Chevrolet Astro and GMC Safari, 1985-2005!



The Chevrolet Astro and GMC Safari are nothin' short of a darn cool ride, rockin' that '80s design all the way up to 2005.

The first edition rolled off the line 'round 1994 with an extra cool and classic retro design. You can pimp this ride with a 'wünderbaum' air freshener in the American flag scent, some dice, and tinted windows. It'd also look slick with some wide wheels, hefty step bars, and bull bars.

I'm envisionin' a buddy from the local take-out joint, slingin' pizza and kebabs, strikin' a deal to run the thing on biodiesel, maybe with some fryer oil and such.

By the way, the Chevrolet Astro had a spot in the 2001 movie 'Shaft' with Naomi Watts and James Marshall.

The GMC version is extra cool, but oddly enough, I never quite got the interest in these rides. Even though they're undeniably cool, it's probably 'cause these cars were smaller than the GMC 2500 and Chevrolet 2500. Astros and Safaris often got overshadowed by beasts like the Starcraft, Express, Ford Econoline, and especially the Chevrolet Suburban, and Chevrolet/GMC pickups - as I've scribbled about in an earlier post. But also the Ford F-series and Ford Excursion.

















Kommentarer

Legg inn en kommentar

Populære innlegg fra denne bloggen

Hyundai Galloper/Mitsubishi Pajero!

Bilde
(The Galloper version of the Pajero was produced with an 80s design all the way until 1997. You can import this from overseas, and it can be decked out with a winch, wide tires, and lights in the grille.) (Back in the early '80s, folks on the homesteads were drivin' Mitsubishi Pajeros like that. The grille looks a lot like my old man's Mazda) Hyundai Galloper and Mitsubishi Pajero , rolling since 1982 and rocking that '80s design until '97. Mitsubishi Pajero, a beast of a car that I've always seen as a ghostly presence from the days of high cigar-fueled swagger in the '80s, with all those yuppies and whatnot. I remember a girl in elementary school, a few years older, whose mom cruised around in a Mitsubishi Pajero. She was a doctor in the local clinic, living the good life. They also had an '80s version of the Mercedes T, so no hardships there. Fast forward to the 2000s, on a trekking adventure with your folks all around Asker and Bærum. Obsessively cha...
Les mer

Lada 2107: Lada Riva/Classic/Rally!

Bilde
(The Teachers Lada 2107) (This car was the last off the production line in 2012) Lada 2107 / Lada Riva, they sold plenty of 'em in Norway in the 80s and 90s, but nowadays they're a rare sight in the Norwegian car market. You can still get your hands on models all the way up to 2012 over in Russia, where folks were real fond of ’em, and down in Egypt too, where they kept crankin’ ’em out till 2015, thanks to the Alamal Group. These cars are prone to rust in the channels and usually don't last longer than 10 years. However, if you're a true car enthusiast who shows love for these models, you can enjoy one for many, many years. To stay in the know about these cars, it's recommended to join a Lada Club, for example there is one in Lier in Norway, which specializes in these models. Worth mentioning that Lada 2107 (Riva and Classic) were also popular as rally cars. There was this spry old retiree who was an orienteering runner in the club with my folks when I was little,...
Les mer

Fiat 131, Tofas Sahin, and various successors!

Bilde
Fiat 131 , also known as the Mirafiori, 2000 TC Sport, and 131 Abarth, was a remarkably popular taxi model in Pakistan, India, the Middle East, and even featured prominently in Sahara-based films from the '70s and '80s. Surprisingly, I never knew that this particular model was licensed and produced by manufacturers in these developing countries. It wasn't until recently that I discovered these cars were manufactured until as late as 2010 in Turkey, Egypt, and Ethiopia by Turkish Tofaş, Egyptian NASR, and Ethiopian Holland Car (also known as Holland DOCC). The Fiat 131 was also produced by the Polish FSO Polonez, or Polski Fiat, where it was known as the Fiat 131p, with the 'p' denoting Polonez or Poland. The original Fiat 131 was produced from 1973 to 1984 by the main Fiat company as the successor to the Fiat 124, remaining in production for over a decade. It paved the way for models like the Lada 2107/Lada Riva, Lada 2105/2104, Lada 2106/2103, and served as the pre...
Les mer