Mystery car pix

andys120

Must be around the corner from a Chrysler/Plymouth dealer.
Closest to thecamera a '58 Plymouth Savoy or whatever its CDM equivalent was. Ahead of it a
'59 Chrysler Imperial, then a two-tone '59 Plymouth (Belvedere?) and ahead of that what would be a '58 Mercury in the USA but is probably a Meteor Rideau or something. Odd rear glass indicates convertible(?)
Then a '57 Chevy Bel Air (or CDM equivalent) which has become the iconic 1950s car despite being outsold by Ford that year. Ahead of it is the newest car a 1960(?) Mercury Comet (or CDM equivalent).

magnette

andys120 said:

magnette said:

andys120 said:

On good Italian Roadster deserves another>





I think the Italian roadster is a Siata - not entirely sure of the model but but probably a Dania

The roadster is a later model than the Daina, introduced in 1952 and featuring a 2 liter Fiat 8V (V-8). It was known as the Siata 208S Spider. IIRC SteveMcQueen owned one.

I had only heard of the Dania so fair enough

magnette

fintail said:

Third car back appears to be a Ford Consul Classic or maybe a first gen Capri (more likely the former).

magnette said:

This is one reason why the Invalid Carriage was withdrawn in Britain in the 70's

Hi Fin
yes the HB was brand new and the Minor is with the mesh grille so pre 1956 or so

Any ideas re the third car waiting for petrol - the rather ugly coupe ?

magnette

ab348 said:

1963 Montreal, surprisingly few Vauxhalls here:

Sorry - i posted this on the wrong one

magnette

@fintail Vauxhall Viva appears to be brand new, ADO 16 behind that Morris Minor in the background fairly old for that location, maybe early 50s.


Yes the Viva must have been literally brand new by the look of it and the Minor is with the earlier grille so before about 1955 I think.

The rather ugly coupe in the third place at the pumps is a kit car called an Ashley Sportiva - a fibreglass kit car based usually on the Ford 10Hp Chassis and generally with a Ford 1172cc engine

Ashley sold a couple of hundred kits from a garage in East London on the Essex borders - only about five miles from where I live actually, and there are still a couple around at car shows although probably no more than a handful....

fintail

Yep, Mercury is a convertible, a pretty rare car, I think.

The Edsel Citation had a similar top that year:

andys120 said:

Must be around the corner from a Chrysler/Plymouth dealer.
Closest to thecamera a '58 Plymouth Savoy or whatever its CDM equivalent was. Ahead of it a
'59 Chrysler Imperial, then a two-tone '59 Plymouth (Belvedere?) and ahead of that what would be a '58 Mercury in the USA but is probably a Meteor Rideau or something. Odd rear glass indicates convertible(?)
Then a '57 Chevy Bel Air (or CDM equivalent) which has become the iconic 1950s car despite being outsold by Ford that year. Ahead of it is the newest car a 1960(?) Mercury Comet (or CDM equivalent).

fintail

Seattle, August 1974 (click zoom etc):

stickguy

center front, a slightly smushed 1972ish Corolla. a few back and a row over, a Fiat 128 in that classic mustard yellow they liked (and nearby, a BMW 2002 in almost the same shade). and toward the back, nice Burgandy Volvo brick wagon.

ab348

I'll take the '71 Plymouth Sport Suburban wagon coming towards the camera lower left. There is just enough fuzz in the pic to make IDing some of the cars facing away from the camera challenging. The white over red 2-door in the middle of row 23 just ahead of the GM clamshell wagon is stumping me.

stickguy

Looks like either a barge cougar, or a Plymouth satellite to me. Can’t get a clear enough shot of the rear bumper.

fintail

I think the red and white car ahead of the clamshell is a Mopar sedan.

andys120

ab348

It's a BMW

kyfdx

740i. Hard to tell from that angle, but it might be a Sporty Shorty (short wheelbase)

740iL, if not.

I don't remember the exact years. Roughly from '96-'02?

In Imola Red

stickguy

Looks like a shorty.

ab348

Back to Montreal and it's seemingly favorite brand in this photo from 1963. But I'm more interested in the interesting bubble-shaped glass on the car in the lot near the Cherry Blossom (a candy treat of my youth!) sign. The pic expands greatly.

andys120

kyfdx said:

740i. Hard to tell from that angle, but it might be a Sporty Shorty (short wheelbase)

740iL, if not.

I don't remember the exact years. Roughly from '96-'02?

In Imola Red

Yup, it's a 2001 BMW 740iL (E38) in an uncharacteristic color for a top-of-the line Bimmer.

I love that color but for some reason BMW dropped Imola Red in favor of a darker,less prominent shade they call Melbourne Red even on the sportier models (2/3/4 series.).

fintail

Not just one, I think there's another one backed in to the left of the Falcon (Frontenac?) in the row nearest the building.

ab348 said:

Back to Montreal and it's seemingly favorite brand in this photo from 1963. But I'm more interested in the interesting bubble-shaped glass on the car in the lot near the Cherry Blossom (a candy treat of my youth!) sign. The pic expands greatly.

fintail

2001, probable zenith of the 7er. From 2002-on it became an S-class competitor rather than its own model.

andys120 said:

Yup, it's a 2001 BMW 740iL (E38) in an uncharacteristic color for a top-of-the line Bimmer.

I love that color but for some reason BMW dropped Imola Red in favor of a darker,less prominent shade they call Melbourne Red even on the sportier models (2/3/4 series.).

