I've got a left-field example. The Isuzu Florian. In order to get some context, you need to do a brief study of the earlier Isuzu Bellett. The Bellett had a swing-axle IRS rear end (which I've variously found to be either brilliant or murderous, depending on the vehicle) and rack & pinion steering, so they generally went where you pointed them. The little G150C four-banger was a torque monster for its size and a set of twin carbs would get them hooning along pretty well. In fact, anecdotally, they were considered 'fast' when they came out in late 1964 as the V8 power race was a couple of years away. The Bellett found a niche with cash-strapped club competitors; they were cheap to run and easy to modify, the styling had Italian overtones and I can vouch that they've got heaps of room inside as the seats don't go far back and the interior is unfettered by sculpted door cards or carpet. But the Florian...well, when it hit our shores in late 1968, I think, the Bellett brethren were keen to see what Isuzu would offer up in the medium-sized category. The car was undoubtedly larger and therefore heavier; over 1300kgs versus the lightweight Bellett's 950-odd kgs. The power upgrade wasn't enough to offset the extra weight, the Florian simply being fitted with a 1600cc version of the Belletts G150C, with no further refinements to speak of. Up front, the steering was by recirculating ball while down the back, the Bellett's IRS was swapped for a live axle and leaf springs. Furthermore, they were only available in 'Deluxe' spec, so a radio and carpets were standard, but it meant a high entry point. I remember speaking to a guy at a car show who desperately wanted a Florian when they were new, but couldn't afford it, so he bought a Cortina. The Corty probably didn't have carpet, a radio and the windows were probably optional, but it illustrates just one of the issues the Florian had on our shores. Unlike the Bellett, which became a bit of a darling among club rally guys thanks to its handling, the Florian's road manners were... wafty...they remain so in the low-mile survivor sitting in my shed, giving rise to the nickname 'Flo-boat-ian' by some wags in the Aussie Isuzu community. Sales in Australia weren't great; by 1970 the dealer network had collapsed and Isuzu were no longer selling cars on our shores. It's interesting, but although sales never cracked more than 9500 per year in Japan, the car stuck around for ages. Author Gavin Farmer interviewed me about my Florian some years ago for inclusion in his book "Dead Ends and Duffas", citing that the Florian fizzled out quite quickly and without a trace. I mentioned that although that was the case here, in Japan it became the basis for the Isuzu KB, which was sold to great success as the Chevrolet LUV both here and in the USA and the Bedford KB in the UK. The Isuzu KB's four-headlight front was used as the Florian's first major facelift, essentially creating a Chev Luv sedan, while the Florian's weirdly-upright rear doors, which awkwardly lacked any semblance of a cut-out over the rear wheel, were perfect to donate to the Isuzu KB dual cab. The LUV replaced the Isuzu Wasp and went on to be re-branded here first as the Isuzu KB (1977; it's worth noting that both the Chevrolet LUV and Isuzu KB were sold via Holden dealers, rather than any stand-alone Chevrolet or Isuzu dealerships, neither of which existed in the 1970s!), then in 1980, it was re-bodied as the Holden Rodeo. So essentially, the Holden Colorados and Isuzu D-Maxes of today can trace a direct lineage back to the old, unloved Isuzu Florian. In Japan, the Florian copped another facelift, this time in October 1977, with huge bumpers, a Rolls Royce-style grille and weird plastic appointments to hide the 1968 body apertures for headlights and tail lights. Sales by the early 1980s dropped into the hundreds...and at this point, Gavin said, "But THEN they didn't do anything...." and I said, "Well, yeah, that's because they were replaced with Isuzu's version of the J-car world car, the Isuzu Aska, which was initially marketed with the Florian name during the transition to the new model. The Aska sold well and by all accounts, was a much better car than our Camira, so much so that when GM NZ released the Camira, they actually imported Isuzu Askas and badged them Holden Camira JJ rather than import the wobbly Aussie version! Earlier versions of the Florian included the Florian TS, which was fitted with the Bellett GT1600's twin carb motor, while in later series, an diesel and factory LPG options were offered, the latter specifically for the taxi market that Isuzu previous medium-sized model, the Bellel, did quite well in. So despite the Ghia styling, which was admittedly weird especially with huge, CRT TV-like yet woefully ineffective headlights, and the car's relatively good ancestry in the Bellett and Bellel, the Florian sold poorly here. On sale for less than two years, values would have dropped like a stone when the dealers disappeared in 1970, leaving owners with an orphan vehicle from a niche brand. The result was that many, many Florians were bought by Isuzu Bellett owners, stripped for their 'big' 1600cc motors and then chucked on the tip. The Florian's G161 OHV motor was a straight swap into a Bellett and given the bulk of the Belletts were sold before the Florian was released, the lure of an unstressed, low-mileage motor was enough to see so many cheap Florians dumped in a ditch with nothing wrong except a lack of engine. I bought mine about 10 years ago from the pages of Just Cars magazine and sparked a bit of Florian appreciation amongst the Bellett people as a result. Several Bellett owners, many of whom were guilty of wrecking Florians back in the day, have gone on to save a Florian and there would now be around eight in regular club use throughout Australia. The most we've had together at a Bellett Nationals event is four. Mine has never been the greatest classic to drive; it's slow, leans like a 12th century Italian tower and the brakes are somehow connected to the steering, because no amount of adjusting makes it stop true. It's never been fitted with rear seat belts and I don't want to fit them, and because I've normally got my kids with me, I'll take my Bellett sedan (which has THREE seat belts!??!) or my Buick Opel by Isuzu if I'm getting a classic out. But if I didn't save this one, who the bloody else was going to be stupid enough to do it?!?