Mystery car pix

fintail

I have a 1981 Consumer Guide with a TR8 review. The summary more or less predicts the end of the British motor industry.

stickguy

saw that one on BaT. I want it. I actually like those. And it is a lot better than a TR 7. At least you don't have to buy head gaskets by the gross.

Mr_Shiftright

Triumph TR8 looks like. For once, Triumph did something right and didn't use the awful sohc Stag V-8, but rather the trusty ol' Buick, which was a highly reliable engine. The TR8 cleaned up in SCCA racing for a while there. It also rallyed and did endurance racing.

omarman

John Buffum's TR7 rally video at 37 seconds, "Look at that view on the right if you get a chance."

Mr_Shiftright

As long as John Buffum was driving, I'd be okay with that. Best U.S. rally driver ever.

omarman

Not sure of the location of that clip but it sounds like John's co-driver was ex-wife Vicki navigating. Good times.

andys120

berri

Early 50's Jaguar XK120 or something similar? Very pretty car to my eyes at least.

stickguy

A FHC. I don't know how to tell the difference between 120-150 range.

andys120

berri said:

Early 50's Jaguar XK120 or something similar? Very pretty car to my eyes at least.

stickguy said:

A FHC. I don't know how to tell the difference between 120-150 range.

Yup, it's an early 50s Jaguar XK-120 FHC and doesn't look great in that dark blue. The other cars visible are XK-120s white and red roadsters and a white DHC (note visible top stack).

imidazol97

What are the two pads and strap on the hood?

Looks like googles for the pilot of the open cockpit airplane in a Peanuts cartoon.

andys120

imidazol97 said:

What are the two pads and strap on the hood?

Looks like googles for the pilot of the open cockpit airplane in a Peanuts cartoon.

The pads are a reflection, if you mean the pinkish area just ahead of the windshield on left.
The leather straps are an affectation. At one time they were required by race organizers as a safety measure so guys were still doing it in the 50s to make their cars look "racy".

Mr_Shiftright

Are those CHROME wire wheels?!!!---a pox on whoever did that! Between the silly "pretend" straps and the Liberace wheels, it seems obvious to me that the owner is simply not in touch with either the history or the character of this car. (standard issue was painted wheels from the factory. Chrome wires were an extremely rare option, practically unheard of----but possible I think. No proper British gentleman would have done so, however).

It reminds me of a cartoon series I read a few years ago, where the artist is depicting modern 20-somethings dressing up like 60s hippies for a masquerade or party---they get EVERYTHING wrong, including wearing their underwear outside their clothes.

You see this a lot at car shows--people with 30s cars dressed in flapper costumes or wearing straw "boater" hats--both way way anachronistic. Or fuzzy dice in 70s cars. Or doo-wop music at a Camaro meet.

andys120

Don't know the location, looks like New England. I'll call out the rear of a gray Hudson Step-down on the left. can you spot the newest/oldest?

stickguy

Red Renault Dauphine in the center. Is the newest car the white convertible?

Mr_Shiftright

The Renault Dauphine would be one of the newest at any rate.

ab348

andys120 said:

Don't know the location, looks like New England. I'll call out the rear of a gray Hudson Step-down on the left. can you spot the newest/oldest?

When I saw that picture posted on its original site yesterday my initial thought was that it looked like the Great Lakes.

omarman

What are the two pads and strap on the hood?

I think the pads might be there to protect the hood from the buckles of the bonnet strap.

fintail

Middle back area I see a 59 Ford and 59 Edsel beside each other, and maybe a 60 Comet to the left. Also a 60 Ford a few cars to the right.

berri

Maybe a 58 Rambler with a 59 Mercury in front of it and across a 60 Mercury convertible.

texases

andys120 said:

What are the two pads and strap on the hood? Looks like googles for the pilot of the open cockpit airplane in a Peanuts cartoon.

The pads are a reflection, if you mean the pinkish area just ahead of the windshield on left. The leather straps are an affectation. At one time they were required by race organizers as a safety measure so guys were still doing it in the 50s to make their cars look "racy".

I think he meant the pads under the buckles to keep them from scratching the paint. 

andys120

berri said:

Maybe a 58 Rambler with a 59 Mercury in front of it and across a 60 Mercury convertible.

MYs 1958-60 are pretty well represented. There's a small black import sedan in the lower right corner. i think it's a Fiat perhaps a 1500 or 1800 beeline (sedan). I couldn't find any with that chrome on the C-post but I'm fairly sure it's a Fiat.

