It looks like a newer neighborhood kindergarten or elementary school? The curbside snowman is not made of snow but cardboard. Kind of sad to see, but what can you do?
If your W123 Mercedes is only used for intra-village commuting it will certainly last forever,
Probably the very definition of overkill! Most people are plenty well served with modern hatchbacks from the lowest end of the market. The 2x Toyota Aygo and Chevy Spark in this picture are all 10+ years old so by no means disposable. Frugal folk, the Dutch.
That shade of light green metallic was a popular W123 color. Same as on the W116?
Midsommar
Posted December 20, 2023 at 10:01 PM
Not quite sure if it is the same. But #881 was available for a long time. For Eight or even ten years. Last MY was 1986. But there were similiar MB light green shades later as well as before.
It’d be cool if there was one that had the same early 1980’s vintage Honda Civics…..
Actually long distance driving extends the lifespan of vehicles by ensuring they’re always fully warmed up . short hops around town is the single worst thing you can do to your oldies .
Take the long way to that nearby Cars & Coffee .
The blush flew off the W123 rose a while back, I still see them but mostly 240D’s now, not many 300’s left as daily drivers be they gas or Diesel .
Nice to see some slanted roofs ~ flat roofs are cheaper in the initial build but always have more leaking and rot issues as time goes by .
The W123 has become a true classic car, and drives accordingly (unlike a W124). Nowadays, very rarely seen as old, daily or frequently driven all-season cars here.
The one in the picture is an exception to the rule.
Size-wise yes, price-wise certainly not. The bottom line is that the days of those small and cheap hatchbacks (say around € 10,000 to € 12,500 in NL) are over and out. The carmakers can’t build them for that money any longer.
Small hatchbacks? Personally I like them a lot. Practical around town cars. Good gas mileage especially in the mid-70s when they appeared here. Yet with bigger cars now getting good gas mileage I don’t see them getting much of a following today. I, too, would shy away from these tiny cars mainly because of the increased speeds and recklessness now seen on Bay Area freeways. Average of 75 mph and jinking from lane to lane. People routinely doing 100+ across the San Mateo Bridge on a Saturday morning. Last summer I got whacked in the back of my 2004 LeSabre by a Tesla driver not even looking up from his dash. Saw it unfold in my rear view mirror. Story in and of itself. A hatchback of similar age would have been totaled.
I praise my friend, a retired Navy CWO, who was driving over from Sunnyvale to Alameda to the Hornet on Saturday. Lots of freeway especially up the dreaded 880. Needs an engine rebuild now but was the daily driver till two months ago. Now his 76 Celica does duty. He got it when 39 and his father made the deal because Dad just loved to wheel and deal on cars. Being a fire inspector got him a new car every two years and he honed his skills. Also color blind so every car was red except that 1971 Javelin he brought home that was Wild Plum Poly, red to him, and his mother aghast.
I checked and there is a 20″ difference between the Mazda and Toyota. Huge. Then again I saw a 72 Fiat 500 and it is 17″ smaller than those Toyotas. Would make me feel as though I were driving around in a economy class airline seat surrounded by some metal and the sharks circling.
Of course! I actually quite like, how automotive badging was so discreet during the early 1980s. It is in wonderful shape. This GLC obviously gets lots of TLC.
Thank you for sharing!
la673
Posted December 21, 2023 at 1:43 PM
If ever there was an higher trim level worth paying extra for, it was the Sport or LX trim on ’83-85 Mazda GLCs. Outside, larger wheels (14″ instead of 13″!), black trim on the B pillar in 1983 only), and that discreet badging. But inside, you got very nice velour seat trim with bold stripes (blue was my favorite) and completely different door trim with matching velour on the lengthened armrest as well as the area your arm rubs against, plus carpeting and red/white lights on the lower door. But it was the back seat that was really neat, with side panels that wrapped around to meet the seatback, and vinyl upholstery at the top of the seatback that wrapped around to the side to become the windowsills. Hard to describe and I can’t find a single photo online, but looked great and distinctive. The next two generations of 323 two-door hatchbacks as well as the ’83-87 626 coupes had a similar treatment, including the one shown in this photo.
