I'd LOVE something like that! IIRC the '56 Imperial was on a 3" longer wheelbase than the '55. Something like 133", versus 130"? That's one reason why there's such a big gap between the rear of the door and the wheel cutout.
how something that's literally just tacked on, such as those taillights are, can still come off as so graceful. I never really noticed how the backup lights are on the '56 Imperial. That's neat how they integrate them into the chrome strip that wraps around the back of the fin, just above the bumper.
Asking price is way out of line, though, about double market value. A "classic" case here of true rarity not equaling value. The limo would be worth quite a bit more than the 8P sedan. Possibly a Pebble Beach quality limo could approach 20K but it would be a tough sell. Oddly enough, the limo is not as rare as the sedan but is worth more, probably because of style and functional use as a "classic for hire".
the name Cunningham is popping into my mind. Y'know, if they widened and lowered the grille a bit and moved the headlights out a bit, it wouldn't be a bad looking car.
The license plates are indeed Swedish but the car is a Brit as so many have guessed. It's a 1954 Jensen Interceptor built on an Austin A70 chassis and powered by a 4.0 liter Austin 6 in both coupe and cabrio forms w aluminum bodywork.
The Interceptor name is best known from the Mopar powered cars of the 60s and Jensen was the builder for the bodies of the Austin-Healey 100/3000, Sunbeam Tiger and Volvo P1800/1800ES.
You'd have to be certifiably crazy to pay that for it. It can't get out of it's own way, it's ugly and nobody knows or cares what it is. Other than that...hey, a "classic".
back in the old days when they used to offer both an 8-passenger sedan and a limo? I'm thinking mainly like 1954 and earlier Plymouth, Dodge, DeSoto, and Chrysler. IIRC they were on the same wheelbase and looked the same from the outside. Did the limo have a partition between the front and the back?
Oh, here's a pic of a '56 Imperial limo. If you all thought the regular 4-door sedan was long, check this mastodon out!
Note the fins are a bit different here. That's because low-volume '56 Mopars, such as station wagons and the Imperial limo used some carryover 1955 stampings. Instead of making a whole new quarter panel for the limo and wagon with a fin incorporated into it, they just took the old '55 quarter panel and literally grafted a fin onto it. The seam was then hidden by a chrome strip.
When I was in high school (early '60s) one of my buddies had a '54 Chrysler New Yorker limo. It used to be the family car, as he was from a large family, and his father was an MD, so they could afford it. Anyway, has the kids got older, the limo was eventually handed down from brother to brother. My buddy was the third brother in line to get it as a hand-me-down.
We had a ball with that car. It was a hemi, and we would "triple-date" in it, as it had small fold-away jump seats in the back. It was painted "institutional green" (think old high school bathroom colors), and it was known all over town, as the hot ride—in more ways than one!
The Mopars of that era showed a strong Italian influence, especially Chryslers and Imperials with their beautifully proportioned grillework and flowing fenders. The funny thing is that the Italians and other Euros were copying American styling heavily but not always successfully
that Italian influence might have come from those Exner Ghia showcars? On that note, is a Ford Mustang II Ghia or a Granada Ghia influenced by the Italians too? :P
Italians don't ALWAYS get it right but they usually do. They been bangin' on metal for a long time, those people.
You will see American influence on European design now and then, but it has rarely been successful for obvious reasons (see photo above). Nothing worse than fins on a SMALL car.
I kinda like it. The front-end makes me think a bit of a '56 DeSoto or a '55-57 T-bird, or a combination of both. FWIW, I always thought the meshy grille of the '56 DeSoto made it look a bit T-birdish. The little fins on that sucker look kinda Ford-ish.
The funky T-bird knock off is an Auto Union/ DKW 1000SP c.'59-'60. A roadster version was introduced in '62. Both coupe and Roadster were mechanically similar to the contemporary DKW sedan with two strokes/3 cyl. It was the last car to bear the illustrious Auto Union name and the next to last to be sold as a DKW. This was shortly after VW absorbed Auto Union and began using the Audi name as it's luxury brand.
The four rings of Auto Union still seen on Audis stood for the component brands of the original Auto Union (a kind of German GM): Audi, Horch Wanderer and DKW.
The 2CV is tolerable in a bug like way, it's cheerful. The Dyane is just unhappy looking. I think happy and unhappy looks go a long way with ugly cars.
something about it makes me think of a combination of a '63 Dart hardtop and an Edsel! It might be nicer looking than a first-gen Corvair, but it ain't even close to the beauty of a '65-69! :P
I like the Corvairs "grill-less" front end much better but not the slabs of stainless on the rear tail lights. An all-black Corvair is nice, very modern looking.
It's a BMW 3200CS from the early 60s. Stylistically this car married the strong front end of the BMW 503 with a Corvair inspired roof lines and rear.
The 2000CS coupe that followed the 3200CS went all the way with a smooth pointy front end straight off the '65 'Vair, except for the BMW kidneys->
These were the first to use the famous Hofmeister kink on the C-pillar, perhaps to set them apart from Corvairs which they so closely resembled in profile.
