Mystery car pix

ab348

The car ahead of the '58 Impala in the right lane has a Ford roofline but looks too small to be a fullsize. Maybe an early Fairlane or Meteor?

fintail

Car in front of the Impala does have a Ford look, but the pillar and uprightness of the rear windshield doesn't seem to match up. Also kind of gives me a foreign vibe.

And yes, car parked on the side street looks like a 56 Buick.

tjc78

stickguy

Pontiac. late 80s? Or early 90s. Not sure if that is a downsized Bonneville, or early 6000. whatever the sport version was (not Eurosport. STS? something like that).

anyway, it is Red

fintail

Pontiac 6000 STE from around 1990, possibly AWD model. When those were new an older lady friend of my mom had one, which I want to say was also AWD.

stickguy

I was close enough!

tjc78

89 6000 STE AWD

Bad video but good look at the car. That steering wheel full of buttons was really ahead of it's time. That feature really didn't become super common until the early 2000s, right?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpnY_tiRFos

imidazol97

Yes.

andys120

magnette said:

Is the car parked in the side street a 56 Buick?

I can't tell if it's a '55 or '56MY.

andys120

No one has mentioned the pair of Chevy IIs on the right, they're following a 1958 Impala H/T coupe.

imidazol97

andys120 said:

magnette said:

Is the car parked in the side street a 56 Buick?

I can't tell if it's a '55 or '56MY.

The 1955's backup light tube would show up in the side view this shot has
but it's not there. So it's a 56...

andys120

Lots of variety in this photo of Pikes Peak>

Michaell

I'm lousy with identifying 50's sheet metal, but are those 3 Cadillacs right up front, with the "V" logo on the trunk?

andys120

Michaell said:

I'm lousy with identifying 50's sheet metal, but are those 3 Cadillacs right up front, with the "V" logo on the trunk?

Actually there are four Caddys in the front row and they appear to be LWB limousines (75 Series?). The black one on the left is c.1953, the one to the right w three piece rear glass is 46-48
and the green one looks to be early50s as is the one next to it.

There are three other Caddy limos elsewhere. I don't know what accounts for so many limos but the Caddys are older than most of the other cars which are mostly of mid-late 50s vintage.

tjc78

The right-most Caddy looks very similar to the one Marty got locked in the trunk during Back to the Future.

omarman

I see a light blue '59 Ford in the middle of the pic and off in the distance a bat wing '59 Chevy and to the far right of that a Lockheed F 104??

edit to add: Maybe F 94? On Pikes Peak? Whatever it is/was, it really makes the picture interesting.

fintail

The Caddys don't appear to be especially clean, maybe used as people haulers by hotels or something.

Trying to guess on the foreign wagon below the sign, Borgward perhaps. In the distance, upper center I see a Rambler Cross Country.

fintail

Very close, those limos are maybe just 2-3 or so years newer:

tjc78 said:

The right-most Caddy looks very similar to the one Marty got locked in the trunk during Back to the Future.

andys120

omarman said:

I see a light blue '59 Ford in the middle of the pic and off in the distance a bat wing '59 Chevy and to the far right of that a Lockheed F 104??

edit to add: Maybe F 94? On Pikes Peak? Whatever it is/was, it really makes the picture interesting.

Ah, another fan of Jet Age aircraft, it looks like an F-94 to me but I couldn't find a photo from rear. I don't know what it's doing on Pikes but than I don't know why one would be parked anywhere near a tourist spot.

F-94s show up in Project Blue Book, History Channel's drama about 1950s alien encounters.

fintail said:

The Caddys don't appear to be especially clean, maybe used as people haulers by hotels or something.

Yeah they're old and dusty looking.

Trying to guess on the foreign wagon below the sign, Borgward perhaps. In the distance, upper center I see a Rambler Cross Country.

Yeah, the import wagon is almost certainly a Borgward Isabella Combi.
, rarely seen in the USA.

andys120

The newest cars visible are the '59s, the batwing Chevy, a tan Buick "Flattop", the blue Ford and maybe the tan Rambler on the extreme left. That mid-40s Caddy limo might be the oldest car.

