Factoid: I like the fact this Pirelli ad not only promotes the tyres (as you’d expect), but also shows off the 244’s safety cage…

Factoid: There’s the hard sell & then there’s this… The Maestro’s UK launch ad possibly sounded good on paper but nowadays seems & appears a little desperate. youtu.be/yEBVCBq3iFM?...

Factoid: In order to inspire their workers to better quality, Lancia had this poster placed throughout their Chivasso plant in 1983 asking their workers ‘Is their quality better than yours?’, the ‘their’ in this case being cars from England, Japan, USA, Germany & France’… (📸: Autocar)

Factoid: It’s the Austin Maestro’s 43rd birthday tomorrow & while it had a Geneva world debut (though Continental sales started in Sept), the UK show debut was at the 6th Manchester Motor Show in Apr. While initial interest was high (like some big early fleet orders) it wasn’t to last… (📸: Autocar)

Factoid: In what proved to be the swan song for the Lotus Elite & Éclat in late 1981 the optional Riviera removable roof appeared & aside from that feature the cars also got a unique bonnet…(1)

Factoid: Less was more when it came to motor-caravans back in 1962 not least as the Highwayman, had shades of an ice cream van about it. You’d be better off with one on the ‘lively and robust Commer chassis’.

Factoid: The UK’s biggest manufacturer of motor caravans for many years & promoting here one of its best known models, but here’s your quick reminder ‘Dormobile’ was also portmanteau - Dormitory & Automobile…

Factoid: For many yrs the BX was the UK’s best selling diesel & this was consolidated when a Turbo Diesel arrived in 1988. Citroën made a promo that saw one pitied against a husky to see the Northern Lights in Canada though thankfully the car made more sense than the film… youtu.be/tmnHtP57SzA?...

Factoid: Ford’s myriad of limited editions included 1987’s Fiesta Bonus which had fashionable white wheel trims. The added ‘bonus’ here is the model returned…

Factoid: While Rootes claimed 'they mean business with the Sunbeam Imp' in the US, it struggled to win customers despite tCary Grant being the 1st US Imp customer & ambitious US & Canada endurance tests. Btw, there seems to be a problem properly closing the US Imp’s bonnet… youtu.be/1inSo5gzRig?...

Factoid: It wasn’t just Fiestas, Escorts & Sierras that had limited editions in the late ‘80’s, Ford offered the Granada LS which had a similar spec to a regular GL but only offered with a 2-litre injected engine. Interestingly, it was offered twice by Ford - firstly in Jun 1988 & then in Feb 1989…

Friday Commitment: Unbeatable as a rally car in its day, the Lancia Delta Integrale was unsurprisingly a great road car. How good? Well, in July 1988 good enough for Autocar to compare it with a Ferrari Testarossa & describe it as ‘one of life’s bargains’. That good… (📸: Autocar)

Factoid: Btw, here’s your quick reminder that in the Manta B’s early years it also featured the aquatic side badge… Apologies for the gruesome snout of that tasteless Rio sharing space on this cover of Motor…

Factoid: Undoubtedly the Manta A’s best look - its profile, but here’s your quick reminder the car’s famous manta ray logo owes its existence to a photograph of one taken by Jacques Cousteau… (📸:IG a/c plankhond)

Factoid: Well of course the Opel Manta A’s launch brochure featured a manta ray on its cover & not the car… (📸: IG a/c finecarbrochures)

Factoid: Did you know the B1 VW Passat was considered ineligible for the 1974 European Car of the Year due to its closeness to the B1 Audi 80 (the 1973 winner)? That said it did win Wheels Magazine’s Car of the Year award the same year in Australia. Two vitally important factoids for you tonight…

Factoid: Time for Obscurity Corner & the Bond Bug, that motorised Red Leicester wedge but a rear base model spec one with what looks like the hubcapped wheels from a Regal as those attractive alloy wheels were an optional extra (£12 0s 0d to you though only for the rear, of course)… (📸: Autocar)

Battle-scarred maybe, but still brilliant… 1st-gen Ford Ka, a sadly rare sight today. (📸: IG a/c plankhond)

Factoid: Sports saloon was possibly a little generous though under the bonnet of the 1989 Orion GLS was the same engine found in an Escort XR3i…

Factoid: 1988 & the battle to get buyers into superminis meant frequent limited editions to tempt them such as these two precious Novas though the keen-eyed might’ve noticed the Nova Diamond’s alloy wheels 1st made an appearance on the SR model back in 1983…

Factoid: 1988 & a reminder not just of the revised Volvo 760 (introduced in 1987) but also the status symbol of a car phone (& a hands-free one at that)…

Factoid: Triumph had plenty of ways to promote the sliding roof of the Herald 12/50 like though the randomness of this one is unusual…

Factoid: Cheesy absolutely, but back in the late ‘80’s Hyundai needed to establish themselves on the Australian market so ads like this with plenty of claims about the cars (including the Excel’s Giugiaro styling) were one way to do it… youtu.be/yI2aUjwFF0k?...

