1986 Jidosha Kogaku Kumo Te
I can only imagine the surprised look I had on my face when I walked up to this little “Kei wagon”, saw it was right-hand drive, and then learned that it was only ever built that way. At least, in that particular configuration.
I was unaware at the time that, in 1986, Jidosha actually built a version of their Kogaku that was specific to the North American market. In hindsight, I should have seen it coming; the marker lights were all wrong for Japan, so it had to be an actual Federal model. It also took me a while to figure out why this particular trim couldn’t be sold in Japan, lights aside.
It was the engine. I honestly thought it was a Kei engine at first, being under the 660cc limit. But that’s only what a relative neophyte like myself knew. For those who don’t know, let me explain what tripped me up. I knew that the original size limit for a Kei was 360 cc and that it changed in the 80’s to 660cc. Well, turns out I was wrong on both parts of that second half. There was an intermediate step to 550cc in 1976, and it didn’t change to 660cc until 1990.
So why did Jidosha make a 660cc engine for the US model Kogaku? Probably coincidence. They would have needed more power for the North American market, even with the turbocharger they added, and developing a new engine just for that purpose would not have been cost effective. Boring and stroking an existing motor probably made a lot more sense.
In any case, this is one of the faster “Kei” cars you can get your hands on, either the true imported 550cc version, or the North American turbo 660.
Scores in: Counter Culture - Classics, Counter Culture - Import/Export
1985 Mara Kanyon (North American version)
If the Ryuji Shogi was the best off-roader you could get in 1981, the Mara Kanyon was the best off-roader you almost couldn’t get until 2010.
In other parts of the world, the Kanyon was already available years before its 1985 US debut. This delay was not for lack of trying on the part of Maxsim Bricklov. An actual Archanan spec Kanyon is about as much of a deathtrap as an original Quezon SuperCab. Engineers at Mara had to repeatedly go back to the drawing board to improve the crashworthiness of the Kanyon on a shoestring budget.
Finally, in 1985, the Kanyon debuted in America. It was every bit as competent offroad as the international auto press had indicated, and every bit as dangerous as the NTSB had feared. In a twist of irony, the Mara Kanyon had difficulty selling not because of its dirt-cheap price, but sky-high insurance rates. One major national insurance company reported that it was less expensive to insure a brand new Ivera Executive than a Kanyon, despite the sticker price on the Executive being more than six times higher.
Most of the Kanyons have rusted away over time. It’s far easier to find running gear than a shell. In fact, we’re pretty sure there are now more dune buggies with Kanyon engines than there are running Kanyons left.
Scores in: Counter Culture - Motor Sport
1982 CM Terrier S1 (A)
Hetvesian manufacturer CM was another proponent of performance compacts in the early 80’s. Unlike Hessenburg, they didn’t hoard all of their Terrier S1’s at home, instead electing to bring them alongside their more mundane counterparts.
Their start in 1982 was a bit rocky. This wasn’t due to any failing of the car, but rather lingering American attitudes as to what a performance car should be, and what an economy car should be. The public still viewed the two as oil and water at the time. A few years later, sales picked up, but never rose to their home market levels.
This makes the early CM Terrier S1 quite a rare beast, and a fun one to play with at that. This is a little hatchback that can absolutely shred an autocross course, conquer amateur street-mod circuit racing, and still be right at home in the ranks of the local car show. A bit of a Swiss army knife in car form. Conversely, due to their rarity, parts are hard to find and expensive, so keeping one running is a bit of a task.
Scores in: Counter Culture - Motor Sport, Mainstream Culture - Classic Cars
1986 Valiant La Victoire 1.3 Executive
Most of our readers have never seen one of these in person, and probably half who have seen one were weirded out by the concept. The 1986 Valiant La Victoire 1.3 Executive has that effect on people. It was an absolutely polarizing car, even in its French home market.
The idea behind the La Victoire would make absolutely any American driver’s head explode. It’s a compact premium-to-luxury segment car, powered by a ghastly 74 horsepower 3-cylinder engine, and wrapped in… fiberglass. Yes, that means it is absolutely a deathtrap. Oral history gives us a story that Valiant brought five of these to the States to conduct crash tests, and the first one failed so spectacularly that they simply packed up the other four and went home with them.
If there is any car that defines how absolutely bizarre and esoteric French car design is, this would be the one. Yet there are people out there that willingly pay money to buy one from France and have it brought Stateside.
I guess they just like watching heads explode.
