2 for 1? 20 badge-engineered cars

What’s in a name?

Badge engineering has for years been a quick and cost-effective method of broadening a company’s model range.

Often used to create cars that will appeal to different buyers, swapping badges and some trim can prove very effective. It’s also led to some less successful outcomes.

Here’s a selection of badge-engineered cars, presented in alphabetical order.

1. Aston Martin Cygnet/Toyota iQ

One of the most unusual collaborations came about when Aston Martin launched its Cygnet compact city car.

Not the usual fare of the company, the Cygnet became a necessity when legislation demanded car makers lower their carbon-dioxide emissions.

With no parent company to help offset its CO2 output, Aston Martin came up with the novel approach of repurposing Toyota’s iQ.

It was hoped the Cygnet would sell 4000 per year, but a list price of £30,995 for a car that was no quicker than its Toyota relative didn’t wash with buyers. Still, you did get a hand-crafted leather interior, and bespoke Aston Martin paint and badges.

A total of 593 Cygnets were made between 2011 and 2014. A one-off V8-powered Cygnet was built in 2018 by Aston Martin, just because it could.

Aston Martin Cygnet/Toyota iQ (cont.)

Toyota showed an admirably left-field way of thinking when it came up with the iQ city car.

Rather than trying to make a smaller version of a hatchback, it used a very different interior layout to fit four people where you think only two would squeeze in.

This was achieved by moving the passenger-side dash as far forward as possible.

In turn, this meant the rear-seat passenger was afforded more leg room, while the person behind the driver had to lump it. As a result, the iQ was more of a 3+1 seater, while its perky 1.3-litre engine offered excellent economy and low emissions.

2. Audi 50/Volkswagen Polo

Audi recognised the supermini class was growing fast in the early 1970s, and it was a useful way to swell the company’s coffers.

The Audi 50 was the result of this thinking, and it embodied all that was good about Audi, but in a compact package.

Launched in late 1974 with a 1.1-litre four-cylinder engine, the 50 rapidly gained praise and sales across Europe.

However, it was never made with right-hand drive, so the UK did not receive this high-class small car from Audi.

Even so, all looked set fair for the Audi until Volkswagen launched its rebadged version as the Polo.

Audi 50/Volkswagen Polo (cont.)

The Volkswagen Polo is one of the longest-running names in the car world. Along with Golf, it provided the foundations for the huge VW Group we know today.

Yet the Polo was developed by Audi and simply rebadged by VW to give itself a fantastic small-car contender to take over from the Beetle.

Where the Audi 50 was good but a bit expensive, the Polo came in with a lower price at its launch in 1975.

The Audi 50 was discontinued in 1978 with around 180,000 sales to its name, but the first Polo carried on to 1981 and clocked up 768,200 cars sold, so this bit of badge engineering worked out very well for VW.

3. Austin A99/Wolseley 6/99

The Austin A99, and its A110 successor, provided respectability and a good specification for those who couldn’t stretch to a Jaguar or Humber.

The Farina styling was much like the A55 and A60, but under the bonnet was Austin’s trusty, lusty C-series 3-litre straight-six.

The later A110 gained a longer wheelbase for more interior space, and it came with a four-speed gearbox in place of the A99’s three-speeder.

There was also the luxurious Vanden Plas with a different grille, as well as more wood and leather in the cabin, plus power steering from mid-1962. Midway between the Austin and Vanden Plas sat the Wolseley version.

Austin A99/Wolseley 6/99 (cont.)

The Wolseley name was nothing more than a badge on a variety of BMC products by the time the 6/99 arrived in 1959.

However, the 6/99 and 6-110 came with a more opulent cabin, including rear picnic tables for the later model that has the more powerful version of the 3-litre C-series engine.

The 6-110 was also available with air conditioning as an option to further distinguish it from the Austin model it shared most of its components with.

4. Austin-Healey Sprite/MG Midget

Austin-Healey fans must have felt a bit put out when the Sprite MkII arrived with nothing more to separate it from its MG counterpart than the badges.

Where the original ‘Frogeye’ Sprite had its distinctive looks, the second-generation model was more toned down.

There was nothing wrong with the way the Sprite MkII went or handled, however, thanks to its 948 and 1098cc engines.

Most came with front disc brakes as standard. This helped the MkII Sprite find 31,665 customers around the world, comfortably outselling the first-gen MG Midget’s total of 25,681.

Austin-Healey Sprite/MG Midget (cont.)

