So, you are a Dictator........

[expat]

and you need to provide a range of cars for your workers.
You don't want to be seen to waste 'the peoples' resources, so you are looking for used tooling from some old car line, anywhere in the world, that is now out of production.
The cars must be simple enough to work on that the Prolls in the rural areas have a chance of keeping them running, yet you may want to discreetly reward the head of some 'work unit' that pleases you.
What would you choose?

I'm thinking here, Why did the soviets embrace the Fiat/Lada?

 

[Papa Bear]

The word "money" comes to mind ......

 

[bdcardinal]

Toyota Hilux

 

[SS1970chrysler]

I used to have a '39 Studebaker Dictator.

 

[meangreen01]

Panther platform. Crown Vics for the Proletariat, Town Cars for the Bourgeois.

 

[fdcg27]

Mid 'eighties Honda, including Acura for the bosses.
Simple, light, economical and durable.

 

[zorobabel]

93-97 corolla

 

[IndyIan]

In the 60's and 70's? I imagine the US/UK/Germany/France companies are not going to sell you plans for any of their cars. I guess FIAT did?
My wife grew up in Poland and they had a FIAT 500 It got 4 of them around without using much gas at appropriate speeds for the roads. It could be fixed with some string and a stick most of the time as well... If you are trying to make your nation have efficient cheap transportation at that time, you could've done worse!

If I was Castro now, something like an early 80's tercel wagon with a manual trans and a 40hp diesel or gas motor, would do the trick, split the number of each based on what comes out of the refinery most efficiently. Slow and tough and easy to fix, and good mileage, with the option of 4wd for those in the mountains.

 

[45ACP]

ZIL

 

[expat]

Originally Posted By: Papa Bear
The word "money" comes to mind ......


The people cannot eat money comrade

 

[45ACP]

Originally Posted By: expat
Originally Posted By: Papa Bear
The word "money" comes to mind ......


The people cannot eat money comrade

Ill take the ZIL, Comrade expat........

 

[45ACP]

Originally Posted By: expat
Originally Posted By: Papa Bear
The word "money" comes to mind ......


The people cannot eat money comrade

They can eat cake.

 

[01rangerxl]

I would use the Ranger platform as the basis for most vehicles, but offer the crew cab that was sold in Mexico and South America, a wider range of engines (such as the 3.0 "Powerstroke" diesel in South America), and for passenger vehicles throw a very basic 95-01 Explorer body on the frame. Ford was able to tool up a plant in Argentina pretty quickly in 1996 to build them down there. That plant eventually began building models that aren't even available in the US to suit the South American market:

I'd probably make use of as many discontinued Fords as possible. I think the E-Series, Panther platform, '97-'03 F-150 and Super Duty would be a good starting point for a growing dictatorship. I'd try to get the Bronco tooling too, and make four door versions like Centurion did.

 

[Cristobal]

VW Bugs, naturally.

 

[caravanmike]

why waste money on used tooling? why not just buy everybody's used cars? yank tanks come to mind.

 

[MetalSlug]

pancake

 

[01rangerxl]

Originally Posted By: caravanmike
why waste money on used tooling? why not just buy everybody's used cars? yank tanks come to mind.


That's what a lot of smaller countries do. A lot of used cars from Japan, the EU, and the US get exported somewhere else.

 

[Kiwi_ME]

Importing used cars doesn't provide jobs and uses up foreign exchange. We've had a couple of Ladas here in NZ, including the Fiat-based sedan and a 4x4, they're not terrible cars, far better than a Yugo.
These days about 80% of new registrations here are used imports from Japan and Singapore.

 

[asiancivicmaniac]

Early-mid 90s Camry/ES

 

[asiancivicmaniac]

Another one would be the 95-99 Maxima/I30.

The Taurus/Sable also comes to mind