Trafikjournalen (Test: 1955 TORSHALLA POESY KOMBI)

[Knugcab]

REPRINT FROM ISSUE #22 2001
REVIEW OF THE MAHANTI BACHATA

DIRTY DEEDS DONE DIRT CHEAP

A brand new offroader for $11200 sounds like a dream. Just keep it off the road since having a crash at highway speeds will be more like a nightmare.

With offroaders being the latest craze, the second hand market is getting a bit out of hand too. You simply have a hard time to find anything decent for a fair amount of money, it is the sellers market at the moment which is disturbing for many people. And in the middle of this, a capable 4x4 arrives in Sweden for an amount of money that normally doesn’t buy anything good on the used car market. Is that to good to be true? Let’s take Indias latest hope, the Mahanti Bachata, for a spin to find out!

DRIVING CHARACTERISTICS
Don’t expect to get a modern car that drives like a dream for $11200. Underneath, the technology is more or less on 60s level. If you don’t take it easy in the corners it will plow heavily on it’s front end - but unlike many 4x4 cars the body roll aren’t terrible at least. Power steering is, to our surprise, standard, which is always a feature that is welcome on an offroader, an even bigger surprise is the ABS brakes, but what normally is a great feature is overshadowed by the inadequate braking performance and the fading tendencies when loaded. Also, don’t try to relax for a single minute while trying to drive straight on a bad asphalt road. Crossplies, yes you read right (!), went out of fashion 30 years ago, but this vehicle is rolling on them in 2001, which is almost unbeliavable.

But when it comes to a vehicle like this, one has to look at the offroad capability too, and the Bachata is a mountain goat. Short wheelbase, short overhangs, high ground clearance and a real part time low range 4WD with manual lockers makes it almost unstoppable. The only thing that worries us is the lack of a proper skidplate, it is easy to damage parts underneath the vehicle on sharp rocks if not being careful.

A flop on the road, but power steering, ABS and a very good offroad performance saves it from getting a horrible grade here.

VERDICT: **

PERFORMANCE
A 52 kW 1.8 litre four with its roots in the 50s aren’t really the weapon of choice for building a performance vehicle. Now, that is really not the highest priority on an offroader, and it has the necessary low end grunt for doing the hard work. A top speed of 161 km/h is more than adequate in this class, but 17.7 seconds to 100 might come as an unwelcome surprise if you are used to regular family cars of today, and 15.9 seconds 80-120 means that any overtaking is out of the question most of the time.

VERDICT: **

COMFORT
Rolling on solid axles all around, the ride is of course a bit bouncy, but the leaf springs of the past is at least gone up front, which means better flex and better ride comfort. In the rear the leaf springs are still there, probably because a pickup version is sold in its home market, as a compromise to get better load capacity. The engine itself is not overly loud, but the short gearing makes it a bit rev happy at highway speeds. The simple bench seats does not offer any side support and could have had a bit better padding. Being a quite small car, having bucket seats up front would probably have been a better option, at least for the european market.

Also, a flimsy body and shoddy build quality means that there was a fair amount of annoying squeaks and rattles everywhere. The brand new car felt a bit like a junker that was starting to fall apart.

VERDICT: *

ROOMINESS
Having a footprint no larger than a regular compact, the interior space are in that territory too. It is adequate, but nothing more. Don’t believe that this is a 6-seater despite the dual bench seats, 4 is the maximum amount of people to ride in any kind of comfort. But that goes for all its competitors too. One nice surprise, though, is that you get a decent amount of cargo space. That isn’t always the case when it comes to small offroaders.

VERDICT: **

EQUIPMENT
Despite some strange choices, like equipping a 00s vehicle with crossplies, you get more than you could expect for the low purchase price. We’ve already mentioned power steering and ABS, as well as a manual locker. You will also get a radio (even if the tape player is on its way out), cloth trim, rear demister and wiper, remote mirrors, clock and some other of the most basic creature comforts. Our tested example also had pearlescent paint with some matching graphics, a no-cost option. Of course, if you want to equip it with offroad accessories, there is a whole range available from the factory as well as the aftermarket. But considering the low purchase price, we think that what’s included is more than enough.

VERDICT: ***

ENGINE AND DRIVETRAIN

The engine simply doesn’t cut it, being 50 years old, and should have been retired years ago, even if it is of course updated with electronic fuel injection and catalytic converter to cope with modern regulations. It has good low end grunt but becomes gutless quite early in the rev range, is running rough below 2000 RPM, is not very economical and has relatively dirty emissions.

The gearbox is a more pleasant history though. A modern 5 speed with well thought out gearing, feeling easy and smooth to shift. Manual locking differentials might sound a bit old-fashioned, but they are reliable and does their work well off road. Part time 4WD is not as old fashioned as it sounds either compared to modern AWD systems, since they simply can’t compete offroad with their more complex differentials and transfer cases to make the everyday driving easier and safer. Just don’t expect to be able to use the 4WD other than when the conditions really need it though.

VERDICT: **

A real 4wd system with locking differentials, combined with high ground clearance, aggressive thread pattern and short overhangs makes the car almost unstoppable offroad.

QUALITY
There might be questions about the reliability of a cheap indian car, but we think that the Mahanti will hold up reasonably well. Mahanti has been building cars for ages, and the vehicle is built on tried and true technology. But even if the car keeps running, don’t expect everything to last as long. There is absolutely no signs of rust protection, it’s just relying on the paintwork to protect the plain and bare steel, and the paintwork itself is of questionable quality too. The body feels flimsy and tinny which leads to rattles and squeaks that might not affect the vehicles operational status, but that will be annoying in the long run.

VERDICT: **

ECONOMY
The purchase price is low at $11200, no question about it. Low weight for the vehicle type means low taxes, insurance will probably not be bloody, service costs are sane. The second hand value is probably questionable, but being a type of vehicle that there always will be people looking for, it will not drop to insanely low levels, and there was not much money to lose there from the start either, considering the low purchase price.

What’s not so good is the fuel economy, 12.1 l/100 km is a bit on the thirsty side with the gas prices of today, and could really be seen as the sign why Mahanti needs a new engine very soon.

VERDICT: ***

SAFETY
The dark chapter comes last. If the safety was up to todays, or at least yesterdays standards, we could almost have seen the Bachata as bargain of the year. But the only safety equipment is the 3-point seatbelts on the outboard positions and 2 point lap belts on the centre seats required by law. There is a pair of flimsy headrests, only up front and only on the outboard positions, and it is doubtful if they will do any good in a rear-ender or if they just will break away. The interior is full of hard and unpadded surfaces, and the “cladding” on some of them are just a kind of rock hard plastic that will probably shatter on impact. Of course, the steering column is jointed, the spear of death from the 50s is outlawed nowadays, but the hard steering wheel seems to be of a very unforgiving type, should you hit it in an accident. Of course, there is not a sight of a single airbag in the whole car, and no side impact beams, just the tinny doors between you and whatever that might hit you.

But safety is more than what you see on paper, right? Well, many people feel safe in SUVs, and many times it is justified, but keep in mind that this is about as large as a normal compact car, and not much heavier. A regular family wagon from the last 5-10 years or so, will probably rip straight through it in an accident.

Rumours says that there has been a crash test done modelled after modern Euro-NCAP standards on a Mahanti Bachata, and that the dummy was stuck so badly in the mangled passenger compartment afterwards that they could not even get it out without cutting the car apart. Now, it is only rumours that we haven’t had any time to confirm, but until someone proves that we have been VERY wrong, we can only give the lowest safety score available to the Mahanti.

VERDICT: 0

FINAL VERDICT: 17/45
The Mahanti is not really up to date, and we did not expect it either. But for such a low sticker price, you can cope with much. Considering what you get, it could have been a bargain if it weren’t for the unacceptable safety rating. It’s simply unthinkable to recommend this car to anyone as long as Mahanti won’t upgrade the safety to at least basic levels.

But if you want a pure work vehicle, that is going to see paved roads very seldom, and that is rarely driven faster than tractor speed, then maybe. Off the road it has capacity, and the risk of a high speed crash is more or less non-existing.

Just don’t be tempted to buy this for the school run because the sticker price is low and because there is some snug feeling that you and your family will be safe in an offroader. That might as well end up as your deadliest mistake ever.

Thanks to @Dorifto_Dorito for lending me the car!

[Knugcab]

REPRINT FROM ISSUE #1 1988
REVIEW OF SEIKATSU GRANDMASTER

A V-SIX FOR SEVEN

In case you are in the market for a van, there is no good reason not to take a closer look at the Seikatsu Grandmaster. But don’t rule it out even if you weren’t thinking about buying a van either. Chances are that you might reconsider that after a test drive.

