Mystery car pix

magnette

Daewoo here was sold for a time as a Chevrolet since collapse of the original brand - it means we had such delights as the Chevrolet Matiz

I remember an ad on the radio which said the Matiz was still a traditional Chevy and tried to make it sound like they were flogging a Bel-Air or whatever.

(cue Beach Boys music etc..)

fintail

Suzuki Reno and Forenza were also Daewoo-based. Cars like the Aveo always seemed to have the Daewoo shining through.

My sister had a Sonic for something like 6 years, no real issues with it, but depreciation was on par with a complex luxobarge.

andys120

stickguy

VW bus. 2 back from that a Studebaker

Lostwrench3

1961 Dodge Dart followed by a 1957 DeSoto.

fintail

Newest cars visible the Dodge and a 61 Ford.

tmart

Three 59 Fords , a 60 Ford, the 61 already mentioned, 59 Chevy.

Lostwrench3

Behind the VW bus? I'll go with its being a 1956 Buick.

andys120

Lostwrench3

1954 Pontiac.
Side badge is a big clue.

magnette

The car beyond the 54 Pontiac - is it a 46 Hudson?

fintail

Badge on the car in front of the Pontiac does resemble a Hudson, early postwar.

Stake truck parked on the street at left appears to be Jeep pickup-based.

andys120

The car in front of the Poncho looks like mid 30s GM (my Gramps had a '35 Buick.) I don't know how you tell a '54 Pontiac from a '53.

andys120

tmart

andys120 said:

56 Ford Country Sedan

stickguy

andys120 said:

I assume some version of an Allard.

explorerx4

@stickguy,
Are you going to update your sig?

andys120

stickguy said:

andys120 said:

I assume some version of an Allard.

Nope, not an Allard but it bore par of a well-known name in Brit cars.

stickguy

a Healey?

ab348

The British roadster is a Healey Silverstone.

Source indicates the pic was taken in Pittsburgh at the side entrance to the William Penn Hotel. I looked at it on Streetview and I believe this is Oliver Ave.

magnette

The reason I thought that car as a 46 Hudson is this picture I found a few months ago showing a similar car - registered in Liverpool in 1948 but clearly photographed in the early 50s - it was in a local suburb here in east London.

Clearly American cars were not imported into immediate post-war Britain as we were broke, so it could have come via some sort of diplomatic connection or from US forces maybe.

fintail

IIRC 6 cylinder Hudsons have a one piece rear winshield, 8 cylinder have a 3 piece like in the UK pic.

andys120

ab348 said:

The British roadster is a Healey Silverstone.

.

That's correct, it is a Healey Silverstone ca.1955-56. The guy behind the wheel is Ed Hugus a Pittsburgh import car dealer and an active sports car racer who drove Cobras for Shelby in the 1960s.

ab348

andys120 said:

ab348 said:

The British roadster is a Healey Silverstone.

.

That's correct, it is a Healey Silverstone ca.1955-56. The guy behind the wheel is Ed Hugus a Pittsburgh import car dealer and an active sports car racer who drove Cobras for Shelby in the 1960s.

No, that's not Ed Hugus. The driver is far older. Hugus is standing on the sidewalk.

ab348

Mining The Old Motor site seems popular here, so here is a pic that has not yet been posted. St. Catherine's, Ontario circa 1968. Let's see what cream puffs are on the used-car lot at Garden City Rambler today! Maybe check out those newfangled Ski-Doos also!

explorerx4

Rambler Ambassador front and center, although kind of hiding behind the telephone pole.

stickguy

is the White 4 door between the red Impala convertible and the VW bug one of those weird Canadian Pontiacs that are just rebadged Chevies? it looks like a Malibu to me, but the nose looks wrong and like a Pontiac.

explorerx4

Adam on RCC's has a video of a Canadian Mercury/Ford(Meteor).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkF8cjH1vmY

and a Canadian Pontiac.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfKMk0HY4nc

ab348

Meteors were sort of like Pontiacs up here in the Great White North when I was growing up. They were everywhere. I think in the case of both marques they were perceived as slightly more prestigious than the Chevy or Ford they were based on, but for close to the same price. Dad owned a '61 Meteor, bought new, but didn't keep it long. I only remember that it was painted white and had a very soft suspension which is why I think he ended up ditching it.