Eventually they " BMW-ized" the front end and came up with the beautiful 2800CS and 3.0CS/CSi/CSL coupes of the 1970s and set the tone for BMW styling until the Bangle era began.->
vehicle is a Citroen Mehari, based on 2CV/Dyane underpinnings. I don't know if it had 4X4 or not but judging by the military markings on the nose, some did.
Try this one but look carefully, it's not what it seems->
Right, Fin. It's a 49, virtually identical to a '50 or '51. Since you fly the Maple Leaf perhaps you can clarify whether the Meteor was sold as a Ford or a Mercury in Canada.
Also GM and Chrysler had their own Canada-specific models too.
Yep, quite a few of 'em and with some interesting twists. Canadian Pontiacs of the '60s were built in lighter Chevy frames and used Chevrolet drivetrains, thus you could have a 1964 Pontiac Parisienne 409. With the body and trim of a Bonneville but the wheelbase and motor of an Impala.
Other model names used by Pontiac in Canada were Laurentian, Acadian and Beaumont.
Same reason we get stuff like the Pontiac Torrent and Buick Terraza: dealer networks. Lots of places would have either a Ford dealer or a Mercury dealer, or a Chevy dealer or a Pontiac dealer, but not both. Thus the rebadges which produced stuff like this: http://www.mercury-pickup.net/gallery/Mercurytrucks6768/1968_MercuryM100a?full=1
Comments
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Asking price is way out of line, though, about double market value. A "classic" case here of true rarity not equaling value. The limo would be worth quite a bit more than the 8P sedan. Possibly a Pebble Beach quality limo could approach 20K but it would be a tough sell. Oddly enough, the limo is not as rare as the sedan but is worth more, probably because of style and functional use as a "classic for hire".
I can't say I know much about it. :confuse: ">
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
hell I dunno....
Dunno about those plates...Sweden I think, if it matters
The Interceptor name is best known from the Mopar powered cars of the 60s and Jensen was the builder for the bodies of the Austin-Healey 100/3000, Sunbeam Tiger and Volvo P1800/1800ES.
The pictured car is yours for only $35,000.
http://www.hemmings.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/popups.carphoto/id/2189234
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Real value? Maybe $18,000 if it's really tip top.
Oh, here's a pic of a '56 Imperial limo. If you all thought the regular 4-door sedan was long, check this mastodon out!
http://www.imperialclub.com/Yr/1956/Limo/1956CrownImperial.jpg
Note the fins are a bit different here. That's because low-volume '56 Mopars, such as station wagons and the Imperial limo used some carryover 1955 stampings. Instead of making a whole new quarter panel for the limo and wagon with a fin incorporated into it, they just took the old '55 quarter panel and literally grafted a fin onto it. The seam was then hidden by a chrome strip.
We had a ball with that car. It was a hemi, and we would "triple-date" in it, as it had small fold-away jump seats in the back. It was painted "institutional green" (think old high school bathroom colors), and it was known all over town, as the hot ride—in more ways than one!
Bob
Bob
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
You will see American influence on European design now and then, but it has rarely been successful for obvious reasons (see photo above). Nothing worse than fins on a SMALL car.
The four rings of Auto Union still seen on Audis stood for the component brands of the original Auto Union (a kind of German GM): Audi, Horch Wanderer and DKW.
More on the 1000SP
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
You gotta go some to be the ugly one in that family.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Pretty rare car for the US. I don't think I've ever seen this model. I suppose most have rusted away by now.
Pretty though...a car being a hardtop gives it a head start on looking nice.
The 2000CS coupe that followed the 3200CS went all the way with a smooth pointy front end straight off the '65 'Vair, except for the BMW kidneys->
These were the first to use the famous Hofmeister kink on the C-pillar, perhaps to set them apart from Corvairs which they so closely resembled in profile.
Eventually they " BMW-ized" the front end and came up with the beautiful 2800CS and 3.0CS/CSi/CSL coupes of the 1970s and set the tone for BMW styling until the Bangle era began.->
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Bob
Bob
Bob
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Try this one but look carefully, it's not what it seems->
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
This ad says Mercury and this one says Ford :confuse:
It looks like a US Ford Custom with a Mercury grille.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Mercury = Monarch
Also GM and Chrysler had their own Canada-specific models too.
http://www.cadvision.com/blanchas/54pontiac/differences.html
Bob
Yep, quite a few of 'em and with some interesting twists. Canadian Pontiacs of the '60s were built in lighter Chevy frames and used Chevrolet drivetrains, thus you could have a 1964 Pontiac Parisienne 409. With the body and trim of a Bonneville but the wheelbase and motor of an Impala.
Other model names used by Pontiac in Canada were Laurentian, Acadian and Beaumont.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Does anyone know exactly why the big three did this stuff for Canada? I don't see the point.
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http://www.mercury-pickup.net/gallery/Mercurytrucks6768/1968_MercuryM100a?full=1