Mystery car pix

bhill2

omarman said:

The fender looks like the 427 emblem and the body/trim is late 1963 Ford Galaxie with the fastback roof. Don't think the slapper bars were stock but I had Lakewoods on my Torino. (Minus the 427 R code)

That's an interesting combination. The car is actually a Galaxie 500. Top of the line trim level (OK, he didn't get the XL package), with the hot engine and slapper bars. Apparently he liked to do his drag racing in comfort.

stickguy

A Fintail! A couple of some Austin variant (like the America? Or MG 1100?)

is the weird white car with roof bag, in front of an (I think) Bedford van, a GoGomobile?

stickguy

and universal (combi?) MB wagon too.

fintail

The little car in front of the blue van (I believe an early Ford Transit) is from the same part of the world as a Goggo, but a little different.

Fintails are both W110s, the wagon which appears to be an IMA Universal is rare if it is a Universal, as it appears to be based on a pre-1965 car. The other fintail at left is 1965+.

bhill2

It strikes me that the Corvair ragtop would be pretty rare in that area. I have never read of their being popular in Europe.

stickguy

I always assume that it came over with a service man or foreign service person. I doubt they were sold over there?

Michaell

Fintail wagon - those were rare, even then

fintail

All MB wagons before the 123 platform cars in ~1979 are aftermarket conversions, and all are uncommon, some very sought after. Universals especially seem to have a cult around them.

tnfkoray

Will the products on my site work for my classic car? Has anyone used it?
https://www.bestautoproducts.com/post/car-windshield-repair-kit

imidazol97

I like the yellow advertisement on the front of the van.

Often these are written backwards so they can be read in a rear view mirror. This one is
a straight billboard coming at ya.

fintail

The advertisement van would have been brand new, too. The small car in front of the blue van is an East German Trabant.

fintail

Nice clear image here for right clicking, diverse yet homogeneous assortment. I'll pick off the 64 Impala convertible at 2nd row in, far right:

tmart

Several mid 60 Fords, couple of Mustangs, with a snout T bird next to them. Mid 60 Chevy II. Comet.

andys120

The Mustangs both appear to be '65s (horizontal bar in grille). The oldest cars may be the '62 Ford Galaxie 4drs, a dark one facing a van left of center and a light one next to a two-tone Maverick in second row right of ctr.

texases

Those are '67 Mustangs, no 'gilles' in the headlight trim, no side marker lights (so not '68).

stickguy

70ish nova left front. My favorite design for them. And a later big bumper car in the middle row.

Far back, a white import That I think is a Datsun 510.

Suicide door t bird next to the mustangs front row.

andys120

texases said:

Those are '67 Mustangs, no 'gilles' in the headlight trim, no side marker lights (so not '68).

I took another look and I think you're right. Those re both '67s. The visible wheel cover is post '66.

ab348

The '70 Cutlass Supreme and the '67 Mustang convertible both have some appeal. I am curious about the '67 Pontiac 2-door HT as well, a car not often seen today with a body design I really like.

andys120

stickguy

Rambler 770! 1967?

fintail

Ignore the stock photo watermark, zoom in and see lots of varied material here probably from 1990. I remember when the traffic mix looked like this:

stickguy

Silver BMW 6 series in the inside lane. White 626 (possibly a Ford Probe) heading away, in front of a Buick woody wagon. 2nd generation Scirroco in the fast lane behind a pop up lights Accord.

magnette

That Dutch scene was a nice mix of European motors with a Corvair mixed in.
The white BMC 1100 is British registered and RHD, with an F suffix registration so August 1967/July 68. The grille appears to be an Austin 1100.
The blue one is a Morris 1100 and is older and also RHD although the plate isn't visible.
The VW with Continental Tyre advertising on it is followed by a Beetle and then a grey Citroen Ami

magnette

I just had to correct what I was posting as the predictive text made it sound like a fable or something - it read "it is fooled by a beetle"

texases

What kind of beetle?

andys120

On the extreme right towards bottom of pic is a black late 80s Mustang GT 5.0 with its top down and contrasting white interior. It's similar to an '86 GT 5.0 I owned for about 12yrs.

Could be another one about 3/4 of way up just left of ctr.red body/black roof.

imidazol97

fintail said:

Ignore the stock photo watermark, zoom in and see lots of varied material here probably from 1990. I remember when the traffic mix looked like this:

Where was this photo taken. Makes me dizzy with all those lanes filled with cars both directions.

tjc78

That’s got to be Cali.