Many people request reviews of passenger vans, and it is easy to understand why. If you need to carry more than five people, it is more or less the only sane alternative. One of the more interesting newcomers on the market is the Seikatsu GrandMaster, which in turn is the people carrier version of their StarCarry van. It can be equipped to the levels that it almost turns into a rolling living room, but since the typical van buyer often might be the family man with some financial challenges, we thought that it was more interesting to review a somewhat more basic version.

DRIVING CHARACTERISTICS
It is a van, and it shows. Don’t expect passenger car like driving experience, it is wallowy in the turns, and push it too hard and it will understeer on squealing tyres. On the other hand, that is the characteristics that could, and should, be expected from this type of vehicle. It’s giving an early warning that you are pushing it too hard, instead of tricking you into that you can drive this huge box on wheels like if it was a sports car. The driving position above the front axle feels as weird as always when coming from a regular passenger car, but you get used to it as quickly as usual too. The power steering is of the variable type, a very welcome equipment since it makes the heavy van easy to maneuver in tight spots, without getting too sensitive at highway speeds.

Despite not being very passenger car like and without any sporty ambitions, it is a very easy vehicle to drive. One thing that probably will be appreciated by many people here in the snowy north when it comes to a RWD van is the limited slip differential, as well as the ABS brakes. Braking capacity is, if not impressive, at least adequate for the heavy vehicle, but fully loaded we noticed some fading.

VERDICT: ***

PERFORMANCE
Contrary to many underpowered vans with too small engines, Seikatsu have equipped the GrandMaster with a 3 litre V6 with a 103 kW power output. A 180 km/h top speed and 11.2 seconds to 100 is actually very good for its class. 18.8 seconds on the quartermile is passenger car territory and the powerful six also gives a great 80-120 acceleration of 7.56 seconds, which means that overtaking slower vehicles are both possible and safe.

Nobody excepts a van to be a sports car, and the GrandMaster certainly isn’t one either, but at least it is a proof that you don’t have to sacrifice the performance of a passenger car just to transport more people.

VERDICT: ***

COMFORT
The first two rows of seating are comfy separate chairs and the last row a 3-seat couch that also offers decent seating comfort. The sound insulation is great despite the engine being more or less inside the passenger compartment, though the six is running quiet and smooth so it’s never annoyingly noisy. The suspension is tuned towards comfort and the result is nothing to complain about, even though it is a noticeable compromise with the heavy, leaf sprung solid rear axle, showing the cargo van roots.

VERDICT: ***

ROOMINESS
If a GrandMaster is not enough for you, maybe you should consider a double decker bus? With a wheelbase shorter than many compact hatchbacks and a very modest length of 452 cm, it takes 7 people that still might feel that they have enormous amounts of room. Add a completely amazing cargo space of almost five cubic metres to that and it becomes obvious that the box like shape is working like a dream. There is not much more to say, a vehicle like this should of course score high but the GrandMaster even exceeds our expectations.

VERDICT: *****

This huge barn door can - and will - swallow everything.

EQUIPMENT
As stated earlier, you can equip a GrandMaster so it becomes a rolling living room. The tested version is not. But for a not too hefty sticker price it has what you can need and expect. 7 comfortable cloth seats with seatbelts and headrests, limited slip differential, ABS, power steering, an adequate sound system and the same amount of creature comforts as you find in a regular passenger car today. Some vans are more or less penalty boxes on wheels, but the GrandMaster certainly is not. We could not find anything that felt like it was missing during our test drive.

VERDICT: ****

ENGINE AND DRIVETRAIN
The V6 is strong, smooth and quiet. For a 3 litre, the power output might be modest and conservative, but at the same time it has a reasonably nice torque curve. The gear ratios seems to be well chosen in the very modern 4 speed computer controlled autobox, except that it feels like kind of a huge jump between firsstrong textt and second gear sometimes. The limited slip differential works well in slushy, icy conditions. All in all it feels like a very well thought out driveline for this type of vehicle.

VERDICT: ****

QUALITY
The predicted reliability is above average, the vehicle is of a sturdy and simple construction that shouldn’t cause any major problems. The interior is free from squeaks and rattles and the materials will probably last in the long run. Instead of being body on frame, the vehicle is built up on a sturdy monocoque that makes it a more stiff unit, but at the same time more sensitive to corrosion. Galvanized steel should cure much of the troubles, but the outer panels are still only regular steel, which will probably start to show signs of rust in some years if not taken care of properly. But that is about the only black cloud on the horizon too, a GrandMaster will be your friend for many years to come, if you want to.

VERDICT: ****

ECONOMY
The purchase price is reasonable, the simple construction makes the service costs sane, insurance costs will probably not be bloody but the heavy weight means that the tax can be a bit on the expensive side. Fuel consumption is far from a disaster for being a heavy vehicle with a 3 litre V6, bad aerodynamics and automatic transmission, but above average from what we expect from regular passenger cars today. The resale value will probably be amazing, there is always people looking for vehicles like this on the second hand market. So, despite some drawbacks, a GrandMaster will not be a financial disaster.

VERDICT: ***

SAFETY
Lately, forward control vans have been heavily criticized for offering little to no protection in a crash. Most often that is true, but some vehicles are showing signs of intelligent engineering that might compensate a bit for the lack of a crumple zone in front of you. The unibody means that energy absorbing structures could be built in to channel the energy away from the drivers compartment. It also offers safety features that is rarely seen in this class, like pretensioning seatbelts up front, side impact protection bars (that at the same time is giving the drivers compartment more longitudinal stiffness), an energy absorbing steering assembly to prevent the steering wheel to end up jammed against the front seat, headrests on all places as well as 3-point seatbelts on all outboard positions. The roominess is of course another safety factor, there is a great distance to any hard surfaces to strike, as well as the weight, it’s heavier than most smaller cars on the road meaning that it will come out as a winner in a crash against something lighter and smaller, of course on the expense of the other vehicle and its passengers unfortunately.

But despite the flat nosed design, it is probably not wrong to say that this is a safe vehicle that can be used for family transportation without feeling any guilt for that.

VERDICT: ****

FINAL VERDICT: 33/45
It is hard to find any weak spots in the Seikatsu GrandMaster. Sure, it is based on a cargo van with the compromises that it will automatically mean, but that’s only expected. For a fairly low price it offers an almost unbelievable amount of space, decent comfort, performance, economy and safety. At the moment, it might as well be the best buy in its class.

And even if you were not looking for cars in this class, we recommend you to not rule out a test drive in the GrandMaster since it can make you change your mind.

(Thanks to @Tzuyu_main for the car)

[Hilbert]

@Knugcab

I hope this is working

It’s not.

[abg7]

I just checked it and it’s definitely working. If you have the time, you may want to start accepting cars again.

[Knugcab]

I am accepting cars at the moment, it can just take some time since I don’t have much inspiration for automation right now at all…

[Knugcab]

REPRINT FROM ISSUE #3 1985
"CLASSIC CARS ON A BUDGET", PART 2

CAN YOU HAVE FAITH IN THE FAITH?

Yes, it is laughable. Yes, people will look at you. But if you are stuck in the thinking that it will be a bad thing, have you really understood the classic car world then?

We know what you will say already. If the PAZ in the last issue wasn’t enough for some of you readers to cancel your subscription, you may think that we are a bit over the limit now when we suggest a Bridgell Faith. “It is hardly even a car”, you say. We won’t disagree on that point. But why would that make it any less interesting in the end, in the world of classic motoring?

The Faith was born after World war II, there was a huge need for transportation and a boom of more or less useful microcars. In that case, one has to see the Faith in the upper end of the spectrum. Maybe you think that you are sitting on top of any little moped engine with chain drive? Nothing could be more wrong, in fact, it has an unusual layout for its class and size. The engine is mounted transversely between the front wheels like in a modern supermini, and before Alec Issigonis made that layout popular with the BMC Mini, or “doghouse” as most swedes know it better, it was rarely used, even if two cylinder DKWs and Saabs used it, they changed over to a longitudinal layout when they increased they cylinder count to three.

Which leads us to the next surprising thing, the engine. Despite being only 318 cc, it actually has three cylinders. And it is not an oilburning 2-stroke either, but a 4 stroke with overhead valves, a much more serious and advanced layout than the looks of the Faith might trick you into.

Otherwise, it is a pretty interesting design, which doesn’t translate into flawless. Lifting off the fibreglass body would reveal a chassis looking more or less like a shopping cart, and why Bridgell did choose a solid axle up front on a transverse FWD setup have made more than one owner scratch his head. The transmission is a bit odd to say the least.

