Sat Jan 31, 2015 4:19 am by VosNox
Afterword, Normandy did everything it could to bury the PMS. Over the next decade they released a torrent of newer and better models in an attempt to remove the PMS from the public consciousness. In the spring of 1977, amid the gas crunch and the failing economy, the people were praying for a savior. Realizing that the Kodiak, Normandy's then answer to American Muscle wasn't going to survive, the boys in the basement put their heads together once more and, for the first time in Normandy's history, look back instead of forward. They realized there was still a great following for the original PMS. So, later that year, they re-released and updated version called the MS 104, which increased it's power from 35 to 45 and sold for $6000.
In redesigning it, the boys saw an opportunity that hadn't hit them before. Since there was a decent size following for it, why not make a more sporty version to sell on top of the base model? As such, they released the MS 104R, which came with an updated i4 engine that bore the initial trappings of what would eventually become Normandy's famous AT4 i4 engine. The size was boosted to 1.2L and due to some engineering trickery, the power was boosted from 45 to 62, and the top speed was increased to 90MPH with the addition of a fifth gear. It also came with bigger rims, bigger breaks and wider wheel wells. The "R" version sold for $6500. With customer loyalty secured anew sales increased dramatically. It wasn't built with much quality or care, but nonetheless, the people loved it.
Eventually, the name got Normandy into trouble yet again, when Microsoft discovered the cars name. A lawsuit was filed, and Normandy was ordered to either cease sales of the car, or change its name. After a protracted court battle, the car was eventually re-branded to simply, the "R".
Stay tuned for part 3!