Lostwrench3

On the side of the car on the left - 1960 Pontiac Laurentian.
On the right - 1961 Chevy.

sda

Cars really get filthy there. You can't even see a glimmer of a shine on some of them.

fintail

Seattle, ~1980 (material in the showroom is visible, and the facade of building was actually saved when the site was redeveloped):

kyfdx

Grille identification needed.

https://forums.edmunds.com/discussion/62428/general/x/can-someone-help-me-id-this-old-grill#latest

stickguy

Gen 1 Scirroco at the curb.

ab348

That's a great picture of the Ford/Lincoln-Mercury dealer building. I like the "Versailles - Zephyr - Bobcat - Capri" writing in the windows. Looks like a Capri inside the showroom. I wonder what the E-Type is doing out front.

andys120

E-Type roadster in front, looks like a Series II next to a 70-ish Chevy Monte Carlo.

fintail

E-Type might be a SIII, as it looks like it has that inward curve/notch at the back of the door window, where a B-pillar would be.

I notice a Continental Mark VI coupe in the showroom, at right.

andys120

fintail said:

E-Type might be a SIII, as it looks like it has that inward curve/notch at the back of the door window, where a B-pillar would be.

B-pillars did not exist on drip-top Jags. Yes theres a thin strip of chrome on the pictured cars. I believe that's a channel to guide and support side windows when rolled up. (younger viewers may not realize that there was a time when some expensive cars didn't come with side windows).



It occurs to me that Jag's use of the term "Roadster" is actually inappropriate, traditionally a roadster would not have roll-up side glass or even a semi-permanent top.

ab348

Such a shame on UK-registered E-Types to have that number plate stuck to the top of the hood like that. Not the most elegant solution.

ab348

A 1962 shot of Place Ville Marie in Montreal under construction. It was considered quite advanced for the times, being one of the first skyscrapers to be built over an underground network of shops and walkways intended to keep people out of the harsh Montreal winter weather.

stickguy

The Citroen DS behind the big fin Plymouth (a ‘59?) is quite the cultural contrast.

omarman

If you park the DS next to anything else in 1962 you get the same effect.

fintail

Yep, hence I said where a B-pillar "would be" The later cars have a notch at the base of the top also seen in the lower rear corner of the side window, which I think the car in the pic has, like this:



As I know you are aware, Jag once differentiated a roadster from a convertible with "drophead coupe" (DHC).

andys120 said:

B-pillars did not exist on drip-top Jags. Yes theres a thin strip of chrome on the pictured cars. I believe that's a channel to guide and support side windows when rolled up. (younger viewers may not realize that there was a time when some expensive cars didn't come with side windows).

It occurs to me that Jag's use of the term "Roadster" is actually inappropriate, traditionally a roadster would not have roll-up side glass or even a semi-permanent top.

fintail

In the foreground anyway, 2 British, 2 French, a German, and an American. Maybe there's a fintail or a 60 Ford just outside of the view

ab348 said:

A 1962 shot of Place Ville Marie in Montreal under construction. It was considered quite advanced for the times, being one of the first skyscrapers to be built over an underground network of shops and walkways intended to keep people out of the harsh Montreal winter weather.

ab348

fintail said:

In the foreground anyway, 2 British, 2 French, a German, and an American. Maybe there's a fintail or a 60 Ford just outside of the view

Montreal was always considered a very cosmopolitan city.

andys120

As I recall XK-120s and 140s came as hardtop coupes (FHC), convertibles (DHC) and "roadsters" (OTS) for "Open Two Seater".

fintail

I always see those abbreviations as being very British.

Back side of Broadway High School, Seattle, mid 70s I guess:

andys120

That's a high school? Looks like a prison.

bhill2

andys120 said:

That's a high school? Looks like a prison.

Which is oddly appropriate.

tmart

I spy a 59 Ford.

ab348

"They said we were going to a correctional center, but when we arrived it sure looked like a jail to me." :laughing:

andys120

Brochure art>

ab348

Something for everyone in this 1963 pic including several of our perpetual favorites, both import and domestic. Place Ville Marie again in the background but some nice older masonry buildings too. Picture blows up to a gigantic size in the usual manner.

stickguy

Early falcon front and center! Another one a few rows back, and a 2 tone 60 Ford in row 3.

andys120

Next to the Falcon is a Morris Minor.

fintail

In the 2nd row from right there's a 63 Galaxie 2 door HT notchback apparently driving (headed towards the right), parked just to the left of it I see a 60 Canadian Ford Starliner, I believe called a Meteor Montcalm.

At the end of the 6th row from right, 5 cars behind the Morris Minor, is another Vauxuall Victor/Envoy. Just ahead of that slight right is another 60 Meteor, this one the Fairlane equivalent Rideau 500.

Good mix of all most Big 3 brands and a few others in the pic, this is also the kind of world where a fintail might blend in,

fintail

I have weird suspicion that's a BMW 1500.

"Neue Klasse".

andys120 said:

Brochure art>

magnette

The grey Morris in the foreground isn't a Minor - it's an MO Oxford.

It's clear from the picture though that they rusted in exactly the same places !

fintail

I thought the Morris looked substantial, forgot those were ever sold on this side of the pond, and I assume mostly in Canada.

In the background menagerie, other imports I might see are a BMC Farina, Dauphine, Prefect, maybe an early Minx, way in the back a VW microbus/van.

andys120

Minors had a spate of popularity in the US around the dawn of the 60s which was really the golden era of Eurocars in the USA.

Not many were sold in all, but all body types were seen occasionally, convertibles were the most popular IIRC but I did see a few Traveller (wagon) versions.