Corrosion resistance wasn’t a key design goal for the '85 Valence. At the time, the use of corrosion resistant steel was more common on premium cars than mainstream cars.
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I wish I could writte the story of my cars like you do :’(
Damn! What a story. Really like the level of detail you’re going into. How much research did you do into similar cars from the time for this?
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Each car takes a couple hours of research or so. I really enjoy learning about what everyday cars were like in each decade. I didn’t grow up in the 70s and 80s so there’s plenty of historical context to learn about! It really gives a nice sense of perspective. People remember the sports cars and the supercars, but I feel that it’s the boring everyday cars that truly capture what living in a certain time period was like.
I’m using Automobile-Catalog for my performance data and fueleconomy.gov for mileage. I’m not sure how comparable they are to Automation, but at least they are consistent.
As for the actual historical context, I’m a big fan of Curbside Classic. The level of writing in these articles is simply fantastic, and far beyond anything I can match. Here’s a couple of articles about 80s cars to get you in the mood:
1982 Audi 100
1986 Honda Accord
1986 Ford Taurus 1
1986 Ford Taurus 2
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Wow, thanks for sharing those links! I need to spend some time on Automobile Catalogue I think, seriously helpful tool by the looks of it.
And you are so right, it is the boring every day cars that define the period. It’s why I love the Mk II Cortina so much, because they were so popular.
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In the early-to-mid 1990s, there was a R&D fervor going on behind the scenes at Adenine and Inline Designs. Not content with simply maintaining the status quo, Adenine invested billions of dollars in hopes of blowing away the competition with superior engineering. New technologies were being developed left and right, and Adenine was keen on delivering a new Valence that could be as innovative and revolutionary as the original.
Leading the charge was Inline Designs’s all-new 2.0L DOHC I4 engine, featuring lightweight AlSi construction and the second-generation ATP variable valve system. The first generation had been capable of VVT only, but the addition of VVL allowed a huge leap forward in both efficiency and drivability. The cam profiles were optimized for performance at the low and high ends, with the turbocharger providing the mid-range grunt. While the problem of turbo lag was not fully solved, the engine was more capable before the turbo spooled, and the power delivery felt much closer to a naturally aspirated engine - all thanks to the incredible versatility of VVL.
Another important development was the new low friction cast pistons, which promised exceptional fuel economy. The downside was that the pistons were much weaker than the forged pistons Inline Designs was familiar with, necessitating a lower redline and an oversquare design. On the other hand, with the oversquare design and fitted with forged pistons, the Sport variant of the engine could rev up to 7500RPM and produce an impressive 227hp.
<img src="/uploads/default/original/4X/b/1/3/b13dbe54ab8bf2ce6c6e0511c8b2e9097ce88877.jpg" width=“500"”>
The car’s chassis was also completely reengineered for 1997, bearing almost no resemblance to its predecessors. Adenine took advantage of advances in materials, with new high strength steel alloys improving safety, stiffness, and corrosion resistance. All-new, fully independent suspension was a major selling point, as rear double wishbones replaced the venerable torsion beam. Furthermore, the sway bars were hydraulically actuated, allowing the stiffness to be changed dynamically to match road conditions. On higher trim levels, the Valence also offered semi-active dampers for even better adjustability.
The exterior design of the car was significantly updated for 1997. By now, the checkered grille introduced with the 1985 Valence had become Adenine’s corporate face. The car’s appearance was certainly influenced by the rounded, blobby styling that was popular in the day. However, its steeply raked front and rear windshields and very short front overhang made it stand out. On the inside, the Valence offered a basic cassette player and advanced safety as standard, with an upgraded premium interior and a luxurious CD player as options.
The combination of new technologies delivered some truly impressive results. The base trim’s fuel economy rose to 38mpg while power rose to 165hp. Both figures were able to blow away all the other cars in the segment, which started around 25mpg and 150hp. 0-62 could be achieved in a peppy 9.1 seconds, a full two seconds faster than its predecessor. The new chassis and suspension made the car lightweight and nimble, with accurate handling and excellent ride quality. Pricing started at $13500 (+20%) which was a bargain for the sheer amount of technology included.
In the Premium trim, the same 2.0L four-cylinder could produce 216hp and do 0-62 in 8.7 seconds, easily outclassing the V6s that other cars offered. With a base price of $22000 (+40%), the Valence Premium had the comfort and technology expected of a top-tier luxury sedan at an incredible price.
