Best of 2015 (and late 2014) Part 2

And here are the rest of the best of the year, once again in order of oldest first.

In no particular order. The slider works in the normal way, but if you click / tap in the middle of the image you will be taken to the post.

1990 Toyota Starlet GT Turbo

1991 Ford Festiva L

1990 Nissan Pao

Not the first Pao here but this one has more character. It's the chipped paint, missing hubcaps, and loose right headlight. Owner was very enthusiastic, telling me about and working on the car as I took photos.

1991 Chevrolet Cavalier Z24

When I shot this one I thought... well the light is crappy, the car is too new, it's just not, um, something. It probably won't work out. But I played with the images a bit, reconsidered them, and now this seems OK.

Dirty, dusty and somewhat rusty. GM was desperately trying to turn a Cavalier (!) into a muscle car. You know they are trying too hard when they have to add all kinds of junk like the red/purple/blue badge, the aero bits all around the base of the body. And naming it "Z24", as if a front drive car could be somehow related to a Z28. Silly, really, but that's what makes it interesting.

Honourary Old Parked Car: 1995 Nissan Rasheen

Ahh, cherry blossoms adorn the trees, and JDM vehicles adorn the streets. Another Japanese only curiosity that I could not resist.

Those oddly shaped headlights and bulging grill, the fake brushed aluminum bumpers, door handles & mirrors. The long low flat hood. The obligatory single reverse light. This looks a lot like a product of Pike Factory, but apparently it is not.

Also, the unusual rear hatch can be seen in the second last shot. It is really two doors. The top one is hinged not above the window but a couple feet into the roof, giving it an inverted "L" profile.

1991 Nissan Figaro

Finally, the last of the Pike Factory Nissans (at least if you ignore the BE-1). Interesting features; The minimal chrome bumpers which turn into a chrome strips between the front and rear wheels, the tear drop side turn indicators, the deep set tailights, the almost all white dash and interior, the continuous chrome strip from each headlight all the way to the rear bumper, the ridiculously thick rear pillars.

This example has side marker lights installed at each corner -- not something I've seen on other Figaros.

Honourary Old Parked Car: 1996 Daihatsu Midget II Cargo

I debated whether this car belonged on the blog, seeing how new and shiny it is, but in the end I could not resist.

Only nominally a 2 seater -- there are 2 seats, 2 headrests, 2 seatbelts, but the people who rode together would have to be very good friends. Also, since it is so narrow, the steering wheel cannot be far from the center, so it is only slightly right hand drive.

Love the tapering front end, the space-agey seams & shut-lines combined with the old fashioned headlights and fenders, the silly-yet-practical spare tire placement, the way the door latches blend into the black paint around the windows. Oh and the single reverse light.

BTW, just above the fuel door in #1 they have mounted a business card tray, which has cards in it.

1991 Volkswagen Vanagon Carat