Closing on 2019, here’s another batch of captured CCs and the like from Israel. This time it’s mostly (one) video originating from my trusty dash-cam, with an addition of one street capture.
On to the video:
The JEEP was captured whilst I was on my way to the Armored Corps’ Memorial and Museum site, upon my son’s request (“Dad, I want to see tanks”). I wasn’t driving all that fast, and usually, when spotting CCs I’d slow down to achieve better captures, but there’s a limit to how slow can you go when driving on a main motorway. Still, I managed to obtain this CJ-6 in this winter-mode, sporting top cover and side doors. And it’s been a while since I saw an old JEEP with the almost mandatory jerrycan mounted on the front bumper.
Second generation Subaru Forester is becoming rare as time goes by, especially this pre-facelifted example which is obviously maintained by a loving owner. Foresters in Israel, young and old, have attracted a following and owners will generally hold on with their cars for years.
From one Subaru to another, here is another example of the oh-so-popular 1980s Leone (DL in Israel), that swept the country in its day. This one is from 1988 and still on a regular (rather than “collectable”) license plate. As mundane and uninspiring the 1.3/ 1.6 two wheeled drive were, they were clearly robust enough to survive over three decades and come out the other side still intact, and ready for more daily use.
And if your fill of Subarus isn’t complete, here is yet another DL Pickup, that joins a growing list during the past months (two were captured in a previous post of this series). I must confess I stumbled upon even more, but I thought I’d better keep them out of this post before it’ll turn to a DL Pickup-only affair. Not surprising since these were still being produced and imported well after the Impreza replaced the aforementioned DL/ Leone sedan.
And driving ahead of the Subaru, was a first generation five-door RAV4, and as with the three-door example you saw in that previous post, this has become very rare in Israel. You can see some TLC has enhanced this particular car, which looks to be preserved better than that other three-door. And compare it with the white Seat Ateca overtaking in the fast lane- despite being in different classes, they are the same size. What a difference twenty years make.
Peugeot 205s were very popular in Israel in their day, and as common as they were, so very few survived. However, cars like this mid-to-late 1990s example, can still be spotted here and there, usually with personalized styling by their owners, such as the aftermarket rear light clusters, painted bumpers and huge (rather comical) wheels this particular 205 wears.
The Lincoln Town Car was added to this batch simply because it is almost non-existent in Israel. Of the handful of cars that found their way into the country, non were imported officially, so you really have had to desire one to import it yourself – and spot one just parked on the street.
It’s unfortunate that the best classic of this bunch was captured with less than ideal conditions, but this Simca 1000 being hauled somewhere on a flat-bed truck was too precious to pass. This was an extremely popular car with a good package, fit for a small, somewhat under-developed country that was Israel in the 1960s. It was decently sized family car and marketed with the slogan “Small that is Big”. Hey, my grandfather was convinced:
Granddad liked it so much he replaced it with the Simca 1100, itself a very competent car. Today, almost non 1000 survived, and I haven’t seen an 1100 for years. I photographed the next photo way back in 2012, so who knows what became of this car:
Next car in the video and further down the road from the Simca was this Mazda 626 Wagon, and a prime survivor of its last generation before the Mazda6 (in Israel, at least). This one is a rare Wagon, as you can see, and very well preserved- it even bares its original wheel covers (does holding on to them with cable-ties considered cheating?…).
Rounding off the video is an early model Daewoo Racer, and with poverty spec, no less. This is of course a badge-engineered Opel Kadett E, and was imported to Israel in the mid-1990s. It did quite well for what it was- it seems Israeli buyers did not care what they were driving as long as the price was right. Amazingly, this is one of the early imports, of 1993-1994, probably with a manual gear, which is a novelty in a market that keeps an automatic gearbox sacred.
At the end of the month (well, year) I encountered with this mark 3 Golf:
This is one of the later examples, and probably dates to 1997 or whereabouts. It looks fairly preserved, right down to the importer-issued rear window roll-up shade. Preserved that is, besides the dodgy paint fix-ups here and there. Thus ends 2019- hopefully better captures will appear in 2020.
Nicely done video. Thanks!
Simcas are quite rare in NZ too though in the burb I live in not so much theres a small herd of them coralled nearby, Those old 626/Capella wagons are still around over here used imports supplemented local delivery cars new panels can still be supplied for insurance repairs as my BIL found out when writing up a Honda badged version.
Nice selection of CCs. I really like the Peugeot 205. The Mazda 626 Wagon was sold in the US, but never very popular. Love all the old Subarus.
The Kadette E / Daewoo Racer was such a dreadful car, sold in the US (and NZ) as the Pontiac LeMans. During the Iraq War it seemed like I in 5 cars that showed up in the news coverage was that Daewoo model, believe it or not, it is still produced by UZ-DaewooAuto in Ubezestkan!