The Sport trim of the Valence perhaps benefited the most from the new technology. The semi-active dampers and sway bars gave it remarkable handling for a front-wheel drive car. Incredibly light, and blessed with a powerful 227hp engine, the Sport trim could make the 0-62 run in just 6.8 seconds and corner at 1.1g. The car now had more power and less weight than a Mustang GT, and could beat it in a quarter mile with a good launch. All with 27mpg and a price of $17000 (+30%).
The new Valence was launched in 1997 with considerable fanfare. Advertisements crowed about the unmatched fuel economy, the cutting edge technology, and the advanced suspension. Adenine was confident that the new Valence would be a success. It would have to be - developing all of the new technology had come at a steep cost.
And it was, to some extent. By all accounts, the 1997 Adenine Valence was an excellent sedan for its time. Reviewers consistently put it at the top of the family sedan class and praised it as an innovative, well-designed refinement of the Valence formula. The problem was that the Valence formula was not in demand anymore. In the 90s, gas-guzzling SUVs and trucks were all the rage, and Adenine failed to deliver on this front. While Adenine did have the Reverence pickup truck, it had no family-oriented SUV that could compete with the Explorers and RAV4s that swept the market. Expecting that the wagon variant of the Valence would satisfy the need, Adenine could only sit back helplessly and watch as sales figures plummeted. With low gas prices, the high fuel economy was completely ignored by customers, and the small size was looked down upon by the rest of the market. Even worse, with light truck sales booming, other manufacturers were able to lower the price of their sedans. Since Adenine was dependent on its sedans and coupes for profit, its prices were significantly undercut.
The late 1990s and early 2000s were difficult times for Adenine. While other automakers flourished, Adenine saw heavy losses. All the money that had been poured into developing new technology failed to produce results. What was intended to be a game changer turned out to be terribly behind the curve. The Valence, regarded as a crowning achievement by its engineers, was a flop.
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That rear light design is to die for. Shame that this car failed though, 70+ drivability for this period is magnificent. That sports trim also looks to be incredible value for money too.
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A great idea ruined by bad timing. So will you build a real crossover to fill the void in the Adenine range, just because of market trends?
@szafirowy01 you have hit the nail on the head - by exporting the Valence to Europe, Adenine would have recouped the company’s investment, and proven that their faith in small turbo engines was, in fact, not misplaced.
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Adenine should have exported it to Europe - the Valence would fit perfectly here 
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They have to face the Znopresk Zenit in Europe 
That’s the problem
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I haven’t really put a lot of thought into how global Adenine is at this point. Yes, the Valence would make a ton of sense in Europe, but it doesn’t make for a good story, haha. I like the idea of thinking, “how would a Swedish/Japanese-inspired eco turbo car do in the US market through the decades?” It’s a fascinating thought experiment. 
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The 90s had been a very difficult decade for Adenine. After investing billions of dollars into research and development, the company had been caught off guard by the sudden boom of SUVs and minivans. Adenine had always been a highly engineering-focused company, and there was no question that it could design and engineer some of the most advanced vehicles on the market. But innovative engineering was only a part of the reason for Adenine’s early successes in the 60s and 70s. Perhaps more important was a strong understanding of market forces and demands. Penrose had understood this ever since his original Advent failed in the 1960s while the Veranda became a success. He understood it when he commissioned development of the ‘75 Valence, which turned out to be perfect for 70s oil crisis America. But after Penrose retired in 1980, the company had been hesitant to deviate from its established image and slow to adapt to changing markets.
Still reeling from heavy losses throughout the 90s, the discontinuation of several nameplates, and the death of Penrose, Adenine underwent significant changes around the turn of the new millennia. The new market-focused leadership rushed development of a unibody crossover SUV, which would be introduced in 2001. The Ambience was able to capture enough of the SUV craze to keep the company afloat, but Adenine’s SUV lineup was still far behind almost every other automaker. Change would be slow: Adenine had invested a lot of money in developing efficient technology in the past decade, and going back on that would mean admitting that the money had been wasted.
When it came time to plan the next-generation Valence in 2004, there was a lot of discussion as to where Adenine should put its focus. Should they let the existing generation soldier on, and invest more money into SUVs? Or should they stick to the Valence’s roots, and once again bet against the US automotive industry?
