Notable eco-cars (old & new) spotted in the wild: post your pics!

[user removed]

I would HATE to go to any auction where a bidder was not preapproved and capable of paying the bid amount, basically the same as bidding against a shill or any other type of scum that jacks up the price with no intention of paying.

That is not an auction, more like felony theft.

regards
mech

[War_Wagon]

That particular bank has a contract with that auction, some banks require a repossessed unit to be offered to the general public, which is a holdover* from the old days. So the bank won't take it to another auction. They will however have a debt owing against that car. Say the remainder of the loan was $15000. They know they won't get that much for it, but this file is looked after by some guy sitting at a desk at the bank, he has an amount owing and an amount recovered. He knows he won't get $15k for it, but before he shows a loss, he will always run it more than once at the auction, just so he can show his boss that he tried his best to get the most for it. And yes the first bid can be the most they'll ever get, but that guy doesn't want to look like he just got rid of it at a loss without trying, so they will rerun it if it's not close to what's owning, even though that could result in them getting even less for it the second time.

*Repo 101 in B.C. Canada if you are interested* - repo rules vary province to province here. In B.C., we are "seize or sue", so if I owe $15000 on my car and I'm not paying, the bank can either seize the asset from me, or sue me for the $15000. If they seize the car, and only get $5000 for it because I destroyed the thing, they can't come after me for the remaining $10000. By taking their asset back from me, they let me off the hook. It will trash my credit rating but at least the debt is gone.

In other provinces, banks can do both. So if I owe $15000, they repo my car and only get $5000 for it, they then can sue me for the other $10000. This is where the rule about the auction being open to the public comes from. If the auction value of the car is only $5000, the bank needs to show the courts that they made every effort to get as much as possible for it before coming after me for the rest. So some put the clause that the vehicle needs to be available to the retail public in order to cover their asses on it. So even though that rule doesn't apply to B.C. residents, the banks are all based in other provinces, so they just carry that blanket rule over all their repos, even the ones in B.C..

Dang I'm just full of useless info I tells ya haha

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

It may look as "just another Fiat Siena", but...

That's a TetraFuel. Well, not really tetrafuel, but for marketing purposes Fiat highlighted its calibration to also run smoothly with ethanol-free gasoline which is not available in Brazil but is still available in neighboring countries, along the alcogas/gasohol blends, ethanol, CNG or any mixture of those fuels. It was made in Brazil from 2006 to 2011, and since 2012 it's made only in Venezuela where it was renamed Dodge Forza.

Mitsubishi L300


Asia Motors Towner, a Korean-made licensed copy of the Daihatsu HiJet. I'm seriously considering to get one of these...


Asia Motors Topic, based on the Mazda Bongo, fitted with a 4-cyl 2.7L Diesel and a manual 5-speed transmission, can haul 15 passengers plus driver.


Kia Besta, not sure if this one had the 2.2L or the 2.7L but due to the front clip I guess it has the bigger one.


Kia Pregio, the replacement of the Besta, but was based in the same platform, fitted with the 2.7L Diesel and a 5-speed manual transmission, with a very rare 4-speed automatic available as optional. Can haul 11 passengers plus driver. In Brazil it retained the Besta nameplate.



There was also a long version with space for more 4 passengers, fitted with a 3.0L 4-pot Diesel but only a 5-speed manual transmission.


Hyundai H-100, based in the Mitsubishi L300.


Hyundai H-1


Kia K-2500


And an old Spanish-made Mercedes-Benz MB180-D, it can haul 14 passengers plus driver. Since it's FWD the engine is mounted forward instead of under the front seats, so due to the presence of a doghouse for the engine in the cabin it takes space which would otherwise accomodate one more passenger.

[niky]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

And an old Spanish-made Mercedes-Benz MB180-D, it can haul 14 passengers plus driver. Since it's FWD the engine is mounted forward instead of under the front seats, so due to the presence of a doghouse for the engine in the cabin it takes space which would otherwise accomodate one more passenger.

Makes for an impressively low loading floor behind the engine, however. Those are nice, comfortable vans.

Suck climbing hills. Gear ratios not suited for hauling.

[Arragonis]

You say "just another Fiat Siena" like we all see them every day...

[freebeard]

That color combo hurts my eyes. The patchy yellow looks like painted over graffiti.

But I like the 'West Coaster'-style mirror pushed out ahead of the A-pillar.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by freebeard

That color combo hurts my eyes. The patchy yellow looks like painted over graffiti.

It's a former school shuttle. Tan body with white bumpers are mandatory for school shuttles in my hometown, while the yellow stripe with "escolar" in capital letters is a nationwide standard. There was also a 3-digit number at its front doors, another local ordinance.

Originally Posted by Arragonis

You say "just another Fiat Siena" like we all see them every day...

What can I do? I see them every day, since they're still among the most popular taxis in my hometown

[War_Wagon]

I think someone just posted one of these in the "Cheap Eco Cars For Sale" section, but here's another one.





1997 Ford Escort wagon, 142k KMs (88k miles), the colour makes my eyes water, but it's a 5 speed. There's a weird dial on the dash that apparently makes cold air come out when you turn it. I've heard tell of this "Conditioned Air" but it sounds too fancy for me haha.

[Arragonis]

Originally Posted by cRiPpLe_rOoStEr

What can I do? I see them every day, since they're still among the most popular taxis in my hometown

I suspect people on other continents have never seen one at all. Mind you South America has booted GM Corsas and all sorts of oddness, or greatness depending on your view.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by Arragonis

I suspect people on other continents have never seen one at all. Mind you South America has booted GM Corsas and all sorts of oddness, or greatness depending on your view.

Subcompact sedans are far more popular in Asia, Africa, Latin America and Eastern Europe than in Western Europe. The Siena, specifically, was also made in China, South Africa, Turkey and North Korea.

Regarding the Corsa sedan, my parents bought a brand-new one in '01, and when they got divorced in early '07 my mother kept the car but soon traded it for a brand-new Chevrolet Celta (another South American rebodied Opel Corsa B). It's not a bad car at all, but I like the station-wagon (estate, tourer) more. It was also available in Asia (including Middle East) and Africa, not sure about its availability in Eastern Europe, but the station-wagon was shipped from Argentina to a handful of Western European markets (basically Italy and Germany). At least for me it doesn't seem to make so much sense to sell subcompact sedans and station-wagons in Western Europe, and I'd also rather get an Opel Combo Tour over a Corsa sedan or a station-wagon if the Combo had ever been available here.