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The Rivals

Cavalier

The cars : Vauxhall Cavalier Mk2 development story

14 January 2022 Keith Adams 69

The full story of how the front-wheel drive Vauxhall Cavalier overturned the Ford Sierra and Austin Montego in the UK fleet market during the 1980s. […]

Citroën

Unsung Heroes : Citroën BX

14 January 2022 Keith Adams 103

Keith Adams takes a sideways look at one of those bangers, which once littered the streets of the UK. This one was loved and admired as a repmobile for a […]

Capri

The cars : Ford Capri development story

11 November 2021 Keith Adams 114

The Ford Capri was created to emulate the massive success of the Mustang in the USA – right down to its fashionable styling. Based on an assortment of parts from […]

C5

The cars : Sinclair C5 development story

17 September 2021 Andrew Elphick 25

Predicting the future – 25 years too early Suggest buying a Toyota Prius and people will smile then nod approvingly. It’s cool to be seen to be doing your bit […]

Nissan

Unsung Heroes : Datsun 120Y (Sunny B210)

8 July 2021 Keith Adams 115

Mark Mastrototaro casts a fond eye over one of the UK’s favourite imports during the 1970s, the Datsun 120Y. Why was it so popular? Striking British factories, waiting lists for […]

Talbot Matra Murena Paris 1980
Bagheera/Murena

The cars : Talbot-Matra Murena (M551) development story

12 January 2021 Keith Adams 23

Keith Adams tells the little-known story of the three-seat Talbot-Matra Murena, a mid-engined sports car for the ‘masses’ that ushered its maker into a brave new world for the 1980s. Sadly, its […]

1100

The cars : Matra-Simca Rancho development story

11 January 2021 Keith Adams 22

The 1977 Matra-Simca Rancho is one of those wonderful cars that made more of an impact than anyone realised at the time of its launch. Today, no-one would bat an […]

Development story

The cars : Hillman Avenger development story

1 September 2019 Keith Adams 34

The Hillman Avenger was all-new from the ground up, and the first Rootes Group car to be developed under the leadership of Chrysler Europe. An excellent all-rounder, but one which […]

DeLorean DMC-12 Turbo rendering by Ital Design in 1981
DeLorean DMC-12

The cars : DeLorean DMC-12 development story

31 August 2019 Keith Adams 39

Keith Adams There are plenty of cars that have achieved notoriety during their lifetimes – one only has to look at the Boulevard of Broken Dreams that is the British […]

Bagheera/Murena

The cars : Matra-Simca Bagheera (M550) development story

16 June 2018 Keith Adams 42

Sold briefly by Chrysler UK over here, the Matra-Simca Bagheera was a sweet little sports car that deserved so much more success than it achieved. […]

1000

The cars : Simca 1000 development story

25 October 2017 Keith Adams 26

The heart of the Simca 1000 lay in Italy, but it was the French that built it – and proved that a small, rear-engned didn’t necessarily have to have a Renault badge on its nose to sell in its millions. […]

1100

The cars : SIMCA 1100 development story

23 April 2017 Keith Adams 22

The Simca 1100 might be all-but forgotten today, but this revolutionary hatch caused quite the storm when it was launched in 1967. With front-wheel drive, torsion bar suspension and a wide-opening tailgate, it had everything a modern family man needed in their car. […]

AROnline

Raise a glass to : 30 years of the Ford Sierra Sapphire

8 March 2017 Mike Humble 25

Mike Humble Here’s yet another one of those car birthdays that makes you feel old. Ford’s medicine to a customer base that still mourned the passing of Cortina came along thirty years ago. The old […]

Drive Story

Drive Story : Citroën C5 in the South of France

28 February 2017 Andrew Elphick 8

Andrew Elphick recounts a brilliant trip in a Citroen C5 from Geneva to Monaco, via the Alps, Italy… and a little bit more. […]

LCVs

Unsung Heroes : Commer/Dodge Spacevan

18 September 2012 Mike Humble 71

Mike Humble Once upon a time, life was so much simpler wasn’t it? You got your electric from the electric board, your gas from the gas board and yes… you […]

Mercedes-Benz

Unsung Heroes : Mercedes-Benz A-Class W168

5 August 2012 Richard Kilpatrick 81

Richard Kilpatrick on the innovative small car since the 1959 Mini. Sadly, Germany’s reinvention didn’t go on to inspire as many copies as Issigonis’ baby. A car with a reputation […]

Dacia Duster
Opinion

Blog : The rather acceptable Dacia Duster

24 July 2012 Keith Adams 42

We love value for money purchases at AROnline, and no new car sums-up this philosophy so well as Dacia. John O’Sullivan tries one for size in Ireland, and comes away […]

Citroen C6
Citroën

Unsung Heroes : Citroën C6

1 June 2012 Keith Adams 85

Keith Adams You’ll have to forgive me for this indulgence, especially as it’s concerning a – gasp – rival car built overseas, but in the case of the C6, I’m […]

AROnline

Essays : Volkswagen Golf – Does anyone REALLY do it better?

31 December 2011 Mike Humble 57

After spending time driving around the UK at Christmas, Mike Humble wonders if the Golf truly does lead where others merely follow. And comes to an unsurprising conclusion. Simply the […]

The Rivals

Unsung Heroes : Volvo 300 Series

17 December 2011 Mike Humble 62

Mike Humble takes another sideways look at cars which once littered the streets up and down the land. This one, on paper, had little going for it – it was […]

Ford

Unsung Heroes : Ford Granada 1977-1985

16 November 2011 Mike Humble 115

Mike Humble takes a sideways look at one of the sheds that littered the highways and by-ways of the UK. The Ford Granada Mk2 might have smacked of Teutonic coolness, […]

Peugeot

Unsung Heroes : Peugeot 505

30 October 2011 Mike Humble 30

Mike Humble remembers yet another car that, not only once blessed the highways and by-ways of the UK, but seemingly travelled – the indestructible Peugeot 505. It was car that […]

Drive Story

Drive Story : VW Passat // New chasing the old

27 October 2011 Keith Adams 18

We aim for the deep south of France on a single tank of fuel… our mission, to find old cars and buy great wine. Our car of choice for the […]

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Latest story

Austin Allegro design sketch
Austin Allegro (ADO67)

I was there : The Austin Allegro – rejected by South Africa

15 August 2022 9

Former British Leyland man Michael Wattam recalls the process of the Austin Allegro’s productionisation… And the reaction from the firm’s South African outpost when presented with the option of building […]

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Archive (1959-2019)

Featured stories

News : The 10 most popular news stories of 2012

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12 February 2017 151
Ford of Great Britain found itself in the enviable position of being able to do [...]

Tested : Radford MINI Miglia

24 July 2011 0
An iconic name from the 1960s has made a return: Radford MINI. KEITH ADAMS takes [...]

Essay : Road versus Rail – Part Four

13 August 2015 56
Ian Nicholls, AROnline‘s  resident historian, takes a detailed look at how the UK’s railways developed, [...]
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