MG savvily knew a smaller sports car in its range than the A and forthcoming B would help draw in buyers to the company, especially in the lucrative US market.

The quick solution was to rebadge the Austin-Healey Sprite MkII and revive the Midget name that had been used pre-war.

While the Midget was outsold by its Sprite cousin throughout the 1960s, the Midget name persisted into the ’70s, so the MG’s final tally was much higher.

5. Bentley MkVI/Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn

While you could still order a chassis from Bentley to have special coachwork fitted to the MkVI, the Standard Steel saloon was by far the most common version.

It sealed Bentley’s future for the following three decades as little more than a badge-engineered Rolls-Royce, until the Mulsanne Turbo started a revival.

However, the MkVI enjoyed sales of 5201 compared to 760 Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn models, perhaps helped by the Bentley being seen as a little more discreet in the hard-pressed immediate post-war years.

There was also the more sporting image of the MkVI and its R-type successor, even if they shared the same engine as the Silver Dawn with its squared-off radiator.

Bentley MkVI/Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn (cont.)

Unless you had the wealth to indulge in a Silver Wraith, the Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn was the pinnacle of immediate post-war motoring opulence.

Almost identical to the Bentley MkVI and following R-type, the Rolls-Royce used mildly detuned versions of the 4257 and subsequent 5466cc six-cylinder engines in deference to the Silver Dawn’s aim to be as relaxed and relaxing as possible.

Few Silver Dawns were supplied to coachbuilders, so most have the Standard Steel body the same as the Bentley.

However, most Rolls customers opted for an automatic gearbox, which became standard for the last two years of production.

6. BMW/Frazer Nash-BMW

BMW’s pretty 315 and 319 sports cars quickly gained a reputation for their reliability and performance when they arrived in 1934.

With its twin-tube chassis, independent front suspension and up to 80mph top speed from the 2-litre models, the BMW was very able.

Curiously, the 315 and 319 were not viewed as especially sporting in their homeland of Germany when new, even when fitted with pretty two-seater open bodywork.

However, British firm Frazer Nash was more tuned in to the car’s potential.

BMW/Frazer Nash-BMW (cont.)

HJ Aldington of Frazer Nash was impressed by the BMW 315 when it beat his own car in the 1934 Alpine Trial.

As a result of this, he arranged for Frazer Nash to become BMW’s importer to the UK and rebadged the cars Frazer Nash-BMWs.

The new company sold 42 of these two-seat sports cars between 1934 and 1937, as well as more than 600 saloons and cabriolets also badged as Frazer Nash-BMWs.

It’s a measure of how good the BMW mechanical parts were that Frazer Nash was still using updated versions of them to good effect in its cars after the Second World War.

7. Chevrolet Camaro/Pontiac Firebird

For the 1967 model year, Chevrolet was the first to get its hands on the new General Motors F-body platform and the handsome Camaro was the result.

The two-door Camaro made perfect use of the fashionable ‘coke-bottle’ style, which certainly helped it shift almost 700,000 units by the time it was replaced by the second-generation model in 1969.

There were several versions of the Camaro, including the RS, SS, and Z.28.

In true General Motors corporate fashion, the Camaro’s platform was quickly shared with other brands, including the Pontiac Firebird.

Chevrolet Camaro/Pontiac Firebird (cont.)

The people within Pontiac had reason to feel a little miffed that Chevrolet got to launch a pony-car rival to the Ford Mustang before it did.

The Camaro went on sale in late 1966, giving it the jump on Pontiac by around six months.

However, the Firebird was arguably the better-looking car thanks its bumpers being integrated into its overall shape.

This wasn’t enough for the Firebird to outdo its Chevrolet cousin in showroom sales.

By the time the pair were replaced by second-generation models in 1969, the Firebird had notched up 277,380 sales, or less than half that of the Camaro.

8. Chevrolet El Camino/GMC Sprint

Chevrolet adopted the Australian idea of a utility vehicle to create the first El Camino in 1959.

It gained popularity with those who didn’t need the space of a pick-up and wanted something more enjoyable to drive, and the El Camino delivered this with ever-more powerful versions.

For 1971, the El Camino was given a facelift with a squared-off front end, while the engines were revised to cope with stricter emissions regulations.

You could still order the Chevrolet with a 454cu in (7.4-litre) V8, though, and it now shared all but its name with a badge-engineered GMC derivative, the Sprint.

Chevrolet El Camino/GMC Sprint (cont.)

GMC was known for its trucks, so it made sense to add a light-duty model to the range, and the quickest way to achieve this was to adopt the Chevrolet El Camino in 1971.