*Scores in: Counter Culture - Import/Export
1982 Shidley Chips Turbo-LXi (DB3)
In a July 1988 article, a certain automotive journal speculated that Shidley’s US market hopes were in serious jeopardy, and squarely pointed the finger at the 1982 Chips Turbo-LXi as the cause. Why such a bold and direct statement?
The Shidley Chips, in the early 80’s, was positioned as an upscale convertible sports car. They had engineered a slick mechanism that hid the soft top completely behind body panels when it was folded down, which was a move that gave the Chips a bit of a glamorous and advanced image, even as the mechanism cost dearly in trunk space. Further showing an image of technological advancement, Shidley utilised a turbo MPFI motor that put out 206 horses. While this powered the car reasonably, problems began to surface with turbos after just a few years.
Quality control issues, high maintenance costs, and economic pressures all started to take their toll within a few years, and sales of the Chips Turbo began to drop precipitously. Shidley’s investment in the model began to look like it would not be recovered, and their problems tarnished the image of other Shidley models (and even affected competitor Keystone to an extent).
Now, there is almost nothing that will get you more looks and interest at a modern car show than a Shidley Chips. So few have survived intact that they are almost unobtanium at this point. Today, a Chips Turbo LXi has more glamor and cachet than it ever did in the 80’s.
Scores in: Counter Culture - Classics
1982 Quezon Laguna Dual-Cam Turbo
Speaking of unobtanium, how about a limited production model that was never imported to North America?
That would be the 1982 Quezon Laguna powered by their 1.6 liter, 16-valve turbo motor that put out 201 ponies. In a lightweight sports coupe body and with only 2 seats, the Laguna was more of a squared-off 80’s interpretation of a roadster, but with way too much power and going to the wrong wheels.
It’s our understanding that only 200 were ever built. It is believed that only 4 exist in the United States, with only 2 of those actually being registered. If it sounds like a ghost story, it may well be. No one at this journal has ever seen one in person, and even Quezon has no idea where all of the cars are, just that “a good number” have been wrecked or destroyed over the years.
Scores in: Counter Culture - Import/Export
1986 Wells i5 GLS
As a company that was suffering from stagnation during the early portion of the Malaise era, Wells needed desperately to break out of their shell in the 80’s. Their venerable 500 series had to go, and the i5 was their answer to foreign competition.
With 173 horsepower and an 8.3 second 0-60 from the automatic version, the i5 had decent giddyup. But to get those speeds from a relatively large bodied automatic, weight needed to be shaved. Wells adopted a fiberglass body shell, something rather unusual in a mid-sized sedan format. While this worked for performance, it added significant production costs. This moved the price point of the i5 up above better-equipped competitors from Kaizen and Keystone.
With rather dismal sales, Wells i5s are difficult to find these days. Those known to still be on the road often make the rounds of car shows, displaying their odd heritage for all to see. As well, some have found success with vintage circuit or autocross racing.
Scores in: Counter Culture - Classics, Counter Culture - Motor Sport
1982 Oldman Pristis GL
G’day, mate. Time to throw another shrimp on the barbie and open a Fosters.
Alright, now that I’ve pissed off all of the Australians out there, let’s talk about one of the few Australian manufacturers to ship their cars here from all the way Down Under. Oldman gave us their Pristis economy hatchback in 1982, hoping to cash in on buyers who still feared another oil crisis. Turns out, there were plenty of those folks around.
What Australia offered them was a cozy gas-sipper with surprising cargo room, pleasant road manners, and a reasonable sticker price. During the early 80’s, this was a sweet combination at a time of compromises. So it’s no wonder that Oldman had a bit of problem supplying enough cars to keep up with demand.
And no wonder that you still find them on the road now and then, driven by some old white-haired former hippie on his way to whatever adventure awaits next.
*Scores in: Counter Culture - Spiritual Classics
1986 Munot Millenium
At the same time that Ivera was cashing in their chips on their long road to a loyal and stable owner base, Munot entered the arena from Switzerland with a luxury car of their own. It seemed a move that might be interpreted as riding the coat tails of another company that did all the hard work before them.
Don’t be mistaken. The Munot Millenium is quite a different car. It’s a little smaller, and though it has two more cylinders, it has a smaller overall displacement and about 25 less horsepower. Munot geared their luxury car a little more like a sports tourer, giving it more punch off the line but also forgoing room for one of the rear seat passengers.
Buyers who looked solely at the price tag would most certainly have been enticed by the seeming bargain of the Millenium, though the cost to run a Millenium was significantly higher.
