a tv advert from years ago...which car?

[ehyouwhat]

Hi all,

Many years ago there was an advert on TV. I can't remember specifically what the advert was for, but it featured a red concept car. The car had some form of hand/fingerprint identification unlocking system, and a steering wheel that flipped across the cabin to allow left or right hand drive.

As far as memory serves this advert was around when I was a kid, so I'm thinking it was probably early 90's. Can anyone remember the advert, and hence remember what it was for? Something in the back of my head is telling me it was a general advert for Audi but I can't be certain.

This has been bugging me for months.

Thanks in hopeful advance.

[Benmac]

Dunno if the car was in any way real but the ad was a sort of spoof with the car being supposedly from Russia (remembering this is back when they were the big baddies). I think the advert was for insurance of some description with the raison d'etre being that it was hard to predict the future or something like that.

[Stealth-wagon]

I too can remember that advert ! It was a Norwich Union advert - they did a series of ads in the late 80's about global investments into new emerging markets etc etc.

But the car was some sort of red kit / concept car as you say, and featured a suited up Russian businessman speaking in a accented slightly sinister voice, where he shows the steering wheel moving across the car on a central pivot, as he says "and we have no problem converting you from the right to the Left …"

I cannot find the exact advert with the 'right to left' line in it, but I'm sure the same car called a 'Mirov-2' is in this follow up advert :-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&hl=en-GB&am...

[chriswhitlock]

Remember reading a kit car mag a couple of years ago where one had been turned road legal

Pics below:

[garethj]

There's a bit about it here

Maybe the production team had a look at the Tatra MTX V8 at the time?

[dpbird90]

garethj said:

There's a bit about it here

Maybe the production team had a look at the Tatra MTX V8 at the time?

That looks like someone's tried to turn an MR2 into an XJ220

[Gizmo!]

garethj said:

There's a bit about it here

Maybe the production team had a look at the Tatra MTX V8 at the time?

Interesting fact about the Tatras: powered by an aircooled V8; rear mounted. Bonkers.

[garethj]

Gizmo! said:

Interesting fact about the Tatras: powered by an aircooled V8; rear mounted. Bonkers.

The 613 and 700 were semi-mid engined, the first row of cylinders were ahead of the axle line, the next were on it and the last ones were behind the axle line.

Back to that Mirov, I remember seeing it at a car show when the advert was on; the seat was made of wood as was the steering column and lots of the bracing around the body. Must have taken a ton of work for the owner to make it into a real car

[Marf]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxH06HrQxoE

You can see the fingerprint pad in this vid. Not managed to find the original yet though.

edit: found these pics




http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_83726-Mirov-1989.html

Edited by Marf on Monday 20th July 11:34

[JonB2]

Hi there-

I was the designer of this original vehicle.

I had 10 days to design and provide 2 (Yes 2!) driveable vehicles (based on a VW chassis) with fully working interior electronics etc.

10 days! (and I was working on 2 other projects at the time...)

I had designed a great door opening system, but we could not get it working functionally in time for filming- the doors would pop open, then travel back outside the rear wheel arches.

I'm not sure the kits that I have seen bear any resemblance to my original quick concept- the cockpit on the kits looks very acute.

Anyway- here are a couple of images from 1990...

[fikus01]

HOLY THREAD REVIVAL

I too remember this advert and whenever I mention it, everyone thinks I’m nuts. I’m glad I’m not.

I’ve finally found the original advert

https://youtu.be/b7S-sOvGHPU

[croyde]

That drawing looks incredibly like the Citroen CX that I once owned. Well the dashboard part anyway.