Small pickup

beltbreaker

Member
Location
Ross-shire
Audi Alroad pickup anyone 2.7t

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fermerboy

Member
Location
Banffshire
I think there is a market for a small half tonne pickup, problem is it probably not big enough to encourage a manufacturer to bother with.

We used to run VW caddy pickups and with a set of decent old school winter grips on it could go near enough everywhere it needed to, and carry everything it needed to as well. 35mpg which was alright back in the 80s and 90s too. Always thought a 4wd one would have been great.

Now I can't really find a small pickup, I have a Hilux, while its a nice truck, its a poor pickup(short bed) average car(too big, high, clumsy) and does 25mpg, and 90% of the time like most of the others I see running about carrys/tows nothing that couldn't be done with the old Caddy.
There are folk that do work them, need the 4wd/clearance, and tow 3ton odd, etc, and I have no issue with that, but the amount of double cabs that are in town, or used on running about jobs is mad at 25-30mpg. My brother in law has a VW Amorok and his missus uses it to run kids to the school instead of her Audi car, then moans about the congestion at the school. :banghead::banghead::banghead:
I tow trailers with mine, because I have it, and move children about too, and its handy to have a 4wd in the snow, so I keep telling myself to justify its 25mpg.
 

nxy

Member
Mixed Farmer
Almost all small and family size cars can be bought in France without back seats, even 4 and 5 door models. You can reclaim the vat and your employees don't pay company car tax on them. Its a great idea for a small business vehicle.
 

Ffermer Bach

Member
Livestock Farmer
I think there is a market for a small half tonne pickup, problem is it probably not big enough to encourage a manufacturer to bother with.

We used to run VW caddy pickups and with a set of decent old school winter grips on it could go near enough everywhere it needed to, and carry everything it needed to as well. 35mpg which was alright back in the 80s and 90s too. Always thought a 4wd one would have been great.

Now I can't really find a small pickup, I have a Hilux, while its a nice truck, its a poor pickup(short bed) average car(too big, high, clumsy) and does 25mpg, and 90% of the time like most of the others I see running about carrys/tows nothing that couldn't be done with the old Caddy.
There are folk that do work them, need the 4wd/clearance, and tow 3ton odd, etc, and I have no issue with that, but the amount of double cabs that are in town, or used on running about jobs is mad at 25-30mpg. My brother in law has a VW Amorok and his missus uses it to run kids to the school instead of her Audi car, then moans about the congestion at the school. :banghead::banghead::banghead:
I tow trailers with mine, because I have it, and move children about too, and its handy to have a 4wd in the snow, so I keep telling myself to justify its 25mpg.
All cars seem to be getting bigger and are suffering from "middle ages spread". My first car was a mini 850, then in the past I had a mark1 Fiesta, both seem tiny compared to the size of vehicles available now. Even the Diahatsu 4Trac seems small (with a 3 1/2 ton towing capacity) compared to the twin cabs being driven now.
 
All cars seem to be getting bigger and are suffering from "middle ages spread". My first car was a mini 850, then in the past I had a mark1 Fiesta, both seem tiny compared to the size of vehicles available now. Even the Diahatsu 4Trac seems small (with a 3 1/2 ton towing capacity) compared to the twin cabs being driven now.
I had a Viva GT at college and I used to think I was one of the Dukes of Hazzard with that big wide bonnet (with lots of empty space underneath it) I saw one parked in Lidls a while ago and went to look at it, but was amazed at how small it was.. The fact that we can't fit our modest Skodas into the '60s garage at Mrs Fred's dad's, shows how cars have grown. You can't open the doors when you get inside.
My ultimate dream car was the E Type Jag, When I see one now, I always think it looks narrower than I remember with the wheels tucked in underneath.
 

JP1

Member
Livestock Farmer
All cars seem to be getting bigger and are suffering from "middle ages spread". My first car was a mini 850, then in the past I had a mark1 Fiesta, both seem tiny compared to the size of vehicles available now. Even the Diahatsu 4Trac seems small (with a 3 1/2 ton towing capacity) compared to the twin cabs being driven now.
Look at the Austin Maxi - tiny by comparison now

BUT cars are so much safer - crumple zones and side impacts and passive pedestrian safety

Also many old cars like the jags weren't that spacious inside
 
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mx110

Member
Location
cumbria
My first vehicle was a mk2 fiesta diesel van, ran on fresh air and was quite surprising just what you could squeeze in the back of it. got a mk3 escort in the garage and its small by todays standards i guess a new fiesta is probably similar to the escort. Not sure how big the likes of berlingos etc compare to the old escort and maestroe vans.
 

JP1

Member
Livestock Farmer
Had regretted for years selling my dream car of the 90s - a late 1.6 205GTi. Saw one recently and bent down to chat to the driver - was astounded how small it was inside and how little protection it had. Selling is no longer a regret.
Those designs in that era led by Jacques Calvert were great for product but no cars had that much protection. When the Swedes then the Germans started on SIPS (side impact protection systems), Calvert just had the sills raised for every model re-iteration
 

DeeGee

Member
Location
North East Wales
Admittedly safety on the older cars is poor. But nowadays larger size does not always mean safer; those tiny Smart cars with two seats are one of the safest on the road, and supposedly come off better in crashes with much larger and heavier cars.

Many pick ups have just got totally silly in size IMO: taking up almost two lengths of a parking bay and with jacked up suspension that takes loading height almost up to chest level. Maybe there isn’t the market incentive to produce smaller pick ups, but there are so many people you speak to who would readily buy a modern version of the little Subaru or a VW Caddy style vehicle.
 

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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