sda

The ‘big’ six in the Pontiac seemed out of place to me as I always relate that model having a V8. As Adam mentioned not a good high speed highway runner as it is geared to short. I did find the Galaxie dashboard in the Meteor also interesting. Both are cool and unique. I have bumped into his initial videos from several years back. It does appear he has owned many of these cars for an extended period.

ab348

stickguy said:

is the White 4 door between the red Impala convertible and the VW bug one of those weird Canadian Pontiacs that are just rebadged Chevies? it looks like a Malibu to me, but the nose looks wrong and like a Pontiac.

Yes, a Beaumont, sold by Pontiac dealers, but just a very slightly altered Chevelle.

fintail

63 Impala convertible behind the Impala convertible in the foreground.

andys120

<img src="https://fordauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Ford-Mondeo-Wagon-In-Peoria-Arizona-Exte

andys120

stickguy

your bad link gives it away. But my guess was a fusion wagon we don't get!

xwesx

stickguy said:

your bad link gives it away. But my guess was a fusion wagon we don't get!

Yes, we clearly were cheated on this one! Granted, we all know it would have tanked because people just don't buy wagons here in enough numbers, but an AWD Fusion is begging to be in wagon form.

explorerx4

One of my kids is really hoping it(Fusion/Mondeo wagon) will come here.

stickguy

well, Ford does not do cars any longer. So just raise it a couple of inches, throw on some cladding, and call it a CUV. Basically outback the thing.

Michaell

1. US market doesn’t want cars
2. US market won’t buy wagons

Therefore…

3. Any cool wagons we see available in Europe won’t ever make it here.

fintail

Even the non-AMG E wagon is now solely "all terrain" here, as boring rich people are as in to the false pretense and tired image of "adventure" as anyone.

Michaell said:

1. US market doesn’t want cars
2. US market won’t buy wagons

Therefore…

3. Any cool wagons we see available in Europe won’t ever make it here.

andys120

stickguy said:

well, Ford does not do cars any longer. So just raise it a couple of inches, throw on some cladding, and call it a CUV. Basically outback the thing.

That's the plan--for non-US markets-- the 2022 Mondeo Estate will be "lifted" and restyled to give a more "burly" look.

andys120

fintail said:

Even the non-AMG E wagon is now solely "all terrain" here, as boring rich people are as in to the false pretense and tired image of "adventure" as anyone.

Michaell said:

1. US market doesn’t want cars
2. US market won’t buy wagons

Therefore…

3. Any cool wagons we see available in Europe won’t ever make it here.

They're available but they really cost. https://www.audiusa.com/us/web/en/models/a6/rs6-avant/2022/overview.html

fintail

Indeed.

Apparently E63 wagon is on hold right now, not even on the mbusa site for 22 models.

andys120 said:

fintail said:

Even the non-AMG E wagon is now solely "all terrain" here, as boring rich people are as in to the false pretense and tired image of "adventure" as anyone.

Michaell said:

1. US market doesn’t want cars
2. US market won’t buy wagons

Therefore…

3. Any cool wagons we see available in Europe won’t ever make it here.

They're available but they really cost. https://www.audiusa.com/us/web/en/models/a6/rs6-avant/2022/overview.html

Michaell

fintail said:

Even the non-AMG E wagon is now solely "all terrain" here, as boring rich people are as in to the false pretense and tired image of "adventure" as anyone.

Michaell said:

1. US market doesn’t want cars
2. US market won’t buy wagons

Therefore…

3. Any cool wagons we see available in Europe won’t ever make it here.

Can’t wait for a cosplay couple to take the MB wagon, lift it a couple of inches, and add gold wheels and knobby tires. Plus a roof box or basket, and a light bar on the grille.

magnette

Autocar magazine said recently that the best selling vehicle in Britain in the last year has been the Ford Transit van - outselling the Ford Fiesta - last few years winner- by a significant margin for first time ever.

