Mystery car pix

fintail

I don't know why either, because shortly after I think they actually did start getting Holdens, badged as Chevys.

andys120

I think they actually did start getting Holdens, badged as Chevys.

I couldn't find pictures of South African Holden/Chevies from the 50s but I found more
RHD Opels...>



And LHD US Chevies from SA....>



...Moving forward to the 60s we find Holdens that look like Chevies but are badged as Holdens in the U of SA>

<img src="http://www.dyna.co.za/cars/Holden_61_Special_Grey_sf1.jpg

fintail

Hmm maybe I am confusing the Chevy badged Holdens (or so they appear to me anyway) that I know they had by the late 60s with the RHD normal Chevys they had since probably the 20s. Anyway...I can say for sure that GMs brand strategies in other markets were somewhat odd. In most western countries you could get the nearest local derivative (Opel, Vauxhall etc) AND have the option of buying an American style car.

andys120

stephen987

It's definitely an Alvis, but I'm not sure which one-- early '60s TE21?

andys120

Yep, an early 60's Alvis indeed, a 1963 Alvis TD-21 from The Big Sleep (1978) starring the inimitable Robt. Mitchum as Sam Spade.

andys120

jlbl

Looks like a SAAB 96 to me. Last February SAAB announced suspension of payments: something to be related to the pictured car upside down situation? :sick:

Regards,
Jose

magnette

Sorry, I've been away for somedays in Wales, and haven't followed your various posts since about last Tuesdayas a result. I realise that the pre-war posts you have put up are technically off topic, but I don't think anyone seems to have answered the low-slung green tourer with the Australian plates that you oosted at the above.

It's an Invicta, and as it is an 'underslung' car, with reduced height chassis, (simply by putting the spring hangers on the top of the chassis) I assume its a 4-1/2 litre, from about 1932/5. Invicta went bust a couple of times in the thirties, and were also connected with Railton, who were also on shaky ground, but they did revive briefly after WW2 to make a handful of Invicta Black Prince cars, before finally collapsing about 1950.

There have been several attempts to revive the name, indeed I think there is one currently available, but they have no real connection with the real Invicta like this. A lovely car....

bhill2

I Googled the car, and got the information that it had a 3-liter 6 in it. If that hole in the bottom center of the grille is indeed for inserting a hand crank, using it must have been a fun experience.

andys120

Close it's a Saab 850 based on the 96 as rallied by Erik Carlsson and Gunnar Palm in the East Africa Safari (ca.1963?). Carlsson, who celebrates his 80th Birthday this year, is known to Swedes and Saab fans Worldwide as Pa Taket (Swedish for "on the roof")

The 850GT, also known as the Saab Sport, Granturismo 850 (USA) or the 850 Monte Carlo('66-'68).

andys120

urnews

Chrysler. 1967? New Yorker?

stephen987

I'd say it's a little newer, maybe a 1970 Chrysler Newport Custom hardtop.

andys120

1970 Chrysler Newport Custom hardtop.

Bingo! Sorry Urnews, but you see those side marker lights only on 1968 or newer vehicles. Those wheels are aftermarket but period-correct and give the car a menacing look it wouldn't have w stock wheels.

andys120

If that hole in the bottom center of the grille is indeed for inserting a hand crank, using it must have been a fun experience.

Most likely the crank hole was more likely just a retro styling touch as on TR-4s of the period. My '66 TR-4A had the hole at the bottom of the grille work but behind that hole was the radiator, inserting a crank there could have resulted in a nasty leak.

I think possibly TR-3s could be crank-started, anybody know?

andys120

This red roadster is even more rare than the Cord 812 behind it but unlike the Cord, it is postwar.

jlbl

Just a (not so) wild guess: An Austin, but which one?

Regrds,
Jose

fintail

I'll guess it's French...I'm pretty sure that pic is from the Schlumpf museum.

stephen987

Just a (not so) wild guess: An Austin, but which one?

Hmmm. The styling cues are Austinish, it's true.

Call me a skeptic, but despite the RHD I don't think it looks British. It seems a bit large, and the Brits were mostly making very small poverty-spec cars in the first decade after The War.

I know there were some postwar Delages and Delahayes that were RHD. Perhaps this is one of their racing specials?

Then again, the wheels and the nose remind me of a '37 Ford.

andys120

Honestly I'm not familiar with any Austins that resemble that roadster but you're on the right track, although built on a Standard Chassis the car is not British. OTOH, although it has Hotchkiss Gregoire power, but it is neither French nor a racing special.

