Mystery car pix

andys120

Correction to prior-The 2020 RS6 Avant is the first RS to be officially sold in the USA.

kyfdx

andys120 said:

Correction to prior-The 2020 RS6 Avant is the first RS to be officially sold in the USA.

2019 RS5 coupe and Sportback both sold here, I think.
Also 2019 RS3

And... TT RS

andys120

kyfdx said:

andys120 said:

Correction to prior-The 2020 RS6 Avant is the first RS to be officially sold in the USA.

2019 RS5 coupe and Sportback both sold here, I think.
Also 2019 RS3

And... TT RS

My bad, the RS 6 Avant is the first RS6 and the first RS Avant to be sold here.

ab348

Portland, Oregon, 1962. Have at it, there are a few mysterious-looking vehicles here (click to enlarge). One thing I've noticed in pics from this era - even though the 1960 Ford was supposedly a sales disappointment, you sure see a lot of them in period pics.

Lostwrench3

I'll grab the 1956 Lincoln.
The Dodge could be a 1946, '47, or '48.

imidazol97

Two Thunderbirds, square Birds, on the upward ramp in the middle.
Love this picture.

andys120

The Dauphine is one of a few imports, another is a Brit sportster you can barely make out a little right of center. It looks to be either an MGA or B or a TR-4. Hard to say just from the shape of the top. I see a couple of VW Bugs including al older oval window job just under the "99W" sign

Two oldies to left, a 46-48 MoPar and a 3100 Series Suburban, a relatively rare sight back then.

I see only one pickup, my how the world has changed.

sda

A white 62 Galaxie in front of the black 60 Impala.

stickguy

Early corvair in front of box truck.

stickguy

Looks like an el Camino bat wing right in front of the truck.

fintail

Ah, life in Camelot. Yep, 59 El Camino in front of the box truck. I notice the squarebird a few cars in front of it has a continental kit. I think the roadster a couple cars in front of that Bird is an MGA. Behind the box truck: 59 Ford wagon, 61 Chevy wagon.

ab348

I wonder if the '59 Chevy "coach" as they used to call 2-door sedans has a wiring harness problem on the right rear, seems odd for both taillight bulbs on that side to be out.

Is that a finned '60 Plymouth just to the left of the box truck? I see what looks like a fin poking above the other cars.

deerlake7

Since it's 1962, I'll stick to the '62s. Besides the already mentioned Ford, there's a fender of a '62 Mercury sticking out on the left side, along with a '62 Buick in the right lane of the ramp.

tmart

52-53 Ford at left. 55-56 Ford wagons, one a Country Squire, behind the Tbirds on ramp. Interesting two wagons following the two Tbirds! 57 Ford near the top of the ramp.

stickguy

Roof on the roadster looks like a triumph to me with the 3 windows and square shape

imidazol97

I thought the 59 Chev might have the left turn signal operating for a lane change?

thebean

Plymouth Valiant (or maybe Dodge Lancer) just to the left of the ‘59 Chev with the blinker on.

bhill2

tmart said:

52-53 Ford at left. 55-56 Ford wagons, one a Country Squire, behind the Tbirds on ramp. Interesting two wagons following the two Tbirds! 57 Ford near the top of the ramp.

I found the number of older cars interesting. In addition to the ones above and the 40's Dodge, 52-53 Ford, and Suburban already mentioned, there are coupe of '53-'54 Buicks, a similar era Plymouth and several cars in the '55-'56 range. Daily drivers in the 6-10+ year old range were less common then.

ab348

The God-fearing citizens of Chatsworth Ca. attended church in great numbers in April of 1976. A good mix of vehicles here. Click to enlarge.

kyfdx

Hello, childhood!

Great picture

fintail

Just before I was born, what a golden age of the automobile.

In front of the powder blue Beetle at center left I think I spot an Audi 100. Also maybe a black and white AMC Matador police car at upper left. At center right I see a then newish Granada coupe in white, a couple of Pinto wagons just ahead of it and to the left, and I'll pick off the blue Travelall.

I also see an obvious oldie, and a couple Japanese cars.

stickguy

Vega wagon and a white over dark red IH scout up close to the church.

andys120

I think that's a blue International Travelall in lower right. That's kind of a dull collection of cars for California, no converts, few imports, no pony cars. Apparently CA was ahead of the nation in having a churchgoing population that was mostly older and conservative.

ab348

andys120 said:

I think that's a blue International Travelall in lower right. That's kind of a dull collection of cars for California, no converts, few imports, no pony cars. Apparently CA was ahead of the nation in having a churchgoing population that was mostly older and conservative.

