Gammy Rather Than Gamma

I decided to go on the Australian site www.caradvice.com.au for a change this evening - I've not been on there in a while.

I soon wished I hadn't, the first picture that greeted me was this:

That is an MG3 from this story about their petrol tanks falling out.

Very ugly - and apparently it is "Australia’s top-selling city car"

But then I spotted this picture:

That really does take ugliness to an even higher level.  It is from this story about the return of Lancia - but with SUVs and electric cars.

Just like MG.

That picture, incidentally, is the aging Lancia Ypsilon - also known as the Chrysler Ypsilon - a car I disparaged back in 2011 when it was new.  It hasn't got any better looking with time.

It's a shame because Lancia have produced some beautiful (and rally-winning) cars over time - some can even look good in yellow:

Although there were some stinkers too:

It's a shame that these brands are being treated this way.

Triumph's end seems quite dignified in comparison:

For Chrysler's Sake!

I keep seeing this ad on TV and I always end up shouting at the screen..."There's been good times and there's been bad times, but we came through it. How?"

BY BEING BAILED OUT BY FIAT WHO NOW OWN MOST OF YOU - THAT'S HOW!

Most of those cars are only re-badged Lancias anyway.

If they had stayed with their old European partners, Mercedes Benz, at least their ads would be a bit more innovative. This one, disguised as a sunroof and for their Actros truck is only visible from above - for example, from where a truck-driver would be sitting.Clever eh?

Another one of theirs was highlighted by Autoguide today, for the Mercedes Viano:
The Viano mustn't be confused with the awful Mercedes Vaneo - my local Merc dealer gave me one of those once as a discourtesy car.Very embarassing. But who knows, if they still made them today and Mercedes were still tied in to their old partners, it could be appearing in adverts as a Chrysler People-Mover.

Sorry America

The number of hits my Blog gets from the US is in danger of overtaking the number I get from the UK, so, while your President is over here, I'll address an apology to you.

I'm speaking as a European here, because it was the Italians who did this - albeit for the British market.

There you were, rightly so, feeling very pleased with the way you dealt with Bin Laden when you find that Fiat have stuck a Chrysler badge on this...God that's ugly. What Car? have reviewed it here and don't exactly enthuse about it but don't really comment on HOW BLEEPING UGLY IT IS either.

They picked on Chrysler because it was a brand they owned and Lancia has a rust-bucket reputation in the UK.

Your other big car brands (apart from Ford who we think of as British while Germans think it is German and Australians think of it as Aussie) don't fare too well either.

Let's take Chevrolet for example - and there are many fine examples to choose from:



















But what cars get Chevrolet badges here in the UK?

Renamed Daewoos - that's what!Ugh!! But you've only got GM to blame for that.

Meanwhile, an attempt to bring the Dodge name to Britain was attempted four or five years ago.

On actual Dodge cars!

Very funny advert:
But it didn't really work and they eventually gave up.

The only Dodge I've ever driven was identical to this one:You'd call it a 15-Seater Minibus.

I just called it scary.