That's a 308 GT4 2+2, so could be 1974-1979, They made a fair number of them, and it is one of the least expensive Ferraris. It is regarded as a second generation "Fiat Era" Ferrari, not an "Enzo Era". Yours for around $65K today in nice shape.
Speaking of cheap Ferraris I'd take a Dino 308 over a Mondial. I personally never liked the Mondial's lines or proportions in coupe or convertible form.
I want it. But sadly it’s the dog of an automatic.
Borg Warner automatic. It's sad, really sad, to drive one of those. I think it was called the BW T35 or something like that.
What you gotta do with that car is slap a B20E cylinder head on it, rebuild a set of Swedish "SU" (not the Strombergs), get a little livelier camshaft, aluminum timing gears (ditch the fiber ones), electronic ignition and you're good to go!
BaT now has a 1982 stick shift 245 turbo wagon running. Man, they are teasing me now. Being in San Fran will eliminate any chance of doing something stupid.
Mazda 2 liter diesel, 52 hp. Ford Escort option in 1984.
I almost bought one of these new in 1985.
The '79 Sunbird I was driving in college got totaled, and I got $2000 for it from the insurance company. I seriously considered using that money as a down payment on one of these, but my parents talked me out of it. I still had a couple months of school left, and I didn't have a job yet afterwards. They thought that me taking on a car loan was not the greatest idea.
In the end, it was a good decision to pass on it. After I graduated school, I moved back home and ended up buying a one-year-old 1985 Honda accord hatchback.
Would that Escort diesel engine be the same as in a Tempo diesel? I still remember taking the stereo out of an 86 Tempo diesel in a junkyard ca. 1994-95, when the one in our old Tempo finally crapped out. The diesel model was very clean, 5-speed, but suffered some mysterious terminal malady, I suspect engine-related.
You're on the right track. It appears to be an early 50s W187 220 cabriolet, quite a rare car even then. A small amount were sold here new, maybe a Max Hoffman import or similar. Those cars had prewar styling cues, including functional landau bars:
Looks like Chevy was popular in Chicago. Newest cars? I see a couple I think are 1961 models - a cigar/bullet T-Bird in the far right lane near the "Edens" sign (directly in front of a 59 Chevy), and a 61 Caddy in front of that, and maybe a 61 Buick in front of that. Car at lower right appears to be a 61 Comet. In the next row to the left, in front of a 60 Caddy, I think I see a 61 Ford convertible.
And popular too back then it seems. I count at least 4 or 5 of them.
One of those batwings may be kind of a unicorn. At the bottom of the leftmost stacked lane there is a white (or very light) flat-top, with a darker flat-top just to the right and in front of it. The dark one is the usual Impala trim, but from what I see the white one is a Bel-Air. Not a lot of those around.
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
Middle Left, a Volkswagen Beetle. it's hard to tell a year on those but it has the big rear window which debuted in '58 or '59 so it's relatively new in a '61 photo. Not many imports in Chicagoland. I think you'd see at least three or four in a similar shot in NY or Boston that year.
Nice shot - makes it more interesting with all tail views...
Two ahead of the M-Benz is that a Mopar Wagon? - Perhaps a 58 Plymouth Suburban ?
Ahead of that the sedan with the double tail light illuminated - would that be a Pontiac (say 59?) EDIT - actually I think I mean 58 for the possible Pontiac
At the point where the roads diverge and people are pushing in, there is a small car - probably a Beetle, and that has a wide car directly ahead of it - but two in front of that the large light coloured car makes me think of a 58 Lincoln as it is big enough.
I also notice in front of the apparent 61 Buick in the middle of the rightmost lane, a 60 Ford, and in front of that, a pair of 60 Chevys. I suppose in an area as hard on cars as Chicago, and at a time when rustproofing wasn't really a thing, cars tended to be newer than older.
Its funny - half the cars on that photo would have been unknown here at the time or at least only in places like Central London or near US airfields or similar in East Anglia
The one which are most familiar to me from this rear shot are the 59 Chevrolets which are distinctive (and I had a model one from Corgi toys at the time) and that possible Plymouth wagon (again thanks to Corgi toys)....
I learned a lot about unusual or exotic/alien cars via toy/model vehicles as well.
