Mystery car pix

andys120

Brochure art:

stickguy

61 Buick skylark?

texases

Is it driven by a "ute"?

andys120

stickguy said:

61 Buick skylark?

Absolutely. The vinyl roof shown on that car is at least a year ahead of their appearance on many other US models both compact and full size.

berri

Personally, I thought the 61 Skylark carried those lines better than the full size cars that year.

andys120

I looked at lots of pics of 1961 GM cars and it reinforced my idea that it was the GM compact coupes that pioneered the vinyl roof treatment. It was the following MY, 1962, that saw the big GM h/ts adopt the faux convertible roof treatments which often included the vinyl treatment.

berri

GM 1961 - make mine a Pontiac. I just liked its look that year.

andys120

tmart

Wow, a 67 Volvo 123 GT.

berri

That's some kind of maybe mid 60's Volvo. The model before the squarish ones in the early 70's. My family had a friend that drove a 4dr version in that same green color. It was a good car for them. Doors closed like a bank vault.

fintail

I suspect the 55 Imperial was the styling influence on the pretty 122/123/Amazon cars. When I was a young teen too early to drive, one of the cars I wanted as my first car was a dark blue coupe owned by an old time oddball foreign car mechanic in town. He had it in his old fashioned shop showroom for years, then one day all of the cars (including the MG/Austin America junkyard in the back) were gone.

andys120

tmart said:

Wow, a 67 Volvo 123 GT.

That's exactly right. IIRC the extra rally lights and Minilite style wheels were standard on this model. The coolest version of a very cool car.

I can't see any influence from a '55 imperial, the Amazons looked a bit like 1940s Fords to me.

bhill2

andys120 said:

tmart said:

Wow, a 67 Volvo 123 GT.

That's exactly right. IIRC the extra rally lights and Minilite style wheels were standard on this model. The coolest version of a very cool car.

I can't see any influence from a '55 imperial, the Amazons looked a bit like 1940s Fords to me.

I really wanted one of those in the day. My parents briefly owned a 122S of the same year. They traded it for a '68 144 with an automatic; not a fast car. I wanted the 123 GT for, among other upgrades, the overdrive. I later got a great deal on a new '72 164E with a 4 + OD because the redesigned '73s were in and they wanted to clear out the older ones (especially the sticks). That OD made a big difference on the highway.

fintail

Grille shape, door handle placement, greenhouse shape:

tmart

Yep, I can see a resemblance.

Mr_Shiftright

One of the best cars ever made, the Volvo 122. The almost perfect sedan. Attractive, roomy inside, dead-reliable, easy to work on, built like a brick, economical, decent handling and braking, good visibility. Almost the perfect car.

andys120

Mr_Shiftright said:

One of the best cars ever made, the Volvo 122. The almost perfect sedan. Attractive, roomy inside, dead-reliable, easy to work on, built like a brick, economical, decent handling and braking, good visibility. Almost the perfect car.

The 140 series lacked many of those virtues and it was pretty ugly to boot.

ab348

Mr_Shiftright said:

One of the best cars ever made, the Volvo 122. The almost perfect sedan. Attractive, roomy inside, dead-reliable, easy to work on, built like a brick, economical, decent handling and braking, good visibility. Almost the perfect car.

One of my brothers had one for a short time when I was a kid. I remember riding in it. You felt like you were in a tank because of the high beltline. Car felt very solid.

fintail

From an episode of CHiPs first aired in September 1978:

stickguy

Finally. Cars I know!

Datsun B210 in the back. And a snazzy silver mustang II, next to a VW Scirroco.

Mr_Shiftright

andys120 said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

One of the best cars ever made, the Volvo 122. The almost perfect sedan. Attractive, roomy inside, dead-reliable, easy to work on, built like a brick, economical, decent handling and braking, good visibility. Almost the perfect car.

The 140 series lacked many of those virtues and it was pretty ugly to boot.

140s had a LOT of flaws, especially the earlier ones--timing gears, finicky fuel injection, fragile u-joints, poor exhaust system supports, short-lived water pumps.

andys120

This car wore three badges between 1969 and 1986>

magnette

This is an AutoBianchi A112, and it was sold for a time as a Lancia A112 as well - also I think it got the name Lancia Ypsilon as well although it was replaced by a different Lancia Ypsilon

I think it was sold as an Abarth probably an Abarth A112 or maybe an A112 GT perhaps in some markets too.

We didn't get this model at all in the UK and I don't think it was ever available in RHD.

Michaell

stickguy said:

Finally. Cars I know!

Datsun B210 in the back. And a snazzy silver mustang II, next to a VW Scirroco.

And, three Beetles, plus the mid 70's Camaro.

stickguy

Those were easy!

fintail

The Datsun in that pic appears to be wearing a paper or dealer temp tag, maybe it was a brand new car. I liked the look of those when I was a little kid, but I remember getting a ride in one, and think I realized it wasn't as sporty as it seemed to my young eyes.

omarman

Note the B210GX emblem above the right side tail light. In other markets the GX model got a 2-carb induction engine but not in the U.S.

fintail

Bonus if you name the movie (hint, this is the time of year for it)

stickguy

mid 70's Jensen Healey.

andys120

magnette said:

This is an AutoBianchi A112, and it was sold for a time as a Lancia A112 as well - also I think it got the name Lancia Ypsilon as well although it was replaced by a different Lancia Ypsilon

I think it was sold as an Abarth probably an Abarth A112 or maybe an A112 GT perhaps in some markets too.

