The fifth generation IP Icarus could actually be seen as a heavy facelift of the fourth generation since it inherited lots of parts, like the floorpan, firewall, windshield, sills and front doors. It recieved a more modern overall look, though, albeit still not very modern for 1985, being based on an older design as it was.
Though, the car recieved a technical update. The old inline 6 cylinders were replaced by the same 18 valve V6 already seen in the Lily V6 and Flaire. The old fashioned 4 cylinder diesel was left in the lineup but got a companion in a modern 2.8 litre inline 6 diesel with overhead camshaft. The interior got an overall update, especially safety wise with pretensioning seatbelts and a drivers side airbag. The power steering now was variable and the brakes of the anti-lock type. The very modern 4 speed computer controlled auto stayed, though. All of this improvements that made it justified to call this an all new generation of the Icarus. When it was discontinued in 1991, however, it really felt a bit long in the tooth.
By the mid to late 70’s second tier manufacturer Airman was beginning to get tight on cash, thanks to the gas crunch and the influx of affordable imported autos. Knowing they needed a solid car or their days as an independent were done, they went into the lab and emerged with the all–new, high tech Liberator. The Liberator was the first of the next generation Airmans, packing two brand new engines, both iron block with aluminium SOHC heads and single–port EFI in a longitudinal front wheel drive layout. While the base was rather expensive for the family segment (a new Corsair would slot in below for 1983), it was a nearly 200" car that would get 19MPG with the I4/4 speed automatic. The LV6 and it’s 60° V6 would get 15MPG and roughly 10 seconds to 60MPH.
Lore–wise, think of it as desperate attempt at a full–sizer that succeeded
A cheaper alternative to the other premium cars.
Lore:
Schnell’s cars like the L4 and the LX20 And X20 Convertible version of the LX20 were known to not be exactly stellar. The N60 was a sports car for sure at this point.
They needed to make replacements for the aging 1980s cars , But selling alongside them were an refined, curvy premium sedan made for those kinds of people who prefer to have a mix of sportiness and a premium luxury car. It was known to weigh like a boat, well a European Land yacht.
A facelift Phase 2 version was released in 1998 and it gave a lot more power, a refined V8 with 309HP and some new looks to go with it compared to the original model with 226HP. The most powerful model yet. Facelift top speed was 181MPH, prefacelift was 167MPH. A lot more oomph.
(Pre-facelift was for 28600AMU new, “Phase” 2 (Facelift) is 27600AMU.)
In 1963, IP introduced the third generation Lily. Like its predecessor, it was built on an unibody platform, but there was an addition of a 4 door sedan, as well as a station wagon, for a more passenger car like alternative to the slow selling Rugger wagon. Like the Flaire, Icarus and Celestia, it adopted a McPherson strut suspension up front, but kept the coil sprung solid axle in the rear. The styling was much more up to date than one could say about its predecessor, so much that the fourth generation that arrived in 1968 could be seen as something of an evolution of the third gen styling wise (but technically, the fourth generation was updated thoroughly, so much that the technology was more or less kept until the sixth generation disappeared in 1984).
In the early 2000’s Aim was storming ahead with its plan to regain relevancy in its home country Australia, and the first Swallow in over 15 years was set to be the culmination of that. The Mk.V launched initially in late 2002 with only its “base” 6B model, although true to form Aim offered it with enough option packs to cover multiple market segments. It was quite advanced for Aim, with the engine especially being a big selling point as it was the first major overhaul to their aging modular engines since the 70’s.
Come early 2003, they fleshed out the range a bit with a sports offering, the 8S. Being a traditional Australian family sedan with a V8 and rear wheel drive, it presented itself as a cheaper but slightly less powerful alternative to the Commodore SS and Falcon XR8.
Later that year though, Aim took everyone by surprise by releasing an even sportier version of the Swallow, the 12H. Featuring a surprisingly compact V12 and all wheel drive, it was not the sales hit Aim thought it might be, but it did give the company a new hero car, which they had been sorely lacking.
I can’t exactly put my finger on what the front looks like. But it resembles some kind of Japanese car and the rear is either fictitious or Mercedes-Benz tailights seem to make it resemble a Benz or something similar to that.
