GM's attempt to turn Chevrolet into a major brand in Europe in the 'noughties relied on rebadging Korean Daewoos, but a token North American model was offered in some countries: the HHR, which resembled Chrysler's PT Cruiser. This 2009 Swiss brochure made it look as dull as possible. #weirdcarbs

This 1982 folder was printed to mark the return of DeTomaso to the UK and Ireland under a new importer. It saw the arrival of the extravagant wide-body Pantera GT5 Group 3. The accompanying text called the 160mph Ford V8-powered model 'the ultimate in macho, high performance motoring'. #weirdcarbs

The luxury Metro Vanden Plas proved a modest success for Austin Rover, both at home and in certain export markets. The facelifted 5-door version is featured in this brochure from Italy, where the company saw increasing success as the '80s wore on. #weirdcarbs

An important car in the history of Subaru, the front-wheel-drive 1000 was the company's first step out of the small kei-car bracket. Launched in 1966, it was a model which could compete in the heart of the Japanese market and also appeal to overseas customers. #weirdcarbs

France's punitive car tax regime had long mitigated against models with larger engines, and the 30TS, launched in 1975, was Renault's first six-cylinder car of its own since WW2. It used the new PRV 2.7-litre unit, which appeared concurrently in the Peugeot 604 and Volvo 264. #carbluesky

Volkswagen's ageing Polo mk2 was well behind some competitors by the date of this 1989 UK brochure, but its unusual breadvan style and quality image kept sales buoyant. The new entry-level model was the 1043cc Fox, with distinctive 'starfish' wheel caps. #weirdcarbs

For some years Malaysian carmaker Perodua maintained a tiny foothold in the UK market, with quirky low-priced offerings like this Kenari 'mini-MPV', sold from 2001, based on a Daihatsu Move kei car. Perodua's import operation was small and its sales leaflets were rather flimsy affairs. #weirdcarbs

One of the prettiest and most affordable small sporting models of its day, the rear-engined Fiat 850 coupé was first seen in 1965. By the date of this 1971 English-language brochure it had evolved into the 903cc 52bhp Sport model, which was described as having 'surprising performance'. #weirdcarbs

Ford of Europe got the fashionable late-'70s angular-aero look off to perfection with the Granada mk2 saloon. Its Ghia trim level signalled the peak of the range, with special alloy wheels and a interior that seemed very impressive in its day. #carbluesky

This 1975 brochure features the jingoistically-named British Pioneer and British Buccaneer motorhome conversions of the then-new British Leyland 240 van (more usually known as the Sherpa). They were claimed to offer 'unashamed luxury, superb styling and the genius of British design'. #weirdcarbs

Citroën produced numerous special editions of the Visa over the years, including the 1982/3 West End, based on the facelifted 1124cc Super E and aimed at the French market. Extras included alloy wheels, tinted glass, a sunroof and red leather-look seats for a 'British-style' interior. #weirdcarbs

GTi had become quite a universal badge by the late '80s. Here it is used by Mitsubishi on the latest generation of its complex Lancer range, a spin-off of the FWD Mirage/Colt hatchback. The 1989 UK brochure featured it at London's Tower Bridge, quite a popular car photography backdrop. #carbluesky

When Škoda revived the Octavia name for a new Volkwagen-derived model at the end of 1996, early cars were low-spec models in line with the brand's perceived role within the VW group. This soon changed and by 2001 the company was offering a full-blown performance hot hatch, the 146mph RS. #carbluesky

The Triumph marque was in the ascendant in the early '60s, buoyed by the success of the Herald range and booming sports car exports, particularly to North America. The impressive new Michelotti-styled TR4, which arrived in 1961, was the latest addition to the company's arsenal. #weirdcarbs

A very Australian luxury car, the Statesman Caprice was at the top of the Holden line, and had evolved with new styling at the time of this 1980 brochure. Holden - GM's Australian marque - believed the locally-designed 5.0-litre V8 model was the equal of any imported luxury car. #weirdcarbs

Lancia's 21st century flagship, the Thesis, did not prove much of a sales success over its nine-year life but is remembered for its one-of-a-kind styling. This 2007 German leaflet features a special edition version of the car, called the Thesis Sportiva. #weirdcarbs