Driving one is exactly as it is supposed to be, easy. The light weight and skinny tyres makes you laugh at the power steering setups of today - they will never beat the Bridgell anyway when it comes to ease of steering. It can be maneuvered into any parking spot, since it is about as long as a modern midsized car is wide. The two speed automatic is also a very clever setup. This was supposed to be a vehicle that gave the elderly and the disabled freedom - and it certainly did. But don’t get tricked into believing that this thing rides like a Silver-York. The rock hard rear suspension makes you believe that you will bounce to the moon in even the slightest bumps. The tyres that seems to be stolen from some child stroller will squeal if you press it too hard - but it is more stable and secure than you first will believe. The brakes, well…they will stop the thing. Eventually. The interior is nothing more than a simple chair to sit on and a slippery plastic steering wheel to grip - and surprisingly enough also a radio (that will not work very well in Sweden today because of it being an AM unit). You want to take passengers with you? Forget it.

So is the Bridgell Faith a good car? Well, honestly speaking, it was not much of a car back then and by 80s standards it is ridiculous. But dare to break the norms, we say. It is fun - like a classic car should be. It makes people curious - like a classic car should do. It has looks that makes it stand out in a sea of cars looking more and more identical - like a classic car should look.

But we still have the opinion that you shouldn’t have to break the bank to own a classic car. And the Faith might be an alternative then. Just don’t think that it is something for a whole family to enjoy, or something you will take to classic car meetings on the other end of the country.

The Bridgell Faith is an opportunity you should not necessarily miss just because it is small and laughable. The classic car hobby is so much more than just Cadillac Convertibles.

Sara Björn, owner of the 1963 Bridgell Faith we have test driven, how did you end up with a Faith?

-Well, I guess that it is easy to spread the myth that girls only want cute and small cars, but honestly speaking, I just wanted something that would stand out from the crowd. And if a Bridgell Faith doesn’t do the trick, no car will.

So how are peoples reactions then?

-Well, it is easy to give an answer there. Smiles! I don’t think that anyone can be sad or angry when looking at something as chic and cheerful as a Faith. It spreads happiness among people, that’s it.

And it gets acceptance among the classic car crowd?

-Without a doubt. This is something that’s so unlike anything we will see on the road today so nobody is objecting against saving one.

And the experience with the ownership this far?

-Good. It is a very economical vehicle to own. Maybe not to drive since it gulps fuel at a surprising rate considering how small it is and that it only has a small 3-cylinder. And it will break down once in a while but repairs aren’t really hard to do. And they made tons of them so you still can get spares, there even is reproduction on some parts.

So you can recommend it to someone interested in it?

-Yes and no. If you expect it to behave like you are used to when it comes to cars, it will disappoint you. But if you can sacrifice all sorts of luxuries and comfort for the sake of fun, and one seat is enough, just go for one, you only live once so why die curious when you had the opportunity to try one out?

Yeah. That more than sums it up. So, if you are willing to challenge some traditional values, then a Bridgell Faith may be your next classic car, who knows?

---

Thanks to @Marcus_gt500 for the car!

More info about the Bridgell Faith!

[Marcus_gt500]

Loved the story, way better than I antecipated. A pity the recent game upgrades put braces on it`s teeth.

[Knugcab]

LOL, I thought that it was some strange bumper option actually, like the extra bars they put on Volvo and VW in the states in the 60s to fulfill bumper regulations.
Me: “This bumper is hideous but oh well…”

[Marcus_gt500]

This is how it`s supposed to look like.

[abg7]

It’s been a month since your previous review on this thread - you may be busy with The Good Old Days thread for older cars (1975 or earlier), but are you still going to accept newer cars for the purposes of being reviewed in Trafikjournalen, and if so, what type(s) exactly will you be looking for next?

[Knugcab]

Yes. First was the 4x4 challenge and now TGOD (that will not go on forever, but I haven’t decided when I will close it down yet). But yeah, cars are accepted. And if they are somewhat realistic for their era and type I accept most cars. Though it can take a while to get a review now, because of TGOD.

[Knugcab]

REPRINT FROM ISSUE #17 1990
REVIEW OF KAIZEN SC32

HUMBLE HOTROD

We doubt that anybody will buy a SC32 on looks alone. It’s not ugly, but it sure will disappear in a crowd. Which to many people may be a good thing, too.

Asian luxury cars have never been a huge success among european customers. One example is the japanese Kaizen S-series. Never a bad car, never a strong seller. Now, for the 9th time, Kaizen is trying to convince us to give up our beloved european luxury sedans for a barge from the far east. And at a first glance, one might guess that they will have a hard time again. The new S-series has a very discrete look to it, which have spawned different reactions among the staff. “Boring” according to some. “Elegant” says the others. And it is not our work to judge the looks of a new car, if you like it or not is completely up to you as a buyer. But the fact remains, european buyers often wants a car that will signal class and wealth, and this only looks like an enlarged version of any japanese family sedan. But there will always be the buyer that will like that understated look that will fly under the radar. If you are one of them, we have an interesting road test for you here that shows if the S-series, in this case the SC32, is the answer to your needs.

DRIVING CHARACTERISTICS
Even though many automakers are switching to front wheel drive even in this class, Kaizen has decided to stay RWD. And frankly, you should not compare it to any old primitive solid axle RWD barge. There is an all new chassis with double wishbone suspension up front and a very advanced multilink suspension in the rear, that gives both predictable and secure handling. A standard limited slip differential reduces wheelspin, and with 45% of the weight at the rear, it does not suffer from an overly light tail when it comes to taking off at slippery surfaces. At slow speeds, the handling feels precise and nimble, but at emergency maneuvres we didn’t find any tendencies for the tail to break loose, there was only predictable understeer, which only came at very high speeds. Finding a much better handling large sedan than this won’t be easy. We also liked the very fine variable-ratio power steering that felt stable at high speeds without sacrificing comfort in city driving.

The brakes was another positive experience. Nothing that amazed us, but stopping distances were short, fading almost non-existant and ABS is standard (but in this class, it should be).

VERDICT: *****

PERFORMANCE
Honestly speaking, the SC32 is almost going a bit over the top in this case. In a car like this, one could maybe expect a sleepy V6 at between 2 and 3 litres. Instead, Kaizen has equipped it with their new 4.5 litre V8, which gives a power output of 318 hp (or nowadays, 237 kW). Yes, you read it right. This means that it will glue you to the seat during acceleration, reaching 100 km/h after only 6.4 seconds, an acceleration that won’t stop until it has reached 287 km/h. The SC32 will probably put many sports cars to shame at the german autobahn. This is among the best “sleepers” on the market as we speak.

VERDICT: *****

COMFORT
One could expect that a car that handles this well would feel a little firm in the bumps, but that’s not the case. The secret is in its adaptive damping, making them firmer when needed, and also in its progressive springs. The sound insulation is good, but maybe the engine is burbling a little bit louder than one could expect from a luxury car. Cool at the redlights, maybe not as cool on longer trips. The seats are both comfortable and supportive, at least up front. In the rear, Kaizen has decided to make this car a 3-seater, absolutely the right decision when it comes to practicality, but it sacrifices some passenger comfort. We would not go as far as calling the back seat uncomfortable though. It’s still one of the better places you could spend an automobile trip in.

VERDICT: ****

ROOMINESS
For such a large car, we are not impressed. It can actually feel a bit cramped sometimes, there is small cars that offer nearly as much room for the passengers, and at 595 litres, the trunk space is only adequate. This might be the area where Kaizen needs to put some improvements into next generation if it should be classed as a true competitor in this class.

VERDICT: ***

EQUIPMENT:
Everything you can expect in a car today is standard equipment, and some more too. Kaizen really didn’t forget to include anything, and if your idea of luxury is to get many buttons to play with, this is the car for you. We have seen better stereo systems in some VERY high end cars, and there is no sunroof included in the price, but that’s about it. Of course you get things like central locking, clock and electric mirrors that everyone and his aunt has in their compact hatches today. But also, luxuries like an automatic climate control, leather interior, electric memory seats and a tilt/telescoping steering column, and safety equipment like traction control and ABS. It sure is at least as good as its european competitors here.

VERDICT: *****

ENGINE AND DRIVETRAIN
When reading the specifications for the engine, it seems like the best state-of-the-art technology that today can offer. And it is. But maybe it feels a bit more raw and unpolished than one could expect for a V8 of today, on the other hand, its power output excuses most of it.

Our test example had a 4 speed automatic transmission, which is probably what most buyers will opt for. If one wants a manual, there is a 5-speed available, which we haven’t had the chance to test though. But the autobox works well, incorporating electronic management and lockup on the fourth gear it is a fully modern unit.

VERDICT: ****

QUALITY
The first impressions are good. The panel gaps are even, the plastic trim is straight and does not rattle, the paint is shiny and the interior has a good finish and is free from annoying squeaks. The leather feels genuine and not like plastic. But one has to keep in mind that Kaizens are by no means any magical wonders that are built to exceptionally high standards. They do have their share of problems too, and predicted reliability is average, but not much more. Advanced technology is always a risk and previous models haven’t been trouble free. What we do like is the galvanized unibody and the fact that many outer panels are made of aluminium. That means that you probably can keep a Kaizen for many years without worrying about rust.

