Top 10: Utilitarian designs
What we’re looking at here are cars that started out in life with a deliberate poverty spec, and remained true to their roots. Cars that were designed to do a job of work, with none of the frills and fanciness that many of their competitors deemed desirable. Cars that were proud to be utilitarian.
From the last of the ‘sit up and beg’ Fords to the first of the Minis, with various offerings from France, Italy, Japan and Germany thrown in for good measure, we reckon this is the ultimate list of brilliantly utilitarian post-World War II cars.
Subaru 360
If you’ve never seen a Subaru 360 on the road, that’s because it wasn’t officially sold in the UK; and yet it remains an important model in utilitarian motoring history, not only for being Subaru’s first ever passenger car but also for being an early example of Japanese Kei car design.
With almost 400,000 built between 1958 and ’71, the 360 was quite a success. It was an intriguing design too, thanks to its combination of monocoque construction, rear-mounted two-cylinder engine and swing axle rear suspension. In its homeland, the 360 was affectionately known as the 'Ladybug'.
lammascot on 2 October 2017
The dear old Mini. It was an absolute revolution. I bought my first one on announcement day, 26 August 1959 and took delivery on 26 October. My car was no. 000415, one of the pre-production batch sent out to dealers.I didn't see another one on the road for weeks. Everywhere I went, crowds gathered! Bus drivers looked down and chuckled. Driving it was a totally new experience. The handling was far better than nearly all other cars on the road. Even with only 848cc to pull you along, you could keep up by beating the others on corners. As one of the earliest ones on the road it suffered many problems, mostly fixed under warranty. When it rained the engine stopped as water got into the distributor, and the fuel pump motor, and water poured into the front seat wells due to poor construction of the front wheel arches. Synchromesh didn't last long and the dealer told me fixing it wouldn't cure it for long either. But the worst feature was the brakes. These drum brakes did not self-adjust, and the linings were awful. One had to stop and readjust them about every 250 miles. Eventually, a friend obtained some Ferodo competition linings for me which were a considerable improvement. We started to do well in rallies. But the wheels were not strong enough and were easily buckled. I believe that competitors at Silverstone actually had wheels fail completely.
But I loved her. I had more sheer driving fun with my Mini than any other car I've ever had, over more than 60 years, including sports cars. And she could take our family of four, including luggage and a push chair. I'd love to have driven a Mini Cooper S, but when I had mine she was Queen of the Road!
lammascot on 2 October 2017
The dear old Mini. It was an absolute revolution. I bought my first one on announcement day, 26 August 1959 and took delivery on 26 October. My car was no. 000415, one of the pre-production batch sent out to dealers.I didn't see another one on the road for weeks. Everywhere I went, crowds gathered! Bus drivers looked down and chuckled. Driving it was a totally new experience. The handling was far better than nearly all other cars on the road. Even with only 848cc to pull you along, you could keep up by beating the others on corners. As one of the earliest ones on the road it suffered many problems, mostly fixed under warranty. When it rained the engine stopped as water got into the distributor, and the fuel pump motor, and water poured into the front seat wells due to poor construction of the front wheel arches. Synchromesh didn't last long and the dealer told me fixing it wouldn't cure it for long either. But the worst feature was the brakes. These drum brakes did not self-adjust, and the linings were awful. One had to stop and readjust them about every 250 miles. Eventually, a friend obtained some Ferodo competition linings for me which were a considerable improvement. We started to do well in rallies. But the wheels were not strong enough and were easily buckled. I believe that competitors at Silverstone actually had wheels fail completely.
But I loved her. I had more sheer driving fun with my Mini than any other car I've ever had, over more than 60 years, including sports cars. And she could take our family of four, including luggage and a push chair. I'd love to have driven a Mini Cooper S, but when I had mine she was Queen of the Road!
soldierboy000 on 2 October 2017
Their is a teriffic echo in here.
WilliamRead on 2 October 2017
No VW.... the eponymous Peoples' Car.Add a comment