Mystery car pix

andre1969

I did a little digging around, if anybody's interested. Looks like the Caravelle was launched in Canada in mid-year 1977, as essentially a rebadged Dodge Diplomat. In Canada it ran from 1977-1982, and then from 1983-89 was called Caravelle Salon, to differentiate it from the FWD Caravelle, which was a stretched K-car ala the Dodge 600, and which we finally got in the US for 1985. In a way, we did have it for 1983-84, under the Chrysler E-class name.

It's kinda interesting that they bothered to offer the Caravelle in Canada at all. In the United States, Plymouth didn't get a version of the Diplomat/LeBaron initially, because at the time they were fairly upscale cars, and a luxurious Plymouth would have competed too much with the Chryslers that were sitting on the same showroom floor.

By the early 80's, the Diplomat was stripped down considerably, and mainly used as a police/taxi type of vehicle. For 1982, Plymouth got a version called the Gran Fury. For the same reason, Plymouth initially didn't get a version of the stretched K-car in the US. Simply put, they just didn't want it to compete too much with the Chryslers.

Plymouth got screwed pretty badly throughout most of the 70's and then beyond, because of the way the Chrysler corp was set up. Since Plymouths and Chryslers were sold in the same showrooms, they'd never let a Plymouth get TOO nice, so all the better models tended to get badged as Chryslers. Dodge, being more independent, fared much better, as it got a much more broad lineup.

andys120

That makes sense, given that the picture of the '83 Caravelle taxi came from a Canadian website.

andys120

andre1969

It's a '57 Mercury, but the model names of the wagons elude me at the moment. I want to say Colony Park? Being a 4-door hardtop wagon, 3-seat model, and having that woodgrain crap on the side, I'd imagine it was the most expensive model Mercury offered that year!

magnette

I think the 3.4 is probably more fun because of the acceleration, but the Daimler is not much more than half the price here, it is smooth, well equipped, and because more of them were bought by older people, who didn't tend to drive them hard, they have survived in disproportionate numbers in UK...

seminole_kev

Oh I know the Daimler is a steal compared to the incredibly similar Mk II. (the original "S type" Jag sedans are also a good value as they are very similar to the Mk II sedans, but have the superior independent rear suspension...just not as good looking in my opinion). I was making the comment about the 3.4L as that is what is in the Mk2 sedan I have.

The recent issue of "Classic & Sports Car" magazine actually had a comparison test between the Daimler 250 and the Mk2.

seminole_kev

Oh, hey there Andre.

Site sure has changed quite a bit in the last year or so. I had stopped by a couple of months ago real quick and barely recognized it with the whole "Car Space" thing.

andys120

You're right Andre, '57 Colony Park H/T wagon it is.

andys120

Extra points as usual for background cars.

andre1969

I'm gonna guess a '64 Valiant Signet 4-door. As for the background vehicles, I'd guess a '64 Chevy pickup, and I think the cars are both '63 Bel Airs.

andre1969

Hey Kev! Good to see you again. Hope everything's going well with ya.

lemko

...and I think I can just make out a 1963-64 Chevrolet truck through the Valiant's windows.

seminole_kev

I'm doing ok Andre. Work leaves me with little spare time, so I haven't been working on the old Jag for awhile now. Going to take it up to a shop who can finish her up for me. I hate trading money for time, but I've got to.

How are the old gals in your stable doing?

andys120

Bingo on the '64 Valiant, I can't which model the Chevies are, I can barely make out that the pickup is a Chebbie.

andys120

derrado1

It's that 'mystery car' that was spotted in LA recently - the Honda Crossroad, which replaces the strangely interesting HR-V.

I've seen plenty of pics of this and I hope it comes to Australia. It's very... simple.

andys120

Correcto, looks a lot better than the new CR-V.

odie6l

Looks like a Pilot and a Element had a child.

Odie
Odie's Carspace

andys120

derrado1

Wow. Is that an early 90's Buick Riviera? If it is, they really did put them in the dryer for too long, didn't they?

I looked at it and thought Regal but something's not quite clicking with that.

seminole_kev

Not a large photo, but should be enough detail to get it.

seminole_kev

and one more...

chuck1959

No it doesn't! Too boxy for my taste.

chuck1959

Late 80's Chevy Celebrity Eurosport wagon?

seminole_kev

Yep.....the good old Celebrity "Eurosport". I remember, at the time, thinking the styling wasn't bad......but "Euro" wasn't the first thing that came to mind

fintail

Jag Mk 1 3.4...I think we had one of these a week or two ago.

fintail

White with black and red trim...so 'Euro'...I bet it sent shudders of fear into BMW and MB.