TLC is correct as you can see the owner at work. He is the original owner of a 1970 Datsun 521 and restored a 1976 Celica Liftback that was trashed at a tow yard after it was towed off the San Jose streets.
OK, I’m confused by the bright green car on the far right. It looks like a Daewoo Matiz but seems to have a Chevy bow tie badge suggesting it’s a Spark, or Beat (and maybe there were other names used by the Chevrolet badged versions). But surely none of these were sold in Europe? Or is it in fact an Opel or Vauxhall or Daewoo badge that just looks like a bow tie in this photo? That green is the color of at least half the Sparks I see here in the US.
It is, indeed, a Chevrolet. In the 2000s and 2010s GM used to sell its Korean cars under the Chevrolet name as a Daewoo replacement (in fact, some EU Chevies started as Daewoos – e.g. Tacuma) and a low cost rival for Skoda and the like.
I think Chevrolet ran from 2004 to 2014, then GM simply pulled out of the low cost sector in Europe.
No no, that first one’s a tru-blu Holden Barina Spark,100% Australian-made in Korea, by GM Daewoo…
The second one is no Chevy but Korean-made rubbish called a Daewoo Matiz.
Friends of mine – utterly non-car people – bought that model Matiz, shortly before Daewoo evaporated as a brand. It was a pretty dire conveyance. (They were both very, very large people: why is the large-folk-in-small-containers a thing, I’ve often wondered?)
The photo is definitely not the UK. The Brits take their shrubbery very seriously!!
The photo is somewhere in the EU. There’s a country designation on the far left of the front license plate of the green hatchback, but I can’t read it. Also, those are hardwood trees in the background, but no mountains. My best guess is Belgium?
Thanks for the clarification. Teaches me to trust Wikipedia which makes mention of European availability of Daewoo, Opel and Vauxhall branded versions but not Chevy.
I didn’t understand the title till you said the two PSAantis brands weren’t made any more.
Toyota have an intriguing habit of staying with somewhat unviable markets (for eg; the original Prius, or in Oz, where they were happy to keep manufacturing, and stopped only because Ford and GM couldn’t keep going, which meant no suppliers). Perhaps they’re prepared to sacrifice some money on the basis of maintaining brand loyalty into the future. You can’t think they’d make much from the Aygo, especially if resources from Stellantis gone.
The latest Toyota-only-Aygo is called the Aygo X (as in Xrossover/XUV). It comes at a much higher price than the previous model, co-produded with Stellantis.
So what I said is entirely wrong! They’ve in fact decided to (probably) sell less cars, but with a proper margin for profit.
When I think about it, they did that here with the Yaris. That went from being one of the cheapest new cars here to 60%+ dearer in the current model: far less sales, but I presume better profits.
Stellantis has obviously decided it’s just not worth the bother at all for tiny cars.
Yes, tiny cars mean tiny (or no) profits, certainly when considering today’s safety and emission standards. They can’t offer them for those low prices of yesteryear any longer.
There’s just something about that picture that seems cozy and inviting. Like small town friendly neighbors.
It looks like a newer neighborhood kindergarten or elementary school? The curbside snowman is not made of snow but cardboard. Kind of sad to see, but what can you do?
If your W123 Mercedes is only used for intra-village commuting it will certainly last forever,
Probably the very definition of overkill! Most people are plenty well served with modern hatchbacks from the lowest end of the market. The 2x Toyota Aygo and Chevy Spark in this picture are all 10+ years old so by no means disposable. Frugal folk, the Dutch.
It’s a fairly new part of a shelter housing complex for intellectually and/or physically disabled people.
The Benz is a 1981 W123 250 (2.5 liter inline-six).
