Mystery car pix

kyfdx

@andys120 We’ve reported this issue to our Forums vendor. (again). It’s hard to replicate, which makes a solution more difficult.

Sort of like taking your car in for a strange noise that the mechanic never hears.

andys120

thebean

I know this one is going to be easy to get, but to me the grille looks like it is smelling a f@rt and it always makes me giggle. I think I’ve been in the house too long. 😄

fintail

Nice 61 Squire up there.

texases

thebean said:

I know this one is going to be easy to get, but to me the grille looks like it is smelling a f@rt and it always makes me giggle. I think I’ve been in the house too long. 😄

Surprisingly similar to this:

ab348

andys120 said:

Curious AB348: did your brother's cars have automatics?

Going back a week to our discussion of Austin Americas, here is a period ad I found for it:

sda

A good friend inherited his grandmother’s 68 beetle, autoshift, dark green, white interior. It was an odd transmission that had a super low gear L, 1,2. In normal driving the car the driver was to pull away from a stop in 1 then 2. It was so sluggish using this method he generally started off in L, which was especially needed when starting up a hill, then 1-2. This was all done by a touch sensitive electronically controlled shift knob that was often problematic. We had fun with that car and didn’t need to go fast to do so!

andys120

Don't know where this might be, perhaps Solvay CA, suposedly modelled on a Danish village.
If it's Cali, where are the imports? I can only see one VW (a 'bus), the car closest o camera looks like a Fiat, perhaps a 1200 (too big for a Millecento?)

fintail

No highrises like the ones in the background anywhere near Solvang, CA.

Blue 65 Ford sedan in the right lane, blue 65 Mercury sedan in the middle lane, 65 Ford wagon several cars back in the left lane. I agree on the Fiat, 1100/1200.

kyfdx

Red Pontiac. What do I win?

andys120

kyfdx said:

Red Pontiac. What do I win?

Not enough specifics, Model name/year?

andys120

The oldest car may be the Cadillac sedan in the lower left corner, a '55 or '56 four-poster?
I'll call out the red 1959 Mercury in the middle lane. I learned to drive in one of those pigs.
one thing I liked was the vast amount of glass (Monterey 4dr h/t). Notice how far up into the roof that windshield goes.

kyfdx

andys120 said:

kyfdx said:

Red Pontiac. What do I win?

Not enough specifics, Model name/year?

‘64 Catalina?

tmart

I’ll claim the 57 Ford in the center lane.

ab348

That’s the Belgian Village at the 1964 Worlds Fair in Queens, New York. I think they carried on with some of the attractions into ‘65 and maybe beyond.

stickguy

Poncho is either a Tempest or GTO.

Studebaker (Lark?) 2 over from the Fiat.

stickguy

behind the brown chevy wagon with poor lane discipline in the center, is that a blue with white roof Desoto like Andres?

thebean

stickguy said:

Poncho is either a Tempest or GTO.

Studebaker (Lark?) 2 over from the Fiat.

I believe the Stude is a Hawk, but we need @uplanderguy to give us the exact model and year. I would guess early ‘60’s, but it’s strictly a guess.

andys120

stickguy said:

Poncho is either a Tempest or GTO.

The lettering in the leftside of the grille looks too lengthy to spell "GTO", it looks more like it probably reads "Pontiac" as it would on a base Tempest or a Tempest Lemans.

andys120

I forgot to mention that the red Pontiac is a 1964 MY.

fintail

WA state ferry "MV Spokane", 1976:

stickguy

nice yellow vega next to a 70 Mustang. And in front of the camper, a new for the day El Camino. and behind the mustang looks like a Volvo 142.

andys120

The red/white truck in front of the boat is a (Chevy/GMC) 'Burban .

fintail

I like the 60s style camper, I remember when that kind of material was everywhere, then it vanished in the 90s. Some people are starting to collect/restore it now.

Pinto wagon in front of the VW van, maybe a fuselage Mopar in front of that.

ab348

Don't believe I posted this before? If so, my apologies. Unknown European location, late '60s/early '70s. Should expand nicely with a right-click/view:

Michaell

ab348 said:

Don't believe I posted this before? If so, my apologies. Unknown European location, late '60s/early '70s. Should expand nicely with a right-click/view:

The VW Squareback looks like the one my family took across country (CA to NY and back) in the summer of 1971.

fintail

Pretty sure that's Paris.

