Mystery car pix

andys120

It is indeed a 1950 DeSoto Custom Sportsman, here's another shot of it>



IMO that's a very nice looking car, love the color.

You're a bit off on the trailer though. I believe Airstream has used the streamlined styling since their inception in the 30's, hence the name. The one behind the DeSoto has the clever name of Va-Ka-Shun-Ette, it's a '51. :shades:

andys120

michaellno

Toyota Previa .. at least, that's what it was called here in the US.

Looking at the plate, it seems foreign, so it may have a different model name.

andre1969

You're a bit off on the trailer though. I believe Airstream has used the streamlined styling since their inception in the 30's, hence the name.

Yeah, I had a feeling I was way off on the trailer. I should've learned by now to take whatever my neighbor's son says with a grain of salt.

In the past, the '49-50 DeSoto really didn't do much for me, but I think it's because most of them were painted really dowdy colors like black, blackish green, blackish blue, etc. That wagon looks really sharp in burgundy, and the wood is a nice accent. Really brightens it up. They were still kinda dowdy compared to a Mercury or Olds/Buick, but the color definitely helps.

andys120

You're right Micheall, it's what we called a Previa, in the UK it was a Lucida (pix is from a UK website.).

A buddy of mine had a Previa for at least a decade, swore it was the best car he ever had.

boomchek

The front end on that Previa/Lucida is different than ones on the NA market ones.

derrado1

That's become it's a Toyota Estima. That's what the JDM models were called, and a lot of them ended up here in 'Aus as personal imports.

The picture you posted is what the NA, UK and Aus market models looked like. And I believe in the UK it was always called Previa.

Here they were known as the Tarago and were very, very popular. They faded a bit here when it came time for the second and third generations, but they're still common despite their ugly looks, weedy engine and absurdly high price (why anyone would buy one over a V6 Kia Carnival/Sedona or a Honda Odyssey is beyond me). First-generation were very good though and they get snapped up quickly in the used car market.

andys120

boomchek

Thjat's the Renault Alpine. I think the first ones came out in late 70s, early 80s.

andre1969

I kinda like that Renault Alpine. If Smokey and the Bandit had been filmed by the French, I'm sure that's the car that Berto Reynaldo would have used for his champagne run!

andys120

That's the Renault Alpine. I think the first ones came out in late 70s, early 80s.

Correct, sort of, that's the Renault-Alpine A310 (1971-76) , the second generation of the "French Porsche". The R-A line began ca. 1966 with the A110 and continued thru 1995 when the A610 was discontinued. By that time Alpine had gradually become absorbed into Renault SA. Specialty Renault Sport models are still produced at the former Alpine factory in Dieppe, Normandy.

andys120

Make/model/year?

And what's the Movie?

andre1969

It's Thelma and Louise, and IIRC the T-bird they used was a '66?

seminole_kev

I never cared for that style of Thunderbird.

magnette

The first Toyota (8694) is a grey import, registered in UK, as you can tell because the front plate is in different proportions to the regular British plate. The second picture (8698) is the style of Previa mark 1 we got here, as an official import,and Toyota only sold them here as Previas, but we actually have loads of imported used ones -ex JDM- running around, too, some are badged as Lucida, some as Estima. Same thing is now happening with the Mark 11, as that gets older.

nolid5

Too funny! Would he be wearing a beret too? :P

andys120

You are correct Andre.

I'm not real fond of the '66 'Bird either Kev, but I love that shade of metallic teal.

andys120

subearu

oh, I know this one! guessing an '85 or '86 Lebaron turbo. I had an '86 GTS sedan...woot!

-Brian

andys120

Sorry Brian, it's not a LeBaron. You're right on the year though, it's a '85.

boomchek

IU was going to say it's a Dodge K Car Town & Country Squire :P but the actual name is:

Chrysler Lebaron Town and Country station wagon with optional wire hubcaps and roofrack.

Cost in 1985 was $9731 and there were 10994 prduced in total of this model.

derrado1

I just noticed the first picture's car was narrower. Still, I was correct in saying it was a Toyota Estima, however it could be either an Estima Lucida or an Estima Emina, as both used the narrower, JDM body.

The wider version is Previa or Tarago.

andys120

Chrysler Lebaron Town and Country station wagon with optional wire hubcaps and roofrack.

According to autoblog.com, this particular 1985 Chyrsler Town & Country was once owned by Frank Sinatra and is now for sale in the UK. LINK

I was not aware that the Lebaron name was ever applied to cars w more than two doors.

bumpy

andre1969

I was not aware that the Lebaron name was ever applied to cars w more than two doors.

Once upon a time, LeBaron was a trim level of the Imperial, and it applied to all body styles. Chrysler dusted the name off for their upscale compact M-body in mid-1977, and again it was applied to coupes, sedans, and wagons.