Factoid: Initially launched as a 3dr, Lada’s Samara was offered with a 5dr option in late 1988 which for reasons best known to the inventive UK importer came with the all-important side decals just to make your neighbours jealous (one assumes)… (📸: Autocar)

Factoid: The Mini’s & 1100’s success was in doubt, but the 1800’s failure & the continuation of older, out-of-date cars, offered a stark contrast showing that this ‘Creative Engineering’ clearly had its limits which was something buyers also recognised by buying cars like the Cortina. (2)

Factoid: BMC’s long running ‘Creative Engineering’ campaign was the best one the firm ever had esp as it seemed tailor-made to their mould-breaking FWD cars & demonstrated by the Mini Cooper S’s Monte success…

Factoid: An important market for Allegro, as you’d expect, but West Germans remained unmoved by the car & bought Golfs, Citroën GSs, Alfasuds (indeed of all its rivals) instead even if the importer had an unusual way of showing the car’s boot space… (📸: IG a/c finecarbrochures)

Factoid: January 1976 saw the end of the Victor name when the revised Vauxhall VX arrived. While the 1800/2300 saloons had velour upholstery, estates got Ambla (a type of vinyl) though in Mar 1977 the velour would arrive…

Factoid: While Citroën’s ‘Loves Driving, Hates Garages’ campaign proved very successful for the BX in its early years, the 1986 facelifted ‘Phase II’ gen models got a new ad along with those revised looks (& new instruments)… youtu.be/ZTD020xX6B0?...

Factoid: So successful was this UK launch campaign that future versions of the ad were used throughout Europe by other Citroën subsidiaries. Here’s one for the Italian market but you’ll notice the car though LHD had UK registration plates… youtu.be/rL-fV84qTQs?...

Factoid: And here’s the very TV ad that which I’m sure some will remember… youtu.be/ZzjlAdkvHoE?...

Factoid: Still one of the best car launch campaign slogans of all time… 42yrs later (yes, it’s that long ago) only confirms that…

Factoid: Smart rectangular headlamps were a sign your new Mk1 Escort in ‘68 wasn’t a base model as these were standard on the Super model & above. Less smart was the fact you needed to remove the grille to adjust them… (📸: Autocar)

Factoid: Rootes’ early post-war mainstay, the Minx had received a new body in 1948 & in keeping with their practice of regular updates had been regularly since then - this is a Mark V car introduced in 1951…

Factoid: No, it wasn’t the 1st fast Escort, but the RS 1600 marked the start of a brief era where fast Fords such as this & the Mexico (launched in 1971) were built at Ford’s AVO (Advanced Vehicle Operations)…(1)

Factoid: The great designs bristle with great features & few would argue the Alfa 156 doesn’t tick that box ✅ Pick your favourite from these though it’s the wondrous whole that makes it for me. (📸:IG a/c plankhond)

Factoid: The 3rd-gen A60 Celica was the last RWD one & the earlier cars had these semi-retractable headlamps which were frankly cooler than the more conventional ones the car got in its mid-life late 1983 refresh…

Factoid: VW UK’s copywriters had a nice spin on the late ‘80’s trend toward less artificial colourings, preservatives & additives in food to prove a point about the Golf 2…

Factoid: I’m not certain whether these 1988 Mk1 Ibizas were limited editions or trim levels, but if it’s the latter they’re not certainly different from the usual L & GL specs of their contemporaries…

Factoid: Fiat’s Tipo 16v was a credible Golf GTI rival, but it’s also your quick reminder Italian makes anything sound more exotic as these had ‘Sedicivalvole’ in evocative red lettering written on the boot handle…

Factoid: Sadly you’re too late for this 1983 offer, but it’s not too late to remind you of the 1st of two facelifts the Tipo 116 Giulietta had over its life. That came in 1981 & another would appear later in 1983…

Factoid: This 1988 ad was relatively simple for Volvo’s incredibly creative ‘80’s UK ones but its simplicity & directness makes its point…

Factoid: One of those cars that’s basically forgotten today, the original Fiat Tipo wasn’t just a handsome car, with a surprisingly roomy interior, but a good steer plus one highly regarded by the press at the time…(1)

Factoid: If a hot hatch was the thing to have in your range in the ‘80s, then one with a 16v was needed in the early ‘90s. What makes this CAR Magazine article intriguing was the Tipo’s narrow victory over the Civic. (📸: CAR Magazine)

Factoid: Luxury class with an Italian theme might’ve been an alternative headline for this ad though you have to ignore the rather homely (& not very Italianate 1500)…

Factoid: In case you’re wondering if the station wagon version of the Taurus got the ‘hi-energy’, fist-pumping, ear-worm jingle treatment then rest assured it did & here’s the proof (you’ll be humming this tomorrow, I guarantee you)… youtu.be/n12lyKTAa50?...

Factoid: Easily forgotten btwn the original, trendsetting design & the Series 3 with its iconic ‘shark-nose’ & directional headlights, the Series 2 (from 1962-67) brought a more aerodynamic front end which complemented that stunning profile (pics from a 1966 brochure). (📸: IG a/c finecarbrochures)

Factoid: Chrysler UK dealers had plenty of Avengers to shift in July 1976 as the facelifted car was imminent though the 1300’s features highlighted here would hardly have people rushing to this showroom (esp as Japanese rivals had these & more for years)…

Factoid: Jowett notably (& unsurprisingly) conducted testing in the Yorkshire Moors so could talk with some confidence about the car’s suitability in wet conditions. Btw, note the honesty in the copy which you wouldn’t see today & especially in those times of extravagant ad claims…

Friday Commitment: ‘High grip plus high centre of gravity plus low roll equals a trip to the laundrette.’ David Vivian’s exploits in the 5.7-litre, Chevy-engined Overfinch Range Rover also = the best Rangie commitment pic… As he notes, ‘Needless to say, Overfinch is looking into it.’ (📸: Autocar)