Posted on 04/16/2015 9:28:22 PM PDT by Impala64ssa
Lost in the mists of time are the identities of the clever individuals who created pithy acronyms out of the names of various car manufacturers. Although they were coined long before the age of the Internet troll, it’s no surprise that none are remotely positive. But are they remotely true? Here are three of the better-known ones:
FIAT, “Fix It Again Tony”: Fiat had a long history in the U.S., riding the wave of the first import car boom in the 1950s until pulling out of the U.S. market in 1983 (for nearly 30 years). While Fiat offered stylish and economical transportation with an Italian flair, Fiats of old were not known for rock solid reliability. Much of it could be written off to the cars being misunderstood rather than inherently troublesome. Fiat’s dealer network in the old days never approached the level of professionalism that it enjoys now and there were rumors of dealers never receiving a full set of manuals in English. Fiat also pioneered the use of the timing belt instead of a chain, and regular change intervals weren’t always observed, with dire results. Classic Fiat Spiders and X1/9s can today be used regularly with little trouble through the support of clubs and numerous parts vendors. [Video: Hagerty’s Marcus Atkinson never has trouble with his 1970 Fiat 124 Spider BS – click here for a ride along]
LOTUS, “Lots of Trouble, Usually Serious”: In the 1970s, Road & Track magazine used to include in its road test data page a projected reliability summary that was based on surveys of their readership who owned particular makes. And while Lotus consistently scored above average in handling and braking, it rarely exceeded “far below average” in reliability. In fact, the testers remarked with surprise in one particular road test that no pieces had fallen off their Elan test car, a first for them with a Lotus. But in actual fact, the acronym is only partially true — while Lotuses could be lots of trouble, it was rarely serious. Aside from the odd axle shaft breaking a rubber coupler or a fuel line fire from a perished plastic connector, much of the trouble with classic Lotuses tended to fall into the category of merely annoying rather than catastrophic.
FORD, “Found on Road Dead”: This one can probably be chalked up to the bitter Ford vs. Chevy rivalry. Classic Fords from the Model A to the Mustang tended to be rock-solid reliable. OK, the six-volt electrical systems of 1950s vintage Fords pretty much begged to be upgraded to 12 volts, and the switch from generators to alternators in late 1964 was a good one, but for the most part, classic Fords were no less reliable than anything else of the day. And as sunny-day drivers today, they’re more than fine. In fact, we know of one gentleman who used a 1930 Model A as his daily driver for a whole year with fewer problems than most people have with a 10-year-old used car.
Never buy a French car, unless you live in France.
Never buy an Italian car, unless you are a mechanic.
Never buy an English car. Never.
If you can afford a BMW
Buy a Mercedes.
Thanks for posting this, it was a great laugh break.
F.O.R.D First on Race Day
That’s funny!
Of course he can always get him a Buick deuce and a quarter.
LOL Gotta steal this, I know someone who did a beautiful resto on a TR6, this will give him a good laugh ;)
Didn't MG's, Triumph and Austin Healey's also use "Lucas Electronics" wired "in series" as well?
MOPAR = “My Old Pig Ain’t Running!”
A friend used to twist Harley Davidson into “Hardly Able, Son.”
NAPA — Narcotics Available, Please Ask
For Off Road Duty in the truck division.
Ford went to 12 volt systems in 1956..
I knew a guy who had owned two Fiat x1/9s in the late 60s and early 70s. He said he really had fun driving them but he had to wrench on them a lot and that the engines were only good for about 50,000 miles..
And then there are French cars-—Peugeot, Renault, Citroen, Chevrolet.
GMC=Generic Made Chevrolet
In South Africa, BMW is Black Man’s Wish.
I’m embarrassed that I know people who said that.
My first car was a 1969 Fiat 124 sedan, and it was a great little car. It hugged the road like a sports car, and fit 4 adults with plenty of room, even in the back seat. It had a small 4 cylinder engine in a boxy front end, with lots of room to get at things, which made it easy to work on. You didn't need Tony. It had a few parts like the strap that held the generator and the clutch cable that broke occasionally, but even I could fix them. Once I fixed the generator strap by sticking a rock between the generator and the engine to hold it in place. A temporary fix, but it held up for 100 miles or so until I could get the part. Today's cars, you can't fix anything yourself, and every small repair costs a grand or more.
See #34.
“Never buy an English car. Never.”
I’d buy a McLaren if I had the money, which I don’t.
As it is, Mercedes all the way.
I came up with one in ‘75 to insult my friend’s ‘68 Catalina: Poor Old Nagger Truck Thinks It’s A Car.
GMC: Gotta Mechanic Coming
LOL ‘replacement smoke’
Cracked
Heads
Every
Valve
Rusty
Oil
Leaks
Every
Time
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