Mystery car pix

stickguy

then is a Dodge Rampage.

Now, is that the Toyota hybrid concept PU, or the dodge concept from a year back (based on the minivan paltform)?

stickguy

Well, it is certainly a DOHC RWD car.

Is it an Alfa Spyder?

andys120

Well you're close, it's a 1966 Alfa Giulia Sprint Veloce 1600.

andys120

From More American Graffit:

urnews

Brown car on left looks like a 1949 Oldsmobile, give or take a few years. Orange car on right looks like a 1963 Plymouth.

texases

it's remarkable on a number of levels that they weren't common in a place like Alaska

You'd be surprised how few roads there are in Alaska outside of the towns, even today. I only got there in '83, but I can only imagine how few roads there were back in '64. Cars were mostly used around town, and the town's quite flat. My neighbor made it through several years with a 140 series Volvo, no problem. The vehicles to get into the bush are the planes, with either floats or tundra tires.

lostwrench

It is a 1949 Oldsmobile. But because of the "88", it has to be a 1949 1/2 Oldsmobile. The "88" was introduced during the 1949 production.

1963 Plymouth.

andys120

Yep, the Olds is a 1949 88 Club Coupe, the Plymouth is a '63 Belvedere.

andys120

deerlake7

Are you sure the Olds is not a 1950? Notice the tail lights. The 1950 had that little fin above the light, the 1949 did not. My dad had a '49, my paternal grandfather had a 1950 and my maternal grandfather had a '51. GM in its heyday.

hudsonthedog

I'm going to guess that it's a Vauxhall Victor from the late 1960s. I'm sure the different grille (compared to the picture below the car) either means it's a specific trim level of that model or it's a global variation of the Victor FD.

andys120

My bad and good eye on your part Manke, it is a 1950 Olds.

andys120

It's a late '60s Vauxhall but not a Victor, Shall we wait for Magnette to nail this one?

hudsonthedog

Once in a while, I like to beat Magnette to the punch...even if it's only because he hasn't been online.

How about the Vauxhall Ventora? Is that better?

lostwrench

Andy and Manke: Ok, I'll go along with the Oldsmobile being a 1950. I thought I saw in the picture a two piece windshield which the 49 had. Must be an illusion.
The 49's did have fins above the tail lights but they were thinner than the 50's. I think the back up lights were contained within the thicker 50 fins.

andys120

How about the Vauxhall Ventora? Is that better?

Yes it is. The pictured car is a 1969 Vauxhall Ventora Saloon.

andys120

lostwrench

I dug out my old Mad Mad World movie tape, fast forwarded to the scene, played it in slow motion, and yes, it's a 1958 Cadillac.

fintail

Mercury Tracer, ca. 1991. Badge engineering at its finest. Different from the first Tracer, which I recall was a Mazda 323 clone.

karsick

That particular Tracer is the sporty version... the "LTS" (a car I actually secretly admired). It was the mechanical twin of the Protege LX, Escort GT and later the Escort LX-E, so it had the twin cam 16-valve 1.8, 4-wheel disc brakes, sport suspension, 14" low-profile alloys, better seats & A/C standard. A really decent car that didn't get much respect at the time.

fintail

I've heard those cars can hold up well if properly maintained, too. I know a college student who has a highline 1994 Escort Sedan that has lot of miles, and it keeps on ticking.

andys120

Fintail and Karsick are both correct, It's a '93 Tracer, likely an LTS.

andys120

hudsonthedog

That particular Tracer is the sporty version... the "LTS" (a car I actually secretly admired). It was the mechanical twin of the Protege LX, Escort GT and later the Escort LX-E, so it had the twin cam 16-valve 1.8, 4-wheel disc brakes, sport suspension, 14" low-profile alloys, better seats & A/C standard. A really decent car that didn't get much respect at the time.

It's good to know I'm not alone. Back in the day, I wanted one of these. The Escort GT, to me, just wasn't as practical as a full four-door sedan...and this mixed the best points of both...the 127hp(!) engine and 4-wheel discs and four doors! If it had been the wagon, I'm sure I would have picked one up.

hudsonthedog

That's a Lotus Esprit...late model. I'm going to say that the logo in the rear quarter window says "V8".

andys120

Yes and no, it's a '91 Lotus Esprit SE Turbo, the last four cylinder Esprit model sold here. Arguably the lighter 4-bangers were truer to Chapman's credo of "low mass it's it's own reward".

andys120

if you can name the movie this is from>

urnews

It's one of the "Pink Panther" movies.

texases

Isn't it from the original one? (David Niven, etc.)

tmart

Yes, 1963. The car is an Autobianchi Bianchina 500 cabriolet.

ateixeira

I had a 91 Escort GT that shared that powertrain.

The powertrain was great, but the interior pieces would fall off, little by little.

Plus I hated the motorized mice seatbelts.

Ford was late getting air bags in those cars. Dodge beat them to it with the Shadow/Sundance twins.

andys120

Yes, 1963. The car is an Autobianchi Bianchina 500 cabriolet

Right on both counts!

andys120

kyfdx

Is that the last 810.. Maxima? RWD?

Or the next gen? starting in 1985?

Edit: Looks like the former, to me.. Maybe 1982?

hudsonthedog

Is that the last 810.. Maxima? RWD?

Or the next gen? starting in 1985?

Edit: Looks like the former, to me.. Maybe 1982?

It's the first FWD Maxima...the Bluebird-based model.

fintail

I remember those weird wheels.

ateixeira

I think the 4DSC came out around 1990 or so, so that must be a 1986-1999 or so.

magnette

Some variety of Nissan Bluebird - I'm guessing US spec, it's different from the version we got ( which was built in UK). This would be the 83/87 Bluebird, and it was FWD. Strange wheels...

bumpy

The picture is a '85-86 Maxima, first FWD and first V6 for that line. That gen was also a 4DSC; the little gold lettering at the bottom of the fixed window just ahead of the C-pillar. Never mind; that little lettering says "Maxima".

andys120

It's a US-Spec '86 Nissan Maxima GL.

These created a bit of a stir among enthusiasts by offering a 300ZX V6 motor in the SE version. IIRC the 4DSC came with the next Gen Maxima.('89-'94).

andys120

karsick

I can't name the blue car in the foreground, but the car behind is a GM concept car, a late 70's Pontiac Trans Am Kammback, one of only 2 made.

oregonboy

It's a Pontiac Tempest... about 1961

texases

'61 Pontiac Tempest?

lostwrench

1961 Pontiac Tempest. (Engine in the front + transmission in the rear).

andys120

That's three votes for '61 Tempest, the winner is...'61 Tempest!

andys120

texases

I forgot about the Tempest's transmission in the rear - did it have some kind of independent rear suspension?

tomica

Yes, I owned a 1963 LeMans. Rear wheels bowed out, made others think the car was broken. Great in snow. You had to climb in trunk to remove plate to check tranny fluid. Had a half 389 engine (194.5) Nothing but trouble but great in the snow.

lostwrench

Yes it had an independant rear suspension.
I think its most interesting feature was the flexible drive shaft. It was like a very large speedometer cable. Some called it the "rope drive". It arched close to three inches at the center.