Miscellaneous classics #12: Iveco Eurotrakker

As a connoisseur of old vehicles, I am always on the lookout for them and coming across this 1996 Iveco Eurotrakker MP380 was entirely accidental, yet intriguing! I had no idea that we still had it here (although registered as a concrete pump), especially since Iveco is not exactly prominent in Asia at least.

Iveco was incorporated on 1 Jan 1975, with the merger of five different brands: FIAT Veicoli Industriali (with headquarters in Turin), OM (Brescia, Italy), Lancia Veicoli Speciali (Italy), Unic (France), and Magirus-Deutz (Germany). It is an acronym for Industrial Vehicles Corporation. Numerous vehicles were sold under the Iveco brand with almost 600 versions in 1979. In 1986, Iveco entered into a joint venture with Ford of Europe's truck division and also purchased 60% control of Spanish industrial company ENASA in 1990, which owned the industrial vehicle builder Pegaso. Iveco trucks continue to be made today; although it maintains a presence in Singapore, it does not have much brand recognition here.

First introduced in 1993, the Eurotrakker was the successor to the Iveco 330 model. It was well-suited for off-road conditions where standard road trucks would struggle, such as in construction sites, quarries, and heavy transport applications where reliability was paramount. As it was designed for worldwide sales, the Eurotrakker was made in both LHD and RHD configurations. Stylistically, the front grille recalled the family look of the Iveco range of the time and was similar to the Eurotech road model from which it inherited the cabin and some mechanical components. 

It had a facelift in 2000 and an automatic transmission was introduced in 2001. This unit was powered by a 13,798 cc Fiat 8210 inline-6 engine, making 380 horsepower. It weighed 28,120 kg unladen with a maximum laden weight of 38,000 kg.

Production of the Eurotrakker ended in 2004 where it was replaced by the ongoing Trakker model. Interestingly, this unit has been registered under the restricted usage scheme as a concrete pump, although it would not have made much of a difference if it had not been registered; it has to be towed at all times when traveling on the roads. On the other hand, there is no lifespan restriction unlike regular commercial vehicles and it is exempted from road tax as well. I am aware of another unregistered Eurotrakker but I am not sure what happened to it currently.

Based on old newspaper records, Zenith Engineering Pte Ltd was the distributor of Iveco products in 1981, although it is unclear how this unit was brought in. Champion Motors Pte Ltd was also noted to be the distributor of the Iveco Daily range of vans, though old advertisements did not make reference to Iveco trucks being sold on the second-hand market. Regardless of the lack of information for old Iveco trucks, seeing this unusual relic is always a treat and I hope you may catch a glimpse of it some day!

  

More than an old car #225: Chevrolet Optra

 

The beauty of car spotting on the road is that you never know what is going to appear next. I was just walking along the road when I spied a rather unique-looking grille on a car some distance away. Upon drawing closer, it suddenly hit me that I was laying my eyes on a relic that I didn't know still survived today, namely the pre-facelift 2003 Chevrolet Optra!

 

Originally sold as the Daewoo Lacetti in its native Korea, it was developed based on its predecessor Nubira before it was acquired by GM. GM Korea launched the car in 2002, with styling done by Pininfarina. Its name is derived from the Latin "lacertus", meaning "youthful". Subsequently, it began to be sold in worldwide markets, under various names like Buick Excelle in China, Holden Viva in Australia and Chevrolet Optra in the Americas, India and Southeast Asia. Cars in Southeast Asia are assembled in Thailand.

 

A hatchback and station wagon version were subsequently released in 2003 and 2004 respectively. There was also a facelift in 2004, where the three-slot grille was changed to a single grille featuring a horizontal bar. There was also another facelift in 2007 where the sedan received the same front end as the hatchback featured since its debut. The Optra was powered by a 1598cc GM E-TEC II inline-4 engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 172 km/h with an acceleration of 12.5 seconds [0-100 km/h]. It was 4500 mm long and weighed 1,240 kg, with a fuel consumption of 15.8 km/litre.

 

 

 

First and second facelift 

 

Production of the Optra ended around 2009 where it was replaced by the Cruze, though badge-engineered versions continued to be made up till 2024! Optras were first sold in Singapore in 2003 by Starsauto Pte Ltd, where it retailed for $74,988 with COE. Local reviews noted its relatively bigger size and thoughtful features like air-con glove compartment and front-seat shopping hooks, though it could get bouncy at low speeds. Interestingly, an Optra was won as a lucky draw prize as part of the Sentosa Island Mega Saver package in 2004!