VERDICT: ***

ECONOMY
At $39900 AMU, the price is not bloody for the amount of car you actually get, but probably Kaizen will have to keep a competitive price if they want to break through in this market. But luxury cars like this will lose a lot in value (and probably the S-series will be lukewarm at the used car market with its understated image), the cost of servicing will be high (but that goes for all the competitors too) and fuel economy leaves a lot to be desired, even if it’s not a total failure considering the size and performance of the car. Insurance costs will be high, taxes a bit more sane due to the car not being overly heavy for its class. But once again, a car like this will never be a wise decision economically.

VERDICT: **

SAFETY
Effective crumple zones and a reinforced passenger area is the fundamental basics in building a safe car, which the S-series of course has. It also has all the latest safety equipment like dual airbags, pretensioning seatbelts that is adjustable in height, side impact bars, fuel pump shutoff, anti submarining seats and 3-point seatbelts and headrests all around. If you want to be safer, you should get a tank. One warning though, the passenger side airbag means that no child seats are allowed up front.

The active safety is also great, not only a good handler, it also has ABS brakes and a traction control system (much needed in a powerful RWD car).

VERDICT: *****

Who could expect this humble family sedan to reach almost 290 km/h?

FINAL VERDICT: 36/45
The Kaizen is a competitive entry in the luxury car field, no question about it. It has everything you can ask for, its performance will put anything but supercars to shame, it is a wonderful drivers car and that comes at a competitive price too.

It is not a car for everybody, but it will get its share of buyers and we are pretty sure that they will be satisfied with their choice.

Is there maybe some truth in the saying that a car that is too perfect will lose its soul?

(Thanks to @66mazda for the car!)

[Knugcab]

REPRINT FROM ISSUE #26 1990
REVIEW OF HINODE LUCENT

GOOD, BUT GOOD ENOUGH?

The Hinode Lucent may not be allowed to enter this street, but is it good enough to enter the luxury car market?

The japanese seems to be at an offensive in the luxury car market now. For example, we tested Kaizen’s new S-series some months ago, and Hinode is not resting on its laurels either. Pitted against the Kaizen, as well as the more traditional luxury brands from Europe and USA, their all new Lucent arrives as one of the interesting automobile newcomers for 1991. As well as the Kaizen, it is a luxury sedan with a styling that by no means could be called bold, but still oozes elegance and refinement. Also, despite looking a bit similar to the Kaizen (we can’t help that we want to compare the cars), we think that there is a bit more “upper class” look to the Hinode, without going over the top.

But in this segment, looking classy is not enough. The whole car needs to have class. And how the Hinode stands against the tough competition is what we are going to find out now.

DRIVING CHARACTERISTICS
The Hinode is a car that feels very “soft”, is is less of a drivers car than some vehicles in its class. A car meant to carry the occupants from point A to point B in maximum comfort. But we feel that we aren’t just insulated from noise, vibrations and bumps. There is a bit of an “insulated” feeling from the road too. Some of that is cured by its variable ratio steering, though, making the steering less “dead” at high speeds without sacrificing comfort when parking or city driving.

The cornering abilities feel a bit bland. It is absolutely not a bad handler, but its front end starts plowing much earlier than in some of its competitors. Handling is safe and predictable though, but don’t expect a go-kart through the slalom course.

Braking capacity is adequate. Some competitors have set new standards here, and the Hinode does not reach them. But there was absolutely no fade, and vented discs with ABS all around is standard.

Also standard is a limited slip differential, and if that is not enough, a traction control system. That might come in handy in slippery conditions with a powerful RWD car like this.

The problem is maybe that new standards is being set all the time in this class. Five years ago we could have praised a car like this, but now it is just “good enough”.

VERDICT: ***

PERFORMANCE
A 250 hp, 4 litre V8 means that this car has frisky performance even though the automatic transmission is chewing up some horsepowers. 7.1 seconds to 100 and a top speed of 265 km/h should be enough for everyone, except if your goal is to be the fastest on the autobahn. Safe passing of other cars is not a problem either, 80-120 takes 4.68 seconds.

VERDICT: ****

COMFORT
To sum it up, like sitting in your favourite couch, that is flying on a cloud. The soft suspension maybe handicapped the car when it came to its handling characteristics, but it soaks up bumps like nothing, without ever bottoming out or feeling wallowy. The seats are among the better on the market, at least as long as we are talking about mass produced cars, and the sound insulation combined with the smooth V8 means that there is just a muffled little burble inside the car, that you hardly could call engine noise. On a long trip, we hardly can think of a better suited car than this one.

VERDICT: *****

ROOMINESS
We were not impressed with the space the Kaizen had to offer and we are not impressed with the slightly more cramped Hinode either. Sure, a car this big rarely has any problems with interior space, but maybe more still could be expected. 568 litres of trunk space compared to 595 in the Kaizen is not really impressive either, some compacts does pack more.

VERDICT: ***

EQUIPMENT:
We can’t think of a single thing that is missing in the Lucent. Leather interior, electrical controls for everything, wood paneling inside, electronic climate control, sunroof, alloy wheels, adaptive dampening and a stereo system that probably can make Tutankhamen wake up again. The Lucent could more or less be a benchmark for how a luxury car should be equipped.

VERDICT: *****

ENGINE AND DRIVETRAIN
The V8 is by no means a fire breathing beast, but it is smooth, strong and features the latest in technology. It feels well suited to the car overall, perhaps more suited than the 318 hp hot rod mill felt in the Kaizen most of the time. It is also sparse on gas for what it is and Hinode says that the emissions are so low that it will pass all upcoming stricter laws with flying colours.

The 4 speed automatic transmission has very wide spacing, but in a car that is by no means sporty and probably will run in the highest gear at highway speeds most of the time, that’s no big deal. And speaking about highest gear, it is of course equipped with lock up, and the gearbox is computer controlled. We’re thankful for the winter mode where it starts in second gear though, and had the transmission set on that most of the time. In first gear, with the traction control turned off, it is hard to take off without leaving in a smokey burnout.

VERDICT: ****

QUALITY
Japanese means quality nowadays, right? Unfortunately, we are not always sure that this is the case, but more on that later, and let’s start with the positive stuff. The fit and finish of the interior is superb and could learn some other manufacturers a lesson. High quality leather and wood, absolutely no squeaks and rattles and a carpeting that we don’t think that you can wear out during your lifetime. With that in mind, the exterior was bit of a disappointment. We can’t say that it looks slopped together, but the pearl white paint had some orange peel that reminded us that this IS a mass produced car after all, not something that has multiple coats of hand rubbed clear, and the panel gaps were not perfect. The Kaizen has an edge here.

What’s more worrying is that the predicted reliability is at the lower end of the scale. Advanced technology takes its toll, you can’t break something that isn’t there, and the Hinode is no exception here. Nothing seems to be over-engineered and this car might as well turn out as a nightmare to own when the warranty have ended.

Hinode has galvanized the structure and some of the outer panels are made of aluminium. It should take a while before rust becomes a problem.

VERDICT: ***

ECONOMY
Let’s start with the good news - the fuel consumption (10.7 litres per 100 km) is not bad for a big V8 car. But luxury cars are seldom a good investment. The purchase price is high ($42500 AMU), as well as the service costs, there is a risk for costly repairs in the future which means that an already low second hand value becomes even more unstable. Also, we could not help to notice the large amounts of negative camber in the rear. Don’t expect your rear tyres to last long.

VERDICT: *

SAFETY
The lack of a real B-pillar (yes, the Hinode is actually a 4 door hardtop, something you don’t see very often anymore) may feel worrying when it comes to roll over and side impact performance. But Hinode tells you not to worry, the roof and the half B-pillar is reinforced and should more than well compensate for that. Other than that, it is a large car, which means large crumple zones, and we could not find anything that was lacking in the safety department. Active safety like traction control and ABS, as well as passive safety like dual airbags, pretensioning seatbelts, side impact beams in the doors, head rests even in the rear seat etc. means that it probably will take at least front and rear impacts better than most other cars on the road. But one thing to keep in mind - children should never be put in the front seat, especially not rear facing, in a car with a passenger side airbag.

As long as you are confident in what Hinode says, and as long as no independent crash testing proves otherwise, we think that this car deserves the best rating possible.

VERDICT: *****

The 4 door hardtop body is a rare sight nowadays, but it gives a great unobstructed view and airy feeling to the cabin. Torsional rigidity and impact protection suffers though.

