Mystery car pix

stickguy

A not my maverick in the front. Far side a 4 door Datsun 510. And I think a Toyota corona behind it.

fintail

I believe the car behind the 510 is indeed a Toyota, but a Carina - I think all 2 door Corona models were hardtops.

ab348

There’s a bit of a story behind these pics. Back in the ‘70s, McDonalds bought an old 1940s/‘50s-vintage supermarket on one of the main streets in Halifax just a couple of blocks where we lived back then. When they remodeled it, they had large photos of some neighborhood street scenes on the interior walls. Maybe a decade ago, they redecorated and the photos were gone.

A couple of years ago, the supermarket that succeeded the old one McD’s moved into, which is just down the street a ways, also redecorated and lo and behold, they installed new versions of those same pics in their entry alcove. They’re a decent size but mounted low so it’s hard to get good pics of them without kneeling down in there, but these didn’t turn out too badly. The first one appears to be from the late 1950s, the other 2 from the early ‘60s. This is Quinpool Rd. In Halifax.

Lostwrench3

1956 Pontiac.
1961 Pontiac.
Movies - Boy on a Dolphin - 1957. Quiet Gun - 1957. The Childrens' Hour - 1961.

fintail

2 different British roadsters and a few other British cars. 105E Anglia driving away in the lower pic. Didn't spot any 60 Fords/Meteors.

bhill2

In the middle picture I can't quite figure out what's the flattop being tailgated by the roadster. Can anyone else?

andys120

The Brit roadster is an MG-TF (ca.54-57 IIRC)

andys120

Brochure art>

ab348

bhill2 said:

In the middle picture I can't quite figure out what's the flattop being tailgated by the roadster. Can anyone else?

In that pic I couldn't figure out what was the roadster trailing the flattop, which I believe is a Pontiac.

What jumped out at me in that pic was the '62 Chevy BelAir bubbletop parked at the curb. I don't think it has a 409 under the hood like they all apparently are contractually obligated to have these days.

imidazol97

bhill2 said:

In the middle picture I can't quite figure out what's the flattop being tailgated by the roadster. Can anyone else?

bhill2 said:

In the middle picture I can't quite figure out what's the flattop being tailgated by the roadster. Can anyone else?

I'll take 1961 or 1962 Pontiac for $500. The Catalinas sedans kept the rear overhang
so it looks like a flattop from that angle.

kyfdx

imidazol97 said:

bhill2 said:

In the middle picture I can't quite figure out what's the flattop being tailgated by the roadster. Can anyone else?

bhill2 said:

In the middle picture I can't quite figure out what's the flattop being tailgated by the roadster. Can anyone else?

I'll take 1961 or 1962 Pontiac for $500. The Catalinas sedans kept the rear overhang
so it looks like a flattop from that angle.

Has to be a '61? Taillights were different for '62

kyfdx

'62 rear end

stickguy

the wheels on that red caddy convertible are just hideous.

kyfdx

stickguy said:

the wheels on that red caddy convertible are just hideous.

Looks like a restomod.

ab348

fintail said:

2 different British roadsters and a few other British cars. 105E Anglia driving away in the lower pic. Didn't spot any 60 Fords/Meteors.

I'm thinking the 1957 pic has a MG TF while the later pic has a TD.

fintail

ab348 said:

fintail said:

2 different British roadsters and a few other British cars. 105E Anglia driving away in the lower pic. Didn't spot any 60 Fords/Meteors.

I'm thinking the 1957 pic has a MG TF while the later pic has a TD.

Car in the later pic appears to have faired-in headlights. I am getting a Morgan vibe from it.

fintail

bhill2 said:

In the middle picture I can't quite figure out what's the flattop being tailgated by the roadster. Can anyone else?

Roadster may be the real oddball, perhaps Skoda Felicia? I know a handful made it to this side of the pond.

fintail

Oncoming in the second pic, a VW van with a bullet Bird behind it, and maybe behind that, a BMC (Austin) Farina.

White 61 Pontiac 4 door HT in the last pic looks fetching with wide whites and the windows down.

stickguy

I agree that the 2nd picture looks to squared off to be an MG.

I also don't know how to tell the difference between a TD and TF MG. I think the TD still had disk wheels?

texases

fintail said:

ab348 said:

fintail said:

2 different British roadsters and a few other British cars. 105E Anglia driving away in the lower pic. Didn't spot any 60 Fords/Meteors.

I'm thinking the 1957 pic has a MG TF while the later pic has a TD.

Car in the later pic appears to have faired-in headlights. I am getting a Morgan vibe from it.

I think you got it. And it's a rarer one, a Plus 4 four seater tourer:

ab348

texases said:

fintail said:

ab348 said:

fintail said:

2 different British roadsters and a few other British cars. 105E Anglia driving away in the lower pic. Didn't spot any 60 Fords/Meteors.

I'm thinking the 1957 pic has a MG TF while the later pic has a TD.

