Some time ago CC reader Nate pointed me to a Central American tradition of sorts, that of abandoned vehicles literally buried under piles of garbage. This, after a post of mine brought back memories of his Guatemala days back in the ’70s. So, fear not Nate, such traditions remain to this day unabated. And fear not CC readers, for this post’s title does not refer to the cars themselves -I wouldn’t stoop so low as to call a car garbage- but to PILES of garbage.
It may be tempting though, for we all know Daewoo’s early foray into foreign markets was comprised of not-quite-there engineering. It may not be too noticeable on these shots, but this Nubira’s interior is filled with what I assume are a bunch of discarded personal items. The car being parked next to the street’s guard post made it a bit hard to go around without being harassed, but the stuffed bags are noticeable through the back window. Some other bits are on the car’s roof, with a tiny blue bag that looks like the guard’s discarded lunch.
To say the whole ’97-’02 Daewoo lineup was underwhelming is a bit of an understatement, as the parent company went belly up not long after. Most of the brand’s pains came from launching unrefined products, along a too ambitious growth project. “The Largest Car Company You Never Heard Of” was a line used on Daewoo’s PR, and to this day it remains so, as it now only serves as a provider of cheap Chevys for Latin America. Outwardly, the cars were innocuously safe in a very ’90s way. Of that ’97 Daewoo lineup, Giugiaro’s Italdesign is behind the Leganza and Lanos, while Italy’s IDEA Institute claims authorship of the Nubira.
While effort was made into creating a distinctive Daewoo grille, one would be tempted to think the Italians had lost their verve for design, or were just collecting a quick check. In reality, both design firms were probably busier with better regarded clients. Considering that Daewoo’s styling was in its infant stages, it may have been worth the money though; one could only wonder -in horror- what they could have accomplished with a clean sheet of paper.
If you wish to read more about Daewoo’s Icarus aspirations, it’s been covered previously.
In the US, cars left in the wild become part of the landscape; weeds grow through panel seams and rust holes, while faded paint, oxidized, cracked and curled, provides tons of photo opportunities. So, the extensive US landscape allows these forlorn vehicles to remain unmolested, with some almost becoming works of art. Meanwhile, in the overpopulated nations of Central America no object is exempt of human usage. Here’s a sight that will probably bring a tear or two to British car lovers. I’ve no idea if this MG MGB Baby is restorable or not, but I assume some marque devotee would put up with the effort if given the chance. After all, every single panel is available to purchase and weld-on if one wished to endure the ordeal.
Instead, this MGB is getting a more ‘practical’ use in a repair shop, with some bricklaying tools scattered around it on top of who knows what else. Concrete bags I think. On the back is some Fiat, or Corolla; those unoriginal taillights don’t help. I would have looked some more but was put off by the shop’s owner trying to get me into purchasing a totaled Nissan Rogue (stay tuned…).
Now, tiny British sports cars from the ’60s rarely show up over here, so it’s kind of a ‘quite a find.’ Too bad it’s in such a shape I find it hard to get excited about.
Although I’m owner of an A3 Golf and a ’68 Beetle, I was never much fan of the New Beetle. The whole Golf-in-a-less-practical-package never did much for me, and in ditched condition the worn out disheveled plasticky bits make it look rather cheap. An old Imperial still looks like a work of art in abandoned state, but that’s not the case with modern offerings. The New Beetle got some fans though, and this one comes with its own plastic chair in case you wish to sit and stare to its oh-so-turn-of-the-century-retro lines. Hard to think it’s been 25 years since these were launched, and VWoA was such in a comatose state that the retro theme did bring some pulse back into the brand.
It took me a few drives to capture this Acura Integra, as it’s in a busy bus stop. Since this is a car I wished to own back in college, it brings huge pain to see its current destitute condition. What’s worse, it looks like this one was rather unmolested; at least until that timing belt went bust and took those valves along (pure speculation on my part). If you’re a fan of these, you could have some carnitas by the roadside while staring and thinking of ‘what could’ve been.’ I hate this shot… better move on before I get too emotional.
Being a Ford product of sorts, this Aspire aspired to have some Di-Noc. Too bad this Aspire’s owner got matters mixed up, as Di-Noc goes around the vehicle, not on top. Adding insult to the injury, real wood is not acceptable. Of this lot, this was a rare case where the vehicle disappeared after a few days, with the log remaining behind. Good thing the car was moved or it would lay under a pile of timber by now. On second thought, some Di-Noc would probably do wonders for the Aspire. Anything could, actually.