The W123 250 was the rarest of the pack, as far as I know. Some called them boozers.
I like the colour of the car. Think it’s “Silver Thistle” (a light green metallic), code #881
That shade of light green metallic was a popular W123 color. Same as on the W116?
Not quite sure if it is the same. But #881 was available for a long time. For Eight or even ten years. Last MY was 1986. But there were similiar MB light green shades later as well as before.
A nice picture to be sure .
It’d be cool if there was one that had the same early 1980’s vintage Honda Civics…..
Actually long distance driving extends the lifespan of vehicles by ensuring they’re always fully warmed up . short hops around town is the single worst thing you can do to your oldies .
Take the long way to that nearby Cars & Coffee .
The blush flew off the W123 rose a while back, I still see them but mostly 240D’s now, not many 300’s left as daily drivers be they gas or Diesel .
Nice to see some slanted roofs ~ flat roofs are cheaper in the initial build but always have more leaking and rot issues as time goes by .
-Nate
The W123 has become a true classic car, and drives accordingly (unlike a W124). Nowadays, very rarely seen as old, daily or frequently driven all-season cars here.
The one in the picture is an exception to the rule.
Ugh. As a friend of mine is fond of saying: “Everything used to be better”. Certainly true of automotive design, IMHO.
New A-segment hatchbacks are history anyway (hence the title). Apart from the Kia Picanto/Hyundai i10, that is.
The Toyota Aygo is on its own now (Peugeot and Citroën have left the building), the current generation is a little crossover.
Would new Fiat 500e be considered A-segment?
Size-wise yes, price-wise certainly not. The bottom line is that the days of those small and cheap hatchbacks (say around € 10,000 to € 12,500 in NL) are over and out. The carmakers can’t build them for that money any longer.
Small hatchbacks? Personally I like them a lot. Practical around town cars. Good gas mileage especially in the mid-70s when they appeared here. Yet with bigger cars now getting good gas mileage I don’t see them getting much of a following today. I, too, would shy away from these tiny cars mainly because of the increased speeds and recklessness now seen on Bay Area freeways. Average of 75 mph and jinking from lane to lane. People routinely doing 100+ across the San Mateo Bridge on a Saturday morning. Last summer I got whacked in the back of my 2004 LeSabre by a Tesla driver not even looking up from his dash. Saw it unfold in my rear view mirror. Story in and of itself. A hatchback of similar age would have been totaled.
I praise my friend, a retired Navy CWO, who was driving over from Sunnyvale to Alameda to the Hornet on Saturday. Lots of freeway especially up the dreaded 880. Needs an engine rebuild now but was the daily driver till two months ago. Now his 76 Celica does duty. He got it when 39 and his father made the deal because Dad just loved to wheel and deal on cars. Being a fire inspector got him a new car every two years and he honed his skills. Also color blind so every car was red except that 1971 Javelin he brought home that was Wild Plum Poly, red to him, and his mother aghast.
‘Small’ as in really small: overall length 134.1″ (the two black Toyotas in the picture).
Nice Mazda!
I checked and there is a 20″ difference between the Mazda and Toyota. Huge. Then again I saw a 72 Fiat 500 and it is 17″ smaller than those Toyotas. Would make me feel as though I were driving around in a economy class airline seat surrounded by some metal and the sharks circling.
I love your friend’s GLC! Very appealing colour as well. Thank you, for sharing it!
More than a GLC but a GLC Sport.
Of course! I actually quite like, how automotive badging was so discreet during the early 1980s. It is in wonderful shape. This GLC obviously gets lots of TLC.
Thank you for sharing!