My brother had a Lumina 'Euro'...I always laughed at it just a little. Who did they think they were fooling? Oh yeah, middle America.

seminole_kev

Sorry Fintail, haven't been digging back through the threads....sorry about the "repeat".

Forgot about the Euro Lumina. I have to admit to somewhat liking the exterior styling of the Lumina Z34 (I think that was it) back in the day. Hey, what can I say.....

seminole_kev

Lumina Z34

Well, looked it up and I have to say I'm not sure why I liked it then.

andys120

derrado1

They do look cool, in an early 90's kind of way.

Kind of sporty, if you ignore the big ( :surprise: ) front overhang. I think the front spoiler just accentuates it.

Those early 90s Luminas may not have been great cars, but they looked pretty decent, IMO.

fintail

Simca?

fintail

I think the Luminas had odd styling...weird nose, and the relation to the greenhouse/trunk/wheelbase always looked a little off in my eyes. Combine that with the dreadful period GM V6 exhaust note and interior materials that cost exactly 17 cents...and the Camry and Accord found lots of new buyers...

andys120

Simca?

Yep, Simca 1100 ca. '68-'69.

andys120

derrado1

First-generation Audi S8. I remember lusting over this car when I was younger. The Audi A8 was already uber-cool, the S8 just kicked it up a notch.

I have no idea how competitive these machines were though.

seminole_kev

All I can think of, when I see that generation of S8, is the movie "Ronin". That car had a pretty good role in that movie. And for Fintail, there is a big Merc that lumbers around and has some scenes of its own (except there is one part where you can tell they edited in more tire smoke for some reason and it looks weird).

andre1969

For some reason I liked those Lumina coupes as well. I never cared for the sedan; there was just something about the roofline that was very awkward, but I always thought the coupes had good styling. I think the problem is that the GM-10/W-body was initially designed as a coupe. The sedan was an afterthought, and I think that shows in the styling.

magnette

Autocar did a group test of the BMW Alpina B10, the Jaguar XJR and the Audi S8, 0n 17 Sep 97..
At the time, the S8 cost £61544, against £50675 for the Jag and £63500 for the BMW. The Audi was a lefthand drive model - and had manual transmission - but the model wasn't at that stage on sale in UK, and when it was introduced a month later the only RHDmodels were autos, so it isn't a straight comparison, as the other cars were autos.
Top speed was limited to 155 mph - same as the Jag, but the BMW was not limited, and hit 167.
Acceleration for the S8 - 0-60 6.0sec, 30-70 through gears 5.4, 0-100 14.6...
For the Jag and BMW respectively the figures were 5.3,4.7,12.8 and 5.7,5.0,13.8.
Fuel consumption overall was best for the Audi, but only by 1 mpg...
They rated the Audi best trimmed interior, but didn't like the heavy six speed manual box, and basically were a little disappointed with the S8, (while rating the Jag the best of the trio).
I also have a road test for the facelifted S8 4.2, this time an auto, from 15 Sep 99. They rated it disappointing again then, too - good build, steering, styling, smoothness,chassis, etc, but poor low speed ride, and too expensive.
Top speed 159mph, 0-60 6.7, 30-70 6.1, 0-100 16.6. Fuel consumption was comparable to the earlier car, the price had risen to £65198...

Still a decent car though.

seminole_kev

andys120

That'd be a Ford Puma (British Ford)...nice looking little skate.

seminole_kev

Yeah, I thought it was one of the better "new edge" (or whatever Ford called that type of design) styled cars. Pulled it off better than what the Mecury Cougar of the time did.

andys120

Extra Points for knowing the driver and the movie

seminole_kev

Well that's obviously a (mumble mumble-mumble)......er....I have no idea. Alfa looking grill, but no idea.

magnette

Alfa Romeo 6C 2500, about 1950 ?

andys120

Alfa Romeo 6C 2500, about 1950

Yep, the still is from The Barefoot Contessa (1954) starring Ava Gardener, Humphrey and Rosanno Brazzi, that's Brazzi behind the wheel. I'm not sure why the car was RHD since Brazzi plays an Italian Count.

andys120

seminole_kev

(Shudders) mid-to-late 80's Pontiac Trans-Am. Not sure if there is anything particularly notable about this particular one (other than it doesn't appear to be filled with bondo and isn't in 8 different paint/primer colors)

gsemike

Based on the grill it's actually an 82 or 83. What's unusual is that it has Trans Am fenders nut not the hood. Unless it's just the angle the hood should have a bulge. It's here for a reason. Was it sold under another name in another country?

seminole_kev

Not an early Firehawk model is it? (I think they came about later than this model though)