Mystery car pix

ab348

magnette said:

I still miss seeing the old Concorde - we used to see it over the house fairly often although it was more common for it to go over South London on its way into Heathrow so it was more often that we just heard it.

Throughout the 1990s I was a member at the golf club that abuts my house. We are right on the coast of the Atlantic and jets traveling between Europe and the major cities in the eastern US go directly overhead. I was in the habit of playing golf after lunchtime on weekends when the course was less busy than earlier in the day. I would notice sometime mid-afternoon a loud but distant boom sound. Finally I happened to mention it on the course one day and was told that it was the sonic boom created by the Concorde. That made sense because you could almost set your watch by the timing of it. Cool memory.

texases

While an F4 was present, the collision was with another plane, an F-104. Expert pilots all-around, a terrible shame. Here's a recreation/explanation of what happened:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wInOz-3w22c

magnette

I can't bear to watch- terrible - I thought I had seen this before

magnette

Not too pretty in pink....



It looks a bit like they got the fins out of the spares box

magnette

And this one is a long way from it's home and I have no idea how it got there - the picture was taken in Bucharest and the plate is Romanian

magnette

And finally

fintail

First car - not sure but has Oz plates. Second car - early Hongqi - Chinese equivalent of a ZIL/ZIS copying the Soviets instead of the west. Third car - Austin Atlantic coupe.

magnette

ab348 said:

magnette said:

I still miss seeing the old Concorde - we used to see it over the house fairly often although it was more common for it to go over South London on its way into Heathrow so it was more often that we just heard it.

Throughout the 1990s I was a member at the golf club that abuts my house. We are right on the coast of the Atlantic and jets traveling between Europe and the major cities in the eastern US go directly overhead. I was in the habit of playing golf after lunchtime on weekends when the course was less busy than earlier in the day. I would notice sometime mid-afternoon a loud but distant boom sound. Finally I happened to mention it on the course one day and was told that it was the sonic boom created by the Concorde. That made sense because you could almost set your watch by the timing of it. Cool memory.

When I was still at home in Wales in the mid seventies it was just as Concorde was getting regular services

We lived on a hill and basically about eight miles from the Bristol Channel and we used to get two distinct events every evening - the first one was quite loud - enough to interrupt us talking - and the other was a half hour later and a bit quieter. It rattled our windows a bit.

We eventually found out that the first noise was the boom as the incoming flight for London was dropping to subsonic, and the more distant one was the Paris flight doing the same thing coming up the English Channel.

they were pretty much exactly on time too - and they were always time leaving London as they would just go straight to the front of the queue - passing maybe a dozen planes lined up - to go straight away. it was probably the same in Paris too

imidazol97

https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/195767/north-american-xb-70-valkyrie/

imidazol97

I was able to see a Concord landing here in the Midwest because a local group of travel agents had booked on the Concord. The flight was a private flight. Really strange to watch the approach and landing; sort of like watching a Canada goose landing with the breakaway cockpit area angled down to be able to see the runway.

fintail

1974, I think:

ab348

1968 GM represented by the Pontiac and Chevy, followed by a '72 Chevy wagon and a Pinto wagon with what I think is a Pontiac Ventura bringing up the rear.

kyfdx

fintail said:

1974, I think:

Datsun B-210 in the foreground

kyfdx

'70 Bonneville across the street?

Maybe, a '69?

magnette

fintail said:

First car - not sure but has Oz plates. Second car - early Hongqi - Chinese equivalent of a ZIL/ZIS copying the Soviets instead of the west. Third car - Austin Atlantic coupe.

Yes Fin it's three cars from different continents.

First car is a Chrysler Royal AP2 from 1958/60 - there was also an estate called the Plainsman I believe. I thin although a Chrysler in Australia it was really a plymouth underneath

Second is a Hong Qui CA770 - no idea how that ended up in Romania but probably either from the Chinese embassy and left behind or from a batch to Ceausescu or his mob left behind after the revolution...

Third is the good old Austin A90 Atlantic - the hardtop was introduced a bit later than the convertible so about 1950

fintail

Looking at that Royal, I see the greenhouse of a ~54 US Dodge/Plymouth with a 55-56 inspired front end.

Just a few to ID here, but it caught my eye as something is much different from the others:

stickguy

the Buick riviera somewhere in Europe? I like the Capri. Either needing a valve job or doing a burnout!

ab348

Yes, I was going to comment that a Capri with an oil consumption problem was certainly not the thing that was very much different from usual.

magnette

imidazol97 said:

https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/195767/north-american-xb-70-valkyrie/


great link to the museum of the airforce - thanks

magnette

I must admit I wouldn't have guessed the car behind the Alfa for a Buick Riviera. Clearly a few came here but even then it would have been only central London I imagine.

The buildings look like Paddington or Lancaster Gate rather than the really posh bit like Belgravia, as they wouldn't have got away with filming there - it would wake up the au pair or the butler...

This must be from The Professionals - who only knew how to get into a car by sliding over the bonnet (much like Starsky & Hutch) and where the smoke clearing in the background usually showed a van from the nearest "Mr Clutch" franchised garage

magnette

Going back on the shot with the Datsun 210 in it, is the car behind it a Rambler of some sort?

ab348

magnette said:

Going back on the shot with the Datsun 210 in it, is the car behind it a Rambler of some sort?

My first-guess reaction was that it was a '64 Dodge.

Lostwrench3

magnette said:

Going back on the shot with the Datsun 210 in it, is the car behind it a Rambler of some sort?

