1986 in motoring - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

United Kingdom

BL was renamed to Rover Group

Rover Group

The Rover Group plc was the name given in 1986 to the British state-owned vehicle manufacturer previously known as British Leyland or BL. Owned by British Aerospace from 1988 to 1994, when it was sold to BMW, the Group was broken up in 2000 with the Rover and MG marques being acquired by the MG...

.

The Rover Group's Leyland Trucks division (which included its Freight Rover

Freight Rover

Freight Rover was a British commercial vehicle manufacturer based in Birmingham, England, United Kingdom.-History:The company was created as a division of the Land Rover Group of British Leyland in 1981, creating a new single brand for BL's panel van business.Under later company organisation...

van business) was merged with the Dutch DAF Trucks

DAF Trucks

DAF Trucks NV is a Dutch truck manufacturing company and a division of PACCAR. Its headquarters and main plant are in Eindhoven. Cabs and axle assemblies are produced at its Westerlo plant in Belgium...

company to form the new commercial vehicle

Commercial vehicle

A commercial vehicle is a type of motor vehicle that may be used for transporting goods or passengers. The European Union defines "commercial motor vehicle" as any motorised road vehicle, which by its type of construction and equipment is designed for, and capable of transporting, whether for...

company DAF NV

DAF NV

DAF NV was a commercial vehicle manufacturing company based in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. In 1993 DAF NV became insolvent.-History:...

. The new company's trucks (built in Leyland, UK and Eindhoven, Netherlands) and its vans built in Birmingham, UK, were branded as Leyland DAF

Leyland DAF

Leyland DAF was a commercial vehicle manufacturing company based in the United Kingdom, and a division of DAF NV. In 1993 DAF NV became insolvent and Leyland DAF went into receivership.-History:...

for the UK market and as DAF for other European and worldwide markets.

The Rover SD1

Rover SD1

Rover SD1 is both the code name and eventual production name given to a series of large executive cars made by British Leyland or BL through its Specialist, Rover Triumph and Austin Rover divisions from 1976 until 1986....

ceased production after 10 years and was replaced with the Rover 800

Rover 800

The Rover 800 series is an executive car introduced by the Austin Rover Group in 1986 and also marketed as the Sterling in the United States. Co-developed with Honda, it was a close relative to the Honda Legend and the successor to the Rover SD1....

, which is the third product of the venture with Honda

Honda

is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...

. The Japanese version of this Rover model was the Honda Legend

Honda Legend

The Honda Legend is a mid-size luxury car made by the Japanese automaker Honda. It was the result of Project XX, a joint agreement started in November 1981 with the Austin Rover Group of Great Britain and was mechanically related to the Rover 800 series....

.

Ford

Ford Motor Company

Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...

gave the Escort a mild facelift in March, with a new softer look. A similar makeover was given to the Orion

Ford Orion

The Ford Orion is a saloon car built by the automaker Ford for the European market from 22 July 1983 until 19 September 1993. A total of 3,534,239 Orions were sold throughout the car's 10-year life....

saloon range, which expanded to include lower specification "L" and "LX" models, having originally been sold in upmarket "GL" and "Ghia" trim only.

Vauxhall

Vauxhall Motors

Vauxhall Motors is a British automotive company owned by General Motors and headquartered in Luton. It was founded in 1857 as a pump and marine engine manufacturer, began manufacturing cars in 1903 and was acquired by GM in 1925. It has been the second-largest selling car brand in the UK for...

replaced the Carlton

Vauxhall Carlton

The Vauxhall Carlton was an executive car that was sold by Vauxhall in the United Kingdom from 1978 to 1994.-Mark I :The first Vauxhall Carlton was introduced in late 1978 as a replacement for the ageing VX1800/VX2000 saloons...

with an all-new model after eight years, but with a familiar rear-wheel drive chassis providing the underpinnings for a four-door saloon and five-door estate aimed directly at the Ford Granada

Ford Granada (Europe)

The March 1972 released Granada succeeded the British Ford Zephyr, and the German P7-series as Ford's European executive car offering. At first, lower models in the range were called the Ford Consul, but from 1975 on they were all called Granadas. The car soon became popular for taxi, fleet and...