Well, I dunno, there was at least one sporty attendee there, whomever was driving that '68 4-4-2 in the bottom right. Just ahead of it is what could be a '71-up Dodge Charger 2-door also.

Interesting that there are a couple of Jeeps there, both sporting tops which are different from each other. One looks to be a Jeepster while the other may be a CJ. Or maybe that one is a Scout? Other thing I noticed is what looks like a local gendarme's vehicle in the lot, a Matador I believe. Maybe he was on traffic patrol.

thebean

Yellow ‘69ish El Camino with a camper on the left hand side behind the police car.

stickguy

The white top is a scout. I’m almost positive.

sda

Yep, those are the cars I grew up with, I was 17 in 76. The 68 Cutlass has such clean lines compared to a lot out there. And yes that red Audi 100 reminds me of the one mom had while we lived in France.

andys120

I was lucky enough to grow up in the 50s and 60s so those are the cars that I relate to most.
I have little fondness for the cars of 1974-1982. Pintos, Vegas, B10s...Yuck!!

omarman

Me too. This mystery car made me.

Visit my shrine for a tour, tort and not-too-hot coffee.

andys120 said:

I was lucky enough to grow up in the 50s and 60s so those are the cars that I relate to most.
I have little fondness for the cars of 1974-1982. Pintos, Vegas, B10s...Yuck!!

edit to add the link to the museum of tort law.

andys120

I'll always hate Nader for killing the Corvair and for running for Prez in 2000 (arguably causing the election of W Bush)

omarman

That one is a 1963 model at the museum.


My dad bought a new Corvair van for his business and then a Monza 110 (hp I think) for my mom. I remember the dash mounted T handle shifter for the automatic. When dad sold the business the Corvair van and other delivery vans went to the new owner. But when my mom got a new car she gave the Monza to my sister who drove it all the way to 1973.

ab348

Speaking of Corvairs, they seem well-represented at this unusual new-car show in the early '60s. Click to enlarge.

fintail

Looks like the 61s are in early this year.

I think the Ford immediately next to the then-new cigar Thunderbird could be a Galaxie "Town Victoria" 4 door HT with a notch at the C-pillar.

omarman

Yep Greenbrier window van, Rampside and a Club Coupe make a nice group pic.

And the Ma Bell modern lighted phone booth dating back to the '50s fits right in too.

andys120

bhill2

fintail said:

Looks like the 61s are in early this year.

I think the Ford immediately next to the then-new cigar Thunderbird could be a Galaxie "Town Victoria" 4 door HT with a notch at the C-pillar.

Actually I think the car next to the TBird is a '61 Mercury Monterey.

Lostwrench3

I'll grab the 1953 Chevy and the 1957 Pontiac in front of it.

tmart

andys120 said:

I’ll take the 54 Ford Country Squire and 56 Ford Customline.

tjc78

Pretty sure that’s a 57 Fury right up front.

andys120

tjc78 said:

Pretty sure that’s a 57 Fury right up front.

Yup, 1857 iron seems to dominate; tailfin of '57 Chevy ahead of the Fury,

Lostwrench3

Oops, sorry guys, it's not a Fury. The rear end of the side strip indicates Belvedere.

tjc78

You are right. On the Belvedere the strip remains the same height, on the Fury it goes to the top of the fin.

Wow, good catch!

fintail

I'm still goin with Ford

IIRC 61 Monterey had a side trim strip for almost the length of the car, Ford strip stops before the front wheel opening and then has a Galaxie script at the front corner, which I think I see in the pic.

bhill2 said:

Actually I think the car next to the TBird is a '61 Mercury Monterey.

andys120

Anybody mention the '52-53 Caddy convertible parked across street next to a '57 Chevy.

andys120

Another photo from a nearby location in downtown Lawrence MA ca. 1957-8>

tmart

55 Ford Ranch Wagon, Ford panel delivery, and Edsel by the garage door.

stickguy

Man, car styling really changed from early to later 50s. Huge difference in about a 5 year span

Lostwrench3

And. another Belvedere, a 1954.

andys120

stickguy said:

Man, car styling really changed from early to later 50s. Huge difference in about a 5 year span

You said it. Separate fenders went away, never to return, so did divided windows. In came wraparound glass and pillarless hardtops. The cars of 1955 look like they were made on a different planet from those of 1950.

fintail

Edsel appears to be a 58 Ranger 4 door HT, not a bad style.