Now, we finally reach a vehicle that’s almost a pile of garbage itself, the Rogue I was being ‘sold.’ In previous posts I have talked of El Salvador’s grey import market, an unintended result of the 1980’s civil war. With vehicle imports banned during the war’s early years, a grey market got started with local mechanics bringing in used US cars to tend a public thirsty for new-used wheels. No matter how worn.
By the early ’00s, real car dealers cried foul of course, so heavy taxes were placed on those used US goods. Local mechanics, unabated, just started importing TOTALED vehicles, showing once more that restrictions are the surest way to get a populace to get ‘inventive.’ Local mechanics actually do wonders nowadays, and show they have learned much since they made my mom’s Datsun F10 look even worse than it did from factory (no easy feat). On regards of this Rogue, I can assure you it will look as a ‘never crashed’ vehicle when finished. Now, as for its crash worthiness, I wouldn’t put my life in the line; those roof pillars may end up ‘looking straight,’ but their structural soundness will definitely be appearances only.
Well, I can’t help it. Against what I said on that first paragraph, I’ll stoop that low and call this car garbage. These Daewoos were everywhere in San Salvador’s streets back when I visited in ’97, and by the mid 2010’s they had become incredibly scarce on the ground; proving not even resourceful locals can keep these in running order. Paul gave it its due a while back, and my high school friend owned one, with me ‘marveling’ at its rinky dinky feel while riding as passenger. I would hope the LeMans version got a few improvements before being sold in the US. Wait, the LeMans? How did I get back to GM in this post? Better stop before I fall into deadly sin territory… Dang, too late now.
That Rogue looks like a genuine project. I am a little amazed because there are a lot of cars totaled by US insurance companies that look a whole lot easier to fix than this one does. But maybe this shop likes the challenge and newer wrecks bring enough money to make the effort worthwhile.
“restrictions are the surest way to get a populace to get ‘inventive.’ ” Also known as the law of unintended consequences. I never cease to be amazed that as many examples of this law surround us all, so few pulling the levers of government seem to understand it. A population is like flowing water – block it one place and it finds another path.
I remember seeing the Daewoo Cielo/Nexia in Korea and thinking they were not bad looking cars at the time. Surprisingly they were made until 2016 in Uzbekistan and there was even a prototype electric version.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daewoo_LeMans
The Ford Aspire was really a Kia Pride, which really was a Mazda 121. I think if it was sold with a Mazda badge in America, it would have been held in higher regard.
Actually it was the Kia Avella. The Pride was a different car. The Avella was sold, however, as the Ford Festiva in Australia.
I came across a Kia Pride today, coincidentally. Rather hard to keep track the multiple names these compacts are sold across the world.
I think I’d rather fix the Aspire vs. the Rogue…
Rich, since you’ve now made friends with the repair shop owner, you need to go back and take some pictures of what the final outcome is on that Rogue. I’d be pretty amazed if it comes out looking like anything that Nissan dreamed up. There doesn’t seem to be a panel on the thing that is still straight!
How much does it cost to ship something like a totaled car from the US down there? It’s hard to believe that it could be so inexpensive that one could make a profit on repairing and then reselling something that pounded.
I was also interested in the “street guard’s post” in your first couple of pictures. My only Central American experience was a 2 week trip to Guatemala about 25 years ago, and while I did see a number of heavily armed private guards, they weren’t installed in sentry boxes such as in your pictures. There’s just something chilling about seeing a concrete box with peepholes and thinking about how that’s there because someone fully intends to be shooting in or out of it….on a day to day city street. Wow.
To bring totaled US used cars is a semi-industry of sorts nowadays. Would make for an interesting post, if I ever got access to that shady world. From what I gather, the whole enterprise consists of 7-20 individuals, between mechanics, shop owners, and sales people with key contacts in duty ports.
They bring the cars in bulk in car carriers (that they own), driving them through Mexico and Guatemala, and thus keeping costs somewhat down, although there is bribing involved in border crossings. Once they arrive in El Salvador, mechanics go over a period of 2-4 months putting them the totaled vehicles back together. It partly explains why the car landscape is rather odd over here; as on each trip ‘sellers’ tend to buy models popular over here like Jeep Passports, Kias or Nissans; and then include one odd duck like a J-Car for example, just to ‘test’ the market.
