Mystery car pix

magnette

Blue & white International - is that one a Travelall being a four door? - behind the Frank Cannon Lincoln
64 Galaxie 2 door with a significant overhang on the pedestrian sidewalk to it's rear

stickguy

red Chevelle under the light, next to the clamshell chevy wagon

tmart

64 Ford Galaxy at right..

ab348

Also from the Ruscha collection at the Getty Museum, Hollywood Mazda, 1973. Interesting things in both the showroom shot and the used lot with a few trade-ins.

Michaell

My folks were shopping for a new car in the summer of 1973. Dad looked at the Mazda RX-3 before settling on a 1973 Toyota Corona. I remember they made the purchase on my dad's birthday, August 12.

andys120

Lostwrench3 said:

1950 Buick
The Willys
1949 Cadillac
1949 Cadillac
1952 Olds
1953 Chevy

I goofed on the Willys. apparently it's an "Aero Willys".



For some reason Willys decided to name the car backwards and start w the model name
rather than the usual model name/mfr.

Now everyone calls 'em Willys Aeros.

i was struck by how popular the segment rear glass was then. Willys had it too.

magnette

People here always used to reverse the name with Reliant Robins - everyone said "Robin Reliant"

andys120

ab348 said:

Also from the Ruscha collection at the Getty Museum, Hollywood Mazda, 1973. Interesting things in both the showroom shot and the used lot with a few trade-ins.

The car next to the Camaro is a 1960s Rover P5

magnette

The saloon with the bonnet up - in its non rotary version - was called, I think, the Capella in JDM.

I see they had a Rover P6 2000 as a trade in next to the Oldsmobile too

ab348

It's funny browsing those 1973 L.A. pics that I'm always surprised to see British cars on the streets (aside from sports cars). So far I've found a number of Austin Americas, and a few Austin Farina sedans, but this is the first Rover I've spotted.

stickguy

Toyota carona in front row of used cars.

fintail

Those early Mazdas are a hot commodity now, interesting cars. I wouldn't complain if I happened upon a nice one at an estate sale.

At far right in the second 1973 pic, I spy a 66 Ford 2 door HT, appears to be a 2 tone Galaxie rather than LTD as no visible round emblem on the C-pillar. I think the Corona was technically "Corona Mark II".

I remember the Aero Willys as the Western Union car in Back to the Future.

ab348

fintail said:

At far right in the second 1973 pic, I spy a 66 Ford 2 door HT, appears to be a 2 tone Galaxie rather than LTD as no visible round emblem on the C-pillar. I think the Corona was technically "Corona Mark II".

I had forgotten that those Coronas came in a Detroit-style 2-door pillarless hardtop design.

I'll take the '70 Olds Cutlass Supreme in any event. 1970 was peak Cutlass.

magnette

I don't recall that pillarless Toyota Corona being offered in Britain

sda

If I recall 1970 was the last year before increased emission control standards took a huge bite out of horse power, gas mileage and overall drivability. It’s only been in the past 10-15 years or so that we’ve seen real improvements in all.

stickguy

I thought that the big HP drop was largely on paper, since they went from reporting gross to net HP. Though of course, true power did drop with compression ratios too!

kyfdx

Pretty sure it was '71 to '72, when the big drop took place. As noted, gross vs. net.

ab348

In 1971 GM reduced compression ratios across the board, typically by about a full point, to allow their vehicles to use unleaded fuel, which with a few exceptions was only available in regular grade. The other makes did not follow suit immediately but within a year or two made the same change. The more intrusive emissions controls really started in ‘73 and got more stringent in the following few years.

The 1970 model year was the last year you could get the “full-fat” 10:1 or higher compression hi-po engines from GM.

kyfdx

In the US

'71 Lincoln 460: 365 hp
'72 Lincoln 460: 212 hp

Gross (71) vs. Net (72)

texases

It also dropped from 10.5:1 to 8.5:1 compression ratio.

fintail

I wonder how much of it was the "new" horsepower and how much of it was compression ratio or emissions-related. That 460 suffered a 42% decrease, not small change. And I think it would get a little worse over the next few years too.

andys120

The bad old days>

omarman

Ford revised the 460 heads in 1972 for that 1 year only which resulted in the worst ever version of the 385 series engine. I think the main problem was an open chamber design which lowered compression and lead to severe detonation problems. Those early attempts to satisfy emission and low lead fuel requirements were pretty awful.

edit to add I think Ford also retarded the cam timing in every passenger car 460 in '72 except maybe the P.I.?

fintail

I always liked the look of the Vega wagon/kammback, but I'd prefer mine without the wood trim.

sda

I like the Vega GT. Only wish the one I had was that nice and not worn out and an epa nightmare.

ab348

The Vega could have been a neat little car if it was built as well as the original design, but the GM bureaucracy and the bean counters took most of the good out of it. I always liked its looks.

tmart

Wasn’t there a model where you had to drop the engine to change one of the spark plugs?

omarman

Sounds like the Monza V8. I used to wonder why the Vega V8 conversion projects were still popular even after Chevy basically produced a factory version of that swap.

kyfdx

texases said:

It also dropped from 10.5:1 to 8.5:1 compression ratio.

