These cars celebrate an anniversary in 2023 (part 1)

Ford Focus – 25 years

Bad luck for Ford: it announced the new Escort with great fanfare around 1990, but its exterior and interior changes were too minor to enthuse the press and public. When shortly afterwards Volkswagen came up with the Golf III and Opel presented the Astra F, the still young Escort was massively overlooked. A few facelifts offered little solace (although the Escort was greatly improved from 1995), so that Ford had no choice but to start his successor with a blank sheet of paper. When that paper was fully signed and that was translated into a four-wheeler, there was the Focus: a new name, a completely new face – don’t forget the separately designed dashboard – and very nice driving characteristics. Some go so far as to declare the Focus I the best car of all time at its introduction, but it is certain that Ford offered a wonderful total package with the Focus. The Focus was offered everywhere on the globe where Ford was active. As a result, the Focus was the world’s best-selling car in 2001 and 2002. That was not surprising: modern New Edge style, a variety of power sources, equipment levels and body variants and a pleasant price tag ensured that many good family fathers could feel like a driver thanks to the excellent handling. Was there nothing to criticize about the Focus? Apparently not in the beginning, but later on, because this first generation turned out to be remarkably sensitive to rust. And as it goes with special designs: successor Focus II (from 2004) was drawn much more conventionally. But why?

Peugeot 206 – 25 years

With 5.3 million units built, the 205 saved the Peugeot group, so that in France ‘205’ is the ‘Sacré numéro’ (sacred number) (see below at Peugeot 205). Successor 206 fared even better. In Europe, production has been discontinued for some time, but elsewhere in the world (Argentina, Azerbaijan, Brazil, Chile, China, Iran, Malaysia and Syria) the production lines are still running and running. It is estimated that the mark of 12 million 206s plus related models has now passed, making the 206 the most successful French car ever. Like its predecessor, the 206 was available with a range of engines and equipment options. The station wagon, the 206 SW, also became part of the family, plus another convertible. And not just one, because with the topless 206 Peugeot offered the same as Mercedes-Benz just before with the SLK: an electrically operated folding roof. Peugeot had experience with this: so-called Eclipse versions of, for example, the 401, the 402 and the 601 already existed in the 1930s, with the hardtop electrically disappearing into the trunk. Peugeot called this renewed invention CC: Coupé-Cabriolet. The CC was only built in Mulhouse from July 2000 after the study model ‘two-zero-heart’ during the Geneva Motor Show in 1998 indeed made many hearts beat faster. More than 370,000 copies of the open 206 were sold, mainly to bachelors and small families, because the space in the back seat was downright modest.

Fiat Tipo – 35 years

Now it is hard to imagine, but a few decades ago Fiat was Europe’s largest car manufacturer. Spacious inside dimensions with compact outside dimensions, appealing driving characteristics and an attractive price tag were spearheads that consumers fell for. Rust formation and mediocre reliability were not, so that many slowly but surely went shopping elsewhere, for example at the advancing Japanese brands. To get rid of this lesser image, Fiat launched the Tipo in 1988 as the successor to the Ritmo. What was good was allowed to stay, such as the generous interior space thanks to the angular carriage. What needed to be improved was addressed. For example, the Italians fought the ghost of rust by galvanizing the body to a large extent. In our country attention was paid to this in advertisements in which the Tipo was compared to a high-voltage pylon! In October 1988, the five-door Tipo kicked off, followed later by the three-door. The sedan was called Tempra, the station wagon as well. All this was enough to be crowned Car of the Year 1989, but the Tipo has not become an instant success. The foreign competition was not tender (we mention the Volkswagen Golf and, for example, contemporary Renault 19, of which millions more were sold) and the appearance may have been too modern. As for reliability: it was indeed better than that of older Fiat models, but the digital dashboard of the top versions sometimes wanted to do its own thing. The Bravo, Brava and Marea took over, but those C-segmenters could no longer recall the glorious Fiat times of yesteryear.

Peugeot 205 – 40 years

In retrospect, we can conclude that – related to the time – the Peugeot 205 is perhaps the best compact car of all time. In any case, this ‘strong number’ has been Peugeot’s salvation, because at the time of its development, business at PSA was not prosperous, partly caused by the acquisition of Simca/Talbot (see below at Chrysler-Simca/Talbot Horizon). In addition, the current, somewhat dusty model range of 104, 305, 504/505 and 604 could get a breath of fresh air. The 205 took a long time, because at the end of 1977 house designer Gérard Welter (employed since 1960, with the rear lights of the 404 as his first achievement) was already working on it under the code name M24. Nothing could go wrong, because this could just mean the end of Peugeot. Still, the start was rough. The 205 did not become Car of the Year 1984, because that honor was reserved for competitor Fiat Uno. Sales in our country were also initially difficult. The also fresh Opel Corsa did better. Only with the action model Accent – a slightly dressed basic model, but with the external features of the GTI, such as bumpers inlaid with red piping – did things crescendo. Things also got better off the beaten track: first the successes in Group B (205 Turbo 16), later in Paris-Dakar. The 205 just kept going, rolled off the tires 5.3 million times in France, Spain, Iran, Chile and Uruguay and thus became Peugeot’s savior. It is not for nothing that the nickname of the 205 in France is ‘Sacré numéro, or the sacred number.