Few years ago I had a friend in the ‘business,’ when it was far simpler, and could be done with 2-3 individuals. Would love to get an update on the ‘innards’ of the whole thing.
Here’s one of those odd-duck imports. This comes from the marketplace and it’s too low res to do a proper post, but the kid seems to be enjoying himself at the 928’s wheel.
Even if filled with garbage, a Nubira wagon is worth a few photographs. I see a Leganza occasionally (which I used as the basis for my earlier article about Daewoo), and even saw a Lanos a month or so ago. But I haven’t seen any Nubira in ages. From what I recall, the wagons actually seemed like the most common here in the US, but that’s just observational – I have no idea if that’s accurate or not.
I assume the final car here is a Cielo? Just like the LeMans but even more anonymous… one of the world’s most forgettable cars.
And wow – that Rogue! That goes well being being totaled. I wouldn’t guess that car could even be used as a parts donor, and to think that it’ll likely be put back on the road is simple mindboggling.
Forgot to include it on the post, but yes, the final shot was a Daewoo Cielo. It also sold as the Racer, which I suppose was the ‘hot’ version.
The MGB doesn’t look too bad to me; body seems pretty straight.
I rather like that Integra sitting next to the little food stand. I’d like some street vendor food right now, and enjoy looking at it while eating.
It’s the cost of new airbags that cause a lot of cars to be scrapped in the U.S. A wrecked and repaired car has to have its’ deployed air bags replaced if it is resold. In the low buck, sold off the street, market cars that did not have collision insurance are often repaired and resold without airbags. The steering wheel center pad and dash are often repaired or replaced to disguise the fact.
Buried under stuff. Drive through any suburban American neighborhood and if the garage door is open, you are likely to see an exposed bit of a car that has been buried under piles of “stuff.” Any horizontal storage space is valued, and if the car sits, it gets put to use. Often the interior is also crammed with “stuff.” Items are also slipped under the car
I’m guilty of this myself. Though my cars are well covered with a car cover, heavy quilts, and a large sheet of cardboard, they do sometimes accumulate empty cardboard Amazon boxes.
Wow ~
I’m (in)famous .
I remember these Daewoo’s, were they mechanically bad like the first Hyundai’s or what ?.
In the 1980’s one could buy a brandy new MGB body tub , after painting it you parked it next to your rusted out and crashed then poorly repaired old MGB and dream about restoring it slowly and gently by taking off and re furbishing one part or sub assembly at a time then bolting it in place….
This took a few years until wife #2 opened your eye and essentially said : if you ever want to get laid again GET RID OF THAT MG ! .
When I lived in Guatemala they’d rebuild totaled vehicles that had slipped (or flown at high speed) off the side of the steep mountains, many were as bad as this Rogue yet still sort of drove and were never “restored” but were carefully taken apart (where I learned how to easily and carefully separate pinch welds) then they’d spend WAY too much time hand fashioning each small panel back to more or less new specs before re welding using coat hangers for welding rods no flux .
Some looked pretty good but the older vehicles were typically lumpy like the behind of that fat girl you once dated, you could spot them blocks away .
Sadly the antique Harleys I found were unceremoniously dumped over the edge of the steepest barranco they could find, easy to find as Guatemala City is high in the mountains yet still a jungle .
I don’t know what happened with the New Beetles, my daughter in law had a nice one when they got married, my son flat refused to repair it’s various maladies and they sold it on dirt cheap .
For a long time the self service yards were full of cosmetically perfect ones .
My son bought an Acura Integra coupe that had been totaled, the repair work done in South Central Los Angeles by guys without papers was scary at best ~ It looked passable but any time I see _brazing_ I run away .
It had low miles and apart from no A/C it was in fact a nice car, it was a Hot Rod and he was into street racing at that time so it got used up pretty quickly, I was in it when he caused a collision where a Chevy S-10 pickup truck drove up and over the front end, amazingly we drove home, the S-10 flipped and landed on top of a ’67 Chevy totaling both other vehicles .
Guatemala has had it moments but ever since the CIA overthrew the legal government (true and well documented) so United Fruit could make more $ it’s been increasingly dangerous .
I don’t recall any pillboxes but lots of violence when I was there and worse when I visited again later .
The Daewoo Nubria looks O.K. in form to me, too bad it was a miss .
-Nate