Mystery car pix

texases

Nope, not a Daimler...

andys120

It looks prewar (pre 1942 that is) and there's something that looks vaguely French or possibly Italian. :confuse:

Any chance for a different angle?

texases

The design might be pre-war, but it's listed as a '50. That's the only shot I could find...

texases

And it's not British, but has some British roots.....

andre1969

Sort of like the '68-70 Impala Custom, which used the more formal roofline of the Caprice body.

I forgot about those '68-70's. I think they just called the base Impala hardtop the "sport coupe"? And then that formal roofline was the "Custom coupe"?

They continued with that for 1971-74, as well. In '71-73 the Custom coupe had a more formal roofline with a concave rear window, while the base coupe was sleeker, and shared with the Catalina, LeSabre, and Delta 88. In '74, the Custom went to stationary windows that were long but not very tall, while the base coupe was a true hardtop. Funny that they'd make you pay MORE for stationary rear windows! For '75-76 I think all Impala coupes had stationary rear windows, though.

andys120

And it's not British, but has some British roots.....

WAG-a Talbot or Talbot-Lago?

I haven't got a clue.

texases

Bingo! there you go, listed as a 1950 Talbot-Lago limo, Saoutchik body...I did find a similar pic with DeGaulle riding in a convertible version, but that would have been too easy :P

andys120

Well I knew it looked French, up until about 1950 they made the most elegant cars in the world. Most T-L's were considerably smaller, I wonder what chassis this limo was based on.

wgrafer

It's a 1969 Pontiac -- how about a 'Parisienne'???

andys120

jlbl

I don't know the model but this post is to acknowledge that IMO Alfa has made many among the most beautiful cars in car history.

Regards,
Jose

andre1969

Nah, it's a 1969 Executive. In fact, I think I found another pic of the same car, a bit larger and from the side...


Just for comparison, here's a 1969 Pontiac Catalina:


Comparing these two pics, it really illustrates how much longer the Executive/Bonneville were, with all that length added in the back. They moved the back axle further from rear doors, and I think they added to the rear overhang, as well. The Parisienne was built on the Chevy frame, with a 119" wheelbase, compared to 122" for the Catalina and 125 for the Executive/Bonneville. I think the 3" of wheelbase the Parisienne lost, compared to the Catalina, is up front, between the front axle and the firewall, so it most likely has a shorter hood and shorter front fenders.

It's hard to tell sometimes though, the difference in size, unless you see them side by side.

stephen987

I'm pretty sure it's an Alfa based on the nose. My first response is that it might be a Sprint Speciale, but something about the roofline doesn't look quite right.

magnette

I don't know this one, but think this is a 1900C Sprint coupe, by Touring, although it doesn't look like any I've seen before...
Edit - I think they did one called 1900C Gara - but I don't recall ever seeing a picture....

texases

Here's a picture labeled '1952 Alfa Romeo 1900C Corto Gara Sprint - Touring'

magnette

Thanks for this - it isn't one of these then....

andys120

So far you aren't quite getting it so I'll give you a little help...

It is a !954 Alfa-Romeo 2000 ________, body by ________

Fill in the blanks and you'll have it but be aware that the model name following 2000 is unique to A-Rs and not one of the common Alfa model names like Veloce, GT or Sprint and it isn't just Berlinetta (although it is obviously a GT Berlinetta) OTOH the coach builder's name is one readily known to fans of Italian and other cars of the period.

Here's another angle on this mysterious beauty>

magnette

If it's a 2000 then it's a Sportiva

andys120

Yep it's a 2000 Sportiva...a very avant-garde design for 1954. If you look at another Sportiva from the rear you'll see contours siliar to a later Alfa and you'll be able to guess who the coach builder was >

jlbl

…who the coach builder was

Bertone, assisted by Franco Scaglioni ('supercars.net' :shades: ).

Regards,
Jose

andys120

Carrozzeria Bertone is correct, Jose. They reprised the rear of the Sportiva with the
Alfa Bertone Sprint, a more conservative but stunningly attractive design, that's still a favorite of Alfisti>



Alfa's new 8c Competizione, designed in-house, uses a derivative of the same Bertone shape>

andys120

Can you give use the brand name and approximate MY?

andys120

Is this thing on?

Apparently no one has any idea what brand the shield logo in #18175 adorned. Hint: it's a Big Three brand and it's still with us but the logo has changed dramatically.

boomchek

I thought i've seen it before. I believe that's Buick, from the 50s

stever

I agree - I think that logo was on my dad's '53 Buick but the cobwebs are pretty thick in the braincells. I just found an old pic of our Buick wagon from the early 60's so maybe this one is late 50's?

boomchek

If it's the big three, well it's not a Chevy, Cadillac, Olds, or Pontiac. It's not a Ford Lincoln, or Mercury, and it's defientely not a Mopar product.

