Norwegian gearheads on the right Way

Ford Explorer, a rugged rig with some mighty fine wheels, rims, and chrome. The Ford Explorer Mk1 , built until 1994, and the Jeep Cherokee AMC , spanning from 1983 to 2001, along with the Beijing Jeep Cherokee produced until 2014, were among the last rugged-looking compact SUVs from the USA. The Jeep Cherokee had that iconic boxy design and made appearances in numerous American films. I even spotted one as a sort of ghostly car in a dealership once, tucked away in the back of the showroom. The Ford Explorer from 1990 to 1994 starred in the first Jurassic Park movie and must be presumed to handle encounters with a hungry Stegosaurus and an amorous Triceratops quite well. The Explorer has also made its mark in many other films and TV series, albeit with more recent and less boxy models. The Jeep Cherokee was produced by AMC Motors (American Motor Corporation). Interestingly, AMC Motors was on the verge of bankruptcy when the Cherokee was introduced, but they carried on as AMC Jeep und...

The Daihatsu Rocky kept that '80s design rollin' right up 'til around 2007, give or take. Although I did read on Wikipedia recently that they only made it 'til 2002 and it stuck around 'til 2007 as a whole different model exclusively in Indonesia. But I reckon I saw ads for it here in Norway 'til at least 2003-2004, maybe even 'til 2007. I'm thinkin' the Norwegian importer might've got their hands on some leftover stock or somethin' like that. Back when I kicked off junior high in 2000, there was always a Daihatsu Rocky parked by the road near an elementary school I passed on my way home. Turned out, the owner was a contractor workin' on a water pipeline in the ground. The car had the plate KF ninety-nine thousand (Drammen plates), and since I'd just started learnin' about plates, I knew it had to be a 2000 model. Now, that contractor feller must've thought I was mighty peculiar since I stared at his car so much every time I w...

Iveco Daily Turbo ain't exactly known for being a flashy ride, and it sure ain't your everyday whip. But them smaller versions of this model can be decked out and driven with some real attitude. Preferably snag a beat-up one with tinted windows and a dangly air freshener in the rearview mirror. Now, that Citroen Berlingo Dangel is a real budget ride with a cool four-wheel-drive system you can toggle on and off. It's a blast off-road, just like a Lada Niva, and almost on par with a Land Rover Defender or a Mitsubishi Pajero. Spice it up with some cool lights on the windshield and in the grille. "Throw on a beefy bull bar and side steps or some extra chunky wheels, then we're talking! Berlingo also packs a ton of space and is great for road trips or hauling stuff, like when you're moving."

Check out that USSR babe tearing it up in a rally, a real vintage beauty! The Lada 2104 and Lada 2105 rally editions rolled off the production line from '79 all the way to 2010. Now, these models sported a grill and headlights that might give you a hint of the Ferrari models from the 80s and 90s under the Fiat banner. Mind you, you couldn't exactly style 'em up to look like Ferraris, 'cause the Lada 2104 and 2105 had a straight front, unlike the Ferraris with that angled front. So, getting 'em to match exactly was a bit of a challenge, even if parts of the design had some similarities. "Those Lada rally models, though, are real firecrackers, especially when you slap on a mean Abarth exhaust system!" (Lada 2104 Rally in high flight, the sedan version). (Lada 2105 Rally, the station wagon version) In them two pictures above, y'all can clearly see them classic '70s and '80s Fiat and Ferrari headlights in the Lada 2105. Pretty dang cool and beaut...

(Jeep Wrangler) Now, the Jeep Wrangler is a ride you can take to the beach and reel in a bunch of ladies, especially if it's the convertible version. Petter Stordalen, known for his fat wallet, supposedly kept a Jeep Wrangler long after he could afford any fancy sports car. Gotta give you a heads up, though - these rides can burn a hole in your pocket. They guzzle down gas and diesel like there's no tomorrow, and the taxes and repair costs can hit you hard. So, you might wanna think twice 'bout the quality. I know a true-blue redneck over in Sundvollen rockin' a Chevrolet Tahoe . With a rig that pricey, he better watch out for avoidin' the luxury trap! Now, the GMC Yukon is pretty much the same deal as the Chevrolet Tahoe. By the way, it was one of them most-used rides by the Baywatch crew. American Motors Corporations (AMC) teamed up with Jeep to build the Wrangler model. Personally, I reckon the AMC version is hands down the coolest! There's just somethin...

(The street version of the Seat Marbella, around '95, y'all) Now, the Citroën C15 and the Seat Marbella van were made in France and Spain all the way until '95. You could get the Citroen C15 as a four-wheeler from a bunch called Dangel. Here's the scoop - they build 'em in the regular Citroen factory, then strip off the chassis and ship it over to the Dangelfactory. This fancy dance makes 'em real pricey and exclusive. Citroen and Dangel still tag team on this. The street version of the Citroen C15 used to be kickin' it in Norway, but you don't see many cruisin' on those Norwegian roads these days. Down in the South though, there's a bunch of Citroen C15s. Same story for the Seat Marbella - not a whole lot kickin' it here, but different story down in the South. Now, the Citroen C15 had its moment in some wild car chase scenes in them French 'Taxi' movies. Back in 2010, I'm riding shotgun with my old folks between Tafjord and Geir...