Fiat 1800-2100 (introduced 1959)


I think the oldest car must be the woody Mopar wagon, it might be prewar

andys120

The blue VW is a relatively new one with the larger rear glass, so post 1958 (IIRC). At first glance I thought it had the earlier divided rear w/s but that's just because the angle causes the b-post to seem to bisect the rear glass,

andys120

stickguy

one of the many SAAB rebadges. That a 9-4xI think. Wrong profile for a 9-7x "SAABlazer". Not sure what the 9-4 is based on. Equinox maybe?

kyfdx

It looks a little like the Cadillac SRX.

ab348

stickguy said:

one of the many SAAB rebadges. That a 9-4xI think. Wrong profile for a 9-7x "SAABlazer". Not sure what the 9-4 is based on. Equinox maybe?

I thought they were based on the Trailblazer.

stickguy

the 9-7 was. This one came after that and I think is small.

tjc78

Yep, 2011/2012 9-4X built on the Theta AWD platform (Equinox/SRX)

andys120

tjc78 said:

Yep, 2011/2012 9-4X built on the Theta AWD platform (Equinox/SRX)

Yup, it's easy to forget the 9-4X, a short-lived follow-on to the 9-7X. It's unfortunate that Saab was late in joining the movement to AWD. They were most successful as an all-weather car when they were pretty much the FWD luxury/sport alternative. The emergence of
AWD cars made their market position obsolete.

texases

How many did they make? 10?

tjc78

I think it literally could be under 1000 each year. You'd have better chance of seeing an Acura RLX and those are about as rare as fairly late model cars go.

I can tell you I have never seen one in person.

fintail

I think I have seen one, maybe. I see a Saablazer now and then, and RLX too.

ab348

texases said:

How many did they make? 10?

I read online that only 818 were produced.

kyfdx

ab348 said:

texases said:

How many did they make? 10?

I read online that only 818 were produced.

I’m not positive that I’ve ever seen one

lostwrench1

Hi all. It's good to be back. It has been many days since I've been able to sign in. With the help of the folks at Edmunds Help, the problem has been cleared. Others have had the same problem.

Have to reply to Stickguy………...

lostwrench1

stickguy said:

Well, 46th street. Just not sure what uptown block that is.

What you are seeing is traffic going south on Broadway about to intersect with 7th Avenue which the bus is on. I've been there every year since 1992 during the New York International Auto Show week.
Well, it's time for my annual question, "Anyone going to the NYIAS next month?

stickguy

I have not been to the NY show since I was in early HS (or maybe MS). Someplace in the 70s!

andys120

stickguy

AMC Marlin. 1967?

andys120

stickguy said:

AMC Marlin. 1967?

Close, it's a '65. I don't think they changed much Those wheels are probably chromed ARE TorQ-Thrusts, seem awfully small now.

bhill2

Such a sad car. It was originally supposed to be built on the smaller American chassis. I saw a picture of the prototype, and it was an attractive little devil. It was also in the same size range as the pony cars, including the Barracuda. Probably would have sold pretty well. But in one of the most clueless decisions ever made, the head of AMC, Roy Abernathy, decided it needed to be on a larger platform. Thing sank like a rock, and AMC didn't have resources to absorb the loss.

omarman

kyfdx

AMC Matador coupe

With the bumpers, I'll guess '75?

stickguy

A “what’s a matador?” Matador.

ab348

bhill2 said:

Such a sad car. It was originally supposed to be built on the smaller American chassis. I saw a picture of the prototype, and it was an attractive little devil. It was also in the same size range as the pony cars, including the Barracuda. Probably would have sold pretty well. But in one of the most clueless decisions ever made, the head of AMC, Roy Abernathy, decided it needed to be on a larger platform. Thing sank like a rock, and AMC didn't have resources to absorb the loss.

More here on how it all happened:

https://macsmotorcitygarage.com/fish-story-the-1964-rambler-tarpon/

Mr_Shiftright

Makes you wonder if some of those execs really did have ti many martoonis for lunch.

tjc78

ab348

I'm not sure the Tarpon roofline worked all that well in truth, but overall the smaller car looked better than the '65/'66 Marlin, which just seemed an unhappy design all around. I actually rather like the '67 model on the Ambassador body better as the roofline was smoothed out and looked more integrated.

tmart

1960 Chevy Impala Nomad Wagon.