When the more upscale version of the K-car came out (I've heard it referred to as a CV platform and a "super-K"), the Dodge version was the 400 and the Chrysler version was the LeBaron. Again, it was offered as 2-door (more of a sedan than a coupe, as it was very upright) 4-door, wagon, and convertible.

Then there was the LeBaron GTS 4-door hatchback of around 1985-89.

The LeBaron sedan was actually fairly popular from 1982-86, but once the sleek new coupe/convertible came out for '87, it faded fast. I'm not sure, but they might have dropped the sedan for a year or two, but Chrysler did offer a version of the Acclaim/Spirit sedans, and called it LeBaron.

andys120

VW Sharan, current model.

andys120

Thanks for the clarification on the LeBaron name, now that you mention it I recall the LeBaron version of the Acclaim/Spirit.

A historical note:
During the 1920'/30's LeBaron was an independent coachbuilder who built bodies for Chrysler, Ford, Duesenberg, Cadillac and others. IIRC they built the bodies for the Airflow cars and eventually were taken over by ChryCo.

Here's
a '33 Chrysler Imperial LeBaron.

andys120

This car>



This castle...>



and this car...>



all have in common?

Kirstie_H

They are all ugly and French?

rockylee

LOL @ Kirstie I can't say I disagree with ya dear. :P

Rocky

bumpy

Albrecht von Goertz?

boomchek

They're all German, and all from Bavaria?

The first car is a Wartburg 353W, probably early 80s model.

Don't know the castle.

The BMW is a 327 from late 30s.

british_rover

The last one looked like an old BMW to me but not sure what year.

fintail

As boomchek mentions, the first car is a Wartburg, the castle is Wartburg castle, and the third car is an EMW, a postwar BMW clone built in Eisenach (east Germany, where the castle also resides) from "liberated" prewar BMW facilities. So I guess they all have the DDR in common, and I think Wartburg was born from EMW interests. Those prewar styled EMWs were made well into the 50s, perhaps 1956-7 I think.

andys120

You've pretty much hit it. Eisenach in Thuringia, eastern Germany is where the Wartburg Castle resides, and where the 1954 EMW 327/3 and the 1970 Wartburg W353 were made.

The Eisenach plant was one of three prewar BMW plants to fall into the Soviet sector of Germany in 1945.

The EMW cars were originally badged as BMWs until Bayerische Motoren Werke AG slapped a trademark suit on their Eastern imitators and the name was changed to EMW (Eisenacher Motorenwerke) in 1951, EMW was later folded into the DDR-based Saschsenring group which manufactured Wartburg and Trabant automobiles in Eisenach and Zwickau.

I saw the pictured car at the Russo & Steele Auction in Scottsdale yesterday and was totally blown away by it. It was the standout in a collection that included all sorts of
Muscle and Sports cars including a one of a kind Cobra Daytona 427 Coupe.

Rocky and Kristin , see your Optometrist soon, the EMW 327 was a beautiful, beautiful car, I'd kill for it.

fintail

Yeah, that prewar styling is hard to top.

I'd rather have a actual prewar BMW 32x though, with some kind of fascinating history that let it escape from wartime destruction.

andys120

andre1969

1946-48 or 1949 "First Series" Chrysler. Chrysler was actually a little late with their redesigned 1949 models, so they sold a few of these things as '49 models. I dunno if they called it just "Town & Country" or "New Yorker Town & Country".

I like that color combo. It looks a lot better in pictures than any description could ever make it!

andys120

Russo and Steele list it as a 1948 Chrysler Town & Country.
Somethin' must've happened between 1948 and Old Blues K-Car version of the T&C (see post #8710).

Those pastel greens and blues were popular during that era and thru the early '60s, they haven't been seen much in recent yearts.

andys120

boomchek

1985 Toyota Celica GTS AWD

andys120

Pretty close, it's an '89 according to the ad.

andys120

tmart

The Flying Lady flew off, or retracted. :shades:

bumpy

stickguy

I think that is a 1978 Ripoff X-1000, with the rare scam-o-matic option.

stickguy

1986 MB 190E 2.3 hot rod?

british_rover

Yup it is the Spirit of Ecstasy

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirit_of_Ecstasy

andys120

Yuip, the Spirit of Ecstasy is the correct name for the hood ornament, now who can ID the make/model of the car?

fintail

Yeah looks like a 190E 2.3-16, Europe also got a 2.5-16, so with those German plates and Euro trim it could be one. In England especially, these also carried a 'Cosworth' label. All from the mid-late 80s. Wheels are later than the car, I am not sure those monoblocks existed that early. Also, most of those cars I have seen have spoilers, but I am sure it is easy to remove.