Yep, it was a dog.. but, my whole point was: '72 is the year they went from Gross to Net on HP ratings in the US.

magnette

I had a neighbour who had a Vega 2-door back in the mid 80's - didn't know much about it but it looked a nice car. They weren't sold here and I don't know where he got from.

They also had about three other cars and a large van and we lived in a terraced street with only a 22 foot frontage to each house and no off road parking

ab348

Back to Hollywood Blvd in 1973, and these ones (at least a few of them) mystify me as well. Obviously an imported car dealer but after that I'm in the dark. Should expand some in the usual manner.

stickguy

fiat/Alfa dealer it seems. bookends are Alfa Spyders. Middle looks like a Fiat 850 sport spider with a bumper guard, and a Fiat 2 door sedan next to it (124?) with a weird grill.

and a boxy Lancia hiding behind the pillar next to the showroom

magnette

The Fiat 124 coupe has the late version of the grille we had here from about 1968 or so.

I think the sedan adjacent to the showroom window may be an Alfa Romeo 2000 rather than a Lancia

ab348

The perspective of the camera and whatever aftermarket thing is installed on the front made the Fiat 850 look like something else entirely to me.

Imagine a lineup of new Alfa Spiders sitting there just to tempt you! Always liked those.

andys120

magnette said:

The Fiat 124 coupe has the late version of the grille we had here from about 1968 or so.

I think the sedan adjacent to the showroom window may be an Alfa Romeo 2000 rather than a Lancia

That grille didn't come to the US until 1973 which really messed up a nice design.

1972:



1973:


I agree that the berlina back in the corner is more likely an Alfa Alfetta than a Lancia,

andys120

Lostwrench3

And, speaking of Aero, the 1946 Chevy Fleetline Aero.

kyfdx

I love those '60s and '70s Euro coupes!

imidazol97

ab348 said:

North to Alaska! Pre-earthquake Anchorage, 1960.

Did anyone identify the convertible behind the blue Cadillac?

The logo can be seen through the rear window of the Cadillac and is shaped like a
Mini Cooper's or a Bentley's



There's a script between the headlights that is just above the package shelf in the Cadillac's rear window.

kyfdx

Is that an emblem, or reflection off the back of the rear view mirror of the Caddy?

texases

Looks like a C1 Corvette to me, crossed checkered flags.

omarman

@andys120 posted that the shape of the convertible header looks like Ford. So maybe the shiny emblem could be the chrome hood "scoop" on a '58 Fairlane convertible.

@imidazol97 pointed out the script on the convertible hood which I think might be Fairlane but can't see it clearly.

ab348

Well, the one thing we can be sure of given the era is that the car with the Bentley-like emblem is not a Genesis.

fintail

I too think the shiny thing is part of the mirror.

Same area 4 years later (zooms in well):

magnette

@andys120 That grille didn't come to the US until 1973 which really messed up a nice design



Yes - I think we actually had that grille later than I said, too - early 70s sounds about right

magnette

In the aftermath of the earthquake, the small car behind the 58 Chevrolet looks a bit like a Mini - particularly the roof. - Minis sold well in cold areas due to the handling and traction - once they had fixed the heaters...

ab348

Here's a shot from South Orange, NJ in 1962. I hear they have earthquakes there too from time to time though nothing like in Anchorage.

Everybody loves a parade! This pic blows up well.

fintail

Yep, here's another angle of the same area:



I've also noticed a surprising amount of Volvos in period Alaska pics.

magnette said:

In the aftermath of the earthquake, the small car behind the 58 Chevrolet looks a bit like a Mini - particularly the roof. - Minis sold well in cold areas due to the handling and traction - once they had fixed the heaters...

fintail

What a place, to the right of the telephone pole - 60 Ford Country Squire with door open, and at left behind the parade float another 60 Ford towing something.

ab348 said:

Here's a shot from South Orange, NJ in 1962. I hear they have earthquakes there too from time to time though nothing like in Anchorage.

Everybody loves a parade! This pic blows up well.

ab348

fintail said:

What a place, to the right of the telephone pole - 60 Ford Country Squire with door open, and at left behind the parade float another 60 Ford towing something.

[@fintail starts researching opportunities in New Jersey]

A two-fer! I figured you would enjoy that one.