Mystery car pix

omarman

Star Chief? Probably not enough chrome to be a '58.

ab348

texases said:

1958 Pontiac Chieftain?

That looks more like a '57 to me.

texases

I don't think so, all the '57 pics have a spear in the trim painted area.

edit - I think you're right, it's a '57, the spear is outside the pic.

andys120

It's 1957 Pontiac Star Chief. There's an argument going on at
The Old Motor concerning that tonneau cover. Some think it is an aftermarket item sold thru the Whitney catalogue or a similar aftermarket retailer, others that it's a custom-made article.

Tonneau covers were typically seen on British two-seaters but I've never seen one on a Detroiter. As a one-time regular surfer the Whitney catalogue I'm inclined to think it's a unique custom mod.

berri

I recall a neighbor years back who had a TR-3. It had a tonneau cover, but also zip in plastic windows for when you wanted the roof up. When you're a kid back then and riding in that thing going maybe 40, seemed like 90. He commuted to work in the Loop from the western Chicago suburbs in that car many days of the year.

berri

I wonder when the Mercury Colony Park ditched the Ford like fake wood pieces for chrome accents instead? Liked the Chrysler Town & Country, they were viewed kind of upscale back in those days.

ab348

When I was a little kid back in the '60s, both of my older brothers had British roadsters, one with a MGA, the other with a Austin-Healey Sprite. Both of them had tonneau covers. They typically left them on when it was just them driving solo, and would cover up the driver's compartment side with it when they were parked for a while. The thing I remember is the series of Dzus (?) fasteners along the front of the dash and the door tops for the cover to snap on to. Installing those on the Pontiac must have been fun.

andys120

I had a tonneau on my TR-4A and would cover the passenger side, crank the heat up and enjoy some warmth while driving top down on a cool day.

magnette

I never had a tonneau on my 1970 MGB although I only ever had a soft top - never owned a hard top for the roadster. before that I had a 1971 MGB GT with a full Webasto sun roof.

I did drive the roadster with the roof down even in the winter if it was dry enough - the heater kept me warmish even on winter days and the soft top was freezing cold when up anyway.
I think having got used to roofed cars again I would probably regret it if I had to do that again now...

andys120

tjc78

andys120 said:

Don’t know what it is... but definitely 80s. 

kyfdx

Those wheels are Nissan-like.

fintail

I'll let someone else have it

stickguy

Renault Alpine? Don't ask me which model. 210? 310? 312?

Mr_Shiftright

Some Kind of Daimler? Help!

fintail

Daimler Conquest

Mr_Shiftright

OK, so that would make it about a 1955-ish. Thanks!

And while you're hot on British stuff, how about this one? I think it's some kind of Austin but I can't get closer access to it. Doors are jammed and hood is right up against a wall--so I can't get numbers off it and there are no nameplates of any kind.

stickguy

is that thing a hearse for short people?

Mr_Shiftright

I think with most hearses they DO lay you down Stick.

omarman

Looks like John Lennon's Austin Princess. Except it's dirty, banged up and not up for auction.

Mr_Shiftright

And without any seats in it! Yep, that's what it is, all right.

Let's get even weirder. How about this one?

stickguy

Mr_Shiftright said:

I think with most hearses they DO lay you down Stick.

sure, but if the car is too short, your feet will hang out the back.

fintail

The red one looks like a Daimler Conquest roadster.

And yes, the hearse looks like an Austin Princess.

andys120

Michaell

70's (?) Lotus Elan, the inspiration for the Miata.

andys120

Michaell said:

70's (?) Lotus Elan, the inspiration for the Miata.

Yep it's a Lotus Elan S1 from which the Miata's styling was derived but you're off by a decade, the Elan was introduced in 1963 and famously driven by the adorable Emma Peel (Diana Rigg) in The Avengers(1961-69).

Michaell

andys120 said:

Michaell said:

70's (?) Lotus Elan, the inspiration for the Miata.

Yep it's a Lotus Elan S1 from which the Miata's styling was derived but you're off by a decade, the Elan was introduced in 1963 and famously driven by the adorable Emma Peel (Diana Rigg) in The Avengers(1961-69).