Some caveats though

Small cars not doing well as manufacturers are trying to push more expensive and larger SUV type hybrids as they have to hit a target of less ICE vehicles and to sell more electrics.

Also most vans in the south East - by far the most populated area of UK - need to be replaced as they aren't able now to avoid the London environmental zone charges (ULEZ) and that means new vans generally will sell well - and Transit has for 50 years been the market leader.

We have seen some anomalies too.

Suzuki introduced their new Jimney here in about 2018 and it sold well with a year long waiting list - but it has high fuel consumption compared with a more typical car (say a Fiesta) as it is a 4x4
If Suzuki sell more cars in Europe including here they will be fined for having a higher level of inefficient fuel consuming cars in their product line - so instead they have dropped the Jimney - their best seller - and in UK are likely to pull out altogether - as will Subaru too

I'm all in favour of reducing pollution but we are getting a market heavily biased towards the likes of SUVs and lighter cars like the Fiesta or the Fiat 500 are going to be edged out.

You can't make a fully electric car small enough to get a good range as it would be too heavy and anyway our infrastructure doesn't lend itself to pure electric cars in some areas

Where people have off road parking - ie a drive, garage or parking spot - they can have a plug in hybrid or pure electric car

In much of London, and several of other large conurbations - we have on-street parking and it isn't possible to plug a car in in such places.

My street has about thirty spaces in the street for about forty five houses and a couple of businesses and we have two way traffic and bus stops as well as a couple of side road junctions so there are areas no-one can park in.

There is one electric car space in our street and another is due by next year. When I was still working I was offered an electric as an option on my next company car (the firm would have got a grant for giving me one and it would save them tax too but I was leaving anyway - but in reality I can't have a plug-in car as our car sits in the street and even if I get a spot directly outside there is a pavement (footpath) between the front of our property and the actual road - we can't trail a cable over that as it would trip people up...

We have no off road parking to our front as our front garden is only about eight feet deep and has steps to it anyway (we are on a slope)

At least I garage the Magnette in a lock up garage just up the street - with no access to a power supply though.

Lostwrench3

Off topic but happy to report I saw for the first time the Hyundai Santa Cruz. Nice.
Saw the prototype in 2015 in NYC.
Was supposed to be at the dealerships in 2017. Nope.
Was supposed to be at the dealerships in 2019. Nope.
Was supposed to be at the dealerships in 2021. Made it just by a few weeks.

fintail

I suspect the EV truck movement, especially those with techy styling, will be magnets for the affluent suburbanite rugged outdoorsy cosplay set. If the All Terrain models depreciate a little and remain reliable, I could see some ironic off-road builds. For me, the snow tire/wheel set is rugged enough.

Michaell said:

fintail said:

Even the non-AMG E wagon is now solely "all terrain" here, as boring rich people are as in to the false pretense and tired image of "adventure" as anyone.

Michaell said:

1. US market doesn’t want cars
2. US market won’t buy wagons

Therefore…

3. Any cool wagons we see available in Europe won’t ever make it here.

Can’t wait for a cosplay couple to take the MB wagon, lift it a couple of inches, and add gold wheels and knobby tires. Plus a roof box or basket, and a light bar on the grille.

fintail

I've seen one as well, oddly enough, when I was visiting a small town over Christmas. Nearest dealer is at least an hour a way, kind of a random sighting.

Lostwrench3 said:

Off topic but happy to report I saw for the first time the Hyundai Santa Cruz. Nice.
Saw the prototype in 2015 in NYC.
Was supposed to be at the dealerships in 2017. Nope.
Was supposed to be at the dealerships in 2019. Nope.
Was supposed to be at the dealerships in 2021. Made it just by a few weeks.

kyfdx

Santa Cruz: My boss actually bought one in August. Florida

ab348

The Hyundai El Cruzano pickups are surprisingly common locally. Not sure why as we typically are among the last places newly introduced models are seen. I was surprised how large it was.

Back to St. Catharines, here's another 1968 street scene. This illustrates an exotica from my youth. I only ever saw Sunoco stations (with their custom-blending pumps) when we visited New England, until we traveled to Ontario one summer and found some there. We never had Sunoco in Eastern Canada and still do not.