FINAL VERDICT: 33/45
We don’t think that Hinode has done a bad job with this car overall. But for the amount of money it costs, it should also be a good car. And the Hinode shines when it comes to equipment and comfort, no question about it. But in some areas it is still a bit mediocre. In some ways it feels a bit outdated for being an all new model for 1991. Most luxury car buyers today want a car that is as brilliant to drive as it is to ride in, chaffeured rides are a thing of the past.

Also, the risk is that it becomes a money pit in some years. But if you can afford to pay for this one, you probably can afford the repairs too. Or maybe to trade up for a new model when warranty ends, making eventual repairs the headache of the next owner.

That said, the Hinode is a nice car if you can afford the ownership. Unfortunately, the competition is tough nowadays, and the question we ask ourselves (and that Hinode should ask themselves too), is there enough buyers out there that thinks that being nice is enough for them to choose a Lucent instead of any other of the interesting competitors in this class? Only the future will tell.

(Thanks to @S_U_C_C_U_L_E_N_T for the car!)

[Knugcab]

REPRINT FROM ISSUE #17 1983
REVIEW OF ESTRADA CARLOS

BARGAIN? UH, WELL…

This will not impress your neighbours, but will it impress us?

Sometimes we get complaints that we are only testing too expensive cars and that we don’t have enough reviews of cars in the lowest price class. Generally, we are not too keen about them though. Buying a slightly used example of any of the slightly more expensive superminis on the market is often a better idea, for about the same money you will trade up on comfort, quality and safety, while they still will give cheap car ownership for many years to come. But some people just want to squeeze a brand new car into a tight budget, and there is of course nothing wrong with the idea. The question is, is there something wrong with the car itself? To find out, we have tested a car that is quite typical for the lowest price class, the Estrada Carlos, that has been on the market since 1977, but recently recieved a facelift.

DRIVING CHARACTERISTICS
There will always be something fun about tossing around a car this small, light and nimble, especially when it comes to city driving. On the highway we are more doubtful, but that’s not the intended element for a car like this, it is a city car and should be treated and reviewed as such. Things like parallell parking and maneuvering in tight spots are of course a piece of cake.

But when driven hard, it becomes clear that you sometimes get what you pay for. While many superminis on the market actually has good handling, this is more mediocre. Front wheel drive cars often have understeering characteristics but this front end wants to go forward with squealing tyres even at low speeds, and there is lots of body roll. Skidpad numbers (0.8 G) aren’t that bad, even if not exceptional, but they doesn’t tell everything either. The lack of a rear anti sway-bar may be an explanation. Of course, it saves some money at the price of handling, sometimes you will have to do a tradeoff. The unusually high profile and narrow tyres doesn’t help either.

Braking is actually not totally bad, despite having drums all around, something that was dropped at least ten years ago on most cars. But considering the light weight of the car, they aren’t impressive either, it stops at 44.1 metres from 100 and there is some fading, which is hard to get around with drums. But considering that cars like this usually isn’t driven hard, they are probably adequate in most cases.

VERDICT: **

PERFORMANCE
Zippy is not the right words to use to describe a car like this. The 37 hp engine has to work hard to get the car up to 100 km/h, giving a 16.5 second acceleration time. However, a top speed of 158 km/h is more than enough even without taking our speed limits into consideration, it is much faster than you want to go in a car like this. Overtaking of other cars should be well planned too, or rather, be forgotten. Going from 80 to 120 feels like it is taking forever. As we said, the highway is not the right element for a car like this, and it doesn’t like to be driven hard.

VERDICT: **

COMFORT
Other than the seats being a positive surprise, with firm padding and good side support, there is not much positive to say. The growling from the noisy three cylinder engine (where money seems to be saved by having only one muffler!) is very present due to the lack of sound insulation. An overly hard suspension for a lightweight vehicle makes for a bumpy ride on bad roads and it is very hard to find a more uncomfortable passenger car on the market today. Of course, you can’t expect a Silver-York for this price, but truth is that anything but very short trips will be annoying in this car.

VERDICT: 0

ROOMINESS
The upright and square shape, combined with the space saving layout of a transverse engine does wonders. One may expect a car like this to be cramped, but squeezing in four adults is actually a task that is easily done. There is much larger cars that aren’t any roomier. 345 litres of cargo space is maybe not much, but still a positive surprise for a car this size. At least as a second car, it actually works for a family. So, in this case we can only say, don’t judge a book by its cover. But still, keep in mind that this IS a tiny car and there is a limit for the miracles you can do.

VERDICT: **

EQUIPMENT:
There is only a blank for the radio, so we hope that you are good at singing. There is no clock, no cigar lighter, not even a temperature gauge but an idiot light instead. The seats are covered with vinyl and there is rubber carpeting on the floor. The rear side windows are fixed and there is only one side mirror. Luxuries are limited to 2-speed wipers and a heater/defroster. Once again, tradeoffs are done to save money, but how far are you willing to go?

VERDICT: 0

ENGINE AND DRIVETRAIN
The 3 cylinder engine was released before Elvis did his military service and is getting a bit long in the tooth. It is noisy, unrefined and ancient and feels a bit underpowered even in this car. But at the same time, it has a flat torque curve considering how small of an engine it is, meaning that you don’t have to shift constantly, that’s a thing we appreciate. A 4 speed manual gearbox feels like the typical choice for this class and we could not complain about it. It feels like a gearbox, no more, no less. Shifting is by no means awkward as it is in some budget cars. Overall, even if we feel that the drivetrain is outdated, it still does it job in a car like this.

VERDICT: **

QUALITY
The interior felt very durable and will probably last at least as long as the rest of the car. The car has been on the market for some years and has proven to be reliable. Statistics from the annual safety inspection says that the 1977 model Estradas mainly failed on worn out shock absorbers, broken front springs and leaking steering racks. Also, it feels a bit worrying that some of them already failed on rust, and there is no sign of improved rust protection on the facelifted model. But overall, even if fit and finish looked a bit sloppy on the outside, it didn’t give the impression of being a badly built car overall, and its owners seems to agree.

VERDICT: ***

ECONOMY
$8350 AMU for a brand new car is of course what is tempting in this case. And since there is always a second hand market for cars like this (and since there was not much money to lose from the start), since the service and repairs are cheap, as well as the tax and insurance, this is absolutely a cheap way to own a new car. 6.4 litres per 100 km is maybe not an impressive figure for a car this size with such a tiny engine, but still low figures compared to most cars on the market. This is where the Estrada really shines.

VERDICT: *****

SAFETY
A car this size will never offer any high levels of safety. There is almost no room for a crumple zone and the light weight means that it will lose in a head on collision with a heavier car. There is not much distance to surfaces you may hit in a crash and they have no padding, not even the dashboard that is made of some rock hard plastic that doesn’t seem to have any energy absorbing capabilities at all. There is not even a collapsible element on the steering column, which probably have passed the regulations with small margins due to the placement of the steering rack very far behind, as usual in a front wheel drive car. It doesn’t even include headrests up front in the price.

It passes the current legislation and of course it has seatbelts, but that is about it.

VERDICT: 0

Here, the Carlos is in its right element. Using it for the highway commute may be more doubtful.

FINAL VERDICT: 16/45
We are sure that we will get angry letters from many readers now, that we have given this car an unfair verdict just because it is cheap. Truth is, we have tested it like we do with all other cars, and we came to the conclusion that it lacks in too many areas to be a car we can recommend.

We would be happy if we could say that it was as good as more expensive cars, but our opinion remains, buying a car with a slightly higher sticker price that is maybe one or two years old gives you so much more car for the same amount of money. But if you have a limited budget and for some reason can’t consider an used car, well, this is what you get. The Estrada Carlos is by no means worse than any other car in this price class. You have to accept lots of compromises for this money whatever you will choose. And it does its job as a car. It goes, it stops, it corners and you won’t get wet when it’s raining.

But if one wants to be salty, that’s about it, too.

(Thanks to @Mad_Cat for the car!)

[Knugcab]

REPRINT FROM ISSUE #20 1993
CLASSIC CAR PAGES

RAIDERS OF THE LOST RAUKS

Who could believe that something like this would form the basis for a sports car brand?

Not all Swedish cars are the same. Some of them are the complete opposites to each other. Take Rauk as an example. A renowned sports car manufacturer, cool, fast and light cars, not very practical though. Or take Volvo. Dependable, safe, practical and…to be honest, a bit clumsy and boring. And the Volvo of Volvos must be the Duett. Built between 1953 and 1968, it was the company car of choice in the 50s and 60s. A pure box on wheels. No need for a sleek design or sporty engines here. When you opened its rear doors, there was a huge gap that could swallow everything, and it could probably survive two nuclear wars without taking notice, seldom has a car been more of pure practicality and sanity than the Duett.