Huh. Looks pretty modern for a 60's design.

Mr_Shiftright

Here's a car that's 63 years old, with front wheel drive, disc brakes, active suspension, rack and pinion steering, 30 mpg and a coefficient of drag of .34.

fintail

Looks kind of like cgi.

Here it is at the Paris Salon in October 1955 - obviously a sensation:

Mr_Shiftright

The DS is often voted as the most significant car of the 20th century. Some would argue that of course, with the Model T, etc. but I think you could say it was the world's first truly modern postwar sedan. Oh I forgot, it had a form of uni-body construction as well.

It must have been a sensation, especially if you compared it to other cars on the stands from other countries--like that Daimler Conquest Sedan I posted earlier--"suddenly, it's 1935!" The Brits have no excuse. France wasn't only bombed, it was occupied.

Mr_Shiftright

fintail

Citroen was always on the cutting edge - 1956 Renaults and Peugeots had a bit less of a modern appearance, and even Citroen had the prewar styled Traction Avant cars in production into the mid 50s. Of course, the Brits were leaders in terms of traditional design.

The obscured car looks to be a Rambler American of some vintage.

Mr_Shiftright

Yes, an old Rambler--maybe '59?

andys120

qbrozen

tjc78 said:

andys120 said:

Don’t know what it is... but definitely 80s. 

Did I miss the answer to this?

stickguy

I guessed but never saw an answer. I think Fin knows what it is.

fintail

Stickguy, you were on the right track

stickguy said:

I guessed but never saw an answer. I think Fin knows what it is.

andys120

fintail said:

Stickguy, you were on the right track

stickguy said:

I guessed but never saw an answer. I think Fin knows what it is.

Yeah you were close, it's a Renault Alpine GTA (1984-91), basically a derivation of the A310. It was the first to be offered after Renaults official takeover of Alpine. GTA=Grand Tourisme Alpine.

magnette

Loved those Daimlers and the Austin Princess / Vanden Plas Hearse

I think the DS must have looked like it fell from outer space in the 1955 Paris show - although the engine was straight from their prewar Traction Avant range of course....

In fairness to the good old Brits we did drag out a fairly significant car a few years later - the Austin / Morris Mini was even more of a trend setter although it didn't encompass half the features of the DS - but then neither did anyone else really - the DS still looked revolutionary when they axed it in the 70s.

magnette

Andy that latest post is a Lancia Flavia Coupe - I think the 2000 coupe - which would be early 70s

magnette

Not quite what it seems

Michaell

Hindustan?

fintail

Viewing at full size gives a hint

NZ plates?

andys120

magnette said:

Andy that latest post is a Lancia Flavia Coupe - I think the 2000 coupe - which would be early 70s

Yes, 1971 Lancia Flavia 2000 Berlina
, another great example of Pininfarina design stealing from itself. The roof is a direct lift from their 1962 Ferrari 250 GT 2+2 (GTE)>



What's interesting to me is that the same roof shape still worked almost a decade later.

Mr_Shiftright

Certainly the Mini would be one of the most significant cars of the 20th century as well. Certainly one of the most successful.

magnette

Yes Fin they are NZ plates and the car isn't a Hillman Minx but instead a Humber 80. Apparently these were assembled in NZ from British kits and at the time there were two dealer networks dating back to prewar days, so they had Humber variants of the Deluxe Hillman Minx - not a more luxurious car, just one badged to say Humber instead of Hillman.

I think the base model of the Minx might not have been sold as a Humber but don't know much about it although there are a fair few survivors apparently - it helps that in NZ cars tended to be looked after, I suppose as they were expensive import



Above is a 1954 Humber 10, based on the contemporary Minx with a different grille, while below is another Humber 80 - this time a slightly later Estate.






.

fintail

I was initially thinking it could be a Hillman-based Isuzu, but the plate spoke against that, and then I saw the nameplate.

Mr_Shiftright

Humber even made motorcycles for a while.

magnette

I think they were well known for pedal cycles in the late 19th century - many British makes around Coventry were originally bike manufacturers as that was the centre of that trade before WW1.

andys120