The resulting Sprint model used the newly revised El Camino’s looks, engines and almost everything but the badges.

The Sprint was also offered with GMC’s version of the Chevrolet SS pack. It became the most potent Sprint produced during the car’s lifetime that ended when the second-generation model arrived in 1973.

9. Fiat 600/Seat 600

As basic as it got in 1955, the Fiat 600 still found plenty of eager buyers in its Italian home market and further afield.

This resulted in a total of 891,107 600s being built by the time it went off sale in 1970 after a lifespan of 15 years.

The simple four-cylinder engine gave the 600 just enough performance and it was a more practical car than its tiny 500 sibling that tends to get all the attention.

Fiat didn’t mind, because the 600 was also produced in Argentina and Yugoslavia, and in Spain as the Seat 600.

Fiat 600/Seat 600 (cont.)

The Seat 600 is notable for two things: it started large volume car production in Spain, and it began a long-running association between the Spanish maker and Fiat.

A measure of how popular the Seat was in its home country is it sold almost as many as the Fiat 600, with production hitting 797,350 by the time the 600 was replaced in 1973.

During its life, the 600 remained very much the same as the Fiat 600, with one exception.

As well as the two-door like the Fiat, Seat also offered the 600 as a four-door, which gave it a somewhat droopy look at the back end.

10. Ford Granada/Mercury Monarch

The Ford Granada for the US market was similar in concept to the European model, but its execution was very different.

Launched in 1975, the North American Granada was sold as a mid-size luxury saloon and two-door coupé.

This first-generation Granada came with a choice of straight-six and V8 engines. You could also pick from three trim levels as Ford sought to offer more personalisation of the model for customers.

Two of these trims were also shared with the Mercury Monarch, which was an almost-identical, badge-engineered version of the Granada.

Ford Granada/Mercury Monarch (cont.)

You would have to look quite closely to tell the Mercury Monarch from the Ford Granada on which it was based.

Other than the front grille, which was smoothed out, and the different shape of the headlights, the two were very much the same right down to the opera window of the two-door coupé models.

Like the Granada, the Monarch was offered with a pair of straight-six and two V8 engines, as well as various trim levels.

The most upmarket of these was the Grand Monarch Ghia with leather upholstery, power steering, reclining front seats and whitewall tyres that were not available with the Ford Granada.

Monarch production ended in 1980, while the Granada soldiered on until 1982.

11. Heinkel Cabin Cruiser/Trojan 200

Heinkel’s Cabin Cruiser was based on the BMW Isetta, hence the unusual front-opening door arrangement, even though the Cabin Cruiser could, in theory at least, seat four people.

Unlike the Isetta, Heinkel simplified the steering with a fixed column rather than it hinging with the door.

A bigger 197cc engine replaced the weedy 174cc unit in 1957, but the German firm realised the writing was on the wall with the arrival of the Fiat 500 and Mini.

It sold the project to Dundalk Engineering in Ireland, then the car re-emerged as the Trojan 200.

Heinkel Cabin Cruiser/Trojan 200 (cont.)

Peter Agg was already importing Lambretta scooters from Italy to the UK when he struck a deal to build the Heinkel Cabin Cruiser in Britain under licence.

The Croydon factory produced the cars to a standard that satisfied Heinkel, which had earlier withdrawn its licence from Irish firm Dundalk Engineering over concerns about quality.

By the time the Trojan 200 went on sale in 1961, the bubble-car craze was nearing an end.

It didn’t stop the company selling around 7000 cars, giving a total tally of about 23,000 for all Heinkel and Trojan versions made.

12. Hillman Imp Californian/Sunbeam Stiletto

The Hillman Imp appeared in various guises, but arguably the most attractive was the fastback Californian.

This model arrived in 1967, so was based on the updated version of the Imp that had all of the early problems with reliability and build quality ironed out. Further revisions in 1968 improved the whole Imp clan yet again.

Its swept-back rear pillars and window gave the Californian a racier style, though the Hillman was sold with the same power from its 875cc light-alloy engine as the standard hatch model.

For greater performance, you would have to look to the Sunbeam Stiletto.

Hillman Imp Californian/Sunbeam Stiletto (cont.)

The Sunbeam Stiletto shared the same coupé-like body as the Hillman Imp Californian, along with a very similar interior.

This was badge engineering at its most spreadsheet-effective on the face of it, but underneath the Sunbeam hid a few surprises.

