Mystery car pix

fintail

Seems very high to me too, but BaT isn't always in the real world.

omarman

Had to switch browsers to post a pic today.

andys120

The Canadian-market , Pontiac-badged version of the Vega GT. Dunno what they called it.

ab348

stickguy said:

not seeing image again. but looked at the URL and found it, and never heard of it before, but dang is it ugly.

I actually think the profile is pretty attractive in a 1960s Italian design sort of way. The rear end is fine too but the front end styling leaves something to be desired.

omarman

Yep. 1973 Canadian Pontiac Astre GT Hatchback.

U.S. market didn't get the Astre until 1975.

C&D called it the "polished Vega."

texases

AKA the “polished t**d’. 😄

fintail

There's been a yellow Astre sitting forlornly (missing engine, I suspect) for a few years next to a repair shop in the small town where my mom lives. Can't be many left anywhere.

Re; Triumph 2000 front end, the Brits had a thing for somewhat jarring 4-eyed front treatments for a time in the 60s:

stickguy

Might look slightly better without giant zit on the nose

andys120

An intersingmix of vehicles on an LA Freeway in the 50s> (Rt Click to enlarge)



Oldest car is the 47-ish Chevy 2-dr. on right.

tmart

55/56 Thunderbird, 57 Ford

fintail

Far leftmost lane (right lane for the cars driving) I see a 58 Buick 2 door HT. I think the Beetle is also roughly a 58 or so, as it appears to have the enlarged windows/windshield introduced that year.

andys120

Half-hidden by lampost in center pic is a Chevy/GMC 3100 pickup. There would be five or six pickups in pic if you saw this many vehicles today.

imidazol97

In the left lane are a 56 Mercury hardtop and back a few cars a 55 Mercury. Following the Chevy pickup metnioned by @fintail is a 55/56 Buick and another 55 Mercury?

And a 58 Ford in lane #2 behind the 55 Chev, next to the lampost?

What about the sole car on the overpass? 54 Chev? It looks short.

texases

Might that car on the bridge be something unusual, like a Willys?

imidazol97

I wondered if it has been shortened in appearance by the way the shutter moved across the camera aperature opening during the exposure because the car was moving from right to left.

Is it my imagination or are some of the land cruisers making the curve leaning into the curve due to soft suspensions. That's even though the cars don't appear to have the front tires turned so much that the tires appear to be crabbing or scrubbing. It's just that the cars aren't as stiff to leaning as some of today's cars.

ab348

Keeping in the L.A. theme, here is a shot of 1st and Main in the early to mid 1960s, courtesy of Vintage Los Angeles on Flickr.

tmart

Falcon and a Fairlane.

andys120

Peeking out from behind the GM trolley bus; is that a black over red '55 or '56 Imperial?
I think I can make out a gunsight tail light.

fintail

Looks like a red Corvair coupe beside the 56 Chevy at left.

ab348

andys120 said:

Peeking out from behind the GM trolley bus; is that a black over red '55 or '56 Imperial?
I think I can make out a gunsight tail light.

I think you're correct on that.

I was also trying to ID the white car peeking out from the front of the trolley. The reverse-slant A-pillar made me think it was a Ford at first, but the rest of it looks too big. The fallaway front fender could make it a '56 Mercury or a Lincoln. But their A-pillars are more vertical.

Then I found this '57 Caddy, and I think that's the one.

bhill2

My take is that it is a '55 or '56 Buick.

omarman

Crossing traffic near the Citizen's Bank passing in front of the trees I see a white 1965 Falcon 2door sedan.

andys120

imidazol97

andys120 said:

Peeking out from behind the GM trolley bus; is that a black over red '55 or '56 Imperial?
I think I can make out a gunsight tail light.

I think there's something behind the car that has an object sticking up where the taillight might have been. It looks like there's a curb cut behind the car for a drive into a building or an alley. And there appears to be an angled set of legs that are under the red/black car that are holding up the object we see over the fender--a blinking yellow round warning light on top of a hazard barricade maybe?


