From Zeta to zero Do you remember the Iveco Ford
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TurboZeta? If so, those memories probably aren't too good. Yes, it was relatively quick, and spacious too, but the build quality was dodgy. Within a few years the bodywork resembled a hedgehog with alopecia, and on a quiet night you could hear it rusting!
But what was the Zeta like when it was brand new? Technical writer Andrew English had the pleasure of putting one around CM's test route back in November 1987.
Our road tester started off by describing the Zeta as a "white elephant", although he did point out that it didn't actually look like an elephant (on account of the red, yellow and blue stripes running down the side). He liked the spacious cargo area, but wasn't a fan of the waist-high load height.
The 114hp, 4-litre, turbo-charged engine was described as "rudimentary" and lacking in flexibility, but was partly saved by the 5-speed transmission. Fuel economy was a respectable 19mpg, which was slightly better (and quicker) than the Mercedes-Benz 709D.
Good mechanicals maybe, but finding them was a challenge. "Access to the engine for daily checks is limited as the cab doesn't tilt: the header tank is reached from a hatch on the nearside of the van and the oil dipstick is accessible via the hinged front grille. The oil filler is under the passenger seat, which is also the main access to the engine. There is another hatch on the side of the body, which reveals the two batteries mounted on a slide-out tray to aid inspection. Apart from the time needed for a weekly check, because of the dispersed nature of the various components, the mechanic is also likely to need a map, compass, survival tent, Kendall mint cake..."
He had mixed feelings about the firm and bouncy ride, which he blamed on the chocolate-box suspension (part soft, part hard). The over-sensitive brake pedal took some getting used to in order to avoid "close encounters of the head/windscreen kind". Both underand over-steer reared their ugly heads, but amazingly the unassisted steering got a thumbs-up. The 'tardis-like' cab interior received some praise but the 'Morris Mini Minor'-type heater failed to keep English warm on a "fine autumn afternoon".
How many left?
You might still spot a couple trundling down the A303 for the Summer Solstice, but there can't still be any working for a living.