For the Stiletto, the 875cc, canted-over, four-cylinder engine was tuned to give much zippier performance, which resulted in servo-assisted brakes being added to cope.

The Sunbeam also came with quad front lights and radial tyres, making this the ultimate variation on the Imp theme.

13. Humber Sceptre/Singer Vogue

In keeping with Humber’s upmarket image, the Rootes Group made the Sceptre the jewel in the crown of this particular round of badge engineering.

Based on the Hillman Super Minx platform, the Sceptre offered its middle-class clientele four headlights, a chromed upright grille and a more sumptuous cabin.

The four-door saloon shell of the Sceptre provided decent space for four inside and you could also order an automatic gearbox, in keeping with the expectations of its buyers.

For those who wanted something with a sportier edge, there was the near-identical Singer Vogue.

Humber Sceptre/Singer Vogue (cont.)

Like so many brands that became part of the Rootes Group, Singer’s cars were quickly little more than badge-engineered versions of Hillmans.

The Vogue was slightly different in that it shared its looks and style with the Humber Sceptre, though both were based on the Hillman Super Minx.

The Singer had a different radiator grille, details and badges to the Rover, as well as a wooden dashboard to the Humber’s more austere offering.

 Otherwise, the two ran in parallel until they were replaced by the new Arrow-bodied models in 1967.

14. Jaguar XJ/Daimler Sovereign

Jaguar took the world by storm in 1968 when it launched the XJ. At a stroke, every other luxury saloon seemed less refined and comfortable.

The Jaguar also handled superbly and went well thanks to a 4.2-litre version of the XK straight-six in most models, though there was also an economy-minded 2.8-litre version as well.

Another of the XJ’s achievements was to rationalise Jaguar’s saloon range into a single model, taking over from the Mk2, S-type, 420 and 420G.

Even so, it didn’t stop the company from adding a model in the form of the Daimler Sovereign to offer a marginally more upmarket version to the XJ line-up.

Jaguar XJ/Daimler Sovereign (cont.)

You would have to look very closely to see the differences between the Daimler Sovereign and the Jaguar XJ it was badge-engineered from.

Aside from the traditional flutes on the radiator grille and some badges, the Sovereign was to all intents and purposes the same as the XJ.

Inside, there were a tiny number of telltales that you were in a Daimler, such as the badge on the steering wheel centre.

However, the Daimler deleted the XJ’s wooden door cappings in favour of padded items, which arguably made the Jaguar feel more luxurious.

15. Land Rover Discovery/Honda Crossroad

The Discovery took Land Rover into new territory when it was launched in 1989, bringing it into direct rivalry with 4x4s such as the Mitsubishi Shogun and Isuzu Trooper.

Half way between the Defender’s utility and the Range Rover’s luxury, the Discovery quickly found a ready queue of customers.

In many markets, the only Discovery worth considering was the diesel-powered version. However, some preferred the petrol model with the Rover V8.

That included the US and Japan, where the Discovery was also sold with a Honda badge as the Crossroad.

Land Rover Discovery/Honda Crossroad (cont.)

By the early 1990s, badge engineering between Japanese and UK car makers was common.

The flow tended to be Japanese models rebadged with a UK brand name, but in the case of the Honda Crossroad the polarity was reversed.

Here, Land Rover supplied its Discovery SUV to Japan, where Honda added its stamp to create the Crossroad.

The Crossroad truly was nothing more than a badge-engineering exercise.

However, it did have the unexpected side-effect of making the Crossroad the only production car sold by Honda with a V8 engine.

16. Mitsubishi 3000GT/Dodge Stealth

There wasn’t much the Mitsubishi 3000GT did without when it was launched in 1990.

Four-wheel drive, four-wheel steering, active aerodynamics, electronically controlled suspension and a twin-turbo quad-cam V6 engine.

It could do 0-60mph in 6.2 secs and head on to 155mph.

The 3000GT wasn’t quite as engaging to drive as its spec sheet suggested, and it proved a hard sell in Europe where it cost more than a Porsche 944 S2.

In the US, it was a different story, because the 3000GT morphed into the Dodge Stealth.

Mitsubishi 3000GT/Dodge Stealth (cont.)

It was an unashamed exercise in badge engineering that turned the Mitsubishi 3000GT into the Dodge Stealth.

Don’t blame Dodge, though, because it had shared in the development of this high-tech coupé by taking care of the exterior styling, while the Japanese firm did the mechanical bits.