And, of course, being from a small Swiss company, there simply weren’t as many Munots available. The situation with finding one these days is that they didn’t hold up very well over time. Registration data from 2018 puts the number of remaining '86 Munot Millenium at fewer than 200 on the road in all of the US, and probably fewer than 20 in Canada. This means you could probably go a couple years without seeing one at a show, depending on where you live.
Scores in: Mainstream Culture - Classic Cars
1986 Lynx L32 V8
High end sports cars had been slowly creeping up in a feature and power wars for years, and import manufacturers were always ready to cut each others’ throats for a slice of the American market. 1986 saw French manufacturer Lynx send the L32 V8 targa-convertible to the States.
This was a direct blow to the earlier Shidley Chips, despite being quite a bit more expensive. The Lynx L32 could flat-out destroy the Chips in speed, and even competed on even footing with the Madison Ballista. It was incredibly nimble in corners, and reasonable to cruise long distances (both in terms of comfort and fuel consumption).
Sales of the L32 were dampened by the comparative bargain that was the Madison Ballista, as well as poor exchange rates and labor troubles at home. But at least Lynx didn’t have to throw gas-guzzler taxes on top of all that, unlike Shidley.
Scores in: Mainstream Culture - Hot Rods and Sports Cars
1984 Kolt Coyote V8
The new breed of “muscle” cars, in the form of performance sedans, took the market far upscale of where their predecessors had landed. This created a void for a “pocket rocket”. Kolt decided to plug that gap for the 1984 model year with the release of their small V8-powered Coyote coupe.
Being made in the US, they didn’t need to worry about tariffs surrounding numbers of seats, and didn’t bother with the rear jump seats that weighed down foreign competitors at the time. Instead, they concentrated on providing potent performance at a low price. The first they did quite handily, giving a fun 5-speed coupe that could hit 60 in 8 seconds flat. The low price is debatable; the Coyote was rather thirsty, and got hit with a CAFE tax for low economy. This put it just below the Schnell LX20 in price.
Let’s face it, many people bought them because a 2-seat coupe is just way cooler than a wagon. I mean, even a performance wagon is not cool because it’s a wagon, right?
Right?
Scores in: Mainstream Culture - Muscle/Pony Cars, Counter Culture - Classics
Round 4 Rankings
Mainstream Culture - Muscle/Pony Cars
1986 Armor Streethawk
1986 Schnell LX20 LSi (T45)
1985 Kaizen FC22 (TU1)
1984 Kolt Coyote V8
1982 Keystone D3500 ST Savant
Mainstream Culture - Classic Cars
1986 Ivera Executive
1985 Kaizen FC22 (TU1)
1986 Schnell LX20 LSi (T45)
1986 Munot Millenium
1985 Bazard Tormenta (PE)
1982 CM Terrier S1 (A)
Mainstream Culture - Hot Rods and Sports Cars
1985 Madison Ballista 350 GT
1986 Lynx L32 V8
1984 Bricksley Kingsnake 464 Pressurized
1984 Kazuki KZR 2200
Mainstream Culture - Retro Motor Sports
1985 Madison Ballista 350 GT
1982 Keystone D3500 ST Savant
Mainstream Culture - RestoMod
1986 Armor Streethawk
Counter Culture - Spiritual Classics
1984 Kazuki KZR 2200
1984 IP Commuter “Penny Pincher”
1982 Oldman Pristis GL
1984 Cabrera Fulgor Turbo
1981 F&S Jikan Triple Threat
Counter Culture - Motor Sport
1981 Ryuji Shogi 4x4
1982 CM Terrier S1 (A)
1981 F&S Jikan Triple Threat
1985 Mara Kanyon
1985 Bazard Tormenta (PE)
1986 Wells i5 GLS
Counter Culture - Classics
1982 STAG MTMWV Civilian Berserker Pickup Convertible
1981 Ryuji Shogi 4x4
1985 FM Overlander
1984 Kolt Coyote V8
1986 Wells i5 GLS
1984 Cabrera Fulgor Turbo
1982 Shidley Chips Turbo-LXi (DB3)
1986 Jidosha Kogaku Kumo Te
Counter Culture - Import/Export
1985 Hessenburg 2000 RSi 16v
1982 Quezon Laguna Dual-Cam Turbo
1986 Valiant La Victoire 1.3 Executive
1986 Jidosha Kogaku Kumo Te
1982 STAG MTMWV Civilian Berserker Pickup Convertible
Counter Culture - Jalopy Culture
1984 IP Commuter “Penny Pincher”
1985 FM Overlander