Mystery car pix

texases

omarman said:

@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.

That car behind the Cadillac sure looks like a '61 Corvette to me:

fintail

From what I know about those cars, I suspect by 1970 most had decomposed via the NJ winter climate. Still, rare to see a 60 Squire in a period photo.

ab348 said:

[@fintail starts researching opportunities in New Jersey]

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

tmart

Yea for the two-fer!

imidazol97

fintail said:

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

The mirror is off to the right of center in the Cadillac. It must be one of those double ball joint
mirrors that could be moved left-right and up-down.

The mirror in the Caddy is halfway between that flying wings emblem and the headlights on the
car behind the Caddy.

The flying wings is perfectly centered over the script as well as centered between the 4 headlights.

fintail

Thanks, I see it clearly now.

Car behind windshield and lights reminds me of a Fomoco product, but I don't know. Looks like a larger car to me. Badge might even be an accessory item?

imidazol97 said:

The mirror is off to the right of center in the Cadillac. It must be one of those double ball joint
mirrors that could be moved left-right and up-down.

The mirror in the Caddy is halfway between that flying wings emblem and the headlights on the
car behind the Caddy.

The flying wings is perfectly centered over the script as well as centered between the 4 headlights.

omarman

Wow. I'd take the Corvette over the Fairlane to keep. Especially with this color.

But compared to the mystery convertible behind the Cadillac, the Corvette doesn't really fit. The Corvette is lower than the mystery car and the windshield header shape is different. How far away would a Corvette need to be parked in order to see the headlights and trim through the back window of the Cadillac? From the scale in that mystery pic, the 2 cars seem parked pretty close together.

I can't really see the Corvette crossed-flag hood emblem making that large glare seen on the mystery pic either. Oh well, some people see black Corvettes and others see pink Fairlanes.

texases

Yeah, probably the Fairlane.

imidazol97

The script doesn't clearly match the "Fairlane" and the headlights don't show a chrome ring around them, but the sizing and the pieces all fit. But it doesn't have anything making it not match "Fairlane." The "l" in the middle may be obscured by the various glares.

The hood scoop even shows some odd reflections in the Pink picture, so I have to give up the idea of a Cooper or a Genesis or a Bentley flying wings. I saw two Mini's at the garden center the other day with that wing logo on the front.

So the first person who said "FoMoCo" shape on the windshield pillars was on the right path.

I was expecting something esoteric such as a foreign car or a Lincoln Continental convertible with a long name for that script.

ab348

A nice autumn day in San Francisco, 1969.

andys120

fintail

Looks like a 67 Galaxie 2 door HT to the left of a two tone 62-63 Comet wagon.

ab348 said:

A nice autumn day in San Francisco, 1969.

Lostwrench3

Well, HOLIDAY is a big clue. I'll go with the Olds '56 Holiday.

magnette

The picture with the Oldsmobile Holiday shows an odd car behind the driver
I assumed this was a film in Italy but is it from some fake foreign location like in The Saint or something ?

The reason I ask is that the estate car behind him looks like a Morris Oxford Series IV Traveller

I can't post a picture at the moment but this link should show what I mean

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Morris_Oxford_Series_IV_rear.jpg

I have noticed this a lot in old British shows like Danger Man as well - the Riviera or Rome suddenly has half the people driving Austins or something

fintail

The Olds pic appears to have background signage in French.

ab348

Back to the Getty Museum's collection of L.A. pics by Ed Ruscha - this 1973 shot of Hollywood-Sunset Used Cars would surely inspire confidence in anything one bought there.

andys120

Lostwrench3 said:

Well, HOLIDAY is a big clue. I'll go with the Olds '56 Holiday.

That's right, it's from the 1960 movie Breathless.After the tourists leave the Old pierside the JP Belmondo character steals it. You can tel that New Wave director Jean-Luc Goddard liked cars. They feature prominently in most of his movies

magnette

I hadn't realised thats where the picture was from - a great film and also not likely to feature the random old bangers from the backlot of Elstree TV studios!

Can't be a Morris then - I think more likely a Peugeot 403 Familiale (I think thats what they called the estate)

magnette

The shot of Hollywood Sunset isn't exactly full of cars for the stars although the Subaru is probably quite sound . Not sure about the ADO16 which appears to have the remnants of an MG grille and bonnet...

stickguy

Early and mid 60s falcons surrounding the little white car. Super early Subaru? I was wondering what that was.

ab348

magnette said:

The shot of Hollywood Sunset isn't exactly full of cars for the stars although the Subaru is probably quite sound . Not sure about the ADO16 which appears to have the remnants of an MG grille and bonnet...

The Subaru 360 was imported by Malcolm Bricklin of later 1970s Bricklin SV-1 fame (SV standing for "safety vehicle"). They were a microcar and roundly condemned by Consumer Reports, who gave it their dreaded "Not Acceptable" rating. It maxed out at somewhere around 50mph. A 25hp 2-stroke engine, 965lbs, suicide doors. What could possibly go wrong?

The MG 1100 and later 1300 was sold in the US from 1963 through 1968. Early on it was the only ADO16 sold in the US though Austin versions came later. I remember seeing ads for it in Road & Track at the time. I found it odd that we never got it in Canada although we had the Austin 1100 (no Morris version here I believe though I am unsure of when Morris-badged cars exited the Canadian market).

fintail

Just a few here, should zoom in enough for easy ID.