Back in 2006, style-conscious buyers wondering if Volkswagen's lightly-facelifted 'New' Beetle was getting a little passé might feel reassured by this UK brochure showcasing four new 'traffic-stopping' Beetle Art design decals which could be ordered alongside a new vehicle. #weirdcarbs

After quite a slow start, the Peugeot 104 gradually grew into a serious supermini contender, and was unusual in offering bodystyles with two different wheelbases. The 1981 line-up in this UK brochure is surprisingly comprehensive. #carbluesky

Nissan Bluebird hatchbacks and saloons were rolling out of the company's new British factory in Washington by the date of this 1988 brochure, allowing it to sidestep import quotas in the UK and across Europe. Nissan targeted both private and company buyers with models like this 2.0 GSXi. #carbluesky

Patriotic pride was high in Turkey over the success of its first home-grown production car, the Otosan Anadol, shown in this English-language brochure from around 1968. It had been developed with Reliant in Britain, featuring a body by Tom Karen of Ogle Design, plus Ford mechanicals. #weirdcarbs

Kia's 1998 Shuma hatchback had an aerodynamic body with a 0.29 Cd, creating a look that was 'both sporty and sophisticated', according to this global brochure in English. It arrived at a time of transition for the company, which had gone bankrupt in 1997, only to be rescued by Hyundai. #weirdcarbs

One of the original SUVs, the Jeep Cheokee emphasised its considerable off-road capabilities and versatility in this 1978 US-market brochure. Two-door and four-door bodies were available, with trims including the S and Cherokee Chief. #weirdcarbs

The Fiat 132 was the company's largest offering after the big 130 was quietly dropped in 1977. This 1978 brochure from Austria (where for historical reasons it was described as a Steyr-Fiat) features the final third-series 132, here with a newly-introduced 2.5-litre Sofim diesel engine. #weirdcarbs

British Leyland continued selling the Mini in Canada through the '70s, adapting to safety regulations with a curious improvised raised bumper arrangement. This 1978 brochure was pleasingly light-hearted, describing the engine as 'more powerful than a rubber band'. #weirdcarbs

Winter can be a fraught time for drivers, but in this 1972 brochure Wartburg was keen to stress its 353 (called Knight in the UK) was the perfect all-year-round car. Seasonal pictures showed the cars were fully at home in the ice and snow of the DDR. #weirdcarbs

Honda's second-generation Civic was a faithful evolution of the original model, but a little larger. Some markets got this useful wagon version, shown in facelifted form. It features an American-style fake woodgrain side treatment in the Country-S model in this Japanese brochure. #weirdcarbs

First seen in 1977, Matra's innovative Rancho failed to have the impact it deserved due to the turmoil at Chrysler Europe. It was a Talbot by the time of this 1984 UK brochure, which made only a half-hearted attempt to promote the vehicle's virtues. #weirdcarbs

Renault was aiming for more mainstream appeal in the late '70s when it replaced the slightly quirky 12 with the smooth new 18. Two years after launch it upped the model's standing, with the 1565cc 120bhp 18 Turbo, quite a desirable car in its day. #carbluesky

After Fiat took over Innocenti in 1990 it pulled the plug on the marque's last remaining model. Instead the badge was used in Italy on a rag-bag of imports, including briefly this Zastava-built Innocenti Koral. Unlike the rest of Europe, the Yugo seemingly hadn't been sold there before. #weirdcarbs

The original BMW 6 series coupé arrived in 1976, and was influential in the evolution of the company's styling, inside and out - it would share much with the soon-to-be-launched 7 series saloon. This early brochure features two initial models, the 630CS and 633CSi. #carbluesky

The Vauxhall Chevette was swimming against the tide by 1981, as one of the last rear-wheel-drive ranges competing in the small family car class. The top-spec GL hatch and saloon still had appealing looks, however, and continued to appeal to conservative UK buyers. #carbluesky

India's Maruti brand, which built its first Suzuki-based vehicle in 1982, established a small European foothold in Malta, selling a range of models under its own name. This Maltese brochure features a new 'safer' version of its Suzuki Carry-based Omni mini-MPV with a late '90s facelift. #weirdcarbs

While New Year is normally a time of looking to the future, today I'm going back a while, to 1979 in fact, with this UK Motor Show leaflet on Toyota's 'shape of cars to come', the advanced FCX-80 concept, with an interior featuring maximum visibility and sensible city-car proportions. #weirdcarbs

Wherever you are in the world, whatever you are doing to mark the passing of the old year, I wish you good health and happiness in 2026.