I have several 60s era issues of "Autocar", which have interesting classifieds sections. I can't imagine piloting a 60 US Ford around narrow British country lanes.
We used to have the "Observers book of Automobiles" which was updated every year and was about 230 pages or so with technical data and a photo - one car per page generally.
They covered a smattering of cars from most european makes, the majority of British ones and the basics of the US makes too - so you'd be able to see a Ford Falcon, the Fairlane, a Galaxy, one of the wagons and probably at least two Mercurys or a Lincoln etc.
What was good was they also had really obscure stuff - always a Holden and some Austin or whatever from Australia, and perhaps an Aussie Ford or Chrysler, and a page or two on the main Japanese makes too - and at the end the Zil and the Zaprohets...
They were really good pocket sized books and they went through various editions from the late 50s to early 70s. I had most of them for the 60s at least.
They also had an companion volume for the latest Aircraft, too.
These were really small books with a page size about 4 x 3 inches and hard covered so they lasted. I;ve still got a few of them although they are falling apart......
I often wonder about the people who use really big American cars on our main roads let alone country lanes.....
If you find a you tube video called "Welsh Driving Roads A4061" - I learned to drive on that in the early 70s - it is a proper two lane road with real traffic only about six miles from my old family home and we used to go over that all the time - from my first Morris Minor Traveller up to the present Fiesta S I have tried it many times as it is just great fun - the section on that video joins to a number of other roads that take us across half of South Wales..
Its not narrow - just a lot of bends given it is used as a proper main road and there are lorries and coaches too although less so in the weekends.
I think size and thirst made American cars less relevant in overseas markets even more than any quality claims. American cars had endless cachet before and shortly after the war, but eventually became just too big and wild, and then the competition started making products that could be viable alternatives.
Are we talking about the white car ahead of the VW?? Two big round taillights with a coupe of small lights on the rear fenders, that says '59 Ford loud and clear>
No, its not that VW. I'm looking ahead on the lane with the M Benz at our end.
Nine or ten cars ahead of the M-B there is a small rounded car at about the point where the which I assumed is a VW although it might be something else - certainly a small roof.
It is three cars beyond that - it is a very wide light or white coloured car, pretty much exactly at the point where the left hand carriageway stats to curve away tour left, while our three lanes of slow traffic crawl on ahead.
Its adjacent to the point where the little triangle of grass appears between the two carriageways. It really is a very wide car with a flat square look to it like a large 58 or so Lincoln.
Okay, I see the one you mean, its kind of fuzzy but it's really big as were those late 50s Lincolns. Speaking of big, is that a '59 Cadillac just ahead of the Pontiac that's ahead of the Benz.
My father in law got stationed in Poitiers, France during the early 6os and quickly found out that his '57 Olds was way too big and thirsty. He kept the Olds for highway tours but acquired a Fiat 1200 for local use.
Are we talking about the white car ahead of the VW?? Two big round taillights with a coupe of small lights on the rear fenders, that says '59 Ford loud and clear>
Let me see the Lincoln you think it is.
Nice looking car! Miss the tutones. The new cars. just don’t have the body lines to make it look good.
No, its not that VW. I'm looking ahead on the lane with the M Benz at our end.
Nine or ten cars ahead of the M-B there is a small rounded car at about the point where the which I assumed is a VW although it might be something else - certainly a small roof.
It is three cars beyond that - it is a very wide light or white coloured car, pretty much exactly at the point where the left hand carriageway stats to curve away tour left, while our three lanes of slow traffic crawl on ahead.
Its adjacent to the point where the little triangle of grass appears between the two carriageways. It really is a very wide car with a flat square look to it like a large 58 or so Lincoln.
I still see it, too. Imid's Mercury suggestion is also a good one, but the V shaped fin seems smaller in your pic, like the Lincoln. As the curved bumper area appears flatter in the street scene pic, perhaps it is a 60 Lincoln.
Comments
Is "Kadjar" French for "clone"?
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2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
What you gotta do with that car is slap a B20E cylinder head on it, rebuild a set of Swedish "SU" (not the Strombergs), get a little livelier camshaft, aluminum timing gears (ditch the fiber ones), electronic ignition and you're good to go!
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That one at BaT had over 400K miles on it, so someone didn’t mind driving it.
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It doesn’t look like much fun regardless of what it is.