. Engines ranged from a relatively slow 1.8 to an ultra-refined 3.0 V6 which produced almost 200 bhp. It was European Car of the Year

European Car of the Year

The European Car of the Year award was established in 1964 by a collective of automobile magazines from different countries in Europe. The current organisers of the award are Auto , Autocar , Autopista , Autovisie , L'Automobile Magazine , Stern and Vi Bilägare .The voting jury consists of motoring...

for the 1987 model year

Model year

The model year of a product is a number used worldwide, but with a high level of prominence in North America, to describe approximately when a product was produced, and indicates the coinciding base specification of that product....

Germany

Audi

Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group....

launched an all-new 80

Audi 80

The Audi 80 is a compact executive car produced by the German car manufacturer Audi, from 1966 to 1996. It shared its platform with the Volkswagen Passat from 1973 to 1986 and was available as a saloon car/sedan, and an Avant...

range to keep up with increasing competition from the BMW 3 Series

BMW 3 Series

The BMW 3 Series is a compact executive car manufactured by the German automaker BMW since May 1975. Successor to the BMW New Class, it has been produced in five different generations and in no less than five different body styles. It is BMW's best-selling model, accounting for around 30% of the...

and Mercedes-Benz 190E. The new car narrowly misses out on the European Car of the Year award; a victory would have made it the first car to win the award twice (the original model having won the accolade in 1972). The aerodynamic range of four-door saloons are the first cars in their sector to feature a fully zinc-coated body, further bolstering its already good resistance to corrosion and rust. The Audio corrosion warranty was also increased from 10 years to 12 years. There was also a wide and varied engine range, starting with an underpowered 1.6 75 bhp unit and finishing with a 2.0 113 bhp fuel injection powerhouse. Five-cylinder versions of the car, with a more upmarket interior, were sold as the Audi 90.

BMW

BMW

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...

launched an entirely new 7 Series

BMW 7 Series

The BMW 7 Series is a line of full-size luxury vehicles produced by the German automaker BMW. Introduced in 1977, it is BMW's flagship car and is only available as a sedan or extended-length limousine...

to replace the nine-year-old original version. It heralds a new era for luxury cars, setting the standards for others to match in terms of technical innovation, equipment, safety, security, quality and design flair. Even the basic 728i version offers high levels of refinement, quality, driver appeal, luxury and style. The 750iL (long-wheelbase) version doubles the cost with some of the highest standards of specification ever seen on a production car.

France

The 1986 model year

Model year

saw Renault

Renault

Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...

introduce two important new cars. The most significant of these was the Espace

Renault Espace

The Renault Espace is a large MPV from French car-maker Renault. Generations 1-3 were sold under the Renault brand but manufactured by Matra. The current fourth generation model, which seats seven passengers, is an all-Renault product; the Renault Grand Espace is a long-wheelbase version with...

- the first "proper" people carrier made by a European firm. Powered by a 2.0 petrol engine, the Espace was available in several trim levels, all of which gave a good level of specification. Its interior was unique in terms of versatility, practicality and clever touches, providing room for seven people. All of these innovation came at just a slightly higher cost than a Ford Sierra

Ford Sierra

The Ford Sierra is a large family car that was built by Ford Europe from 1982 until 1993. It was designed by Uwe Bahnsen, Robert Lutz and Patrick le Quément. The code used during development was "Project Toni"....

or Vauxhall Cavalier

Vauxhall Cavalier

The Vauxhall Cavalier is a large family car sold primarily in the UK by Vauxhall Motors, the British division of General Motors , from 1975 to 1995...

- neither of which (even in estate form) was anywhere near as practical. Renault's other major car launch of the year was the R21

Renault 21

The Renault 21 is a large family car produced by French automaker Renault between 1986 and 1994. It was also sold in North America through American Motors dealers as the Renault Medallion and the Eagle Medallion...

range, a four-door family saloon aimed directly at the Sierra, Cavalier, Austin Montego

Austin Montego

The Austin Montego is a British mid-size saloon car that was produced by the Austin Rover subsidiary of British Leyland , and its successors, from 1984 until 1994. The Montego was the replacement for the Morris Ital, to give British Leyland a modern competitor for the Ford Sierra and Vauxhall...

and Citroën BX

Citroën BX

The Citroën BX is a large family car that was produced by the French manufacturer Citroën from 1982 to 1994. In total, 2,315,739 BXs were built during its 12-year history. The hatchback was discontinued in 1993 with the arrival of the Xantia, but the estate continued for another year.-History:The...