Yet they have more in common than you may think. What if I told you that the first RAUK was nothing more than a rebodied and hopped up Volvo Duett? Having his 3 year old Volvo Duett written off in 1956, Rune Andersson thought that the intact chassis could be rebodied with something more sleek. Inspired by the Chevy Corvette, he had his friend Urban Karlsson to build a fiberglass sports car body. But after multiple people had asked if the car was for sale, they decided to produce a small series, this time using a couple of brand new 445 rolling chassis from Volvo (the same underpinnings as the Duett had, you could still buy them without bodies in 1957 directly from Volvo). And there is part of a huge problem.

The six first RAUK cars (the 1956 original RAUK and the five 1957 RAUK PM1 cars that was built) were actually registered as Volvos since they used a Volvo chassis. You can’t find how many 1957 Rauks that is registered in Sweden by searching through the automobile registry. There simply was no cars branded RAUK in 1957 in the paperwork. And the history of the earliest RAUK cars have been partly unknown for a long time, even for the factory. Until recently, when the factory museum and Trafikjournalen started to dig deeper into the history of them.

One thing that made things easier was that the VIN numbers were in the factory archives and that all the cars had their original registration on Gotland, in the old system before 1973 when the vehicle register was turned into one single unit for all of Sweden. Searching for them weren’t impossible, it just required some work.

The original

This was how it all started back in 1956.

The first car, the pre-production model, was no problem at all - it was owned by Rune Andersson until 1983, when it was donated to the factory museum. In 1983, he made a replica for his own use and decided to save the irreplaceable original for the future. And in the museum it stands, never restored, just a well kept original car. Being inspired by the Corvette, the paintwork was of course Chevrolet Polo white, and the interior red. Lots of details differ from the later PM1 cars, this was built on an earlier chassis, meaning B4B engine instead of B16, it had the 3 speed transmission from the Duett instead of the 4 speed from the Amazon used in the PM1, and lots of details did differ.

But the most remarkable one is probably the De Soto grille. An unthinkable thing on the production models, yet it transforms the look into something interesting. From the front, a Corvette from a parallell universe.

PM1 number one

Same body molds, lots of improvements, lots of different detailing. The PM1 was a thriving step towards a car for small series production instead of being just a home built plastic bucket.

The first PM1 of course went to Urban Karlsson. When new, the car was finished in the popular metallic maroon that was available on the Volvo PV444. Unfortunately Volvo suffered from quality problems with the paint and replaced it with their non-metallic Ruby red. Since PM1 number 1 also was faded in just a couple of years, it got a repaint in the Ruby red in the early 60s. The vehicle was used by Urban Karlsson until his sudden and way too early death in 1970, at only 38 years of age. By then, it was decided to build up a small factory museum and the #1 PM1 was one of the first cars in their collection. The Ruby red paint was once again painted over, this time with a paint similar to the original metallic maroon, but with more modern paint than the 50s nitrocellulose that stood the test of time better.

PM1 number two

The fate of the second PM1 was unknown for years. The customer ordered it in Bogliq blue (RAUK did not have any own paint recipes by then and left that choice to the customer) with a black interior. It was taken out of service in the mid 60s and all traces of it was ending there.

In the late 80s, it was found inside a barn not far from the factory, in a horrible condition, but complete. The plans by the new owner was to restore it to factory condition and specs, seeing it as an important part of both local and automotive history.

Unfortunately it was burned completely in a tragic garage fire in 1991. Nothing was left to save of the car, and PM1 number two is gone forever, no question about it.

PM1 number three

Could this even be called the real car anymore? It is the pride and joy of Olav Lange anyway.

The third PM1 was a little bit harder task. Appearantly it was still in use (even if it had moved from Gotland to Stockholm) when we got the new license plates in 1973 and was moved over to the new vehicle register system. But shortly afterwards it seems to have been exported to Norway. Luckily the last owner in Sweden remembered the name of the buyer, and where it went. He was still alive and living in the same place as he did back then. So were a bunch of later owners too, and we managed to trace it to Olav Lange in Hamar that bought it in 1978.

An interview with him shows that very few parts from the #3 actually remains. The car was in a horrible state when he got it, and the restoration is screaming 70s a long way. The chassis was rusted to oblivion and replaced with the chassis from a 1964 Volvo Duett. Numerous cracks in the fragile fiberglass body meant that they used the original body just to make new molds for a replacement body. The engine is a B20 from a 1976 Volvo 240, complete with the new for the year M45 transmission and its short gear lever. Sure, it is not a bad choice for a sports car compared to the B16 and M4 transmission that it came with, but…

The exterior is mostly a shadow of what it was. Instead of the 1957 Ford “Woodsmoke grey” that was on the body the car originally came with, the paint is now Hillstrom tractor orange with a satin black bonnet. The bumpers are long gone and much of the chrome was just painted over with black or removed altogether since the condition left much to be desired. The wire wheels disappeared already before the car came to Norway and it was rolling on rusty steelies when Olav bought it. Now it sports a set of Shelby slot mags. The wood steering wheel is replaced with a cheap 70s leatherette aftermarket wheel.

Olav says that there is no plans for an original restoration, since there is nothing of the original left anyway. He built it the way he wanted it and he has no problem in using it as a daily in the summer when it is not too nice to put miles on. And in one way, maybe he is right.

But of all the colours you could choose, Hillstrom tractor orange?

Crazy norwegians indeed.

And the question remains, is this the #3 or is it a replica? Or since the “replica” looks nothing like the original #3, is it something else than a replica?

PM1 number four

This was the car that we thought was going to be the easiest task. It is actually the only PM1 that is still registered in Sweden except for the PM1 on the RAUK museum. The only thing that was needed was to call the current owner, right?

A phone call resulted in a very angry man at the other end of the line, that says that he does not own a RAUK.

“Well, this is a very early RAUK, still registered as a 1957 Volvo 445…”

“I am not interested in talking to you, and don’t call me ever again, thanks!”

Being very surprised by the result, we tried to call the previous owner that sold the car to him in 1989. It turned out to be the son of a hoarder, that sold off the whole collection of project cars he had after his death, about 50 of them. He was not into cars himself and did not remember any RAUK.

“It was still registered as a 1957 Volvo, the license plate said…”

“Yes, now I remember that car. The papers said Volvo, it did not look like a Volvo, but I sold it as a Volvo. A very strange Volvo. Why is a RAUK registered as a Volvo anyway?”

After convincing him that it was all in order and that he did nothing illegal by selling it and that the papers was right, we got the answer that he indeed had sold it to the very angry man in Jönköping. So what was so sensitive about this then?

Well, we heard some rumours from vintage car people in that area, that we guess are true until we are convinced otherwise. It turns out that the man was restoring a Volvo Duett and bought it as a parts car. He was sure that someone had put some kind of kit car body on a Volvo Duett chassis. Since he had some aggressions against that “ugly kit car body”, he smashed it into smithereens with an axe.

In 1989.

There was still some possibility to save a very rare and very early RAUK only four years ago. Now, it is too late. And the same rumours says that the chassis parts he didn’t use is used as landfill.

When we told people that it actually was the fifth car that RAUK ever built (or fourth, if only counting the production cars) they got dead quiet and say that if he had known it, he would never have forgiven himself. And we somewhat get the idea that he had realized what he had done already before our phonecall.

According to the factory archive, it was painted Volkswagen Stratos silver. And probably it still had its original paint, due to the former owner remember it as being a dark shade of silver.

PM1 number five

While we could trace the first four PM1 cars very easy, we thought that number five was going to remain a mystery forever. It disappears from the registrations already in the early 60s. The former owners are all dead and their relatives does not remember any RAUK.

The only conclusion was that it was probably junked in the 60s. Long gone and forgotten by everyone. I was almost going to write this article up as a failure. Almost willing to convince to the RAUK factory museum that there seems to be no sign of the PM1 number 5 anywhere.

Then one day, the unthinkable happened, when I was least expecting it. Me and a friend was starting to get a bit nostalgic. We started going through some black and white photos of when he was visiting San Fransisco in 1973. And then, on one photo…

I did not believe it. Since there was no chance that any of the other PM1 cars should have been in SF in 1973, this was it. In a corner of a fuzzy B/W photo, I was able to identify that car as a RAUK PM1 and it really could not be anything else than the missing number 5 car. But what had happened to it the last 20 years?

The detective work was of course intensive. SF is big and there is more than one automobile club in the era. Let’s just say that after some intensive work as a bloodhound (and a vintage car enthusiast that have gotten some connections all around the world), we managed to trace it to Arnie Petersen, that has owned it since 1968!

The number 5 PM1 still exists, in an unbelievably good condition!

