Mystery car pix

andys120

On the East side of the street next to a motorcycle is a smallish car which could be a Lancia Beta HPE (late60s-early70s).



The Beta was like most Fiat-based cars of that era, good looking but deeply flawed. Fiat had a deal with the Russians to build a car factory to make 124s for the Soviet market in exchange for a steep discount on Russian steel. That Soviet steel was of very poor quality and resulted in severe and premature rusting.

kyfdx

I came close to buying a '77 Beta (around 1987). I was a lot braver, then (dumber?).

fintail

Wow, lots of litter on the street in NYC then, I thought the old days were perfect and today was a disaster? I can just hear the music being played there, and it's disco.

I believe the Italian next to the motorcycles is a Fiat 128 Sport Coupe, which resembles a Lancia. 3 behind it, a MB W116. Two behind that, past the cross street, parked at the curb nearest the corner, appears to maybe be another W116. Across the street from it, on the left in the lane next to the Volvo, appears to be a MB R107 SL or SLC (appears to be SL from what I can see).

ab348

andys120 said:

The Beta was like most Fiat-based cars of that era, good looking but deeply flawed.

Clearly, the Beta needed more testing.

tjc78

I only see one Checker cab, usually you would see many more.

andys120

fintail said:

Coupe, which resembles a Lancia.

I believe the Italian next to the motorcycles is a Fiat 128 Sport Coupe, which resembles a Lancia. 3 behind it, a MB W116. Two behind that, past the cross street, parked at the curb nearest the corner, appears to maybe be another W116. Across the street from it, on the left in the lane next to the Volvo, appears to be a MB R107 SL or SLC (appears to be SL from what I can see).



You could bw right, there is a resemblance.

xwesx

A third generation Econoline with rectangle headlights. That must be nearly new at that point in time.

There might be an older one further up the street with round headlights, but, from that angle, I can't quite tell if it is a Ford or a Dodge.

The Ambulance looks a bit older as well: Maybe a '73 or '74. Perhaps a square-body Suburban on the extreme left edge of the image, just above the bread truck.

fintail

You're right, there's an older round light Econoline up the street. Behind the box/bread van might be a Dodge van.

xwesx said:

A third generation Econoline with rectangle headlights. That must be nearly new at that point in time.

There might be an older one further up the street with round headlights, but, from that angle, I can't quite tell if it is a Ford or a Dodge.

The Ambulance looks a bit older as well: Maybe a '73 or '74. Perhaps a square-body Suburban on the extreme left edge of the image, just above the bread truck.

fintail

Amazingly diverse assortment here, newest I see is a 64 (should zoom well):

explorerx4

I see Christine!

ab348

Those Boeing guys sure liked their funny furrin’ cars back then! Surprised they weren’t investigated for potential national security issues and foreign agent infiltration.

andys120

Car on the extreme left is a Renault 4CV. Split window VW Microbus on the far left.

stickguy

Volvo 120 Wagon. with a tiny sports car hiding behind it. Looks like a Triumph to me.

andys120

stickguy said:

Volvo 120 Wagon. with a tiny sports car hiding behind it. Looks like a Triumph to me.

Your sports car could be a "bugeye" Sprite.

Lostwrench3

Low left - 1955 Ford.

fintail

I agree about the tiny sports car being a Bugeye Sprite, appears to be dwarfed by a Hudson Jet.

andys120

sda

71 Celica ST

Lostwrench3

fintail said:

I agree about the tiny sports car being a Bugeye Sprite, appears to be dwarfed by a Hudson Jet.

At first I thought that was a Hudson Jet but saw that the tail lights don't match as did not that wide base of the C pillar.
As seen from the side, 4 verticles on the rear bumper are a hint of its being a Hudson but after spending much time trying to identify this thing, I have no answer.

fintail

I was thinking it was one like this:

Lostwrench3 said:

fintail said:

I agree about the tiny sports car being a Bugeye Sprite, appears to be dwarfed by a Hudson Jet.