Michaell

andys120 said:

Michaell said:

I'm lousy with identifying 50's sheet metal, but are those 3 Cadillacs right up front, with the "V" logo on the trunk?

Actually there are four Caddys in the front row and they appear to be LWB limousines (75 Series?). The black one on the left is c.1953, the one to the right w three piece rear glass is 46-48
and the green one looks to be early50s as is the one next to it.

There are three other Caddy limos elsewhere. I don't know what accounts for so many limos but the Caddys are older than most of the other cars which are mostly of mid-late 50s vintage.

I wonder if there was a demand to be driven to the top, so the whole family can see the sights.

andys120

Reminds me of the time I drove to the top of Mt.Washington NH. After I'd done it I felt that there would be a great business opportunity for a brake and clutch shop at the bottom.

I wouldn't want to drive a LWB vehicle on either mountain.

Lostwrench3

andys120 said:

Reminds me of the time I drove to the top of Mt.Washington NH. After I'd done it I felt that there would be a great business opportunity for a brake and clutch shop at the bottom.

I wouldn't want to drive a LWB vehicle on either mountain.

Andy, you write of one of my favorite playgrounds. Since 1996 I've climbed Mt. Washington 19 times. Each climb/descent always resulted in an unforgettable memory. My wife and I have climbed other peaks in your White Mountains. We first met on a trail.
During my last Mt. Washington ascent, there was talk among other climbers that the Mt. Washington Auto Road was a "Prius Killer".

andys120

tjc78

Not quite sure what the car is, but it's wearing mid-late 70's Lincoln wheels

tmart

andys120 said:

Lots of variety in this photo of Pikes Peak>

Several Fords, a 54, a 55, possibly two, or a 56, two 57s, and the 59 already spotted.

stickguy

red convertible is a Rambler. America? early 60s.

ab348

andys120 said:

Looks like a ruddy ordinance vehicle... (semi-infamous quote from a British auto industry exec at first sight of it back then) 😀

andys120

stickguy said:

red convertible is a Rambler. America? early 60s.

You forgot the "n", it's a 1963 Rambler American 440.

andys120

stickguy

'68 Toyota 2000GT?

andys120

stickguy said:

'68 Toyota 2000GT?

It's a 1967 Toyota 2000GT, only 351 were built from '66-'70. I've never seen one.

andys120

TV still> can you name the show? the star?

stickguy

Broderick Crawford?

Not an attractive car.

tmart

Highway Patrol?

andys120

stickguy said:

Broderick Crawford?

Not an attractive car.

Yup, it's one of the Buick patrol cars that Boderick Crawford used in the Highway Patrol series which ran in the mid-late 50s. They got new ones every year probably by arrangement with Buick division.

The '58s had to be the worst looking Buicks ever, but that was true of most US makes.

I've never seen a Buick in police livery, anyone? I don't think they ever specified which hihway patrol Crawfor belonged to.

magnette

That tan / white Ford Wagon - is that a 2 door Ranch Wagon? Say about 1957 or 58?

tmart

It’s a 57, as yes it appears to be a Ranch Wagon. Also, it doesn’t have the optional backup lights.

andys120

Michaell

andys120 said:

Mid to late 60's Toyota Corona.

texases

Not what I'd call good looking, but that distinctive front end always has stuck with me.

Lostwrench3

If still made today, sales would probably be hurt because of the current medical problem.

fintail

Front end like an electric razor. Must be 1968+.

andys120

fintail said:

Front end like an electric razor. Must be 1968+.

Correct, 1969 MY

ab348

Aside from a couple of outliers front and center, looks like this place was a hotbed of fullsize car buyers in the '70s.

stickguy

that 67 camaro could be my first car. Back before the rust started. similar color and black vinyl roof.

also a '70 gen 2 camaro up by the building to the left of the door.

tmart

I spy a Tbird on the right.

sda

Crisp lines, long hood on a 71 Pontiac sedan just behind the Camaro. I recognize it as dad had a 71 Catalina 2dr for his company car.

omarman

1972 Ford LTD in front of the 1st gen Camaro.
1973 Ford Galaxie 2 door at top right of pic.

fintail

Bird appears to maybe not have an opera window, which would make it a 72. To the right of the Camaro looks like Buick wheels.