Spotted: you probably didn’t know these models yet

For the introduction of the new Nissan X-Trail, AutoRAI.nl was in Slovenia. In between test driving, we feasted our eyes. Primarily because of the country’s beautiful nature, but there were also some things to see in traffic. Slovenia is very similar to Germany or Austria in terms of traffic. The fleet consists mostly of modern and rational models, but fortunately there are some interesting misfits among them.

Look at that, a TAM

This TAM 100 T8, for example. A what? TAM stands for Tovarna Automobilov Maribor and is a commercial vehicle manufacturer from the former Yugoslavia. Maribor is in present-day Slovenia, so through today’s eyes we can think of it as a Slovenian brand. TAM was founded in 1947 and produced its first own models in 1957. The company went bankrupt in 1996, but through several restarts has been back in business since 2001. It now produces mainly buses. Here in Slovenia, among others, the earlier models do still pop up in traffic with some regularity.

Also special: a Chrysler Vision

Just before leaving back home, a surprise in the airport staff parking lot: a Chrysler Vision! This is the European version of the Eagle Vision. Eagle, in turn, was a sub-brand of AMC and later the Chrysler group. The Vision entered the market in 1992 for the 1993 model year, succeeding the Renault-based Premier. A success the Vision was not. Only about 100,000 copies were sold worldwide, most of them, of course, in the US. When production ceased in 1997, the Eagle sub-brand was also discontinued in its entirety. Indeed, the brand added little to Chrysler’s own offerings.

More spots

During our test drives of the Nissan X-Trail, we also encountered some more familiar models. For example, this photogenically parked first-generation Volkswagen Caddy (with German license plates from the Offenbach region). The 2016 model year Ford Edge, with license plates from the Ljubljana region, is a bit less special by local standards, but that remains just a fun model.