Both the Dodge and Mitsubishi went on sale in the US at the same time, which seemed a little odd.

Dodge got round this to some extent by offering three engine options to Mitsubishi’s two. Both gave two 24-valve V6 engines, but only Dodge bothered with the underwhelming 12-valve V6.

17. Morris Oxford/MG Magnette

BMC was a master at badge engineering to get the most out of any single base model.

The Morris Oxford was a perfect case in point, but that often results in the base car being overlooked. The Oxford was not exciting or glitzy, yet it was simple, solid and reliable transport for families.

Styling by Farina gave the Oxford enough pizazz to keep Ford customers in its sights, while performance was taken care of by the faithful B-series four-cylinder engine.

If you wanted more oomph, then the MG Magnette would be your port of call.

Morris Oxford/MG Magnette (cont.)

There were several variations on the Morris Oxford, encompassing the Austin Cambridge, Riley 4/68 and 4/72, Wolseley 15-60 and 16-60, and the MG Magnette.

It’s the last of these that is furthest from the simple Morris Oxford in aim and execution, though it was still very much a badge-engineered model.

The Magnette came with an MG grille and some exterior badges, while inside was more luxuriously appointed than any Oxford ever was.

However, what set the MG apart was its twin-carb version of the B-series engine under the bonnet shared with the Riley 4/72.

18. Opel Monza/Vauxhall Royale

At a time when large, four-seat coupés were still in vogue, Opel launched one of the best when the Monza arrived in 1978.

Its handsome, clean-cut lines were ready for the new decade that lay ahead with the 1980s, while the interior offered loads of space and comfort.

Power for the Monza was courtesy of a 3-litre straight-six that gave strong acceleration and easy cruising.

It proved a tempting recipe for 43,500 buyers in total, as well as for Vauxhall who badge-engineered the Monza into the Royale coupé.

Opel Monza/Vauxhall Royale (cont.)

This was possibly one of the lowest-effort badge-engineering jobs ever performed.

To create the Royale coupé, Vauxhall did nothing more than change the grille and badges. That was it, and what it got was a fast, refined four-seat coupé.

It may have sported Vauxhall badges, but the Royale was built alongside the Monza in Germany and shipped to the UK.

Customers possibly saw through this or just preferred the mildly more exotic connotations of the Monza, because the Royale found a meagre 7119 willing buyers in its four years on sale.

19. Riley 1.5/Wolseley 1500

It was meant to be the car that took over from the Morris Minor, but thankfully the Riley 1.5 found its own niche within the BMC behemoth.

A natty little four-door saloon with a Riley grille incorporated into its front end, the 1.5 had an equally tasteful interior with wood and leather in all the right places.

Under the bonnet was BMC’s trusted B-series engine in 1489cc size. With twin carbs for the Riley, it delivered a decent turn of speed and helped it become a capable competitor in saloon-car racing and rallying.

For those who wanted a more leisurely time, there was the Wolseley 1500 variant.

Riley 1.5/Wolseley 1500 (cont.)

The yin to the Riley 1.5’s yang, the Wolseley 1500 took the basic car in a more sedate direction, thanks to a single-carburettor version of the B-series engine.

But nobody seemed to mind: the 1500 outsold the Riley by two and a half cars to one.

Other than the engine tune, the two cars were very much the same in the metal and under the skin.

Each had its own grille and badges, but development went hand-in-hand with each other across three iterations that lasted from 1957 to 1965.

20. Vauxhall Viva/Holden Torana

The Vauxhall Viva HB was the Luton firm’s rival to the new Ford Escort that would pitch up a couple of years after the Viva’s 1966 launch.

Neatly styled, compact and with decent handling, it was just the thing to draw in those who needed a capable small car that didn’t cost a fortune to buy or run.

The Viva proved an attractive proposition for plenty of drivers and it sold 566,391 units across its four-year lifespan, when it was replaced by the HC version of the Viva. 

Vauxhall Viva/Holden Torana (cont.)

On the other side of the world from Luton in the UK, where the Viva was built, General Motor’s Australian outpost was also building its version of the Vauxhall.

The Holden Torana was offered in the same two- and four-door body styles as the Viva, and it came with an identical 1159cc four-cylinder engine.

Differences between the Viva and Torana were few and only the eagle-eyed would spot the changes in grille, headlights and rear lamps for the Holden.

Inside, the Torana’s dash did without the Viva’s air vents, which seemed like folly given the much warmer temperatures the Holden’s occupants were likely to experience than those in a Viva back in the UK.