Read today about 'Ashes to Ashes', the Life on Mars spin off to be shown next year. Apparently to be set in 1981, it will feature Gene Hunt driving around in an Audi Quattro, rather than a Cortina!
But am I right in thinking that '81 is about 2 years too soon for the Quattro anyway, and even if it is not, the only Quattro that would have been around then was the UR Quattro which cost about £55-£60k in today's money; not a likely car purchase for a detective, surely?
So everyone, what car sould Gene Hunt be driving in 1981???
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My boss had a quattro turbo coupe in 1982, but LHD. I had to move it from a mews during a warden attack and remember getting both front and rear tyres to cheep on the cobblestones. It was horrible inside. Very basic.
HJ
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"Audi released the original Quattro in 1980, making it both the first car to feature Audi's quattro four-wheel drive system (hence its name) and the first to mate four wheel drive with a turbocharged engine."
from Wikipedia which is becoming a very useful place for motor car data.
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">Very basic.<"
As it should be. The quattro in 1981 was a long,long way ahead of the competition, 200ish bhp, turbocharger, 5 cylinders, AWD, who cares about the interior? I can't imagine that the Met would provide one to an employee though, but then - surprisingly - Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes are works of fiction. LOM worked because it was different, it was well written and there were some actors involved. The critics gave it a good slating but what do they know? I understand that Ashes to Ashes will have hints of Moonlighting and a touch of Miami Vice. How awful.
As good as LOM was, I prefer Rebus, much more cynical.
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>>So everyone, what car sould Gene Hunt be driving in 1981???
The answer is of course the Mk4 Cortina.
I had one, FRE 770 T, 2.0 S, metallic red.
It was a better car than my 1971 Mk3 GXL,,,,,,,,,, just!
But not as good as my Mk2 1600E, which I think was the best Cortina ever.
Alright maybe the Lotus Cortina.
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Its got to be a Capri, or if it needs to be a 4 door a 1600 Escort Mark 2 Ghia
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or an Escort Harrier MK2 with giant Cibies ! ( I knew a Detective in the 80s who had one of these, he thought he was the "bizz")
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And my Cibie Super Oscars got nicked off the front of my JPS Capri in a nightclub car park. Got em back a week later though on nights and felt a collar. Good result!
Still got the lights but the Capri is probably well gone - MDN 489P.
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Fullchat
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I agree with the Capri comment - put him in a 3.0 S Capri with black vynal roof - great car.
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Would have thought a Rover SDI (3500) would have been more typical for the year?
very desirable cars before the 'issues' became common knowledge!
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Ha JPS Capri. All black with gold pinstripes, how we all (almost) aspired to smoke 'em.
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did both.......
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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R/H drive quattros didnt appear till about 82 I think....
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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I remember these on the 1981 RAC Rally, I followed it around the Country, they wiped the floor with everything, rmember the Cossack Escort in red ?
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Roger Clark.
All this nostalgia its just toooo much : -)
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Fullchat
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Agree re Capri 3.0S, or Cortina 2.3S, or Granada 2.8i or Dolomite Sprint.
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Marina - 1.3 L in poo brown or vomit biege.
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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