Mystery car pix

andys120

Not a clue either.

It looks a lot like the new Benz S-Class but the front doesn't look right.

nolid5

looks alot like a Infiniti G35 sedan

kyfdx

Yeah... I'm going with you...

Maybe the JDM Nissan version of the new G35?

jbollt

well..I'm guessing a new (current 2007?) JDM Toyota..Camry size or just smaller?

andre1969

It does look kinda Toyota-ish. Whatever it is, it looks to me like it might be RWD, with that long-ish nose and fairly long distance between the front axle and the firewall.

fintail

Yeah, I see a lot of Toyota in it too, in the front and rear proportions especially.

S-class is a lot sharper

boomchek

It might be an 07 MB C Class, but the rear end does look Toyota-ish.

subearu

Lexus looking, but methinks it's a Toyota that us yanks don't get. Looks about the size of an Avalon, but more curvy.

-Brian

bumpy

Everyone is dancing around the answer. Our bugger is a 2007 Toyota Mark X, so named because it is the tenth generation of the Toyota Mark II (which we knew for a while as the Cressida). It comes with either a 2.5 or 3.0 V6 and either RWD or AWD. Toyota pitches it as a junior executive sedan, which might explain some of what's going on here.

bumpy

stickguy

'62 Catalina?

fintail

I think you're right on the Catalina part (I see the nameplate), but that's a 63 or 64

gsemike

Damn shame to see it like that. That could be a nice car.

ateixeira

Mark X has that same droopy hood that the BMW Z3 had. I hate that look. It sort of looks sad and pathetic.

-juice

andre1969

is a '64. The '63 had more of a forward thrust to the headlights that gave it a sportier, more agressive stance. About 13 years ago I came kinda close to buying a '64 convertible that was for sale locally. In retrospect I'm glad I didn't, because it had issues. Wouldn't start, for one thing. And it had been repainted a gaudy lilac/pinkish color. And I'm not about to make a career change into the cosmetics industry!

ateixeira

Make Model Aug 2006 Jul 2006 YTD 2006 YTD 2005
Toyota Scion xA 3,111 2,805 22,905 18,224
MINI Cooper 2,387 2,612 19,186 20,767

Just for reference.

I think it's funny that the Cooper is talked about SOOO much, yet sales are relatively insignificant.

It outsold the xA last year, but with higher gas prices I guess the xA picked up and the Mini was aged a bit.

Any how, I just think it's funny how the Mini has such an incredible image, yet Scion sells more of its cheapest model.

-juice

imidazol97

What's the rectangle on the side next to the headlight? Side marker light? Those weren't normally on the 64s, were they?

andre1969

I'm guessing the amber-ish rectangle is just an aftermarket reflector somebody glued on the car. Side marker lights wouldn't have been mandated until 1968, and that first year they were shaped like the Pontiac arrowhead logo. I don't know what the grayish little blotch near it is, either.

It looks like the car has an engine badge on the fender, ahead of the door. I didn't think 389 cars used a badge. Maybe this one was a 421?

andys120

Any how, I just think it's funny how the Mini has such an incredible image, yet Scion sells more of its cheapest model

Xa sales are quite good, imagine how strong they'd be if it had the power and handling of the MCS .

Keep in mind as well that Mini has a lot fewer dealers than Scion and that neither Mini nor BMW have any interest in competing with Toyota/Scion in the Mass market.

Niche marketing has made BMW Group one of the most profitable automakers on the planet.

andys120

We had a '64 but it was a four-door H/T. Andre may be right about the engine badge. 389 Catalinas did not have badges (except possibly Tri-Powers). I recall some models had their 421 Badges forward on the fenders where that wreck has the (non-stock) reflector.

andys120

andre1969

I have no idea, but it looks kinda like a 2-door version of that little thing that Iluvmysephia wants.

bumpy

Too easy for me, but I will say it's not a Geo Metro.

fintail

Suzuki is easy, from there...

derrado1

Suzuki Swift Sport. The Swift is a great car, even the uppity British mags agree with that. The Sport is the new incarnation of the much-loved Swift GTi.