Car in the later pic appears to have faired-in headlights. I am getting a Morgan vibe from it.

I think you got it. And it's a rarer one, a Plus 4 four seater tourer:

I think you nailed it. Cannot imagine a Morgan running around here in 1961, but there it is.

Also, I just noticed that in the first pic you can see the Dominion Stores supermarket that McD’s later took over and which had these pics originally on the walls inside. It’s on the right some distance ahead just beyond the shop with the paint sign, with a box truck on the street adjacent to it.

ab348

fintail said:

Roadster may be the real oddball, perhaps Skoda Felicia? I know a handful made it to this side of the pond.

My mind was boggled by a Morgan being in the other pic, but I just looked up the Felicia and you may be right. The taillights and the angled nameplate script on the trunk lid checks out.

I can’t recall ever seeing a Skoda here when I was a kid, but we had Borgwards and other 1960-adjacent oddball imports too, and we are a seaport making them a bit more available, so who knows?

imidazol97

@kyfdx said:
'62 rear end

I remember that from 1962.
Thx for straightening it out.

kyfdx

imidazol97 said:

@kyfdx said:

'62 rear end

I remember that from 1962.

Thx for straightening it out.

My mother had a ‘62 Star Chief. It’s the first car in our family that I remember. 😉

fintail

Spokane, 1978, zooms well:

stickguy

Chevy II wagon 2 ahead of the Econoline van.

and a bunny rabbit.

explorerx4

Green Ford pickup on the left and a Blazer parked in front of it.

ab348

'73 fuselage Plymouth parked at the curb ahead of the Rabbit.

magnette

It must have been a rare sight over there - and indeed here then - to see a Skoda - especially a Felicia roadster - but to combine it with a Morgan

Unicorn droppings would be more common

fintail

magnette said:

It must have been a rare sight over there - and indeed here then - to see a Skoda - especially a Felicia roadster - but to combine it with a Morgan

Unicorn droppings would be more common

I wonder if the drivers of those cars were local sports car club members out for a drive. Hell of a coincidence for a couple of hen's teeth to be together like that.

ab348

magnette said:

It must have been a rare sight over there - and indeed here then - to see a Skoda - especially a Felicia roadster - but to combine it with a Morgan

Unicorn droppings would be more common

The only time I ever saw a Skoda on the roads here was over a decade ago when the World Junior Hockey Championships were held here. Skoda was a sponsor of the event and provided "official cars" for personnel running it. They were the rebadged VWs they offered at the time.

andys120

tmart

Not seeing anything but an arrow pointed right.

xwesx

RR Ghost!

explorerx4

Plymouth Arrow?

texases

At a Chevron station?

ab348

Since Andy’s pic failed to launch, here’s one to substitute, not the greatest but a lot to sleuth out. The source says this is Marquette, MI, 1973. Should expand decently.

kyfdx

Early Maverick?

ab348

kyfdx said:

Early Maverick?

Painted in “Hulla Blue”, I think. 😊

fintail

Towards the left in the middle row there's a then brand-new squarebody Suburban with what looks like a 66 T-Bird beside it and maybe a Gremlin on the other side.

explorerx4

Volvo 144(?) next to the Cadillac.

Michaell

How did people get around then?

All that snow, and the only thing that might have 4WD is the Suburban.

/end sarcasm

tmart

Two Ford Country Squires.

ab348

Michaell said:

How did people get around then?

All that snow, and the only thing that might have 4WD is the Suburban.

/end sarcasm

Not only that, but with only a pair of bias-ply snow tires on just the rear wheels!

andys120

Michaell said:

How did people get around then?

All that snow, and the only thing that might have 4WD is the Suburban.

/end sarcasm

I think I'm the only one in my NH own of around 5000 who drives a RWD car all year round.

stickguy

Vega next to the Squire. and the front of that row a '71 Charger

bhill2

explorerx4 said:

Volvo 144(?) next to the Cadillac.

Yes, most likely a 144. It triggers fond memories because I had a '72 164 of that color. The only reason I could afford it was 1) it was the end of the model year, and 2) it was a stick (which they could barely give away). Anyway, it allowed me to drive a car way above my financial status, which was grad student low. Plus, with the fuel injection and the rear-end ratio that went with the overdrive, it was faster than anybody expected a Volvo to be. It also was very popular with fellow students when a group of us went out to a pub or some such.

sda

The leather seats in the 164 were very comfortable. Even with the automatic the 164 would move out nicely if you knew to let get into the upper rpms and not let it short shift.

fintail

When I was a younger kid I thought 164s were related to Jaguars because of the fancy grille

ab348

I remember that in the early '70s when Dad went through his Volvo phase, the dealer tried to sell him a lightly used 164 they had on the lot when he took his 144 in for service one time. We had it for a day or two, and it also had a stick. I got to drive it and it seemed nice enough but the lack of an auto transmission meant he would never buy it.