Volkswagen Golf II – 40 years

With its striking rear with pig snout-like taillights, the Volkswagen Golf II was no more beautiful than the original Golf designed by Giugiaro, but it was of a lot better quality (rust protection!) And more solid. It was built between 1983 and 1992 and you still regularly encounter them as a daily means of transport. With more than 6.3 million copies, it was – after the Golf I – also the most successful Golf ever. The proven concept of generation I – transverse water-cooled front engine, front-wheel drive, sport and diesel versions – was continued and expanded. Multi-valve technology made its debut in the Golf II (GTI-16V), as well as a turbo diesel, with or without an intercooler. The catalytic converter (for petrol and diesel) was also introduced, as was the sensitive G-charger for the sporty top model G60. With the Country, an otherwise flopped crossover avant la lettre entered the price lists. For those who did not want to go off the beaten track with such a high vehicle, there was the regular four-wheel drive Syncro. Sedan version Jetta was also present, the convertible was not. Before that, the body of the Golf I was still used. After the rock-solid Golf II, the Golf III was introduced in 1991, which quickly acquired a lesser reputation due to cutbacks. It was also much less popular, despite the presence of a station wagon (Golf Variant), because Golf I and II always had to do without it. Perhaps it is precisely because of the lesser Golf III that its predecessor has acquired an almost mythical status. A real go-getter.

Mazda RX-7 – 45 years

Because compatriots such as Datsun/Nissan and Toyota with their sports cars – the Z/ZX series and the Celica/Supra respectively – scored well, especially in North America, Mazda could not be left behind. That is why the Japanese released the RX-7 in 1978, with a rotary engine in the front as a unique selling point. As early as 1961 Mazda received a license from NSU to develop Wankel engines, although there were restrictions to guarantee NSU a head start. Where NSU failed and Citroën and Mercedes-Benz stopped developing the rotary engine, Mazda persevered and released models such as the 110 Cosmo and the RX-2 and RX-3. The choice of a rotary heart in the new sports car was not a bad one: low weight, a low center of gravity and high speeds are clear advantages, while the negatives fuel and oil consumption and reliability play less of a role in the sense that those who can afford a sports car less watch the pennies. The RX-7 was therefore a full-fledged competitor for the above-mentioned compatriots and sports enthusiasts from elsewhere in the world. In 1986 came generation two, mainly criticized here for its resemblance to the Porsche 944, with a turbo version of 185 hp in the price lists. The third generation (1992-2002) was only delivered in our country for a few years, but the successor RX-8 was present again. Nowadays, Mazda is experimenting with the rotary engine as a range extender in, among other things, the MX-30, because with more than 811,000 RX-7s alone, this special power source has certainly proven itself.

Chrysler-Simca/Talbot Horizon – 45 years

If there were to be an election of the car that has had the most brand and model names on the front and rear, the Simca Horizon would be highly successful. This Car of the Year 1979 came on the market a year earlier as Chrysler-Simca, as the successor to the successful Simca 1100. The Americans had meanwhile taken over the ailing French brand, so that the newcomer was given a double brand name. Because PSA took over from Chrysler shortly afterwards and dusted off the old name Talbot, the pentastar on the grille soon changed into a stylized letter ‘T’. In Great Britain, where Chrysler had taken over Rootes Motors in 1967 and where the newcomer was to succeed the Hillman Avenger, the car was only known as Chrysler Horizon. However, whoever says Chrysler also says Dodge and Plymouth. In the US, the Horizon was therefore also sold as Plymouth Horizon and Dodge Omni. The latter was even available in a sports version, modified by Caroll Shelby himself. Where Europeans had to make do with modest Poissy cubes of 1.1 to 1.6 liters, he casually stuffed a pepped-up 2.2 in the front and called that variant GLH, or Goes Like Hell! If that wasn’t enough, the Shelby Omni GLH-S was released in 1986. No more Dodge, but with Shelby another new brand name. The ‘more’ from ‘Goes Like Hell-S’more’ referred to the turbocharger. This powerhouse, built only 500 times, delivered no less than 175 hp. We now did it with the Talbot Arizona, which had dried up to a Peugeot 309, of which an equally entertaining GTI16 was later released.

This article was previously published in the AutoWeek Annual Special 2023.