I must say, though, I don't like the different bodywork on the Sport. One of those drooping Audi grilles, and it doesn't suit the Swift.

andys120

Suzuki Swift Sport.

Right!

andys120

How many of these Production Sports Cars can you ID?

lemko

...since I'm not good at identifying older sports cars, but here goes: is the car on the far left a Morgan, the center car an AC Ace and the one on the right an Austin-Healey?

gsemike

but who knows what the heck the name is?

andys120

One out of three ain't bad. The car on the left is a Morgan.

Anyone got the other ones?

andre1969

they don't still call it the Hombre, do they?

michaellno

Is the Isuzu i-290 or the i-350, depending on which engine is under the hood --- Colorado/Canyon clone.

stickguy

is one of them a Cunningham?

tmart

Back right is a VW Van.

andys120

Back right is a VW Van.

You have very sharp eyes, Tmart.

The car in the middle is a Siata 208S Spyder which looks like a Cunningham C3 because they both have Vignale coachwork
and on the right is an AC Ace (Bristol).

andys120

andre1969

I would guess that's a Holden Caprice, but not sure of the year. late 90's, maybe?

andys120

Good guess Andre, I think 1996 counts as late 90s

andys120

gsemike

Look at the size of those side windows!! It's like the anti-300. How I miss seeing out of the windows.

ateixeira

I-280, rather than 290, since it's a 2.8l engine.

Could also be an I-350.

I was gonna guess Omega for 22.

-juice

bumpy

The Atlas engine family got a longer stroke for 2007, so the Isuzus became i-290 and i-370.

derrado1

Nope. It's a Holden Calais. Calais is the most luxurious SWB variant, whereas Statesman and Caprice are LWB.

Generally Holden are pretty good at distinguishing different generations, but the transition from VR to VS was one of the most invisible. I'd say it's probably a 1996, though.

ohuggy

Fun forum, I'll get involved!

derrado1

I'm going to take a wild guess and say... Brazilian Chevy Monza 2-dr? Because that looks a bit like a Fiat Palio next to it. But hey, that's just an out-there guess.

ohuggy

Yes, its a Brazilian Chevy! 1986 Opala, based on the '67 Opel Rekord.

derrado1

When I was little, I had this Deutsch Autokatalog. Don't know where I got it from, but it had pretty much every vehicle on sale anywhere at the time. It was written in German, of course, but I remember the pictures vividly. They had a whole page on Brazilian Chevys and... oh dear, I really regret cutting out the individual pics. The magazine was falling apart, I should have put it in a folder.

Oh well. I was young and stupid.

Auf Wiedersehn.

gsemike

I had no idea what it was but my first instict is that it was a 60s car kept around for a long time with an 80s nose slapped onto it.

magnette

Alvis, but its not a Park Ward standard body, so not a regular Td/Te/Tf21 - and it doesn't look like a Tc108 either - most of those were styled by Graber, although the bodies were made in UK by a firm called Willowbrook who were better known for buses.
The other cars around it are all Alvis too, but too early for this forum...

magnette

The car beside the Japanese Hillman Minx is a Renault 750, licence built 4cv, which was made in Japan by Hino, between about 1957-61. Even after that they made a car called the Hino Contessa, which was styled in Japan, but had a floorpan closely related to Renault. The car on the other side is an Austin A50 made under licence by Nissan, who previously had a go at the A40 Somerset...Before the war Nissan had made a car which was like a clone of the Austin 7, -I think they had a licence arrangement on that first, but updated it without consent and Austin imported one into Britain in 1937 - almost certainly the first Japanese car outside Asia - to see if they had infringed any patents. The car still exists, it is at Beaulieu, in our National Motor Museum...