Historic classic rides #4: Toyota Mark II

 

I know that it has been a long time since I wrote about classics based off old pictures, so what better time to restart this with this 1971 Toyota Corona Mark II that I found from the archives!

The Corona Mark II, first introduced in 1968, was intended to fill the gap between the high-end Crown and the pedestrian Corolla. This was instrumental in allowing Toyota to establish itself as a mainstream international automaker and pursue new market opportunities. It was sold at Toyopet Store dealerships, alongside the Corona itself. The name "Mark II" indicated that it was a secondary model to the original Corona, and also created a connotation to the 'more classy' nature of the Jaguar Mark II. However, the Mark II still shared the same emblem as its less luxurious brother up till the end of production.

Initially available in a 4-door sedan (RT60) and 2-door hardtop form (RT70), station wagons (RT78/79) and coupe utility (RT69) forms were introduced some time later. The Mark II could be had in a myriad of engine types, based on the market and specific body styles. A facelift was carried out in 1970 along with the introduction of a 1.7 litre engine, and the 1971 facelift gave rise to the above unit known as the 'eagle mask'. This was powered by a 1707 cc 6R SOHC inline-4 engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 160 km/h. It was 4295 mm long, 170 mm longer than the Corona and weighed 1000 kg.

Production of the T60 Mark II ended in 1972, where it was succeeded by the X10 series. Mark IIs were first sold here in 1969 by Borneo Motors, but none are known to exist here today. As with Japanese cars of the late 60s, they were vulnerable to rust and were not seen as valuable enough to maintain and keep on the roads. Strangely, even with the recent glut of imported classics, no one has brought in any of them. On the other hand, these are quite rare to find nowadays and even when they appear on the market, they are not going for cheap (around S$15,000). I hope this has been informative to show the cars that used to be here, and possibly owned by your parents/grandparents back then!

Historic classic rides #3: Renault 12

For this particular historic piece, I try to cover cars that existed here previously but have gone the way of the dodo. It is more interesting to see the large variety of classics we had previously, but unfortunately were unloved for some reason or another to keep them till today. This 1972 Renault 12 TL is a prime example of an unexpected classic that you would not have seen before!

The Renault 12 was first conceived in 1964, where it was known as Project 117. Some of the criteria included having a roomy interior, reliable for export markets, economical and easy to produce. It was supposed to be a new model that bridged the gap between the Renault 8 and Renault 16. The body styling took cues from the 16, though the engine was placed in front of the wheels instead. Initially available only as a 4-door sedan in 1969, a 5-door estate and 3-door van version were introduced in the 70s. The TL trim featured door armrests, separate reclining seats and even a vanity mirror. It was powered by a 1289 cc Cleon-Fonte i4 engine, allowing it to reach a top speed of 148 km/h with an acceleration of 15 seconds [0-100 km/h]. It was 4348 mm long and weighed only 950 kg, with a fuel consumption of around 14 litres/100 km.

Production of the 12 ended in 1980 where it was succeeded by the more successful 18. Around 2.5 million units were made, where it was built in places such as Romania, Oceania and South America. While it received praise in European markets for its spacious, comfortable interior, styling cues and low fuel consumption, it was criticised in the US market for being too noisy, having heavy steering and a less-than-ideal ventilation system. In Singapore, the R12 first appeared in 1970, where it was sold by Progress Motors Limited.

As of today, none are known to exist here and it seems like no one has tried to import one too. It is a quirky car that looks really normal, and I often wonder why people do not really hold on to French classics compared to German ones. It was able to transport people in comfort, reliable and even helped to save fuel...I would love to see one in Singapore someday. Not many people would remember that this car existed, and I certainly did not know about it had I not come across this archive picture. I hope this has been an interesting trip down memory lane, do let me know if you want to see a specific car being covered here!

Historic classic rides #2: Rolls Royce Silver Wraith State Landaulette by Hooper

State cars have always been a source of fascination for me: how the head of state traveled could indicate a lot about his/her prestige and, to an extent, the loyalty to the country. Most office-holders will travel around in the respective car brand from the country, but for those that do not have an automobile industry, it is also interesting to see what cars are used too. I was inspired to find out more about these special cars from an Instagram post showing how the vehicles featured in our National Day celebrations have changed over the decades, and was I surprised when I discovered this 1954 Rolls Royce Silver Wraith State Landaulette by Hooper that existed here before!

The Silver Wraith was the first post-war car made by RR, introduced in 1946. It replaced the earlier RR Wraith made between 1938 to 1939 (where 1 unit exits here!), although in keeping with the mood of post-war austerity, the size was somewhat reduced. England after the war had more urgent requirements than luxury cars: there was a shortage of raw materials and even petrol was rationed. As a result, RR was initially hesitant to take on this project. However, it was decided that both RR and Bentley cars, which were strictly separate series previously, would have parts that were interchangeable so as to cut costs.