We didn't get this model at all in the UK and I don't think it was ever available in RHD.

You've pretty much got it covered except it was also sold as a Lancia Y10 perhaps before it became the first Ypsilon. They are all based on a shortened Fiat 128 platform and drive train. We didn't get any of them in the USA

magnette

Is the Jensen Healey featured in the Omen ?

fintail

Same general vein, the Jensen Healey is from Amityville II. It is seen only in a brief sequence, but I've always remembered it.

thebean

Anyone recognize this one? Looks kinda like a 40's Willys to me, but that's a guess.

https://forums.edmunds.com/discussion/53033/general/x/trying-to-identify-a-car#latest

andys120

I'm pretty sure the newest cars are 1955MY, see 'em?

stickguy

T bird coming out of the picture and a white 55 Chevy about 3 cars back? I assume the black ford is about that year too.

texases

First car's not a T bird, is it? Rear seat and all. Or which one are you referring to?

stickguy

I guess your right. Did not blow up picture, hood ornament threw me.

fintail

Rear quarter of the Chevy wagon at right is also a 55, and maybe the Cadillac coupe just above it in the rightmost lane. A couple other 55s in the pic too.

andys120

stickguy said:

T bird coming out of the picture and a white 55 Chevy about 3 cars back? I assume the black ford is about that year too.

stickguy said:

I guess your right. Did not blow up picture, hood ornament threw me.

'55 Thunderbirds had no hood ornament. In The Old Motor, they think it's a '55 Mercury two-door.

The oldest cars are the ones w the divided front glass. On the left is a Packard ('50 or earlier)
Behind it is a 1950 Buick and on the right a '52 Mopar (Chrysler?). Apparently the V emblem denotes Hemi power.

Interestingly the Packard is the only car possibly pre-1950 in this photo. It's the style they used '48-'50.

berri

Is the lead driver smoking a Marlboro

andys120

berri said:

Is the lead driver smoking a Marlboro

This picture couldn't be any more typical 1950s: Wraparound glass, jet-like hood ornament, dice hanging from the mirror, driver smoking. I can't tell if the driver is wearing a hat but the guys in the Ford behind them are wearing fedoras.

bhill2

andys120 said:

stickguy said:

T bird coming out of the picture and a white 55 Chevy about 3 cars back? I assume the black ford is about that year too.

stickguy said:

I guess your right. Did not blow up picture, hood ornament threw me.

'55 Thunderbirds had no hood ornament. In The Old Motor, they think it's a '55 Mercury two-door.

The oldest cars are the ones w the divided front glass. On the left is a Packard ('50 or earlier)
Behind it is a 1950 Buick and on the right a '52 Mopar (Chrysler?). Apparently the V emblem denotes Hemi power.

Interestingly the Packard is the only car possibly pre-1950 in this photo. It's the style they used '48-'50.

After a little research I think you are right about the front car being a Mercury. Specifically a Sun Valley.

andys120

>
After a little research I think you are right about the front car being a Mercury. Specifically a Sun Valley.

I doubt it's a Sun Valley, those had a tinted glass roof which would appear dark in a b&w photo.

bhill2

andys120 said:

>
After a little research I think you are right about the front car being a Mercury. Specifically a Sun Valley.

I doubt it's a Sun Valley, those had a tinted glass roof which would appear dark in a b&w photo.

Right you are. I was mislead by the rear seat with the medallion decoration in the back, and the fact that the Ford Crown Victoria did not always have the glass roof. Turns out the Sun Valley did always have the glass. Anyway, I hereby alter my answer from 'Specifically a Sun Valley' to 'Specifically a Montclair'.

andys120

stickguy

Porsche 914. Is that a 914/6? Or just a more aggressive looking body kit.

Michaell

stickguy said:

Porsche 914. Is that a 914/6? Or just a more aggressive looking body kit.

I think it's a 914/6. Knew a family who owned one when I was a teenager - one of the sons now owns a Lola and a Corvette Grand Sport, and races as a hobby.

omarman

Stock color for a 914/6 but that paint/body work must have been very spensive.
I remember seeing a BaT listing for a '74 914 POR CHEV last year.
Had a Z/28 302 and kept the 5-speed transaxle!

andys120

Yup, that is a 1970 Porsche 914/6-2.7. The orange pain is a repaint in the Signal Orange factory color. I am unclear on whether those wide fenders are OEM. Based on a number of pics on the web I'm guessing later models got them but there are plenty of 914/6s out there w "skinny" fenders. The wheels are the Fuchs 5-spokers often seen on 911s from the late 6os and 70s.

ab348

I always liked those 914s for some reason. A 914/6 like that must be pretty uncommon these days. I understand they need to be stored in an oil bath in the salt belt.