In the 1970s, when VW’s Golf opened the floodgates to compact hatches as mainstream family transportation, Fiat decided to jump on board too. Four years after the Golf came out, Fiat debuted the Ritmo, and the following year, the Lancia Delta came out. And it’s no surprise the Delta shared some styling cues with the first-generation Golf, as they were both designed by Giugiaro. Interestingly, the car was recognized for its contemporary styling at its debut, and received the 1980 European Car of the Year award. Many enthusiasts are familiar with the HF Integrale version of the Delta, but it’s worth looking at the car’s roots, since with a bit of hindsight, the basic, unspoilered design is quite appealing. You can find this 1983 Lancia Delta 1500 for sale for €2990 ($4138 today) in Ansouis, France.
Archive for April, 2014
No Golf – 1983 Lancia Delta 1500
April 25, 2014Petit Coupe – 1969 Peugeot 204 Coupe
April 25, 2014Many fashionable coupes on plebeian platforms, such as the VW Karmann Ghia, Ford Capri, and Fiat 850 have appeared here. However, there are some that didn’t make it to North America, in spite of following the same recipe, and having a Pininfarina-designed body to boot. That car is the Peugeot 204 coupe. The Peugeot 204 has made one appearance on these pages, but even that was likely a personal import, as these were never officially brought to North America. Built from 1965 to 1976, it was the best-selling car in France from 1969 to 1971, and was offered in sedan, coupe, convertible, wagon, and van bodystyles. You can find this 1969 Peugeot 204 coupe for sale for €1500 ($2076 today) in Limoges, France.
Violent Anger – 1967 Plymouth Fury III
April 24, 2014In case you were wondering, “violent anger” is the definition of fury. And while “I drive a Plymouth Violent Anger III with a big block V8” sounds much more manly, it’s also quite a mouthful, never mind the size of the badge you’d need to display the model name. Fury is far better if being succinct is your goal. The Fury III was the top-spec model (Furys I and II being lower-spec cars), and as with Ford, Cadillac, and Mercedes, Elwood Engle started using vertically stacked headlights on his designs. Furys came will all kinds of engines, all the way from a 225ci slant six to the brutal 426 Wedge V8. Our car falls closer to the 426 in terms of power – you can find this 1967 Plymouth Fury III for sale for $2750 in Phoenix, AZ.


