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Vanguard Group of Companies |
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| Vanguard - Atlantis - Hampton - Pinas - Roader
Vanguard Group - 3 Mandarin Park Lane, Mandarin Village, NC - T: (01) 57 21 602. F: (01) 57 13 660 |
| W. J. Roader Auto en Cie | ||
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| Name | W. J. Roader Auto en Cie | |
| Type | subsidiary | |
| Product | cars | |
| Origin | Lovia (Brunant) | |
| Founded | 1913 (1961 in Lovia) | |
| Owner(s) | Vanguard Group | |
| Headquarters | Noble City | |
W. J. Roader Auto en Cie., commonly known as Roader, is a Lovian car company, of Brunanter origin, specializing in small luxury sports cars.
History[]
Roader was founded in 1913 as Röder en Cie by Wilhelm Josef Röder, a Brunanter of German origin. He started making small cars, but in really small numbers. In 1925, the Brunanter car boom began, and the company, owned by his Lovian grandson Herman Roader (who got a name change), began mass producing vehicles. It was in 1961 when Roader began to specializein small sports cars. By then, Herman, who live in Lovia, moved operations there. Roader had huge successes in Europe, but as their cars became larger, they lost more sales and pulled out altogether in 1995. In 2001 it was taken over by Vanguard Group, who totally revamped the company and made it successful again.
Models[]
Roader Middleton Type 2[]
The Type 2 Middleton was a small 2-seat roadster introduced in 1956, which was a modification of the 1951-56 Middleton. By the late 1960s the design was getting old,and the last one was built in 1970.
Roader Corsica[]
The Corsica was a small business coupe introduced by Roader in 1963. The car was quite popular among style-conscious businessmen, but was known for having faulty engines and transmissions. Thus it was replaced in 1966 with the Type-2 Corsica.
Type-2 Corsica[]
The Type-2 Corsica had a jauntier stance, and a little more room than the original. With a 190 HP V6, it was not very powerful, but was quick at acceleratin. Though the price went up US$2000 to $10,000 Roader managed to sell 8,600 of them by 1974.But, it had several faults, mostly in the build quality, which was so bad most cars would rust within a year.
Roader Type 55[]
The Type 55 was Roader's most successful model, being built for 24 years. The original version was introduced in 1963 as a junior version to the Middleton. With a 55 HP engine, it was not very powerful but it was cheap, at US$3,700.
Type 55 Mk II[]
The Mark II, introduced in 1967, was meant to be a replacement to Middleton and Mk1. Therefore it was given a 120 HP inline four, which would allow it to reach a top speed of 97 MPH. Still not as powerful as any Atlantis, Roader planned for a new Type 55 to compete successfully against other sports car, and the MkII was retired in 1972.
Type 55S[]
The 55S was introduced in 1969, and became an instant success. Priced at only US$7000, it offered a straight-six engine with 160 HP. Produced until 1973, over 18,000 were sold.
Type 55 Mk III[]
The Mark III, which was introduced in 1972, replaced the Mark II. It was slightly more expensive, but had better performance and build quality. Over 33,000 were built until 1980.
Type 55RS[]
The Type 55RS was the most famous model in the T55 range. Built from 1976-1984, it was priced at US$26,000 but surprisingly saw 27,000 sales. With a 315 HP V6, it was much cheaper than its nearest rivals in Atlantis, the 317 (300 series) and the America.
Type 55 Mk IV[]
The Mk IV, introduced in 1980, became the final Type 55 model. It was built in less numbers than the Mk3, although it was a better machine. THe last models were made in 1987.
Roader Mallorca (Type 66)[]
The Mallorca was a small and lightweight mid-engined sports car introduced by Roader in 1971. Priced at US$22,000 it was far cheaper than any Atlantis being offered. It only had a straight-six engine, but the car handled very well around twists and curves. In 1984, Roader re-issued the car as the Type 66, with an updated and slightly larger body. It was made in larger quantities until 1994.
Production figures for the Mallorca were 2,780 and 16,960 Type 66's.
Roader Type 77[]
The Roader 77 was the successor to the Corsica business coupe. Introduced in 1974, 2 months before the Corsica's retiring, it outsold it 3:1. WIth a much better build quality, the 77 became legendary. Equipped with a 200 HP V6, it was fast and could reach 127 MPH. In 1981 a 77 Mark II was introduced, with a full leather-and-electric powered interior. Billed as Lovias most luxurious car, it was priced at a grand US$40,000. Plans for a Mk2 four-door never materialized after it was shown that such a car could cost well over $60,000. The all-new Mark III was introduced in 1986, and it was in continued production until 1993. By then, the car had become very big and had lost many sales in Europe. The Mark IV, introduced in 1994, was based on the Mk3. It had limited success, at home and abroad, and was discontinued in 1996. In 2002, the new Type 77 was introduced. It had a very nice design, and quickly became a success, with 10,000 being sold that year alone. The Type 77 is Roader's cheapest offering, starting at L$35,000.
Roader Type 88[]
The Type 88 Roader, introduced in 1969, was to becom the most famous of their models. It was the successor to the Middleton, and it proved to be much more popular. It was produced in its original form until 1980, when the Mark II was introduced. This version, with a more powerful V6, was produced until 1992. After an 9 year hiatus, the Type 88 was re-introduced.
New Type 88[]
The new Type 88, introduced in 2001, was the first model introduced under Vanguard Group's ownership. It had a lightweigt body, made from lightweight aluminum and carbon composites. This car, which was exported to Japan, has become very popular, especially with tuners. The car's base price in 2011 is L$42,000.
Roader Type 99[]
The Type 99 was a four door sedan built by Roader from 1991-1999. It was compact, sporty and luxurious, but at US$45,000 did not sell too well. In 1999 the "final edition" Type 99 was produced, but at US$55,000 only saw 600 sold.
Type 99 Mark II[]
The Mark II Type 99, introduced in 2002, was all-new. With a very modern design and better handling than the original, it has seen over 37,000 sold. In 2011, the price is L$37,000