Maybe the answer was obvious, maybe it wasn’t. More and more SUVs were flying off dealer lots each year, and it seemed like Adenine was just digging itself into a deeper and deeper hole. But there were signs of change. The September 11 terrorist attacks and the resulting War on Terror showed that there was still a lot of instability in the Middle East. Slowly, almost imperceptibly at first, gas prices started rising in 2004. Perhaps almost out of a sense of deja vu, Adenine eventually decided to go all-in on developing a new Valence. It was a risky decision, one that was questioned by many industry insiders. If it went wrong, Adenine would be at risk of a hostile takeover. The Big Three were all too eager to get their hands on Adenine’s technology.
Adenine didn’t have a whole lot of money to spend on the new car, so the primary design philosophy was “small changes that make a big impact.” The basic engine and chassis were carried over from the old car, but a few key technological advancements pushed the Valence to new heights.
The most important of these was lean-burn direct injection, which offered tremendous benefits to both economy and performance. Under low-load conditions, the injectors could inject a stratified charge, allowing for stoichiometric combustion at the spark plug while having a very low AFR overall. Meanwhile, the cooling effect of direct injection allowed for better-optimized ignition timing and more compression, leading to greater power output. The base engine could produce a sprightly 195hp, and the sport version could produce over 250hp.
On the outside, the biggest change was the striking new roofline. The beautifully raked fastback design allowed the Valence to achieve an impressively low CdA of 0.623 sq m. Although a short-trunked sedan version was kept to appease conservative buyers, Adenine pushed the new 5-door liftback as the primary body style. Its all-around practicality and sporty coupe-like appearance made it stand out from the very conventionally-styled sedans of the day.
Another new addition was a six-speed automated manual transmission, with the regular automatic relegated to higher trim levels. The electrohydraulic controls could be added quite easily to the existing manual, and the resulting gearbox was efficient and reliable while offering the ease of use that most Americans expected.
As the Valence neared completion, Adenine engineers were ecstatic. Fuel prices were on the rise, SUV sales were declining, and it was clear that the market was on the verge of a tipping point. They had guessed right, and their years developing advanced, highly efficient technology would finally pay off. But they had not anticipated just how right they would be…
The Valence finally arrived in 2007, just in time for the biggest shock to the automotive industry since the 1970s. The economy crashed, fuel prices skyrocketed, and demand for the once-beloved SUVs disappeared overnight. Customers flocked to buy the new Valence. Its outstanding 43mpg fuel economy easily outclassed everything that wasn’t a Prius, and it could deliver much better handling and performance than any hybrid. It could go 0-62 in 8.5 seconds for the base trim, 7.9 for the premium trim, and 6.5 for the sport trim. Comfortable, stylish, and exceedingly efficient, the 2007 Valence recaptured the glory of the original 1975 version and catapulted Adenine into the lead once again.
It wasn’t all fun and joy for Adenine, though. While the Valence was almost constantly in a shortage, Adenine’s SUVs and trucks languished on lots, unsold. Car sales on the whole were down, and Adenine had to suffer losses and close down factories. Still, Adenine was far better prepared for the crisis than any of its American competitors. By the time the dust had settled, GM and Chrysler had gone bankrupt and Ford had come close to the brink. In the ensuing fallout, many pointed to Adenine as proof that American automakers could be fuel-efficient and technologically advanced.
Ultimately, GM and Chrysler were bailed out by the US government, so Adenine was back to competing with the Big Three again. But by developing for efficiency early on - and learning some painful lessons in the 90s - Adenine had gotten a significant head start over the opposition. The markets and the engineering were now aligned once again, and Adenine was poised to lead the US automotive industry out of the hole it had fallen into.
Special thanks to @partario for the sexy liftback! 
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Now this time the Valence was launched at the right time, so would this generation of Valence have been successful in other markets such as Europe?
Oh yes. Not only a new Valence with a cool story, but also this new Vectra body variant 
And now we’ve come full circle to the stunning new Valence. I wasn’t sure about that grill design at the start to be honest but it’s really grown on me; nice, ordered and tidy design. Great!
The Adenine Valence is a series of front-wheel drive sedans manufactured by Adenine Automotive since 1975. First introduced as a small compact car in the middle of the 1970s oil crisis, it quickly became a sales success with its revolutionary turbocharged inline-4 engine and excellent fuel economy.
Through its many generations, the Valence has developed a reputation for innovative engineering, high build quality, and most of all, exceptional efficiency. By 1985, the Valence had moved up to the midsize class where it has remained a dominant sales leader for many years. It has led the midsize segment in EPA fuel economy every year since 1985. In addition, the Valence family has spawned luxury and performance variants, which have become known for bringing surprising comfort and performance at a great value.