Michaell

tjc78 said:

That’s got to be Cali.

It is. I'll guess it's the 405, based on the shadows.

I'll also guess that 95% of the cars have only one occupant in them.

Lostwrench3

stickguy said:

Rambler 770! 1967?

Rambler 770. 1965.

fintail

Yep, I assume LA based on the width and the weather.

Fun assortment of cars too - American, European, and Japanese all solidly represented.

Newest car I can spot is in the far right oncoming lane, 5 cars behind the white Eldo - a Lumina.

I see 3 MBs, two W124s - first one oncoming in the second lane from left at front behind a Taurus, and the other oncoming in the leftmost lane several cars back behind a red BMW E30, and moving away in the leftmost lane, what looks like a black W116 in front of a cream/beige Civic (which is in front of a white Probe).

imidazol97 said:

Where was this photo taken. Makes me dizzy with all those lanes filled with cars both directions.

tmart

Where’s the 60 Ford??

fintail

In Chicago:

andys120

This one'll make Tmrt happy, I see two 1960 Fords, a blue convert on left and a white/ green h/t second from right. Oldest car is the creme/brown Poncho on right, i can't tell if it's 54 or 55.

That terminal bldg looks pretty bad, worse than I've seen even at LGA or Logan.

tmart

Thanks Don’t forget the 58 Ford Ranch Wagon.

magnette

That Dutch view with the Trabant - it was too early for it to be a post German unification shot so that was probably a Trabant sold in Holland - they were sold in much of Europe although not here.

ab348

magnette said:

That Dutch scene was a nice mix of European motors with a Corvair mixed in.
The white BMC 1100 is British registered and RHD, with an F suffix registration so August 1967/July 68. The grille appears to be an Austin 1100.
The blue one is a Morris 1100 and is older and also RHD although the plate isn't visible.
The VW with Continental Tyre advertising on it is followed by a Beetle and then a grey Citroen Ami

I am always surprised when I see vintage pictures from the '60s and early '70s from European countries on the continent where there are numerous British cars. I always assumed, incorrectly it seems, that the British car industry - at least for mainstream vehicles as opposed to luxury or high-end sportscars - was mostly limited to the British domestic market. Clearly that was not the case. While we now think of British cars as being not very reliable or well-made, perhaps that was equally true of those made in other European countries back then, making them competitive.

stickguy

Dark 59 Chevy batwing 4 door. Looks like a flattop?

stickguy

I think a lot of euro cars from that day were just wildly unsuited for US driving conditions which led to a lot of the problems. Lack or parts and repair capability must have hurt too.

andys120

stickguy said:

Dark 59 Chevy batwing 4 door. Looks like a flattop?

Yup, that's what they call a "flattop". The batwing 1960 Chevy next to it has the regular roofline for those years.

magnette

The FWD BMC cars were a great success everywhere in Europe and in several countries were licence built to avoid any tariff problems. We had less European cars here than some countries but Fiat, VW and Renault did well although their larger cars were subject to tax penalties in UK until we were in the EEC

magnette

texases said:

What kind of beetle?

Something around Sgt Pepper or the White Album I should think

fintail

Not just 2 60 Fords in Chicago, there are 3! The Sunliner at far left, and there are actually 2 Starliners at right, beside each other. Also 2 flat top Chevys - the one at left and another one in the background at right near the building.

Regarding British cars on the continent, I've read they had fanbases in Italy, Germany, and Sweden as well. Period photos can often find a car or two, especially the BMC ADO16 variants.

Another 60 Ford spotted, this time in Las Vegas, 1963:

stickguy

Is that a hillMan minx next to the beetle? Mini car only parking area?

tmart

59 Ford wagon. 55/56 blue and white Ford In the background.

texases

Is that the back corner of a Ranchero on the right?

stickguy

Red with white stripe? I do t think so

tmart

texases said:

Is that the back corner of a Ranchero on the right?

Looks like it could be a Falcon Ranchero.

andys120

texases said:

Is that the back corner of a Ranchero on the right?

I dn't think it could be anything else.

fintail

Definitely a Hillman Minx next to the Beetle, and a Falcon Ranchero at lower right.

60 Ford is above the Minx, a 2 door post just to the right of the fins of a 59 Coupe DeVille.