I was trying to think earlier which cars of that type were often in black over red. Desoto? Dodge? Both those came up for me and it's 1955 if I match up the side panel sculpting right.

imidazol97

My take is that it is a '55 or '56 Buick.

There's a grey Cadillac in front of the white car. Is that an Eldorado rear bumper and fins?

ab348

Here's another interesting L.A. period shot:

stickguy

nice chrome bumper TR6 (I love these), in front of a FIAT 850 sport spyder. followed by an early valiant.

fintail

Maybe a 64 Buick Wildcat 4 door HT heading away from the camera.

fintail

Forgot to comment on the "Linden" Ford, an Anglia 105E . Travelall in the background and maybe the roof of an Opel Rekord just to the right.

On the LA streetcar pic, there's something in the background maybe at a light, with 4 headlights, that just might be a 60 Ford.

omarman

I just noticed the Kent cig billboard. "Micronite filter." Lol!
Tobacco with asbestos filter! I wonder if the lawsuits have stopped yet?

tmart

fintail said:

Forgot to comment on the "Linden" Ford, an Anglia 105E . Travelall in the background and maybe the roof of an Opel Rekord just to the right.

On the LA streetcar pic, there's something in the background maybe at a light, with 4 headlights, that just might be a 60 Ford.

Don’t think it’s a 60, but think it is a Ford.

andys120

The lead car in the LA pic is a '67-ish Lincoln Continental

andys120

Unmatched set>

fintail

MB W180 (6 cylinder) Ponton with a Mark I Jag behind it.

fintail

Wirtschaftswunder:

ab348

Beating @stickguy to the punch, I think I see a few Benzes.

omarman

And a VW.

fintail

There is at least one non-MB in the pic, and one MB is unlike the others.

andys120

fintail said:

There is at least one non-MB in the pic, and one MB is unlike the others.

omarman said:

And a VW.

I think Omarman has the non-Benz nailed. I see mostly Fintail Mercedes but there are a few Pontons so I don't see a B/enz different from the rest.

fintail

In the middle row parked facing R, near the building, between a dark Ponton and a light fintail, I see a white DKW Junior. Maybe I looked too fast, but I don't see a VW.

3 cars to the R of the DKW, between a dark Ponton and a two tone fintail is a Ponton coupe - the only coupe in the sea of fintail and Ponton sedans.

andys120 said:

I think Omarman has the non-Benz nailed. I see mostly Fintail Mercedes but there are a few Pontons so I don't see a B/enz different from the rest.

andys120

imidazol97

Right click to open in new page for larger image.

Lotsa wagons in this picture.

Can anyone identify the car between the two buildings in the center background?

ab348

It is just a guess, but I’ll say it’s a ‘56 Ford.

andys120

I think we've seen this one before. IIRC it's on or near a US base in Germany or else where in Europe. At the top of row in lower left are a Renault Dauphine and a '56 Ford Crown Victoria.

fintail

Looks like Germany to me. In the left row second from top is something a little rare, a Fiat 1800/2100 wagon. A few cars down from that, beside a Karmann Ghia, looks like a 54 Ford glasstop. The Rambler Cross Country at lower right is also something seldom-seen today.

I think the car between the buildings is indeed a Ford, but a (French) Ford/Simca Vedette

imidazol97

fintail said:

Looks like Germany to me. In the left row second from top is something a little rare, a Fiat 1800/2100 wagon. A few cars down from that, beside a Karmann Ghia, looks like a 54 Ford glasstop. The Rambler Cross Country at lower right is also something seldom-seen today.

I think the car between the buildings is indeed a Ford, but a (French) Ford/Simca Vedette

Aha. The side trim and two-tone pattern made me think of Studebaker. But that's likely what it is.

imidazol97

imidazol97 said:

I didn't remember seeing it so, I took a chance it was new. US base housing. Found on Hemmings.
I was impressed with all the wagons.

tmart

57 Ford Fairlane 500 at bottom

ab348

1973 oil crisis time. Right click/view image to enlarge:

omarman

White '65 Impala sport coupe behind a '70 Impala custom coupe. Looks like a green '71ish Dodge Dart sedan on left of that.