Citation for suckiness

[niteowl7710]

Well we're on a separate thing with the Cube vs. The Original Car at hand, but the thing to remember about the Cube is it was in production as a JDM vehicle for 11 years and two product cycles before Nissan decided to sell them here. The styling isn't out of sorts with comparable JDM designs.

Edited December 29, 2014 by niteowl7710

[jbwelda]

so was the Cube or the Scion similar vehicle the true pioneer in this style? which came first in the home market?

jb

[niteowl7710]

so was the Cube or the Scion similar vehicle the true pioneer in this style? which came first in the home market?

jb

The Cube first started in 1998, but didn't garner it's rolling toaster looks until the 2002 generation upgrade. It came to North America in 2003. The Scion xB, and home market Toyota bB started in 2003 and were brought to both markets simultaneously. There was also a Asian only, nearly identical Daihatsu Materia (Coo in Japan an Thailand).

But beyond that the rolling bix on wheels really goes back into vehicles like the Suzuki Wagon R, Daihatsu Move and perhaps even the Honda Stepwgn - although that's a larger MPV van rather than 5 door compact.

[niteowl7710]

Just as an aside you can also get models of ALL of those vehicles I just mentioned (except for the Materia/Coo) from Fujimi. Tamiya also did a Toyota bB, but Fujimi has also done the 2nd Gen bB.

[Swifster]

I worked at a Cadillac dealer when the '85 Cimarron redesign came out. I liked it and the much nicer than the 'Cavalier with Leather' that came out in '82. The first one I saw was a V6 with a 5-Speed. I thought the best looking 'J' car was the Pontiac J-2000 (Sunbird).

[Faust]

That's the thing with GM. By the time they get the styling and mechanics all right, the car's life is over, or they kill it soon after. It was the same with the Fiero. The early ones had problems, including those engine fires and they looked pretty dorky, if you ask me (hence why I have a kit of one!). However, by the time the 88 GTs were on the street, the styling and mechanisms had improved a lot, and it was a pretty good car.

It's a shame that always happens. I think the Citation could have really helped American auto makers against the Japanese if it had been built properly. Having them be quality nightmares only drove more people to the Hondas and Toyotas, and that's where many have stayed.

[kruleworld]

when i was building a firebird and wanted a six banger to replace the v8 (base model) i bought a citation to rob the engine. i built the rest of the kit without the engine. i built it as a Joker goon car from the first Batman movie (not correct, but close enough to the Malibu they did use). it went together quite well, so i'd say the model is far superior to the 1:1.

[Faust]

Nice!

I don't think I'd have ever thought of that paint job!

I love this:

it went together quite well, so i'd say the model is far superior to the 1:1.

Amen to that!\

[Harold]

Now having said this, it seems as though another reason cars appear the way they do is the fact that so many government regulations have dictated what should and shouldn't be on a car.

Hardtop rooflines?? Forget it! Pointy tailfins?? Not on your life!

Yet we get such far out designs (Nissan Cube anyone??) at times that I don't know how they got out of the styling department's board rooms. It would be nice for car designs to be a bit more daring and not be ugly, and yet still be distinctive from one another, than for the appearance to be nothing more than a mundane account of the styling department's time. Of course we know that styling is subjective..............jus' sayin'.........

Just my 2¢............

We can't forget focus groups- usually a bunch of pensioners with nothing else to do on a Saturday afternoon...