If ever there was an higher trim level worth paying extra for, it was the Sport or LX trim on ’83-85 Mazda GLCs. Outside, larger wheels (14″ instead of 13″!), black trim on the B pillar in 1983 only), and that discreet badging. But inside, you got very nice velour seat trim with bold stripes (blue was my favorite) and completely different door trim with matching velour on the lengthened armrest as well as the area your arm rubs against, plus carpeting and red/white lights on the lower door. But it was the back seat that was really neat, with side panels that wrapped around to meet the seatback, and vinyl upholstery at the top of the seatback that wrapped around to the side to become the windowsills. Hard to describe and I can’t find a single photo online, but looked great and distinctive. The next two generations of 323 two-door hatchbacks as well as the ’83-87 626 coupes had a similar treatment, including the one shown in this photo.
I have seen the inside of this car and compared to the interior of my 1980 Civic 1500 this Mazda puts the Civic to shame
TLC is correct as you can see the owner at work. He is the original owner of a 1970 Datsun 521 and restored a 1976 Celica Liftback that was trashed at a tow yard after it was towed off the San Jose streets.
His finished work
OK, I’m confused by the bright green car on the far right. It looks like a Daewoo Matiz but seems to have a Chevy bow tie badge suggesting it’s a Spark, or Beat (and maybe there were other names used by the Chevrolet badged versions). But surely none of these were sold in Europe? Or is it in fact an Opel or Vauxhall or Daewoo badge that just looks like a bow tie in this photo? That green is the color of at least half the Sparks I see here in the US.
It is, indeed, a Chevrolet. In the 2000s and 2010s GM used to sell its Korean cars under the Chevrolet name as a Daewoo replacement (in fact, some EU Chevies started as Daewoos – e.g. Tacuma) and a low cost rival for Skoda and the like.
I think Chevrolet ran from 2004 to 2014, then GM simply pulled out of the low cost sector in Europe.
They were in fact sold as Chevys in Europe.
Here’s one I found in Copenhagen earlier this year…a Spark.
As well as one of the generation prior. The Korean Heartbeat of America is (was) strong in Europe…
No no, that first one’s a tru-blu Holden Barina Spark,100% Australian-made in Korea, by GM Daewoo…
The second one is no Chevy but Korean-made rubbish called a Daewoo Matiz.
Friends of mine – utterly non-car people – bought that model Matiz, shortly before Daewoo evaporated as a brand. It was a pretty dire conveyance. (They were both very, very large people: why is the large-folk-in-small-containers a thing, I’ve often wondered?)
The photo is definitely not the UK. The Brits take their shrubbery very seriously!!
The photo is somewhere in the EU. There’s a country designation on the far left of the front license plate of the green hatchback, but I can’t read it. Also, those are hardwood trees in the background, but no mountains. My best guess is Belgium?
In that case, I would have posted it under the name of Johannes Belgian.
Thanks for the clarification. Teaches me to trust Wikipedia which makes mention of European availability of Daewoo, Opel and Vauxhall branded versions but not Chevy.
I didn’t understand the title till you said the two PSAantis brands weren’t made any more.
Toyota have an intriguing habit of staying with somewhat unviable markets (for eg; the original Prius, or in Oz, where they were happy to keep manufacturing, and stopped only because Ford and GM couldn’t keep going, which meant no suppliers). Perhaps they’re prepared to sacrifice some money on the basis of maintaining brand loyalty into the future. You can’t think they’d make much from the Aygo, especially if resources from Stellantis gone.
If Wikipedia is correct, the Spark is dead too.
The latest Toyota-only-Aygo is called the Aygo X (as in Xrossover/XUV). It comes at a much higher price than the previous model, co-produded with Stellantis.
So what I said is entirely wrong! They’ve in fact decided to (probably) sell less cars, but with a proper margin for profit.
When I think about it, they did that here with the Yaris. That went from being one of the cheapest new cars here to 60%+ dearer in the current model: far less sales, but I presume better profits.
Stellantis has obviously decided it’s just not worth the bother at all for tiny cars.
Yes, tiny cars mean tiny (or no) profits, certainly when considering today’s safety and emission standards. They can’t offer them for those low prices of yesteryear any longer.