. There is also an American-built version called the Eagle Medallion. Power comes from 1.7 and 2.0 petrol engines as well as a frugal 2.0 diesel. The R21 isn't a particularly stylish car, but its unremarkable styling hides a chassis with gives excellent ride and handling. The 2.0 petrol unit gives particularly impressive performance. For buyers who can't afford an Espace, there is also a seven-seat estate version of the R21 - badged Savanna in the UK and Nevada in France - which is only marginally more expensive than the saloon.

The Renault group suffered a tragedy in November when president Georges Besse

Georges Besse

Georges Besse was a French businessman who led several large state-controlled French companies during his lifetime. He was assassinated outside his home on November 17, 1986...

was shot dead outside his mansion in Paris. Right-wing extremists are believed to have been responsible for his murder.

Peugeot

Peugeot

Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...

has decided to phase out the Talbot

Talbot

Talbot was an automobile marque that existed from 1903 to 1986, with a hiatus from 1960 to 1978, under a number of different owners, latterly under Peugeot...

marque on passenger cars, though it will be retained for PSA's

PSA Peugeot Citroën

PSA Peugeot Citroën is a French manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles sold under the Peugeot and Citroën marques. Headquartered in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, PSA is the second largest automaker based in Europe and the number eight in the world.-History:In December 1974 Peugeot S.A....

light commercial vehicle - the Talbot Express

Talbot Express

The Talbot Express van was the last Talbot motor vehicle to be sold. Produced as part of the Sevel Sud joint venture between PSA Peugeot Citroën and Fiat, it was made in Italy alongside the Fiat Ducato, Peugeot J5 and Citroën C25. Production began in 1984 when the Talbot badge was withdrawn from...

. The phasing-out of Talbot began in January when the Horizon ceased production to be replaced by the Peugeot 309

Peugeot 309

The Peugeot 309 was a small family car manufactured between 1985 and 1993 in England and France.The 309 was originally intended to be badged as a Talbot and, as development progressed, to be called the Talbot Arizona...

- which became the first "French" car to be built in Britain, at the Ryton

Ryton-on-Dunsmore

Ryton-on-Dunsmore is a village and civil parish in the Rugby district of Warwickshire, and is south-east of Coventry, England. The 2001 census recorded a population of 1,672 in the parish. The A45 dual carriageway passes through the village....

plant near Coventry

Coventry

Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...

. The new model fits between Peugeot's popular 205

Peugeot 205

The Peugeot 205 is a supermini produced by the French car manufacturer Peugeot between 1983 and 1998. It was declared 'Car of the Decade' by CAR magazine in 1990. The 205 won 1984 What Car? car of the year.-History:...

and 505

Peugeot 505

The Peugeot 505 is a large family car produced by the French manufacturer Peugeot from 1979 to 1992 in Sochaux, France. The 505 was Peugeot's last rear-wheel drive car...

ranges, and is a direct competitor for the Ford Escort. Most of its power units, and its chassis, are derived from the Horizon. The next phase of Talbot's demise came later in the year, when the Minx and Rapier ranges (previously Alpine and Solara) and the Samba

Talbot Samba

The Talbot Samba is a supermini car manufactured by the PSA Group in the former Simca factory in Poissy, France, and marketed under the short-lived modern-day Talbot brand. Based on the Peugeot 104, it was the only Talbot not inherited from Chrysler Europe, engineered by PSA alone. It was also the...

were all withdrawn from production. This ended Talbot production in the UK, and by the end of 1986 only the Horizon assembly lines in Finland and Spain were still keeping the marque alive on passenger cars. They too will be terminated next year. The Ryton plant is set to host production of a new Peugeot-badged Sierra rival, which is due to be ready for the 1988 model year

Model year

.

The Citroën GSA

Citroën GS

The Citroën GS and Citroën GSA are small family cars produced by the French automaker Citroën. The GS was voted European Car of the Year for 1971, and was probably the most technologically advanced car in its class when launched, with class leading comfort, safety and aerodynamics.-Market...

has finally ceased production after 16 years, having been effectively replaced by the larger BX

Citroën BX

four years ago. The modernisation of Citroen will continue into 1987 with the launch of a new mini-car based around the running gear of the Peugeot 205. A CX

Citroën CX

The Citroën CX is an automobile produced by the French automaker Citroën from 1974 to 1991. Citroën sold nearly 1.2 million CXs during its 16 years of production. The CX was voted European Car of the Year in 1975....

replacement is already in the pipeline, and should be on sale before the end of the decade

1980s

File:1980s decade montage.png|thumb|400px|From left, clockwise: The first Space Shuttle, Columbia, lifted off in 1981; American President Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev eased tensions between the two superpowers, leading to the end of the Cold War; The Fall of the Berlin Wall in...