How it got to the US is something he has no clue about. When he bought it it was just a quirky european sports car among others, but it was well taken care of. And Arnie is a man that takes care of his stuff. It still wears the IP Ebony black that it was painted from the factory, and it still shines. Everything works, everything is there. And it probably have doubled in value many times. Arnie actually had no idea about how rare and early this car was, RAUK was largely unheard of in the US until the late 60s or early 70s anyway. But as always, expect to find the things you are looking for in the last spot you will be checking.

So, now the early RAUK history is more or less clear. They actually do exist (barely, though) even outside the RAUK museum. And the idea from Rune Andersson and Urban Karlsson is kept alive.

The idea to rebody a Volvo Duett into something fun, that grew into being a renowned sports car manufacturer.

(OOC, the article basically wrote itself in my head when starting up the RAUK brand, so sorry about the self-promotion but I just couldn’t let it be, and it is a bit of introduction to the brand too.)

[Knugcab]

REPRINT FROM ISSUE # 18 2019
TEST DRIVE OF OLSSON 1170 ORKAN AND 1170 ORKAN KP

THE EVIL OLSSON TWINS

The 1170 may feel like fast and fun, but…

Now try to visualize this. In front of you there is a brand new hot hatchback. Steel grey metallic with some red accents and it really looks the part. It’s all yours now. You grab the handle to open the door which leads you to a place where you will be cocooned in deeply contoured bucket seats. You get inside, fasten your safety belt, grab the chunky leather wrapped sports steering wheel, and press the button to the starter. You hear the growl when the turbocharged 1.7 litre inline four comes alive. 216 horsepowers. You put the transmission in drive, no conventional slushbox here but a modern DCT, which somehow makes up for the missing manual transmission. Now, the road in front of you is all yours.

You feel how the sticky 215 wide rubbers hugs the road, the car just corners and corners and seems to never lose grip, through the chicanes and hairpin curves you have to pass, to come out on a long straight empty highway, with no traffic in sight. There is no speed limit here, so what are you waiting for? Floor it!

In 6.2 seconds you’re already driving 100 km/h and the car just keeps accelerating and accelerating. Finally, you have reached 248 km/h in 7th gear and there is nothing more to give now, but the car feels fast, stable, planted to the ground. Life could not be better.

But something worrying is appearing in your mirror. It is like another version of yourself is approaching from behind. Another brand new hot hatch, surprisingly similar to yours. It starts flashing its lights, steers out in the fast lane and leaves you behind like nothing. You have lost against a better version of yourself. Game over. Now, slowly open your eyes and find out that you are back in this world again, where you are probably driving a tan 1982 Minerva Bullet anyway.

If you visualized yourself driving an Olsson 1170 Orkan you visualized right, and the car that passed you was the 1170 Orkan KP, a kind of special edition for the demanding driver that doesn’t get enough from a regular Orkan.

…compared to the KP version, it falls flat.

The KP adds a little more of everything to an already competent hot hatch. 245 hp instead of 216. A little more decor on the outside, with carbon fiber details. A little better cornering grip. 0-100 now takes only 5.6 seconds and a top speed of 268 km/h means that you can leave a non-KP Orkan behind you , at least on some streches of the Autobahn.

And the best thing of all is that it comes at a price premium of only $400 AMU, which makes one think if it is worth keeping the standard Orkan in production at all, since we guess most buyers will opt for the KP option anyway.

Otherwise, the cars are quite similar. A typical Olsson, one could say. Good allrounders that aren’t sacrificing important factors in the hunt for going fast or looking good. Semi-quirky design. Understeer when being driven very hard and kind of an 80s “horse-kick” in the back from the Turbo, which Olsson buyers tend to see as part of the charm of the cars.

The engine family is pretty new, from 2015, and it is rumoured to maybe be a last hurrah from Olsson when it comes to the ICE. If this is a last farewell it is a good one. Politically correct or not, it is still fun to drive a competent dino powered car once in a while when EVs are what all the rage is about. The 7 speed DCT that it’s mated to is doing its job well too, many buyers would maybe prefer a manual in this segment but fact is that the DCT will shift faster than you are able too. Overall, the rest of the cars are very well thought out. You don’t have to sacrifice much of the practicality as a daily, just to be able to drive fast.

But at $46300 AMU the Orkan is maybe not very cheap for a small car. And that is why we wonder if there is any good reason to keep it in production. At this money, most people will gladly pay the extra $400 AMU premium to get a KP, also better second hand value will even it out in the end.

(Thanks to @ACoolCrab for the cars)

[ACoolCrab]

I made a mistake somewhere, the KP should be more exclusive and more expensive but it’s not haha

Thx for the review, and I see that this body still has the morph reset bug on the front with the wipers

[Knugcab]

REPRINT FROM #19 1976
COMPARISION TEST - HOLBORN D1600 - DICKSON BASKER

WHAT DO I GET FOR MY MONEY?

We doubt that anybody is cross-shopping a Holborn D1600 with a Dickson Basker. Still, the unfair comparision is not without its points.

“What do I get for my money?”. In the end that is what every car buyer will be asking himself. What varies, though, is rather the amount of money he is willing to spend, and what he wants the car to do for him. And that’s the reason why so few people are cross-shopping the two examples of Britains finest engineering we are going to compare now. The $7970 AMU Holborn D1600, agressively priced to compete with cheap eastern block cars, and the $24100 AMU Dickson Basker 5.0 GTC, a gran turismo showing high levels of craftmanship and engineering. And there is no posters of Holborns on teenage boys bedroom walls, that’s one thing you could be sure of. But when thinking about it, it feels kind of hilarious that you can buy three Holborns for the same amount of money as just ONE Dickson, and still have some money left for gas, too.

If we start on the outside, one of the differences we are noticing is that the Holborn has four doors, the Dickson only has two. That means that for every door you want to remove, you have to pay $8065 AMU, that is more than the whole Holborn costs. Doesn’t feel very sane when thinking about it, right? Another difference according to most people we ask is that the Dickson is beautiful and the Holborn is hideous. But that is something we don’t review as an automobile magazine since beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

You can’t get this in a Holborn.

Maybe it evens everything out to pop the bonnet open. The V8 in the Dickson means that every cylinder costs $4032.50 - at least you get something for your money there instead of losing it. 68 hp and 1601 cc versus 214 hp and 5000 cc makes the Dickson look like a bargain - at least when it comes to the engine, it is more than three times as big and more than three times as powerful, for only around three times the price. The 230 km/h top speed of the Dickson sounds better than 159 km/h for the Holborn - but with today’s speed limits, we would say that they are even. But you reach 100 in 7.3 seconds instead of 15.8 - expensive seconds but still.

You also get one more gear in the Dickson gearbox, but you really have to like your fifth gear to be willing to pay $16130 for it. Especially since it seems like it is not helping fuel economy. You have to pay $2443.94 for every litre you are wasting per 100 km compared to the Holborn - and that is before fuel costs is added to the equation. The servicing is almost three times as costly for the Dickson, too.

The fact that the Dickson has 4 wheel disc brakes instead of 4 wheel drums like the Holborn and stops from 100 in 37.2 metres instead of 51.2 can of course be priceless if your life depends on it. And shoud the worst thing happen, you are protected in a Dickson while the Holborn is more or less trying to actively kill you in a crash. But one has to keep in mind that some cheaper cars also offer good crash protection nowadays. In the circle test, the Holborn is hopelessly shadowed by the Dickson too.

Power steering and an interior that is both more durable and using more fancy equipment than in the Holborn is another thing to consider.

So, except for practicality and economy, the Dickson is clearly the better car. But it is three times better? VERY doubtful, since both of them fulfill the same duties more or less. You won’t get wet when it is raining and it sure beats walking. Everything else is just a bonus after all.

We’re not suggesting that we rather would own three Holborns than one single Dickson either. But compering them have sure been interesting. Even if we are sure that we probably haven’t affected your next car owership with the testing.

(Thanks to @missionsystem and @agj38 for the cars!)

[Knugcab]

REPRINT FROM #13 2017
TEST DRIVE OF QUMA XCROSS MX FACELIFT

THE PIONEER STRIKES BACK?

Forea was kind of a pioneer when it came to build soft-roaders for the urban jungle. Do they still stand up?

Reverse the clock 21 years. We did a big comparision test of the most interesting 4 wheel drive SUVs on the market, and among all the heavy duty macho off roaders stood a humble japanese station wagon on stilts.

“The Forea HRC-4 is a concept we think that we will see more of in the future”
“The only car that is offering passenger car comfort here is the actual passenger car - the Forea”
“Sure, it is on a whole different level than the others when it comes to offroad capacity, but it is because it is a completely different concept - and it works like it is intended to do.”