BTW it isn't a one-off, about 1000 were made.

stephen987

Hmm--not French, but it used a French engine. Not British, but it used a British chassis.

Weird.

Could it be Belgian? Minerva wasn't still around, was it?

andys120

Could it be Belgian? Minerva wasn't still around, was it?

You're pretty hot now Stephen, it is Belgian and there was a connection to Minerva.

After Minerva failed in 1935 it was absorbed into Imperia Automobiles of Liege, then owned by a Belgian textile maker. After WW II Imperia assembled Standard-Triumph cars under license and in 1948 used the Standard-Triumph chassis to produce the Imperia TA-8 shown, replacing the pre-war Adler drivetrains used with a Gregoire designed 4-cyl powerplant licensed by Hotchkiss.

Concluding that they could not make any profit from the design, Imperia's owners returned to the manufacture of Standard-Triumph designs after '49 until S-T opened it's own assembly plant in Belgium in 1958.

stever

There's something about cars and cloth. Toyota and Suzuki both started out as weaving loom companies. Probably some others. A branch of Toyota still makes high tech automated looms and auto fabric.

grahampaige

Magnette, you are correct. the one available is probably this car. It was owned by a guy here in Aus who started the first local insurance co, specialising in classic cars. he died recently and it has been passed around the dealers a lot.

Really nice car, went like a cut cat, and handled pretty well at the same time.

As for the pre war stuff, was in response to the guy asking for more of a challenge..

andys120

<img src="http://autocollections.com/image/cars/1956 LANCIA PANEL ENG 2.jpg

kyfdx

Is that a V-4?

If so, I'm guessing some sort of early '70s Saab (Sonnett?).

fezo

I was heading that way, too. Not too many V-4s around.

texases

I thought that too, but the Sonnett v4 was a 4-stroke, doesn't look like this. This looks like it must be a 2-stroke, doesn't it? Maybe not - has valve covers, but where's the intake manifold and carb?

Here's a pic of the v4 in the Sonnett III

stephen987

Not a 2 stroke--the valve covers are clearly recognizable. I think the carb is the skinny little thing sticking up near the back of the vee.

It sure looks like the Ford motor to me. But I'd say it's in a Saab 96 rather than a Sonett.

The other possibility (sure wish I had a better angle on the exhaust manifold) is that it's a itsy bitsy teeny weeny V6. Lancia Aurelia, anyone?

lemko

lemko

stephen987

Ewwwwwwwwwwww.

Fiat Doblo.

stephen987

Leyland P76. Big Aussie car.

lemko

Correct! It is pretty gruesome, but this vehicle has been in production since 2001 and is popular in Brazil, Russia, and Vietnam,

lemko

Wow! You're good! I had to really look for these.

andys120

The other possibility (sure wish I had a better angle on the exhaust manifold) is that it's a itsy bitsy teeny weeny V6. Lancia Aurelia, anyone?

You're getting warm, here's another angle>

stephen987

OK, four plugs and the clearly readable logo on the exhaust manifold. Therefore, it's a Lancia V4--Appia?

texases

"Appia?"

Yes, this got me curious, I didn't know that engine had a single OHC for both banks of cylinders, must have been the inspiration for VW's VR6! There was also a DOHC version (one cam intake, one cam exhaust). This pic helped me understand the setup (SOHC left, DOHC right):

andys120

Therefore, it's a Lancia V4--Appia?

Yup, from a 1956 Lancia Appia C10 Camionetta.

andys120

fintail

AMC Hornet Sportabout...ca 1975.

Wasn't bad for the time, but in 1987 when it was still in production, it was a new vintage car.

andys120

Yep sort of, apparently these were sold in South Africa under the Rambler name, not Hudson, so that one is a 1974 AMC Rambler Sportabout (note RHD).

fezo

Oh, a friend of mine had a 75 Sportabout. I spent a lot of time in 76 - 77 in that. Likely the most time I spent in any AMC car.

andys120

fintail

D'oh...I didn't catch the RHD nor the odd plate.

fintail

When I was a kid, some old crone my mom knew had a baby blue Hornet Sportabout. I remember it was in pristine condition, but was not an appealing car to my eyes.

She also knew someone who had a Pacer wagon with a plaid interior...I remember I rode in it once when I was maybe 8...even then it was very bizarre.

fintail

I am pretty sure that's an earlier model TVR, but I can't remember the name

magnette

That Imperia you showed the other day - was it from the Brussels car museum ? I went there once, and I think I saw this car - the building looks similar, although it could possibly be the Schlumff (?) collection, I suppose - I've never seen that - yet...

texases

TVR Griffith, about '65?