A Japanese economy car and a legendary British steam train seem an odd combination, especially in a brochure for the US market, but Datsun seemingly chose to link its B-210 (aka Sunny) with the Flying Scotsman because of the locomotive's American fame after an extensive tour there. #weirdcarbs

The successor to the 2CV-based AK400 van, the practical Citroën Acadiane switched to the closely-related Dyane car for its frontal styling and interior, while the name was a pun on AK-Dyane. The 602cc model lasted until 1987, overlapping for a time with the new Visa-derived C15 van. #weirdcarbs

Quattro was the magic word for Audi following the launch of the original, seminal model in 1980. By the time of this late-1985 brochure there was a comprehensive range of quattros on offer, including the very limited production short-wheelbase Sport quattro. #weirdcarbs

Mazda was hoping the magic of the MX-5 would rub off on its new Tribute, which the 2003 UK brochure called 'the very first Mazda SUV'. The Tribute had been co-developed with the first-generation Ford Escape, though the two cars had their own unique styling. #weirdcarbs

This UK brochure on the Saab 99L asserted that the model was aimed at the logical-minded buyer, setting out a case for why the car was a good all-round buy. The L was the cheapest model in the 99 range, and for 1975 was available as a single 4-door model. #weirdcarbs

New for 1952, the little 803cc Austin A30 was the company's challenger to the Morris Minor, though ironically that year Austin and Morris merged to form BMC. The A30 had once been expected to use the historic Austin Seven name, as the number plate in this charming early brochure shows. #weirdcarbs

Lincoln, Ford's US luxury brand, envied the success of the Seville, the smallest but priciest model from Cadillac. It cobbled together a rival in the shape of the Versailles, a fancier version of the existing Mercury Monarch. Sales proved slow - this 1980 brochure is from its final year. #weirdcarbs

Škoda was increasingly happy to play up its Czech heritage in the post- communist era. This 1996 UK brochure presents the Bohemia, a well-equipped special edition of the increasingly-popular Felicia range. #carbluesky

The original Daewoo Matiz was easily the company's most distinctive design of its day, and its second-generation model - now sold almost everywhere as a Chevrolet - tried to retain that appeal. The new body was styled to retain some of the Matiz's signature features. #weirdcarbs

Times were simpler back in 1976, when Peugeot was promoting its delightfully understated 304 saloon as 'a motor car par excellence'. The angular front-wheel-drive 1300cc model was reassuringly described as 'a fine example of quality Peugeot engineering'. #carbluesky

The Chevrolet Monza was GM Brazil's version of the European Opel Ascona C/Vauxhall Cavalier, and stayed in production for 14 years. This 1992 brochure features a facelift with new nose and tail treatment. By this stage only 2- and 4-door sedans were offered. #weirdcarbs

Sold as the second-generation Toyota Sprinter Carib in its native Japan, the versatile wagon in this 1988 brochure was called, slightly confusingly, the Corolla Tercel 4x4 for the German market, where it came in 1.6 XLi trim. #weirdcarbs

Ford's Cortina mk2 was Canada's second top-selling import at the time this brochure was published on the 1969 line-up. The rally record of the top-of-the-range GT was stressed. The 1.6-litre car had a 93 bhp engine and luxury interior with a wooden dashboard. #weirdcarbs

In the twilight of its life the Fiat Seicento's name changed from letters to numbers - it was known as the Fiat 600 from 2005 until its 2010 demise. This 2007 brochure from Italy featured three models, all with 1108cc engines: the base, Active and an Anniversary edition. #weirdcarbs

Over a decade after its launch the classical Mercedes-Benz SL series (R107) was maturing nicely, with over 100,000 already sold. This 1982 brochure shows the 280SL and the relatively new 380SL and 500SL models, with various roof configurations. #carbluesky

Citroën followed the oddly-proportioned first-generation C5 with a new model aiming for more conventional mass appeal. It is shown in this 2009 UK brochure, which avoided the tongue-in-cheek 'unmistakeably German' slogan of the car's British TV ad campaign. #carbluesky