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2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
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2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
The '79 Sunbird I was driving in college got totaled, and I got $2000 for it from the insurance company. I seriously considered using that money as a down payment on one of these, but my parents talked me out of it. I still had a couple months of school left, and I didn't have a job yet afterwards. They thought that me taking on a car loan was not the greatest idea.
In the end, it was a good decision to pass on it. After I graduated school, I moved back home and ended up buying a one-year-old 1985 Honda accord hatchback.
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Did you get a good deal? Be sure to come back and let us know! Post a pic of your new purchase or lease!
MODERATOR
2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R / 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid SX Prestige
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
Nailed it! 1984 Ford Escort Diesel. In this case, wagon. I don't have the pic on this computer, but we all know what they looked like.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic
Looks like Chevy was popular in Chicago. Newest cars? I see a couple I think are 1961 models - a cigar/bullet T-Bird in the far right lane near the "Edens" sign (directly in front of a 59 Chevy), and a 61 Caddy in front of that, and maybe a 61 Buick in front of that. Car at lower right appears to be a 61 Comet. In the next row to the left, in front of a 60 Caddy, I think I see a 61 Ford convertible.
2017 Cadillac ATS Performance Premium 3.6
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Two ahead of the M-Benz is that a Mopar Wagon? - Perhaps a 58 Plymouth Suburban ?
Ahead of that the sedan with the double tail light illuminated - would that be a Pontiac (say 59?)
EDIT - actually I think I mean 58 for the possible Pontiac
At the point where the roads diverge and people are pushing in, there is a small car - probably a Beetle, and that has a wide car directly ahead of it - but two in front of that the large light coloured car makes me think of a 58 Lincoln as it is big enough.
I also notice in front of the apparent 61 Buick in the middle of the rightmost lane, a 60 Ford, and in front of that, a pair of 60 Chevys. I suppose in an area as hard on cars as Chicago, and at a time when rustproofing wasn't really a thing, cars tended to be newer than older.
The one which are most familiar to me from this rear shot are the 59 Chevrolets which are distinctive (and I had a model one from Corgi toys at the time) and that possible Plymouth wagon (again thanks to Corgi toys)....
I have several 60s era issues of "Autocar", which have interesting classifieds sections. I can't imagine piloting a 60 US Ford around narrow British country lanes.
They covered a smattering of cars from most european makes, the majority of British ones and the basics of the US makes too - so you'd be able to see a Ford Falcon, the Fairlane, a Galaxy, one of the wagons and probably at least two Mercurys or a Lincoln etc.
What was good was they also had really obscure stuff - always a Holden and some Austin or whatever from Australia, and perhaps an Aussie Ford or Chrysler, and a page or two on the main Japanese makes too - and at the end the Zil and the Zaprohets...
They were really good pocket sized books and they went through various editions from the late 50s to early 70s. I had most of them for the 60s at least.
They also had an companion volume for the latest Aircraft, too.
These were really small books with a page size about 4 x 3 inches and hard covered so they lasted. I;ve still got a few of them although they are falling apart......
If you find a you tube video called "Welsh Driving Roads A4061" - I learned to drive on that in the early 70s - it is a proper two lane road with real traffic only about six miles from my old family home and we used to go over that all the time - from my first Morris Minor Traveller up to the present Fiesta S I have tried it many times as it is just great fun - the section on that video joins to a number of other roads that take us across half of South Wales..
Its not narrow - just a lot of bends given it is used as a proper main road and there are lorries and coaches too although less so in the weekends.
Let me see the Lincoln you think it is.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Nine or ten cars ahead of the M-B there is a small rounded car at about the point where the which I assumed is a VW although it might be something else - certainly a small roof.
It is three cars beyond that - it is a very wide light or white coloured car, pretty much exactly at the point where the left hand carriageway stats to curve away tour left, while our three lanes of slow traffic crawl on ahead.
Its adjacent to the point where the little triangle of grass appears between the two carriageways. It really is a very wide car with a flat square look to it like a large 58 or so Lincoln.
Something like this
My father in law got stationed in Poitiers, France during the early 6os and quickly found out that his '57 Olds was way too big and thirsty. He kept the Olds for highway tours but acquired a Fiat 1200 for local use.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
https://www.imcdb.org/v243513.html
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,