Italy

The "Type Four" platform has spawned its third car in the shape of the Fiat Croma

Fiat Croma

The Fiat Croma is a nameplate used for two automobiles produced by Italian automaker Fiat, one a large family car built from 1985 to 1996 and the other a cross-over wagon built from 2005 to 2011.- Fiat Croma :...

, which went into production early this year. It is a large five-door hatchback similar in size to the Ford Granada, and its underpinnings have been around for the year beneath the Saab 9000

Saab 9000

The Saab 9000 is an automobile that was produced by the Swedish company Saab from 1984 to 1997. The 9000 was replaced by the 9-5 in the late 1997....

and Lancia Thema

Lancia Thema

The Lancia Thema is an executive car produced by the Italian automaker Lancia between 1984 and 1994, and one of four cars to share the Type Four platform alongside the Alfa Romeo 164, Fiat Croma and Saab 9000...

. The final car on this platform - an Alfa Romeo

Alfa Romeo

Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars...

model - is due on sale next year.

To celebrate its 75th anniversary, Alfa Romeo

Alfa Romeo

has launched a 75

Alfa Romeo 75

The Alfa Romeo 75, sold in North America as the Milano, was a compact sports saloon / compact executive car produced by the Italian automaker Alfa Romeo between 1985 and 1992...

range to compete with the likes of the BMW 3 Series

BMW 3 Series

Spain

A year after the launch of the Ibiza

SEAT Ibiza

The SEAT Ibiza is a car in the European supermini class, constructed by the Spanish car maker SEAT S.A., is SEAT's best-selling car and perhaps the most popular model in the Spanish firm's range....

hatchback, the saloon version of the car has gone on sale. Badged the Málaga

SEAT Málaga

The SEAT Málaga is a four-door saloon produced by the Spanish automaker SEAT from 1985 to 1992, named after the city of Málaga in Andalucía, southern Spain....

, it is similar in size to the Ford Orion

Ford Orion

and Volkswagen Jetta

Volkswagen Jetta

Although the Golf had reached considerable success, in the North American markets, Volkswagen observed that the hatchback body style lacked some of the appeal to those who preferred the traditional three-box configuration...

. It is also much cheaper, and that is explained by relative shortcomings in terms of refinement, quality and style.

Holland

Volvo

AB Volvo is a Swedish builder of commercial vehicles, including trucks, buses and construction equipment. Volvo also supplies marine and industrial drive systems, aerospace components and financial services...

has expanded its range with its first proper coupe in more than a decade - the 480

Volvo 480

The Volvo 480 is a car with an unusual 4-seat, 3-door hatchback body, somewhere between liftback and estate in form, though marketed as a coupé...

. It is a three-door coupe with a 2+2 seating arrangement, and was designed with American buyers in mind. Mysteriously, this distinctive looking car has not been imported to the States, but it has been imported to Britain. It is Volvo's first front-wheel drive car. Power comes from a 1.7 petrol engine which is also used by Renault

Renault

and Peugeot

Peugeot

. An integral computer is built into the car to control its advanced electrical system, an innovation which is rare in any car.

Japan

Nissan has launched an all-new version of its Sunny

Nissan Sunny

The Nissan Sunny is a small car from Nissan. It was launched in 1966 as the Datsun 1000 and although production in Japan ended in 2004, it remains in production today for the African, American and Sri Lankan markets. In the US, the later models were known as the Nissan Sentra; in Mexico, the Sunny...

family car. The new model is available as a hatchback, estate, saloon or coupe. It is competitively priced, cheap to run, well built and reliable, but falls behind the best of its competitors in terms of interior space, ride and handling. Its styling is also lacking in flair. It has already been on sale for a year in its homeland, and will go on sale in Mainland Europe next year as the Pulsar

Nissan Pulsar

The Nissan Pulsar is an automobile that was produced by the Japanese automaker Nissan from 1978, when it debuted as a subcompact car, to 2007, when it was replaced in all markets by the Nissan Tiida. It was originally conceived as a replacement for Nissan's first front-wheel drive platform, the...

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.