Since it was introduced in 1975, the Valence has defined the Adenine brand, being its most famous and best-selling nameplate. From its breakout in the 70s, to its faltering in the 90s, and its resurgence in the 00s and 10s, the Valence has always been inextricably linked to the success and failure of Adenine as a whole. Its blend of efficiency, comfort, and drivability at an excellent price is representative of Adenine’s core philosophy.
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I do like the last facelift
Now that Unreal is upon us, I’m gonna try to finish up what I have left for the Kee Universe 
I didn’t spend quite as much time styling these since I’m gonna have to do them all over for Unreal anyway!
The Reverence started out as the third vehicle in Adenine’s 1960s lineup. Pickup trucks were quite a foreign concept to a Brit like Penrose, but he recognized their popularity and usefulness. In order to be competitive with the other American automakers, Adenine needed to have a pickup truck. But there was a problem: the Adenine factory was only capable of producing front-wheel drive, unibody vehicles. Could Penrose design a competitive pickup truck with these limitations?
Penrose had known that this would be an issue early on when he was planning out Adenine’s market strategy. His unibody design had many advantages, but it certainly could not surpass the durability and utility of a ladder chassis. Furthermore, he wasn’t sure if pickup buyers accustomed to 4x4s would appreciate the benefits of front-wheel drive.
Still, retooling the factory again to produce a separate ladder chassis was out of the question. And designing a pickup truck would be easy since the Advent already looked the part. The entire front half of the Advent could be carried over with almost zero modifications. In the rear, the wheelbase was extended to 2.9m and the rear trailing arms were replaced with a solid axle, leaf spring suspension for better cargo capability. Since the solid axle did not need to include the driveshafts and differential, the unsprung weight was greatly reduced - meaning that ride quality was considerably better than standard solid axle trucks of the time. In addition, with no transmission tunnel, the floor of the bed could be made lower for additional cargo space.
The Advent’s chassis was not wide enough to simply drop in the I6 and V8 engines from the Veranda, so Penrose modified them into smaller 3.4L and 4.5L variants. To save tooling costs, both engines used the same 86.2mm bore and 96.9mm stroke. Like the Veranda engines, they used a direct acting overhead cam with a single barrel/double carb configuration. The 3.4L I6 produced over 200hp SAE gross (162hp net) and the 4.5L V8 produced 280hp gross (209hp net). While this was a step down from the Veranda’s output, the numbers were still remarkably competitive with the pickup engines of the time, especially considering their small displacement.
In the later stages of testing, Adenine engineers discovered two potential problems: First, loading cargo into the bed of the truck would shift weight distribution to the rear, away from the driven wheels. Second, when towing heavy trailers, the stresses would concentrate at the corner where the top of the bed met the cab, and the bed could tear away from the cab. In a conventional pickup, these loads would be taken by the frame, and the bed and cab were two separate parts.
Penrose had anticipated the weight distribution issue but the stress issue was an unexpected problem. He decided to make the walls of the bed taller, which would hopefully distribute the stresses better. This, of course, also made it much more difficult to load cargo into the bed, but he thought it would be worth the tradeoff. Still, it was clear that the unibody Reverence would be at a disadvantage in overall utility compared to competitors.
The Adenine Reverence was released in 1967 to a mixed reception. It had one key advantage: its price. With an inflation-adjusted base price of $10000 (20% markup), the Reverence had the power and cargo capacity of a full-size pickup truck with the cost of a much smaller vehicle. This made it a very interesting proposition in the US, which had not yet embraced the compact pickup market. Some have speculated that the low cost of the Reverence drove Ford and Chevy to introduce badge-engineered compact pickups like the Ford Courier (Mazda B-series) and Chevy LUV (Isuzu Faster), although this is unlikely since the 1st gen Reverence never posed a significant threat to the sales of the Big Three.
The styling certainly suited the Reverence far more than the Advent, and its size and specs were on point. The Reverence proved to be successful with casual truck buyers, who only needed the ability to haul large items on an occasional basis. Its handling and ride quality were far above competing pickups, and were often considered to be better than many sedans. In addition, with its powerful engines and low weight, the Reverence was surprisingly quick. The base model with the 3.4L I6 could do 0-62 in 9.2 seconds; a fully loaded model with the 4.5L V8 could do it in 8.1. During this time period, many Americans began buying pickup trucks for lifestyle and image reasons rather than pure utility, and the Reverence’s carlike handling and low cost made it perfectly suited for these customers.