 

While we still have quite a few of the facelifted Optras around, I had a soft spot for this pre-facelift model with the three grilles as my uncle used to own one. Seeing this survivor was surreal and naturally I made a run to the junction where it had mercifully stopped. Almost immediately, it drove away but I managed to preserve its existence in these two pictures. After researching a bit more, I realised that this manual pre-facelift unit is most likely the last one in the country; the vast majority were sold with automatic transmissions and other manual units in the market are the facelifted versions. 

 

I still cannot believe that my accidental sight of this car unlocked various childhood memories, and knowing that it was in the more rare manual transmission made it a lot special. It seems that this unit will be around for some time, hopefully you'll be able to catch a sight of it soon!  

 

More than an old car #224: Mazda RX2

 

Back then when I had more time, I often went to various car workshops around the country to just see what cool cars were there (which also makes up the majority of my content). Some places are relatively far, so I would not specifically make my way down unless I felt like it. It was one of those random days where I just decided to pop by, when I saw this rather curious 1972 Mazda RX2 being worked on. Initially, I did not recognise what it was but after doing a quick check, I realised it was a unicorn finding!

First introduced as the Mazda Capella, the car was positioned as an intermediate alternative to the smaller Familia and the larger Luce. Its name was derived from the eponymous star, which is the brightest in the constellation Auriga. The Capella originally featured rectangular headlights while rotary-powered versions were fitted with twin headlamps from 1971; rotary cars were sold as Mazda RX2 for export markets. 

Interestingly, the Capella was also assembled in New Zealand and South Africa, where the rotary cars became more popular than its non-rotary siblings. It was also a major component of Mazda's US expansion in 1971, but only the rotary version remained federalised (i.e. made legal) for 1973.

The RX2 was powered by a 1146cc Wankel 12A rotary engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 182 km/h with an acceleration of 9.4 seconds [0-100 km/h]. It was 4210 mm long and weighed 1015 kg, with a relatively thirsty fuel consumption of 15.9 litres / 100 km.

Production of the 1st-generation Capella ended in 1974 with about 116,000 made, where it was succeeded by the CB series. Certain literature consider the 1st-generation Capella to include the CB series, though other make a distinction. This particular unit was imported from the UK, where it was noted to be a barn find that had not moved since the 1980s. It was sold on eBay for 3500 pounds in 2012 and subsequently brought in, though it had not been seen in public until I came across it by chance! RX2s were not widely sold in the UK back then, making its existence really curious. Even in Singapore, they did not appear to have been brought in officially though a few were noted to have existed based on newspaper ads.

Cars back then were really made different, as seen in the level of details. I had not noticed the gold pinstripes only after I took the pictures, and it was a nice touch amidst the car's general run-down condition. The road tax disc was last updated in Oct 1977, which would mean this unit has been off the road for decades! The bigger mystery would be how this was found and brought into Singapore, especially when maintenance would not be straightforward. In any case, it has yet to be registered but I hope you may be able to see this rarity on the roads some day!

More than an old car #223: Toyota Prius (XW10)

Hybrid vehicles have become so mainstream today that it is hard to visualise how it stormed to the forefront. Over the course of automotive history, there were various attempts to create vehicles with hybrid technology, but ensuring it was mass market was a whole set of challenges. It was only until Toyota's brightest minds pooled together to create a revolutionary car, of which the 2003 Toyota Prius XW10 is a testimony!

The Prius began life as a concept vehicle, where it was first exhibited at the 1995 Tokyo Motor Show; it featured the Toyota EMS (Energy Management System) drivetrain for the purpose of fuel-efficient driving. Environmentally friendly features included electric power steering, low rolling resistance tires and side moldings made from coloured resin.

It was subsequently released in 1997 as the world's first mass-produced hybrid vehicle, under model code NHW10. The front grille and bonnet were seamlessly connected (a rare feature at the time), which helped to reduce air resistance. In addition, it was easy to get in and out of the car while making effective use of the interior space, which was an innovative package for a sedan at the time.

In 2001, it was upgraded with a more efficient hybrid engine and cosmetic additions for the export market such as a rear spoiler, along with a model redesignation to NHW11. NHW11 models were powered by a 1497 cc 1NZ-FXE i4 hybrid engine and fitted with the Toyota Hybrid System hybrid drivetrain technology (now known as Hybrid Synergy Drive). Essentially, an electric motor was mated to a conventional engine, which would kick in to provide more power when accelerating. This allowed the car to reach a top speed of 130 km/h with an acceleration of 13.4 seconds [0-100 km/h]. It was 4315 mm long and weighed 1265 kg, with a very good effective range of 18.5 km / litre.

