The latter is something you don’t see every day and makes the 8 look particularly miffed. Drivers described this Renault as having a lively character, and you can picture it stirring up bother outside a boulangerie.
Simca 1000
Post-WW2, Simca was one of the biggest car-makers in France, but by 1978 it had disappeared entirely. First sold in 1961, the 1000 was one of Simca’s most successful models. It might look boxy to us now, but this small saloon was a revelation at the time as cars of the 1950s were often quite squidgy.
Though tiny, the 1000 is by no means a pushover. Its facial expression tells us it has somewhere to be, and it’ll barge you out of the way to get there. It’s all in the shape of the ‘eyebrows’ that sit above the lights.
Daihatsu Copen
This diminutive Japanese car has had one heck of a change in attitude. The first-generation Daihatsu Copen was a happy camper with a bright, smiley disposition, and in the UK, it came with a 1.3L engine, giving it more pep than models sold in Japan. The current Copen has acquired a diving shoulder line and a large trapezoid grille—both sure-fire ways to give a car a seriously fiery appearance.
Lights with slanted edges and prominent bonnet bulges complete the look, and the Copen is clearly annoyed with having to wear that lovely, sunny orange overcoat.
MG 3
On the subject of a change in attitude…the previous MG3 looked quite placid, but the new incarnation mixes hatchback practicality with styling cues frequently found on a roadster. There’s the sweeping shoulder line and scything rear haunch, and its designers have plumped for razor-sharp lights. They’ve also dropped the grille quite a bit and widened it too, and have added extra grilles either side for good measure.
The new MG3 has a very heated expression, it’s quite possibly the angriest looking supermini in the supermarket carpark—more so even than the latest Kia Picanto.