Buick is the only one right now with some sort of a crest aside from Cadillac.

andys120

That's more like it, it is indeed from a 1950 Buick, You can see it in this ad.

andys120

What follows is a one by one series of detail photos of an old but nicely restored car. Your challenge is to be the first to piece together the make and model. I'm guessing it'll take @ least 5 or 6 entries before anyone can get it right.

This first photos won't be of much help but it's just a piece of the puzzle. Who knows maybe somebody can figure it out from this>



Anyone?

stever

Well, it doesn't look like a 50's Buick, lol.

No "Body by Fisher" logo on the sill plate.

andys120

Good deduction Steve, let's see if you can deduce the important clue in this photo>

boomchek

?I say it's a roadster, from the low slung seat, to the light in the cabin, high centre tunnel, and the position of the handbrake.

The leather seat and the nicely carpeted interior defiently puts it in a higer class of vehicles, nothing cheap.

stephen987

I'd say 50s-early 60s vintage. The carpet looks like Wilton, so my first guess was a Rolls or Bentley, but the handbrake and the high tunnel militate against that.

There doesn't seem to be an enclosed glove box above the passenger footwell, and the dash appears to be sculpted, a la MG T-series, but upholstered rather than body-colored metal.

The seat is on an aluminum(?) track, so it's movable. I doubt that's true of most roadsters till the late '60s. Perhaps not a roadster but a proper drophead convertible--maybe an Aston DB2 or an XK150?

texases

I was about to guess British, but LHS...??

boomchek

Good eye on something so obvious as the steering. i missed it .Still could be British for export, no?

stephen987

Sure. But notice the carpet--looks like there's a leather panel that would have been removed had the pedals been on that side.

Hmm. Pedals hinged from below? That's not typically British though. And the only cars I know of with bottom-hinged pedals wouldn't have much of a tunnel (VW/Porsche).

So I'm in the woods right now. Another pic?

texases

It could be export, but the door hinges make it look older (50s?) and expensive, so I'm guessing it's something else...not that I know :confuse:

stephen987

Maybe. I keep coming back to that sliver of visible dashboard. Most Britmobiles of that level of trim would've probably had wood. But the carpet is nicer than the usual run of continental iron, and US cars from the '50s wouldn't be likely to have a floor shifter.

texases

True. What do you make of that black (plastic?) knob with the words on it? Would seem to make it more recent.

stephen987

Dunno. But something caught my eye. A foot or so forward of the apparent shifter area, there's a covered hole on the tunnel, perhaps indicating that the floorpan is shared with another vehicle, or that a remote shifter has replaced a longer dog-leg style shifter.

Hmm. Some species of Healey?

boomchek

I'm thinking of something along the lines of a Bristol, not sure why, and I don't think they made many roadsters.

On the other hand could it be something as obvious as a classic MB SL?

stephen987

The seats are Benz-like. But I don't buy the frivolity of the curved lower dash line.

boomchek

Watch, it'll end up being an Excalibur or a Zimmer of some sorts. :P

stephen987

I hadn't thought of that. Excaliburs had a lot of 'Vette parts. That handbrake looks familiar, like a parts-bin item. But I can't place it.

qbrozen

I know I'm not as edumucated as you crazy folks, but am I the only one mystified by the fact that it has no door sill??

andys120

Next shot>

stephen987

Interesting catch. I hadn't picked up on that. No sill-->no conventional frame?

qbrozen

Well, I'm not sure about that. But what it does mean (i think) is that the bottom of the door is flush with the bottom of the fenders. And it appears to be very straight up and down, making it a rather slab-sided car. So I'm thinking (there I go again) that it may be much older than everyone has been indicating.

stever

I sort of thought it might be a VW Beetle at first since there's no sill to speak of. But the bugs had a running board underneath the body there. I thought I recognized the seat seams at first too, but it's probably something I've never heard of before, much less seen. Unless ... Karman Ghia? Nah... not to mention I've never seen so much leather in a car like that.

fintail

Pushbutton/toggle OD with that dash and those carpets and seats...sure looks British to me.

stephen987

I think there's an important clue in the shape of the pedals. Not like anything I'm familiar with. Not depending on lever action alone?

Also, the instruments appear to be in the center of the dash. And is that a semaphore lever on the dash?

Curiouser and curiouser. . .