At first I thought that was a Hudson Jet but saw that the tail lights don't match as did not that wide base of the C pillar.
As seen from the side, 4 verticles on the rear bumper are a hint of its being a Hudson but after spending much time trying to identify this thing, I have no answer.

fintail

Same location as the 1968 photo above, but in 1960, a few should be easy to ID:

stickguy

Renault Dauphine next to the building. Black rambler wagon across the aisle. And in the back a Jeepster

Lostwrench3

Aha! Found it.
1954 Plymouth Savoy.

fintail

Lostwrench3 said:

Aha! Found it.
1954 Plymouth Savoy.

Ah that's right yes, the 2 door sedan with the kink/reverse slant C-pillar behind the tiny sports car. I was thinking of the car directly adjacent, to the left.

imidazol97

fintail said:

I was thinking it was one like this:

Lostwrench3 said:

fintail said:

I agree about the tiny sports car being a Bugeye Sprite, appears to be dwarfed by a Hudson Jet.

At first I thought that was a Hudson Jet but saw that the tail lights don't match as did not that wide base of the C pillar.
As seen from the side, 4 verticles on the rear bumper are a hint of its being a Hudson but after spending much time trying to identify this thing, I have no answer.

It has the chrome on the c-pillar but none elsewhere. Looks like a '54
Jet from what I could find. Low level model

This is the car in the third row, partially occluded by the two gentlemen
walking to the right of the picture.

imidazol97

Lostwrench3 said:

Aha! Found it.
1954 Plymouth Savoy.

That's the car in the second row. The two walkers have passed it.
I kept seeing '53 Chevrolet. But I think it's been correctly identified
now as a Plymouth.

tmart

59 Ford far left.

andys120

stickguy

Firebird. Assume it is a Formula from the hood nostrils. Not sure how to tell years from 70-72 but somewhere in there.

andys120

Yup, it's a 1972 Pontiac Firebird Formula, Nice looking rig but the vinyl roof covering detracts IMO

andys120

sda

I drooled over this one when I was 12 and would love to have it now. 71 Formula 455.

texases

I remember the Formula being the one to get if you didn't want to deal with the Trans Am's looks.

andys120

texases said:

I remember the Formula being the one to get if you didn't want to deal with the Trans Am's looks.

Originally the Trans Am was the more conservative of the two.

andys120

texases said:

I remember the Formula being the one to get if you didn't want to deal with the Trans Am's looks.

Originally, before the appearance of the Great Chicken, the Trans-Am was the more conservatively styled of the two

stickguy

That car is gorgeous.

texases

Nice, but flashier to my eyes...

texases

andys120 said:

Looks like some kind of Genesis (headlights), but doesn't match the ones on their site.
???

Michaell

Looks like the G90 (like @abacomike has)

texases

Michaell said:

Looks like the G90 (like @abacomike has)

You're right, it's the 2023 G90, not out yet.

fintail

The rear quarter window on that Genesis is criminally bad, embarrassing.

tjc78

I kinda like the wheels… although I wouldn’t want to clean them.

Tiny window is just a weird design. It’s like the designer wanted something and when they took the car to sheet metal it wouldn’t work and this was the middle ground.

texases

Yeah, just make the C pillar bigger, clean it all up.

fintail

Not a fan of the beltline upkick either. "Character" I suppose.

Wheels also seem familiar, somehow:

andys120

This was shot in the 80s but several cars date back to the 60s.

stickguy

MGB GT on right in front of the big Buick. Yellow SAAB 99 heading down the street.

And the nose of an early 80s wedge Supra at top left.

andys120

White over faded red Rambler American wagon parked on left, early 60s (oldest car)

andys120

Not sure if the red/black car is a Plymouth or a Dodge,,. I think it's MY1955.

Michaell

andys120 said:

Not sure if the red/black car is a Plymouth or a Dodge,,. I think it's MY1955.

I think that's the original Bob's Big Boy, in Burbank.

texases

I think that's a '56 Dodge Lancer.