However, heavy-duty users soon ran into issues. Reports of Reverences spinning their front wheels or detaching their beds popped up here and there. People who knew trucks soon learned to steer clear of the “fake” truck made by Adenine, which definitely hurt Adenine’s reputation in the truck world. Luckily, this did not greatly affect Adenine’s sales to average consumers, who weren’t as knowledgeable about such matters. With its low price, Adenine was still able to sell as many Reverences as they built (which, at this point, was not very many).
Still, Penrose was worried about the future prospects for the Reverence. If Adenine wanted to grow, the Reverence would have to be embraced by the hardcore pickup drivers as much as the average consumers. The next Reverence would have to be a 4x4 body-on-frame pickup - but where would he get the money to build a whole new factory?
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If you guys are interested, here’s an in-depth article on the advantages and disadvantages of a unibody pickup truck: http://truckyeah.jalopnik.com/mid-size-trucks-dont-need-frames-1785674405
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In 1973, Penrose was still pondering what to do with the Reverence. He had already sketched out some designs for a more conventional 4x4 pickup, but when the oil crisis hit, any hopes of designing a brand new ladder chassis and factory for the truck went out the window. Penrose feared that the existing FWD architecture would have to soldier on, perhaps with some updated engines.
But out of the darkness, came an opportunity. Mexican automaker Mastin had recently split from its parent company ADM and was struggling in the crisis. Burdened with oversized factories and dwindling sales, Mastin was faced with crippling overproduction. The company was trying to sell everything it could - crate engines, transmissions, and even the ladder chassis from the Borzoi SUV/pickup.
And so, in early 1974, Adenine and Mastin hammered out a deal that would benefit both sides. Adenine would purchase the Borzoi chassis and replace exterior and interior components as necessary. It would supply its own engines and transmissions. Meanwhile, Mastin could expand to the lucrative US market while reducing overproduction.
Penrose was overjoyed to sign the deal with Mastin. The Borzoi chassis was perfectly suited for his needs, with its galvanized steel frame and solid axle, leaf-sprung rear suspension. And he didn’t have to pay any of the costs to develop or produce it! Even better, the longitudinal orientation meant that he could simply drop in the new 3.2L I6 turbo being developed for the Veranda. So a large portion of the engineering for the brand new truck was already done.
The main challenge for Adenine was designing the new 4x4 drivetrain. Penrose hadn’t worked on 4x4s in 30 years, and none of his engineers had experience with them either. Fortunately, Mastin engineers were happy to work with him to integrate their 4x4 system with Adenine’s 4-speed automatic. Anything they could do to sell more components was a plus!
Aside from dropping in the new turbo engine, Adenine didn’t need to make too many changes to the Borzoi chassis. The wheels and brakes were a little different, and the base trim came with no radio to save costs. A more premium interior and the high-end 8-track cassette player from the Veranda were available as options. Higher trim levels also added additional safety features.
The end result was a Reverence that was almost completely different than the one that came before it. Its old-fashioned ladder frame, built for the toughest Mexican environments, was resilient and durable. Combined with RWD and 4x4 capability, the new Reverence was able to withstand heavy loads and towing duties. Serious pickup drivers were satisfied.
However, in making the change to compete with conventional pickup trucks, many of the original Reverence’s unique advantages were lost. The new drivetrain was considerably heavier and more expensive than the compact, space-efficient FWD layout. With a starting price of $12000 (+20%), the new Reverence was quite a bit more expensive than its predecessor. It was also slower (0-62 in 10 seconds) and had poorer handling, largely due to the extra weight and reduced rigidity. In addition, the exotic turbocharged engine raised questions about reliability.
But what was undeniable was the Reverence’s impressive 18mpg fuel economy. In the wake of the 1973 oil crisis, the Reverence offered all the utility of a conventional full-size pickup truck but with nearly twice the gas mileage. In a time when even the largest American V8s were getting strangled by emissions regulations, Adenine’s turbo six balanced excellent power with class-leading efficiency. Highly capable, durable, and economical, the Reverence finally started to gain respect within the pickup truck world. And for that, Penrose had to thank his friends down in Mexico.
The '75 Reverence was a unique combination of automotive engineering from around the world. A classic American pickup truck, built on a Mexican chassis, with an exotic turbocharged heart designed by American and European engineers. During a difficult decade for the US automotive industry, Adenine was able to succeed by turning to creative solutions and people. By the 1980s, Adenine had made enough money to build its own factory for the Reverence, and Mastin was eventually acquired by Meliora Automotive.
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