Quick Trivia 3

[amsandun]

  On 3/7/2025 at 4:53 AM, iRage said:

Japanese manufacturers stopped putting those emission rating stickers

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Well spotted, I didn't know that.

  On 3/7/2025 at 4:53 AM, iRage said:

If this had an early (to before 4200) CBM number

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Even better you just almost revealed the license plate 😃

Maybe this was your wife's colleague's car. I barely saw the driver from the rear windshield and for a moment I indeed thought the driver was a different national. 

  On 3/7/2025 at 4:53 AM, iRage said:

Do these cars get new numbers when they get transferred to a local ?

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Well as I know, a DPL registration is almost like a local registration with only "DP" printed on the plates. So when transferred to a local, the rest of the numbers remain the same and that DP status will be removed. I have no idea about expat to expat transfer. But when a Carnet vehicle (which runs with a foreign plate) is transferred to a local after paying due taxes, I believe that car gets a license plate according to the current series running in RMV. And same applies for vehicles released from Customs custody through auctions after legal procedures are completed. That's why we see older cars with new number series.

  On 3/7/2025 at 4:53 AM, iRage said:

Still trying to figure out how you managed to get that picture

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Ha ha...I didn't think it was something that obvious but this is you. Asked my passenger at the moment (who happened to be my wife) to get a picture of this. Annoying she gets when I ask to do these car related stuff to her 😆 You got that correct too (straight back slightly to the left)

Anyways I think you know what the car in question is right?

[john cooper]

  On 3/7/2025 at 4:53 AM, iRage said:

Cannot be.
1. Japanese manufacturers stopped putting those emission rating stickers (the green and blue oval stickers) in 2021. So the car is too old ot be a recent import.

 

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I spotted those stickers for sale at a car gadget shop when I last visited the Island.

The guy at the counter told me these stickers are in high demand including the JAAI sticker (which was out of stock)

[iRage]

  On 3/9/2025 at 10:36 PM, john cooper said:

I spotted those stickers for sale at a car gadget shop when I last visited the Island.

The guy at the counter told me these stickers are in high demand including the JAAI sticker (which was out of stock)

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Yes..in SL they are...because our Lankans believe if a car does not have those stickers it has been in an accident and the glasses have been replaced....also the JAAI sticker is loved by Lankans to support their mileage roll backs. Now that those stickers are not there what or what will we Lankans do ?  Maybe the car sales people will put them on themselves

Costs anything from 500LKR upwards. Investing that money in a good maalu paan or a koththu is a better investment. 

  On 3/7/2025 at 4:36 PM, amsandun said:

Anyways I think you know what the car in question is right?

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Yes...maybe wait to see if someone else answers? Some hints maybe ? Troubled Japanese company (but then which one isn't right?) Rebadged by another Japanese automaker famous for kei cars (only to have recently gone with rebadging the Toyota equivalents).

[amsandun]

  On 3/10/2025 at 12:29 AM, iRage said:

Some hints maybe ? Troubled Japanese company (but then which one isn't right?) Rebadged by another Japanese automaker famous for kei cars

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And a famous Tennis player who was named after this? or is it vice versa? 😉

[iRage]

  On 3/10/2025 at 3:21 AM, amsandun said:

And a famous Tennis player who was named after this? or is it vice versa? 😉

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Well,the tennis player was born in 1981 and the vehicle was given this name in 1990/1991 way before the tennis player became famous. The name, if memory serves me right, is Latin and the manufacturer had gone to the extent of finding a word that went along with the name of its best-selling mid-sized car (which was actually a class leader until the early 80s). 
This particular vehicle, when first released is 1991 was actually quite groundbreaking for its rear suspension system and its car-like design.

[john cooper]

"Serena"

AKA in SL , Sada kal oba mage

[amsandun]

  On 3/11/2025 at 2:20 AM, john cooper said:

"Serena"

AKA in SL , Sada kal oba mage

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Correct 💯your chance now brother

[john cooper]

I was waiting for my spot to post this car.

One of the legendary model from a famous brand.

This was popped in the Classic auction a few weeks back.

 

[iRage]

  On 3/11/2025 at 10:33 PM, john cooper said:

I was waiting for my spot to post this car.

One of the legendary model from a famous brand.

This was popped in the Classic auction a few weeks back.

 

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Are we like going with a theme here ?

A car that at first glance most mistake for a Mazda due to design similarities to one of their famous models.

This was the outcome of an abandoned project by a Japanese musical instrument maker, a German designer and this automobile manufacturer. The project name sounds like it is some Airbus aircraft   After the project was scratched the Japanese designers who worked on the project went on to design this car.

***What a lot of people don't realize is that the musical instrument maker had a stronger relationship with this manufacturer rather than the auto manufacturer it has a close relationship with now.

[john cooper]

  On 3/12/2025 at 1:33 AM, iRage said:

Are we like going with a theme here ?

A car that at first glance most mistake for a Mazda due to design similarities to one of their famous models.

This was the outcome of an abandoned project by a Japanese musical instrument maker, a German designer and this automobile manufacturer. The project name sounds like it is some Airbus aircraft   After the project was scratched the Japanese designers who worked on the project went on to design this car.

***What a lot of people don't realize is that the musical instrument maker had a stronger relationship with this manufacturer rather than the auto manufacturer it has a close relationship with now.

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Honestly, I wasn't aware of the whole musical instrument story

[matroska]

  On 3/12/2025 at 1:33 AM, iRage said:

Are we like going with a theme here ?

A car that at first glance most mistake for a Mazda due to design similarities to one of their famous models.

This was the outcome of an abandoned project by a Japanese musical instrument maker, a German designer and this automobile manufacturer. The project name sounds like it is some Airbus aircraft   After the project was scratched the Japanese designers who worked on the project went on to design this car.

***What a lot of people don't realize is that the musical instrument maker had a stronger relationship with this manufacturer rather than the auto manufacturer it has a close relationship with now.

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it makes sense doesn't it? The car in question reflects a bit of a German brands design language. It's a beautiful car I must say. 

This collaboration happened during the heyday of the Japanese brand - when they were arguably the flag bearer of the Japanese automotive industry.  

Edited 11 hours ago by matroska