Stranger Things – Five Odd Classics

The world of classic cars is not limited to Ford Cortinas and Jaguar E Types. Lovely though both of those models are, the automotive back catalogue is bigger than both those two and the rest of the usual suspects from the likes of Austin, Jensen, Mercedes-Benz et al. Back in the day, the automotive landscape was a mad, untethered place in which companies built whatever they wanted. Today’s cars are the product of market research, focus groups, EuroNCAP and so on. That never used to be the case. Cars were built for the sake of building them, and hopefully, someone would buy them. 

The bonkers nature of past car production means that in amongst the heroes, there were some underappreciated cars, too. As such, the cruel hands of time saw them fall by the wayside in favour of the more familiar vehicular landscape we have today. You have to search for these automotive oddities, but search you should. There are some utterly brilliant takes on the motor car to be found. They wouldn’t fly in today’s market, which makes them all the more special. Here are five of our favourite oddities:

1) Messerschmitt KR200

There are few cars stranger than the mighty Messerschmitt. The KR200 is the more ‘refined’ version of Messerschmitt’s first vehicle, the KR175. The company wasn’t able to build planes as it usually did, due to post-war ban being placed on all German aircraft makers, so it turned its idle hands to making small motor vehicles. 

The KR200 burst onto the market in 1955. It utilised the same basic frame as its predecessor, but wore a more stylish body with an improved canopy. Elsewhere, the rear suspension was completely redesigned, as was the mounting position of the 191cc two-stroke engine. There was even an upgrade to fancy hydraulic shock absorbers for all three wheels. 

The driver sat up front, operating the steering via a pair of handlebars, while throttle and brakes were controlled with conventional pedals. The passenger sat behind the driver, much like they would in a plane, funnily enough. It was cramped, it was smelly thanks to the two-stroke engine and it was always a car to raise eyebrows. But it was also brilliant fun. Experience it yourself with this pretty little 1961 model. 

2) NSU Ro80

The NSU Ro80 is a car close to our heart, as our Editor had one that he brought back to life as part of a YouTube video. His Ro80 was mouldy and none of the electrics worked. However, it was still a wonderful car for a number of reasons. And it was also incredibly weird, hence the number two position here. 

The NSU Ro80 was a four-door saloon launched in 1967. It was space-aged compared to its peers, thanks to inboard brakes, discs all round, fully independent suspension and a clever transmission that featured a vacuum operated clutch (so no pedal) but a manual four-speed shifter. Very weird. Oh, and then there was the engine. 

Powering the front wheels of the NSU Ro80 was a rotary Wankel engine. Rather than a traditional crank and pistons, the rotary used a triangular rotor that spun on an eccentric axis, in effect creating moving chambers for intake, combustion and exhaust. It was a clever, revvy engine. However, it was woefully unreliable, to such an extent warranty claims effectively killed the company. Shame. 

3) Nash Metropolitan 

We adore the Nash Metropolitan. It might be small, with a wheelbase shorter than that of a Volkswagen Beetle, but it still manages to pack acres of American style. A product of the ‘50s, it’s laden with two-tone paint and lashings of chrome, but this little oddity isn’t as American as you might think. It was actually built in England by Austin. 

After carrying out some market research, Nash realised that rather than follow the American trend of ‘bigger is better’ there was in fact a niche to be filled by a small car. Nash proposed it would be the second car of the household, used by the wife for shopping and the school run, or perhaps by the husband to take to the station. 

The tiny Metropolitan featured a unitary construction, built by Fisher & Ludlow (which became a part of BMC in ‘53) while the mechanicals, including the four-cylinder B-Series engine, were supplied by Austin. Though, it wasn’t available as an Austin product until ‘56, and only small numbers were built. A right-hand drive Metropolitan is a very rare thing indeed. 

4) Iso Rivolta Fidia 

If you want a four-door saloon, but you want it to be a bit different, or a bit weirder than the rest, the logical choice would be the Aston Martin Lagonda. Or, you could hedge your bets on something even rarer, and even more fragile. Namely the Iso Rivolta Fidia, possibly the most brash and beautifully odd saloon out there. 

Iso positioned the car as ‘the fastest four seats in the world’ and with a Cleveland V8 from Ford up front, powering the rear wheels, it wasn’t an outlandish claim. The low, long and wide body was styled by Giorgetto Giugiaro and it made the right statement – this was, after all, the first and only four-door car to be offered by Iso. 

Sadly though, despite being a bit of a looker, the reality was questionable build quality, numb engine manners and little to no dealer support. The other contender for Iso money was the Maserati Quattroporte, which again wasn’t brilliant, but was better than the Iso. As such, fewer than 200 Rivolta Fidias were ever made. 

5) Tatra 87

If you want something weird, you have to go to Czechoslovakia. Out there, cars aren’t bound by normal rules, or at least they weren’t. Take the Tatra 87 for example. A big, luxurious four-door car designed to ferry dignitaries and industry bosses around. But, it wasn’t just a four-door saloon.

The Tatra 87 boasted unique, streamlined bodywork with a teardrop rear end. It was the product of aerodynamic studies, which also saw the front of the 87 become sculpted to better cut through the air. The rear wheels were covered, again to reduce drag. 

And what about propulsion? The engineers at Tatra could have gone for something conventional, but where would be the fun in that? Instead, they went for a 2,969cc air-cooled V8, which was mounted in the back. It was a weird, but wonderful example of vehicle design, so much so that famous British architect, Norman Foster has one in his collection so he can marvel over its weirdness, probably!