Some changes included a more rigid frame, a newer type of gearbox and chromium-plated cylinder bores for the engine. As with RR cars of that period, only the chassis was provided and the bodywork were supplied by various independent coachbuilders: it was unlikely that 2 units looked alike due to customer specifications and requests. The Silver Wraith was available in 2 different wheelbases: 3226 mm and 3378 mm. Depending on the bodywork placed on the car, it could easily exceed 5 m in length. It was powered by a 4566 cc i6 engine, which was pretty huge considering the time period. Production of the Silver Wraith ended in 1958, of which 1,244 were the short-wheelbase version and 639 were the long-wheelbase version.

This particular unit [chassis number #BLW92] is not a typical Silver Wraith, but a one-off State Landaulette version built by Hooper & Co. The coachbuilder had been commissioned in 1953 to build this car, and other than its unique collapsible roof at the rear, it also featured a internal telephone, seats coated in special plastic to deter termites and teak covering the dashboard etc. In all, it weighed an estimated 2340 kg when it was sent to Singapore in 1954! The Governor of Singapore had used a RR Phantom III as his official car and this Silver Wraith was its replacement.

Throughout its time here, it was used for official duties such as ferrying our first President, Yusof bin Ishak: he is most well-known for gracing his visage on our dollar notes. Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh also travelled in it when he visited Singapore in 1959. Interestingly, it does not sport a number plate but a crown insignia instead. You can see how the landaulette would work in the above picture.

Unfortunately, it was sent back to Europe some time after 1965, where it was owned by a automobile collector: as seen below he took it to the Swiss Alps in one of his many adventures. It was also loaned for use in official ceremonies back in the UK as well: the late Queen Mother and Princess Alexandria travelled in it before. Currently, someone else bought it from the collector and it is now available for wedding rentals and film features, while sporting a nice number plate too.

It boggles the mind to imagine that such a grand, imposing car literally ruled the roads so long ago. Such a sight would be very uncommon nowadays, as flashiness is generally frowned upon in the current economic climate. This was a car that commanded immediate respect from the poor to the rich, and it continues to strike awe even today. It would have been really cool to see it still around here, but it seems like good things must come to an end. I hope this has given you a sneak peek of the over-the-top grandeur that we used to possess!

[Credits to National Archives of Singapore, rrab.com and Google Images]

Historic classic rides #1: Nissan Cedric 330/ Datsun 220C

(Credits to Wong Ye Yong on Facebook)

For this particular piece, I decided to write about old cars in Singapore that I have not seen personally before. Previously, I preferred to write about cars that I had photographed as it felt original. However, I was also attracted by the variety of rides that existed before my time, which subsequently became extinct. I figured it could be a nice history lesson of the old cars that existed before some of you were even born, and it was also due to popular demand. Let me kick off this series with the Nissan Cedric 330/Datsun 220C taxis!

The 330 was the 4th generation of the Cedric range and was first introduced in 1976. It still carried a distinctly American styling, as Japanese designers were still relying on continental cars as inspiration. In export markets including Singapore, it was known as the Datsun 200C/220C/260C/280C, with reference to its engine capacity. As with previous generations of Cedrics, they were also popular as taxis as seen in the picture. These units were powered by a 2164 cc SD22 diesel i4 engine, allowing it to reach a theoretical top speed of 170 km/h. It was more likely, however, that their top speed was controlled in some way. The Cedric 330 was 4690 mm long and weighed 1420 kg. It was first sold here in 1976 by Tan Chong Motors, our local Nissan dealer, where it was made available for civilian use too.

Production of the 330 ended in 1979, where it was replaced by the 5th-generation 430. These cars here belonged to the Singapore Airport Bus Services (SABS), which also operated a fleet of buses that ferried tourists from Changi Airport to various hotels. SABS was first formed in 1977, where it was under the management of Singapore Bus Services (SBS), which is the bus company that we know of today. While the bus services were well-received, this was not the case for the taxi branch: many Singaporeans had the misconception that it only carried tourists, and the fact that it was not licensed to enter the CBD during morning peak hours also hurt its reputation.

SABS had a fleet of 200 taxis and drivers could rent them at S$31 per day [S$61 in today's money]: the drivers would pay only for the fuel while SABS bore the maintenance costs. Compared to its competitors with rental rates between S$36-38 [S$71-75 today], it was attractive to potential drivers. There were special taxi stands for SABS taxis, where they could pick up passengers during the evening rush hour. However, SABS incurred much losses over the years and it faded quietly off the radar some time in 2004.

This concept was rather interesting during its time but with the rise of ride-hailing services, such a service would not last long today. Nonetheless, it is a unique piece of history that many people may not be aware of: I had to read up about SABS online initially. Furthermore, none of the Datsun 220Cs have survived today, as with most Japanese cars of that era. It would have been lovely to see one still hanging on all this while...and I hope that this was informative for you!

PS: if you have old pictures of your own car/family car (ideally already extinct in Singapore), you are welcome to send them to me and I'll try to feature it!