This week, the Clangers dive headfirst into the wonderfully strange world of special editions. Not the exotic homologation specials or limited-run supercars, but the everyday hatchbacks, saloons and family runabouts that were given a second lease of life with some stripes, a fancy badge and a tempting finance deal.

From the Citroën AX Salsa and Mini Special to the Nissan Micra Wave, Fiat Panda Italia ’90 and the legendary Skoda Felicia Fun, Mike, Tom and Craig celebrate the cars manufacturers created to shift stock and keep buyers interested. Along the way there are tales of dead dogs in car boots, a brand-new game called What IS Tom On About?, and plenty of debate over the greatest special editions ever made.

Plus, what should we tackle next? Could an EV ever become a true Clanger? Which new cars are future Clangers in waiting? And are there cars people dismiss as Clangers that clearly aren’t?

If you love obscure trim levels, forgotten badges and automotive marketing madness, this is the episode for you.

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Episode 13 of The Clangers Pod dives into the cars that went from overlooked underdogs to fully fledged modern classics.

This week, Mike, Tom and Craig look back at the cars they dismissed when new — but which are now loved, collectable and, in some cases, surprisingly valuable. Did the road testers get it wrong, or were these cars hiding secret talents all along?

Expect debate, nostalgia and questionable opinions on everything from the Rover 75 and Mercedes A-Class to the Toyota Yaris Verso, Jaguar X350, Citroën Berlingo and humble Ford Escorts and Sierras.

There’s also:

* Craig’s latest automotive purchase

* A new game: “What IS Tom On About?”

* Memories of forgotten heroes and misunderstood motoring oddballs

* Teasing next week’s special editions episode (with potentially disastrous consequences)

If you love late-90s and early-2000s cars stuck somewhere between bangers and classics, this is the podcast for you.

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Please subscribe, leave a review and tell us which forgotten cars deserve future classic status.

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The Clangers are back for another dive into the automotive graveyard, and there are still plenty of ghosts rattling around. In Part 2 of our dead brands special, we dig up even more forgotten names from the late ‘90s and early 2000s… the ones that fell through the cracks, quietly disappeared, or probably should have known better.

Before that, as tradition demands, we check in with Craig to find out what he’s bought (or offloaded) this week – featuring yet more questionable life choices and an MX-5 saga that involves a bit of “pass the roadster.”

Then it’s onto the main event: From the bizarre to the brilliant (and occasionally both), we revisit marques like Marcos, Jensen, Lancia (sort of), and Maybach, plus tales of rallying a Lada Niva, a Proton with a fax in the glovebox, and the general chaos of brands that didn’t quite make it. Why did they fail? Were they misunderstood? Or were they doomed from the start?

Expect nostalgia, mild disbelief, and the usual Clangers-level tangents.

We wrap up by teeing up next week’s episode: cars that weren’t winners when new, but have since become unlikely heroes (think BMW Z8, Ford Puma Racing, and more).

Got a Clanger we should cover? Let us know!

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And if you enjoy the pod, please subscribe and leave a review—it helps more than you think (and yes, our egos too).

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Bloomin' eck, we've made it to episode 11. To celebrate, we're donning our black arm bands to remember the Clangers brands that no longer grace the car scene. Among others, we remember (with varying degrees of fondness) the likes of Saab, Daihatsu and Daewoo, and recall the time that we gave one of TVR's head honchos a pink Charade in exchange for a week in a Cerbera. All this plus Craig's head gasket-busting new purchases. Entertainment guaranteed...

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In the episode we've opted to call number 10, Tom, Craig and Mike discuss one of Craig's all-time favourite cars - the Mercedes W211. Or rather, Craig waxes lyrical about it while Tom and Mike list the (many) reasons why they would choose something else. Even the depressed Alfa 159 gets a mention. The team also found out what crate Craig has bought in the past week and recount more banal stories about the good old days. What larks.

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In the episode we're defying all logic to call episode 9, Tom, Craig and Mike discuss cars that defined performance car motoring in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The Subaru Impreza Turbo and Mitsubishi EVO took over from the hot-hatch as the ultimate sporting family cars. With supercar performance and actual rally-bred mechanicals, these beasts graced the cover of car magazines for years. This week, we also discuss the most calamitous group test ever and discover why one of Craig's old smokers had the ability to change its own oil....

And, of course, we discover what new crate(s) Mr Craig Cheetham has acquired this week. What larks.

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In the episode we've been advised by the police to call episode 8, Tom, Craig and Mike discuss the pint-sized Clangers that tugged at our heart strings. Among the tiddlers talked about are the Ford Ka, Volkswagen Lupo, Fiat Cinquecento (briefly) and the SEAT Arosa. We also discover how Tom and Craig forged a dubious connection with pop legends A-Ha and why a brown envelope with £4k in cash gave us the scoop of our careers.

We also discover what new crate(s) Mr Craig Cheetham has acquired this week. What larks.

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In the episode we're calling episode 7 for legal reasons, Tom, Craig and Mike discuss the almost-too-many-to-count Clangers that owed their existence to the Volkswagen Group's PQ34 platform - aka the Golf platform. Including (but not limited to), the Audi A3, Škoda Octavia, VW Beetle and Bora and the SEAT Leon and Toledo.

We also discover what new crate(s) Mr Craig Cheetham has acquired this week. What larks.

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