company afloat. DeLorean was later acquitted of any wrongdoing. Even so, the writing was on the wall and production came to an end in 1982. A total of 9,000 units were built.
The car itself sported many design led features such as gull-wing doors. Unfortunately the driving experience was nothing to write home about. The engine was a rather humble Renault sourced 150bhp V6.
Fast forward to 2012 and rumours began circulating that production would kick start again, this time in Texas. Reports suggested that from 2013 customers would be able to buy a brand new DeLorean. This time though there was one big difference - the old petrol engine was due to be replaced with an electric motor. It seems even retro projects were getting in on the eco theme.
The planned DMC-EV was the work of Stephen Wynne, a long standing DeLorean fan who set up a specialist workshop to preserve the cars after moving to the United States many moons ago. He acquired the rights to the DeLorean name in 1995 and has had plans ever since to make new ones. He is a fan of electric vehicles, believing they will have a big part in the future of motoring, hence his decision to power the new model by electricity.
The DMC-EV was mooted to cost about £57,000 and was said to hit 60mph in about five seconds with a top speed of 120mph. Range was expected to be in the region of 100 miles with a charge time expected to take 15 hours. New DeLorean production will likely take place at DeLorean's new HQ in Houston, Texas.
I've never been a huge fan of the DeLorean although I can understand its cult appeal. I expect the new EV model would have appealed to a select number of customers who are not only fans of the original, but who also want an EV with sure-fire 80's appeal. It would certainly offer a chance to stand out against the expected popularity of Tesla's new Model-X, another gullwing sporting EV.
News of the DMC-12's revival has been rather quiet recently and their company website isn't clear on when new models will actually start production and indeed if it will sport an electric powertrain or if it will feature a petrol engine instead. A relaxation of US law concerning niche vehicle manufacturing is said to be in DeLorean's favour. The company is said to be in talks with a number of engine suppliers. At the time of writing, small scale production is due to commence in 2017.
We'll have to wait and see what happens with new DeLorean manufacturing. In the meantime share your memories and thoughts on DeLorean. Are you a fan? If so, are you pleased that it's due to come back from the dead?...