Production of the 1st-generation Prius ended in 2003, where it was replaced by the more renowned XW20 series. The Prius XW10 was first unveiled in Singapore in 1999, and was officially sold here in 2001 by Toyota dealer Borneo Motors at a retail price of $128,988. Local reviews praised its fuel efficiency but noted that its prohibitively high price would only appeal to those who wished to make a statement. 

This unit is believed to be 1 of 2 remaining here, where the other one is actually used by our police force as a patrol car! It was most likely imported from the UK, due to the rear spoiler and chassis number designation. At some point in time, this Prius began to see usage as a private hire vehicle; I have seen it being used to drop off passengers. Although the Prius XW10 is not what people would imagine an iconic car to be like, it paved the way for others to fly. Who knows, perhaps you may be lucky to catch a ride in this unique piece of history one day!

More than an old car #222: Aston Martin V8 Zagato

In my years of car spotting, I have come across various curiosities and rarities. This particular 1986 Aston Martin V8 Zagato was all the more special, especially when I never knew it existence until then! Further research revealed more info about it's history, which made it a lot more incredible to behold!

Zagato is a coachbuilding company founded by Ugo Zagato in 1919. Zagato used his knowledge of aeronautics to designed sleek, light bodies for race cars in the 1920s. The cars that he designed saw great success in racing, and his reputation grew throughout. Various manufacturers looked to Zagato for special designs and one-off creations. Zagato also expanded to make custom-built cars, and continues to exist today by producing its own cars.

Aston Martin first collaborated with Zagato in 1964, with the creation of the DB4 GT. When the Aston Martin show stand was placed near that of Zagato during the 1984 Geneva Motor Show, a proposal was raised to rekindle this partnership. Aston Martin and Zagato wanted to produce a supercar capable of taking on the fastest cars in the world: a top speed of 186 mph and a 0-60 sprint in less than five seconds was thought to be sufficient. Interestingly, before the V8 Zagato officially debuted, Aston Martin used a 1978 V8 Vantage as a test mule: most of the interior trim and rear seats were removed, and the windows were fitted with Perspex. The test mule was noted to be as fast as a standard V8 Zagato.

A styling sketch was presented in 1985 and this was surprisingly sufficient for customers to snap up all 50 units that were earmarked to be made. Deposits of £15,000 were needed from prospective customers in order to secure a car, but the initial price, quoted as £87,000, quickly rose to £95,000.

The car featured both Zagato and Aston Martin design signatures, with a hint of the famous ‘double-bubble’ Zagato trademark on the roof and the stylished angular shaped grille. Its design was stout and aggressive, and rode on unique Zagato designed Speedline 16-inch wheels. A convertible version, known as the Volante, was subsequently introduced in 1987.

Production cars were powered by a 5341 cc 580X V8 engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 310 km/h with an acceleration of 5.1 seconds [0-100 km/h]. It was 4390 mm long and weighed 1250 kg, with a very thirsty fuel consumption of 24.5 litres / 100 km.

Production ended in 1989 with 52 saloons and 37 convertibles made, with LHD/RHD split as 32/20 for the saloons. This unit with chassis number V8ZHL20010 and registered C779 DRO is a very unique prototype: it featured a more powerful engine putting out around 430-440 bhp while standard ones were 410 bhp. It was also fitted with a special non-production exhaust system, front and rear spoilers and also did not feature a passenger side mirror as seen above. 20010 was 1 of 4 pre-production specials, all of which were finished in Gladiator Red paintwork.

On 8 July 1986, it reached a top speed of 298.75 km/h (185.8 mph) with an acceleration of 4.8 seconds [0-60 mph] on an empty highway near Paris (with the permission of French police). C779 DRO was extensively road tested by many magazines in period and was also displayed at the Geneva Motor Show in 1986. 

Subsequently, C779 DRO was exported to Indonesia in Oct 1986 after it finished duties as the prototype Zagato. It was refurbished with a new engine fitted, and the headlight grilles were reinstalled back. At some point in time, a Zagato decal and black roof were added (they were not original). Interestingly, C779 DRO disappeared off the radar, until it inexplicably appeared here a few years ago! The last I saw, its engine was removed (possibly being overhauled) and the car vanished again a few months later.

It is quite unbelievable that a car with so much heritage even appeared on our roads, although no V8 Zagatos were sold in Singapore back in the day. Curiously, Aston Martin did not seem to make efforts to acquire C779 DRO back. I believe you may be wondering just why and when it made its way to Singapore, although your guess is as good as mine. While I do not know if it is still locked up in a garage somewhere, it is my wish for it to be back on the road and hopefully you may see it!

