Sedan/Estate Thread

Knugcab · 12 June 2022 10:23

1978 SAARLAND KARDINAL

When the fifth generation Kardinal (black) was introduced in 1978, it was a much smaller car than the outgoing model (green). The reason was that it no longer used its own platform, instead it was built on the Bischof. This also meant that there was no 6 cylinder Bischof available anymore, leaving that market to the lower spec Kardinal models. The main differences between Kardinal and Bischof body wise was a more slanted front end on the Kardinal, and a different roofline where the Kardinal was a “faux hardtop” with frameless doors and a hidden B-pillar. The engines, all inline 6 cylinders, were more or less inherited from its predecessor, though the top of the line engine now was bored out to 3 litres and had a power output of 181 hp.

All the Kardinals featured quite upmarket interiors with leather or velour upholstery, and most of the gizmos you could want. What was a little bit less upper class, though, was the chassis engineering. Shared with the Bischof, it was a quite unremarkable Mc Pherson / solid axle coil setup, doing its job but not as refined as some of its competitiors.

The fifth generation Kardinal was produced until 1986.

desperatedonut5 · 16 June 2022 06:07

2017 Blaire Leo S 1.6 (Mid-cycle FL)

Restomod · 28 June 2022 21:01

My would-be ALC2 entry- the 1962 Somboy 1600L 4-door

ALC2_-_Restomod-_Somboy_1600L_4-Door_Sedan.car|attachment (52.8 KB)

NobodyPlayz · 2 July 2022 16:03

Dartman legend (Europe/America)/Crusader Speedwagon (Asia/Australia)
720HP 4.3L TT Flat Plane V8

Knugcab · 4 July 2022 12:23

1978-86 SAARLAND BISCHOF PILGER / KARDINAL PILGER

In 1978 the last generation of the Saarland Bischof (blue) was released. In the same year, the large luxury car, the Saarland Kardinal (silver), was downsized and now used the same platform as the new Bischof. That meant that the six cylinder Bischof now was discontinued, from now on a major difference was that the Bischof had four cylinders, and the Kardinal six.
For the first (and last)time ever, there was now a wagon version (“pilger”, as Saarland wagons are usually called) of the Kardinal available.

While the Kardinal sedan used its own, faux hardtop body, the Kardinal wagon was actually a mish-mash of the Kardinal front end and the Bischof wagon body. That meant that the wagon had a visible B-pillar and used the Bischof doors, without the frameless glass of the Kardinal.

Other than the front end and engines, the Kardinal of course had a more luxurious interior, other differences included a sunroof, chrome roof rack, different bumpers and trim, chrome mirrors and 15" alloy wheels instead of 14" steel.

When the Bischof was replaced by the Ambrosia in 1987, the new Kardinal kept building on the Ambrosia platform, however, the station wagon was gone (as well as the Zandvoort coupé), leaving only the 4 door sedan left in the lineup.