Lancia Fulvia behind the Renault 4 sticks out. I see a couple Citroen DS in the parking area in the distance.

stickguy

a 2CV up there too.

is the Fulvia the dark blue 2 cars ahead of the squareback? I like it! Could not quite figure out what it was. Was going to guess a Stag.

andys120

stickguy said:

a 2CV up there too.

is the Fulvia the dark blue 2 cars ahead of the squareback? I like it! Could not quite figure out what it was. Was going to guess a Stag.

Yes the Fulvia is the 2dr with the airy greenhouse the Fulvia was a pioneering front drive coupe which was offered in varying degrees of sportiness including the HF which was a rallye champion.

I remember that the VW Squareback had another name in Europe so I had to look it up.
It was the Variant version of the Volkswagen Type 3, generally known as the VW 1500 and later the VW 1600, which like the Type 1 (Beetle) was aircooled/rear-engined but larger for broader appeal as a family car.

Michaell

Los Angeles

andys120

First row on left, starting from closest to camera>
-A white '55 or '56 Buick (I think says "Special"), possibly the oldest car.
-Tan car showing a bit of roof and rear fender possibly a '67-68 Mustang notchback, next to it a similar aged Mustang fastback pale yellow,
-A white '65-67 Dodge Dart 4 post sedan.
-Next a Tan '66'-'68GM A-body with black vinyl roof, I think the wheel looks like the ones that came on GTOs.

ab348

For the sharp-eyes, at the far end facing the camera, a TR-4 or TR-250.

magnette

ab348 said:

andys120 said:

Curious AB348: did your brother's cars have automatics?

Going back a week to our discussion of Austin Americas, here is a period ad I found for it:

Yes AB, that gearshift for the Austin America is the same arrangement as that in my mother's old Vanden Plas 1300 although I think the actual grip for the selector lever is different.

At the time my parents both had automatics - the VP 1300 and the Wolseley 18/85 - and I was learning to drive (manual shift) in a driving school car.

As a result I had practice in a Vauxhall Viva, a couple of mk 1 Ford Escorts and one lesson in a Hillman Avenger - the driving school had an ecletic mix of cars.

Also had lessons in what was then my grandfather's Magnette although the clutch was slipping at that time so I didn't get on with it at first. Funny how long ago that was.
I do remember the driving school car I was scheduled to use for my actual test (re-test actually as I failed the first time) - was an Escort but that wasn't available so I took the second test - which I passed - in a Triumph Toledo which I had never even sat in before the test so only had ten minutes to drive round the block and get used to it!

If you take a test in an automatic here you cannot then use your licence for manual transmission cars without an additional test, so most people tended to take their test in a manual car as in those days automatics were rarer and more expensive - the sort of cars no teenager would ever aspire to owning.

I've never owned an automatic myself although recent problems with my left knee - replaced last year - have meant I have found some difficulty in using manual cars - especially the Magnette where for a time last autumn I was reluctant to use it as the clutch is quite heavy. I can manage it again now although of course can't go anywhere at the moment practically anyway.

magnette

On the French - probably Paris - view there are two cars in the distance which may be Renault 750/4CV's, one is over the windscreen of the VW 3 Variant and the other a few cars towards the right below the nearest tree.

The car behind the Variant (which is, incidentally German registered) is a Ford Taunus 12M.
In front of the VW is a Rootes group Arrow Estate car, and its showing signs of early corrosion in the sills, I think.

This could have been a Hillman Minx or more likely a Hunter, or a Singer Vogue but I'm not sure which versions would have been sold in France at that time - some markets only got Hillman, and Singer as a brand actually disappeared in 1969 although maybe this car was a bit older than that.
In the UK we did have a Sunbeam Vogue for part of 1969 - only for a few months - and that was sold an estate or saloon - but the Humber Sceptre version was not available as an Estate until about 1975 and would have had more chrome and trim including a vinyl roof, so it's most likely a Hillman.

magnette

Back in that queue from NY passing the Belgian village in the World Fair, is the car behind the Studebaker Hawk a Rambler Classic? If so I'd guess about 1963. We had Ramblers here although mostly only in London so I hardly saw them when new. I recall one similar to the one in this picture which did live around our local suburbs until about ten years ago.

ab348

magnette said:

Back in that queue from NY passing the Belgian village in the World Fair, is the car behind the Studebaker Hawk a Rambler Classic? If so I'd guess about 1963. We had Ramblers here although mostly only in London so I hardly saw them when new. I recall one similar to the one in this picture which did live around our local suburbs until about ten years ago.

Yes indeed, it is exactly that. I believe it is a 1963 model.