Because of the 4 letters to the left of the hood ornament and the shape of the grille, I'll go with a 1966 Plymouth.

fintail

The London scene is very reminiscent of the hotel street in the classic "European Vacation", which has now aged into an excellent car spotting movie:





Queensborough Terrace, London W2

magnette

There you are - W2 is Paddington and that street is really near Lancaster Gate. In fairness there is a whole estate of similar roads between there and Victoria too

magnette

I like the bit where the Griswolds knock down Stonehenge like a row of dominos in the yellow Maxi, and the continuous circling of a roundabout near Lambeth Bridge because they can't change lanes

ab348

Lostwrench3 said:

magnette said:

Going back on the shot with the Datsun 210 in it, is the car behind it a Rambler of some sort?

Because of the 4 letters to the left of the hood ornament and the shape of the grille, I'll go with a 1966 Plymouth.

Not that - the '66 had parallelogram wipers, and this car has the "clap hands" type. Could be a '64 though.

Lostwrench3

ab348 said:

Lostwrench3 said:

magnette said:

Going back on the shot with the Datsun 210 in it, is the car behind it a Rambler of some sort?

Because of the 4 letters to the left of the hood ornament and the shape of the grille, I'll go with a 1966 Plymouth.

Not that - the '66 had parallelogram wipers, and this car has the "clap hands" type. Could be a '64 though.

Good catch on those wipers! I missed that important clue.
The '64s didn't have that type of PLYMOUTH lettering on the nose.
I'll go with its being a '65 Belvedere.

fintail

I just can't get left! There's Big Ben, kids, Parliament. I'll admit it is one my all time faves. On my second to last trip to Europe, I made a significant detour to visit the "Germany" filming location, which is actually in northern Italy. It was worth it and I'd do it again. Didn't see a late run DS stuck in an archway.

magnette said:

I like the bit where the Griswolds knock down Stonehenge like a row of dominos in the yellow Maxi, and the continuous circling of a roundabout near Lambeth Bridge because they can't change lanes

ab348

This one speaks for itself:

stickguy

I like the AH sprite. Next to the required 60 Ford!

What the heck is the weird green car in the middle next to the white Chevy wagon? Looks French. Is that something odd like a Panhard?

texases

Is that a Renault Dauphine?

stickguy

I thought that but looked too pinched, but that picture isn’t expandable on my iPad.

Lostwrench3

At the right front - 1960 Pontiac.

magnette

I would say the green car is a Renault Dauphine
I think the red wagon is a Dodge, and because its got that funny sort of triangular bit in the middle is it a Dart Seneca?
I hadn't noticed until I posted this that it has a light on the roof - is this a Fire chief's car like in Dinky toys? We never had those here so it always looked odd to us as a toy

ab348

Yes, it is a Dauphine.

@stickguy , I was able to zoom it quite well on my iPad.

fintail

60 Ford is a Fairlane. Yep, red wagon with a light is likely a fire chief car.

Sprite looks awesome in that color with wide whites.

magnette

Actually I think my guess that the red wagon was a Dodge Dart Seneca was wrong - I think its a Dart Pioneer as the Seneca was the high end version and that car is for fleet use so was probably not the flashiest - although as it was for the Fire chief I suppose it actually did have all the bells and whistles...

fintail

Gotta post this one while I am online today - Seattle 1963, with I5 construction going through the middle. Amazingly clear pic, click and zoom. There's a 60 Ford wagon in there, and a lot of other stuff to ID. Building at foreground left was a city garage (police car fueling up on the lower level), and the cars at top left appear to be city fleet cars:

stickguy

Definitely looks like the highway trashed an old neighborhood cutting through.

ab348

IIRC a lot if not all of I5 through Seattle is elevated, isn't it? So at least there is still a connection from one side of the neighborhood to the other at grade. Unlike some other places where the expressway is cut into the terrain and is below grade with just overpasses to connect the two sides of the 'hood.

fintail

Yes, I-5 is elevated through much of Seattle, and there are many links under the highway, and several overpasses too. I am not aware with huge issues of areas being isolated. Some of the hills under the highway are hilariously steep, too - and that's after the city had a regrade around 1910. No doubt even being above grade,some neighborhoods were pretty messed up, especially at interchanges.

The 60 Ford wagon in that pic is white, on the roof, second row from tight, second car in.

kyfdx

I-5 is a tunnel at one point. We stayed almost right over top of it, when we were there.

Michaell

kyfdx said:

I-5 is a tunnel at one point. We stayed almost right over top of it, when we were there.

I vaguely remember that, on my last trip to the area in 2003. I rented a Cavalier that week.

fintail

Yeah, there's a tunnel section at the convention center. I think it might be more of a lid than an actual tunnel under existing land.

magnette

That magnifies nicely - clear picture
I think I see a white Studebaker Lark estate on the left hand row of rooftop parking
Possibly the car in front of it is a Plymouth ?
There is also a Plymouth wagon - maybe a Suburban - in grey - in the front spot on the right hand roof aisle

fintail

Yep, the city of Seattle fleet had a lot of Studebakers, and it appears to have a lot of Plymouths and/or Dodges as well.

Parked on the street at left, uphill, I think I see a 61 Ford convertible with a 61 Ford 2 door post behind it.

ab348

A gem of a picture from Sept., 1961 of Humbertown Mall in Etobicoke, Ont., a suburb of Toronto. Expands well in the usual ways.

fintail

For a change of pace, I see a 1960 Meteor wagon parked facing left and away from camera - that has to be a unicorn today.

Lostwrench3

A 1959 Buick and a 1960 Pontiac.