 

 

More than an old car #221: Renault Megane II Sport Tourer

Once a while, I look through my ever-growing archives and struggle to think of what to post next. After some thought, I decided on this rather unique 2004 Renault Mégane II wagon, which I had never seen before until then (and also not any time soon...)! 

The Mégane II series, introduced in 2002, marked a dramatic departure from its predecessor’s conservative looks. Designed by Patrick Le Quément, the Mégane II embraced sharp angles, a unique rear end, and a higher beltline. The Grandtour wagon variant (known as the Sport Tourer in Singapore), took this avant-garde styling and stretched it into a longer, more versatile format without losing its visual appeal. It maintained the hatchback's quirky charm while offering a more practical rear cargo area, making it a solid choice for drivers who wanted utility without resorting to a bulky SUV. Interestingly, the wagon was sold in RHD for the first time.

The interior of the Mégane II wagon was thoughtfully laid out, if not luxurious. High-quality plastics, digital instrument clusters (on some trims), and well-contoured seats helped create a pleasant environment. Cargo capacity was an impressive 520 liters of boot space with the rear seats up, and more than 1,600 liters with them folded down. Safety was a standout trait for the Mégane II range, with multiple airbags, ABS, and electronic stability control contributing to its strong Euro NCAP crash ratings

Renault offered the Mégane II wagon with a range of petrol and diesel engines. This automatic unit was powered by a 1598 cc K4M i4 engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 180 km/h with an acceleration of 13.2 seconds [0-100 km/h]. It was 4500 mm long and weighed 1260 kg, with a fuel consumption of 7.7 litres/100 km.

Production of the Mégane II ended in 2008, though it continued to be manufactured in Brazil and Iran until 2012. The Sport Tourer was sold in Singapore in 2005 by Exklusiv Auto Services, where it retailed at $83,888 with COE. Local reviews noted its ride comfort and large boot space, but the transmission was noticeably jerky. 

Seeing this unit was entirely accidental: I had headed to the market for groceries when I saw this curious-looking car coming from the other direction. It took me a while to register it as a Mégane wagon for I had never come across one until that day. Fortunately, the driver had parked it a bit further away and I was able to marvel at this unique specimen. No more Mégane II wagons still exist here to the best of my knowledge. While it might not have stood out, it stands as a testament to Renault's willingness to innovate in the compact car segment. Hopefully you would be able to see another one of this rarity on our roads some day!

 

Miscellaneous classics #11: Hino Ranger FC

It has been a while since I had written about old trucks on this blog, as naturally there were so many more cars to cover. However, I had always wanted to write about this 2001 Hino Ranger FC, which I saw entirely by chance - since the majority of trucks have a lifespan of 20 years, seeing one that was older than the lifespan is always a treat!

Hino Heavy Industry Co. Ltd was spun out as an independent company in 1942, where it made various armoured carriers during the war. The 'Heavy' name was dropped and the company took its name from the location of its headquarters in Hino city (within Tokyo prefecture). Hino made both trucks and cars, but car manufacturing ended in 1969 when it amalgamated with Toyota. Establishing itself as a manufacturer of heavy vehicles, Hino entered into various partnership agreements in various countries over the years. Today, Hino trucks continue to be prevalent in Singapore and to a lesser extent, buses.

The fourth-gen Hino Ranger appeared in 1989, where it was known as the Cruising Ranger. A facelift occurred in 1994 known as the Rising Ranger, where headlights became more rounded and grille design was changed. A final facelift happened in 1999, where it was now known as the Space Ranger. Rangers came in various sizes, denoted by different alphabets; for light medium trucks, they were designated as FC, FD, FE and GD. This unit is a Rising Ranger FC (despite being manufactured in 2001), and was powered by a 5307 cc J05C i4 diesel engine. It weighed 6440 kg and had a maximum laden weight of 10100 kg.

This particular unit is currently owned by the Singapore Civil Defence Force, where it saw service as a Large Monitor Vehicle (LMV): it is equipped with a water cannon at the back. It was put into action during a large fire at an oil refinery in Pulau Bukom in 2011 and still sports the older SCDF vehicle livery. Currently, it is off the road: as a fire-fighting vehicle, it is apparently exempt from being scrapped after 20 years even though the current LMV is a newer Isuzu Forward truck.

Production of the fourth-gen Ranger FC ended in 2001, although export models and special use versions continued to be manufactured until 2004 at least. Similar Rangers of this generation also existed in Singapore, though all were gone after 20 years. It is amazing that this humble Hino Ranger has seen service through fierce fires and that SCDF has continued to preserve it till today. I am not sure when it will be coming out again, but hopefully this has been informative in the existence of this life-saving truck!