This would be rather incredible, but perhaps this is the one you recall:

https://car-from-uk.com/sale.php?id=170910&country=us

stickguy

Next to the triumph is a corvair coupe. Front right next I think an imperial is a sweet looking dark blue chevelle. I think an SS. 65?

magnette

Yes, that is pretty much what I recall although the colour of the car I remember was a greenish grey so closer to that in the NY picture. I think it had a light coloured roof too.
I try to take pictures of unusual cars if I can but as this one was around the area quite a lot I never did, and of course then it disappeared.

ab348

Back to the L.A. picture of the Century Plaza, partway down the line on the right is a tired-looking 1st-gen GM compact, a Buick Skylark convertible. Don't see many of them today. Cool little car if it came with the 215 c.i. aluminum V-8 that later went on to fame and fortune as a Rover staple in the U.K..

andys120

ab348 said:

For the sharp-eyes, at the far end facing the camera, a TR-4 or TR-250.

Good eye, I think you're right.

fintail

This is just several blocks from me - building still exists in a heavily modified form, but is definitely in the "path of progress" and probably has numbered days:

ab348

Nice '66 Chrysler at the front of the line, and the supposedly poor-selling '60 Ford (which is in just about every pic from this era so go figure) 4-door semi-hidden to the left. Also an early Valiant wagon parked near Binyon Optometrists.

fintail

I think the low survival rate of 60 Fords might hurt their image, too. The real mystery car there is behind the 55 Ford at right.

Here's roughly the same spot today, well, last year, from Google Earth:

andys120

What's the tiny car behind the Tu-tone'55 Ford? Is it a Mini? It's wearing a light or something on the roof

tmart

The Tu-tone yellow and white Ford is a 56 not a 55. Also a 57 Ford in the background next to a Buick.

fintail

The mystery car gives me a Japanese vibe. On further inspection, I agree the Ford is a 56, parking light doesn't look round close-up.

magnette

I think that small car looks like a Mini but it is odd because the coloured hubcaps make the wheels look different and the view of the front is obscured by the fin of the Ford so it doesn't look right from that angle.
It appears to be painted for a parade or advertising or something.

ab348

No, I don’t think it’s a Mini. I get more of a Honda 600 vibe from it.

andys120

ab348 said:

No, I don’t think it’s a Mini. I get more of a Honda 600 vibe from it.

Yeah it's not a Mini, it's some sort of Japanese Kei car with a 360 motorcycle engine, every Japanese car maker had them, most still do.

The Kei cars were designed for lower speeds in urban travel.

sda

magnette said:

ab348 said:

andys120 said:

Curious AB348: did your brother's cars have automatics?

Going back a week to our discussion of Austin Americas, here is a period ad I found for it:

Yes AB, that gearshift for the Austin America is the same arrangement as that in my mother's old Vanden Plas 1300 although I think the actual grip for the selector lever is different.

At the time my parents both had automatics - the VP 1300 and the Wolseley 18/85 - and I was learning to drive (manual shift) in a driving school car.

As a result I had practice in a Vauxhall Viva, a couple of mk 1 Ford Escorts and one lesson in a Hillman Avenger - the driving school had an ecletic mix of cars.

Also had lessons in what was then my grandfather's Magnette although the clutch was slipping at that time so I didn't get on with it at first. Funny how long ago that was.
I do remember the driving school car I was scheduled to use for my actual test (re-test actually as I failed the first time) - was an Escort but that wasn't available so I took the second test - which I passed - in a Triumph Toledo which I had never even sat in before the test so only had ten minutes to drive round the block and get used to it!

If you take a test in an automatic here you cannot then use your licence for manual transmission cars without an additional test, so most people tended to take their test in a manual car as in those days automatics were rarer and more expensive - the sort of cars no teenager would ever aspire to owning.

I've never owned an automatic myself although recent problems with my left knee - replaced last year - have meant I have found some difficulty in using manual cars - especially the Magnette where for a time last autumn I was reluctant to use it as the clutch is quite heavy. I can manage it again now although of course can't go anywhere at the moment practically anyway.

When we lived outside of London, dad’s office was in Wimbledon, his company was working with BP and Elf, dad took a course in driving school so he could prep for the driving exam. I remember him telling me, this was 1974 and I was 15 that they would fail you for not using a required hand position and method rotating the steering wheel, not hand over hand. Another thing was to not let the hand brake click when pulling up the lever, press the button, pull up, then release. There were several other things he told me that we’re fairly simple but might fail you. He took his test in a manual as his company car was a 72 Cortina GXL 2.0, in period correct dark metallic brown with black vinyl top. He passed the exam. Shortly after passing the exam he inherited his boss’ 74 Cortina E 2.0 automatic, lol.