Pic is kind of cool to me, as my dad was in the grocery industry, and worked for this (local?) chain for many years.

stickguy

Pontiac on the left. Tempest of F85? the Rope drive?

tmart

Falcon and mid 50’s Chevy. Can you believe TP three for a dollar!

fintail

Mt. Rainier, 50s, zooms in well enough:

Lostwrench3

stickguy said:

Pontiac on the left. Tempest of F85? the Rope drive?

Oops. Not a Pontiac.

Lostwrench3

Day off from Ft. Lewis duty. Rode around that mountain. Deepest snow I've ever seen.

tmart

fintail said:

Mt. Rainier, 50s, zooms in well enough:

Lincoln, 54 Ford Ranch Wagon, 49/51 Ford, guessing a 51, 56 Ford Fairlane.

bhill2

Lostwrench3 said:

stickguy said:

Pontiac on the left. Tempest of F85? the Rope drive?

Oops. Not a Pontiac.

I think it's an early Buick Special. Do I win the gold ring?

Lostwrench3

bhill2 said:

Lostwrench3 said:

stickguy said:

Pontiac on the left. Tempest of F85? the Rope drive?

Oops. Not a Pontiac.

I think it's an early Buick Special. Do I win the gold ring?

Yes, 1961 Buick Special. I'll mail the gold ring when I find it. It's around here somewhere.

ab348

I thought I had posted this one a while ago but a search does not show any results, so here goes. Somewhere in New Jersey, early 1970s, expands some:

imidazol97

Was that called Special or is it a Special Skylark...

stickguy

A few imports. Peugeot wagon, probably none left in this country. And a row back, SAAB (96?) wagon. Up the hill a white Volvo 144.

Left center, nice looking triumph TR4.

magnette

An Imperial beside the Peugeot 404 n the far right corner is something streamlined and maybe prewar or early post WW2 and the light green Chevrolet wagon is about a 65?
Adjacent to that is a large pickup with a pump or engine the back and I think that is a Dodge?

stickguy

Yes that’s a dodge PU

ab348

I note what I believe is a Datsun 510 wagon in red hiding behind the Poojoe wagon. Next to the late '40s Streamliner on the far right is what appears to be a Dodge or Plymouth fuselage-body wagon.

tmart

I'll grab the Ford Country Squire at back left, and the Thunderbird in row four, and pretty blue Mustang in row two.

andys120

Two-tone van w open rear hatch next to house isn't a VW. Perhaps it's a Mercedes 319.

fintail

I notice in that pic the 50s/finned stuff has aged out already. Yes, the oldie at right is a just-prewar or just-postwar Mopar.

The only two tone van I notice, pulling or adjacent to a trailer. to the left of the house, is a Falcon/Econoline.

I think the red wagon diagonal to the rear of the Peugeot at front is a Corolla.

Lostwrench3

imidazol97 said:

Was that called Special or is it a Special Skylark...

There was the 1961 Buick Special.
A model of the 1961 Buick Special was the Skylark called the Buick Skylark which was a Buick Special.
Good eye! The thick side strip going forward from the tail light made it a Buick Skylark a model of the Buick Special.

imidazol97

I know there was a lot of name ID attempt in these small cars.

I have this as a 1962 Skylark convertible. In the brochure, they don't
use the name "Special." But the name Special is used for the more
mundane models. Skylark was a model series to itself.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buick_Skylark#:~:text=In 1962, the Skylark Special,of the Year for 1962.&text=The 1963 Special was available,convertible, and a station wagon.

andys120

My recollection is that it was introduced in MY 1960 as the Buick Special. At some point
(1961?) the top-of-line version became the Special Sylark. At some point they dropped "Special" and they all became Skylarks. I once drove a '65 Skylark that belonged to a friend's
family once and I'll tell you it was nothing special.

andys120

Late 1940's Boston street, enlarge via "view image".

I'll call the Kaiser parked on right under "Goldman Bros" sign, It's probably 1946-48 vintage. A couple of cars visible are pre WWII.

fintail

Quite a few prewar cars there. Oldest looks like maybe a 34 Chevy in the nearmost lane at far right, kind of diagonally ahead of the white truck.

ab348

A ‘46-‘48 Olds coupe in front of Spagnuolo’s bakery.

In the travel lane heading towards the camera, the 3rd car in line looks rather compact compared to the others.

andys120

This can be enlarged>

ab348 said:

A ‘46-‘48 Olds coupe in front of Spagnuolo’s bakery.

In the travel lane heading towards the camera, the 3rd car in line looks rather compact compared to the others.

It definitely looks smaller but it looks like a Studebaker.

andys120

andys120 said:

This can be enlarged>

ab348 said:

A ‘46-‘48 Olds coupe in front of Spagnuolo’s bakery.

In the travel lane heading towards the camera, the 3rd car in line looks rather compact compared to the others.

It definitely looks smaller but it looks like a Studebaker.

FWIW there are a coupla Italian names on those stores, perhaps this was taken in or near
the North End.

magnette

Behind the Kaiser is a Hudson although not sure of the model - would that be a Straight Eight?

The car with the missing grille in front of the Studebaker - has it got portholes on the sides of the hood ie a Buick?

Finally car behind the Studebaker looks like a 38 or so Ford I think

ab348

magnette said:

The car with the missing grille in front of the Studebaker - has it got portholes on the sides of the hood ie a Buick?

The Buick portholes as we came to know them did not come along until the 1949 model year. This car may or may not be a Buick but lots of cars in the 30s and early 40s had functional louvers on the sides of their folding hood assemblies.

ab348

Solvang CA again, this time in 1965. Look what stopped by for a visit again! This should expand nicely.

andys120

Solvang: newest car is the Gen II Corvair 4-dr hartop (1965-69).