Times are changing but after all those years we think that we were kind of right. The streets are flooded with cars built on the same concept as the HRC-4 nowadays. The HRC-4 got a little brother in the form of a Quma X-Cross some years ago, that now has gotten a facelift. And most people will probably say that the results at least on the outside wasn’t that bad. It looks nice and contemporary and will not stand out like a sore thumb in a crowd in any way at all. Then if you actually like the looks of it, well, it is up to you, but the first impression we get is that the looks of the facelifted Forea will probably be well suited for its audience.

And speaking about the outside it looks promising in other ways too. Panel gaps were even, trim was straight and appeared to be mounted solid, and the metallic orange on our test example was smooth without orange peel (no pun intended). The extensive use of aluminium and corrosion resistant steel means that the Forea rust problems from 20 years ago are only a distant memory now. But that’s the body, how about the soul then you might ask?

Stepping inside the car reveals an interior that could have been from more or less any car in its class, despite being some years old now it shows no alarming sights of age, especially not after some small tweaks that the facelift have brought with it. And there was no rattles or squeaks that annoyed, and the materials felt durable.

Starting up the engine shows that Forea can still be considered an innovative brand. A small 1 litre turbocharged 3-cylinder comes alive with something that starts as a silent whisper, but has a bold rasp when touching the throttle, one must say that it is running smooth for what it is and that you won’t miss that last cylinder that is lacking compared to many competitors. 115 hp is maybe nothing to brag about anymore, but it is a decent power output from that small plant, and combined with the 6 speed manual in our test example it even felt somewhat sporty.

Something that kills the sportiness a bit is the driving dynamics though. Handling is safe and predictable even if it doesn’t really excel at the high speed slalom course, but it starts to understeer relatively early and the fuel-saver tyres probably doesn’t do it any favours either. On the other hand, this is not supposed to be a sports car. Neither is it an offroader, despite its looks the standard equipment is only front wheel drive, though that’s not uncommon on entry level models in this class. The suspension is set up more for comfort, and that’s OK, it gives this small car a decent ride which its buyers probably will appreciate. Braking is fair and we felt no fade.

Better then is the fuel economy, 4.4 litres per 100 km shows that Forea are serious in their long-time devotion to build economical and yet frisky powerplants. Servicing will be cheap and extremely good durability means that you will probably stay away from costly repairs even after the warranty have expired. It also means that it will hold up its value well, the Quma XCross is a sought after model on the used car market and the facelift will probably just boost the interest.

21 years ago we took a photo of an HRC-4 on the top of this hill. History repeats itself.

So all in all, the XCross is by no means an exciting car, but it has an aura of sanity and quality that gives a special charm in itself. And despite being on the market for some years, only the mediocre 3-star Euro NCAP rating is a sign of its age. But 21 years ago Forea had an advantage of being one of the few choices for crossover buyers. Nowadays all the brands are flooding the streets with them, and the XCross is not necessarily the obvious choice in this class, it kind of disappears in the crowd.

But as we said earlier, that is better than sticking out like a sore thumb.

(Thanks to @vouge for the car!)

[Knugcab]

REPRINT FROM #2 1988
REVIEW OF AUXIO AQ500

THE CAR YOU CAN’T BUY

If you can’t identify the mystical car that is lurching in the night, there is a good reason for that. Auxio is something as unusual as a completely new car brand. You can’t even buy one in Europe until 1989.

Tanaka. Does that name induce thoughts of luxury and prestige to you? If it does, you are one of appearantly way too few. When it comes to producing luxury cars for the US market, the name “Tanaka” is not good enough, Auxio is their name now. In the asian markets, this car is sold under the name Tanaka Celesta, but in the north american market, as well as the european market where the brand is going to be introduced for the 1989 model year, it’s called the Auxio AQ500. And as one of the first magazines in Europe, we now have a test drive report of it.

DRIVING CHARACTERISTICS
The car is rear wheel drive, and you can easily make the tail swing out if you aren’t using the 269 horsepowers under the hood with care. A traction control system is said to be under development at the moment and may even come as standard equipment when we will recieve the first cars in Europe. But even if it feels a bit tail happy, it will understeer rather than oversteer in a very fast emergency maneuvre. It is said to do 0.87 G at the skidpad, not impressive in any way but certainly not bad. The power steering has variable ratio and felt like a good compromise between road feel and comort.

ABS is standard equipment and the stopping distances are fair, but we did not like the huge amounts of brake fade when driven hard. It might be acceptable on japanese and american highways with their moderate speed limits, but we think that Tana…ehm, Auxio, better has to come up with an upgraded braking system before this vehicle hits the german autobahn.

VERDICT: ***

PERFORMANCE
269 hp sounds like a lot but the car is heavy and has an automatic transmission, so how does it hold up? Actually, very well. A sprint to 100 from 0 takes only 7.62 seconds, the top speed is 272 km/h and since 80-120 takes 4.68 seconds, passing of other cars is never scary. This vehicle is fast, no question about it.

VERDICT: *****

COMFORT
The 5 litre V8 is reasonably smooth and very quiet and that is a good start, and good sound insulation makes the engine sounds feel more like a silent whisper, as well as road and wind noises are barely noticeable. The front seats are like your favourite armchairs at home, in the rear they have resisted to make two individual bucket seats like some luxury car manufacturers, there is a bench there that hardly feels like a “bench” though, but makes it possible to carry three passengers. The suspension is soft, but never wallowy thanks to adaptive damping, and makes the ride feel like if it is on clouds.

VERDICT: *****

ROOMINESS:
It offers decent room for its passengers, a trunk volume of 581 litres means that it is hardly a cargo van, even if adequate most of the time. The slanted roof takes up some valuable headroom in the back, but up front it is OK. It is easy to be fooled by the outer dimensions, but fact is that many small cars are much smarter packaged and therefore offers nearly as much room as many of the luxury cruisers.

VERDICT: ***

EQUIPMENT
The tested model is not even the most high end alternative. To a (huge) cost you can buy an “executive package” which our car didn’t have, but the question is almost why you should? ABS, alloy wheels, adaptive damping, variable ratio steering, 4 zone climate control, orthopedic heated leather seats with electric adjustment and memory, and of course simple peasant gizmos like electric mirrors and windows, you name it - it’s there.

VERDICT: *****

ENGINE AND DRIVETRAIN

The 5 litre, 269 hp DOHC 32V V8 is smooth, modern, powerful and responsive. Torque curve is high and flat almost from idle to the rev limiter cuts off at 6200 RPM. Nowadays, building an engine completely out of cast iron seems like a strange decision in this price class, but on the other hand, it is both cheap and durable, even if it adds some weight.

Behind it is a 4 speed autobox that is doing its job very well. It incorporates the latest technology with electronic control and lockup. Gearing seems to be sane.

VERDICT: ****

QUALITY

Fit and finish is impressive from the inside and out. Materials like the wood and leather in the interior seems to be chosen with care. Unfortunately, there has been some problems reported with the first cars, the advanced technology that is fitted to cars like this takes its toll.

The unibody structure is galvanized - no rust there in many years to come. But on the outside, there is just a regular steel body, where some competitors have made some of their outer panels out of materials like aluminium and plastic. Cosmetical rust might be an issue in some years.

VERDICT: ***

ECONOMY
A $41100AMU car may sound like insanity in itself, and it will not be cheap to tax, insure or service. Being a completely new brand, it’s hard to predict the second hand value, so we prefer to see it as questionable. In this class, the prestige in the brand is important and an unknown luxury car may have a lukewarm second hand market.

The gas mileage is somewhat better though. 11.7 litres per 100 km is not all that bad considering that the car has a 5 litre V8 and weighs over 1700 kg.

VERDICT: *

SAFETY
It is huge and it is heavy. The body seems to be rigid and well engineered, and has long crumple zones both front and rear. There is headrests and 3-point belts even in the back, and the seatbelts are adjustable in height too. The doors have side impact beams, the electric fuel pump a shutoff, there is anti submarining seats, and for the driver, there is even an airbag. The Auxio is probably one of the safest cars on the market right now.

VERDICT: *****

Not a sight as common as you might think, the V8 is economical for what it is.

FINAL VERDICT: 34/45
Let’s say it right now - this car deserves a better name than “Tanaka”. It has qualities that might easily get lost if it has the same badge in its grille as an Aventis. Of course, the Aventis is not a bad car, but this is a competent entry in the luxury car segment and let’s hope that the Auxio name has enough weight and prestige in it, because the AQ500 is as serious as a contender as any other luxury car on the market.

And on the US roads it was easy to fall in love with the car. Many americans have done so, too. And probably it is good enough for Sweden too. But when it comes to the european market, high speed driving at the autobahn is where a car in this class has to excel, and we feel that it needs some upgrades to mainly the braking system then. They are underpowered for a car that can reach 272 km/h.

Still, we can only wish Tanaka good luck with the new Auxio brand, because they really deserve it. They have done a great job with the car.

(Thanks to @Aaron.W for the car!)