Interesting. I didn't realize it sold as well as it did (for Studebaker I mean).
In a way, a perfect marriage. Even today, Studebaker collectors have a reputation (deserved or not I don't know) of being the penny-pinchers of the old car hobby.
I remember those overdrive transmissions---Borg Warners---you operated them by pushing on a cable to engage, and out, to disengage. You could downshift out of overdrive while moving, by flooring the gas pedal (triggering a switch) and then pulling on the cable really fast. You got good mileage, but you also free-wheeled in overdrive.
It is a Renault 12 - and yes to the Ford Corsair Crayford convertible. However the Cortina with the gold panel on it is actually a wood-trimmed estate - it seems to have been lowered which makes it look more sporty
Despite the Cortina type grille, it isn't a Ford, though most of them had a Ford Transit type diesel engine. London has a very specific specification for its taxis, concerning dimensions, turning circle (25 feet) etc....For years before and especially after WW2 the market was dominated by Austin, with a succession of cabs, culminating in the FX4 - the typical London taxi (you can see one to the left of this shot). There were several other makers though - Beardmore in the pre and immediate post war era, and Nuffield (Morris) built something called the Oxford taxi, based on a Wolseley chassis, in the late 40's. Until the late 90's Austin pretty much had it to themselves, though - except this... It's a Winchester - they built two versions, the first was curvy and really old fashioned even by cab standards, but this Mk2 came along in about 1969, and they made at least a hundred or so by about 1972. I think the firm also made van conversions and hearses, at about the same time. Hardly any left now, but I can remember them running in everyday service in London when I first moved here in the late 70's.
Near enough - its a Triumph 1500. The 1300 was of course FWD and when that was replaced by the 1500 in 1970 it was also FWD. However, Triumph then brought out the Toledo which was visually the old 1300 size bodyshell, and that was RWD, and so was the Dolomite which came along in 1971. The 1500 was still FWD until 1973, when it was replaced by the RWD 1500TC, which looked exactly the same as this but for some badges. A few months after that the Toledo and 1500TC were subsumed into the Dolomite family, and all of them were RWD so the 1300 and original 1500 were the only FWD cars of this shape. It must be pretty rare for a mainstream small car in Europe at that time to revert to RWD from a well established FWD, which was by then the norm for such cars over here.
I'm afraid Vcheng has been fooled by the resemblance between various Pininfarina cabriolet designs of the early 60s but that's a Fiat 1200/1500/1600Spider quite a few of which were made in that period but IIRC the only one we saw much of in the US was the 1200 Spider which was replaced in '68 by the 124 Spider (1300).
Well, at least I tried! I was fooled into thinking that the logo on the grill was the prancing lion. Apparently my eyes are not as good as they used to be!
Our first roadster was this Fiat's little brother, a 1200 Spider, Black, Black, Black with Red inserts. Bought it new Oct '63 for $2270 and sold it May '67 for $1350 incl the factory metal hardtop. Fun little car as long as you kept it off the track. Around town, 2nd was the go gear. Great little commuter car. Paint was outstanding & I kept it that way.
Had one of those 'bring what you got' car shows this weekend. About 100 cars, from stock Model A to a donked '73 Olds '88 (parked next to an original Mini) to lots of new Camaros and Mustangs. This one I hadn't sees before:
Close but no cigar, it's a 1952 Siata Daina Sport which used a four cylinder 1500CC four from Fiat rather than the 2 liter Otto Vu (V8) in the larger 208S. It's often misspelled as "Diana". There was an open cabriolet version known as the Daina Gran Sport 1400 that used a slightly smaller motor. Bodies for both were usually done by Farina but Bertone did some of the late ones..
Both ateixeira and you are correct. I think it also looks a bit like mid-2000s Crown Vic. The rear of the car has taillights that remind me of 1989 Chrysler New Yorker.
HN = Heilbronn, the name of both a city and kind of the German equivalent of a county, where Neckarsulm is located (German license plate prefixes are some useless knowledge I have lately decided to learn :shades: )
I am shocked to know the Ro80 was actually sold in the US for at least a few years. Must have been hellish for the few who bought them - temparamental car with pretty much no service network.
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Studebaker Scotsman
In a way, a perfect marriage. Even today, Studebaker collectors have a reputation (deserved or not I don't know) of being the penny-pinchers of the old car hobby.
I remember those overdrive transmissions---Borg Warners---you operated them by pushing on a cable to engage, and out, to disengage. You could downshift out of overdrive while moving, by flooring the gas pedal (triggering a switch) and then pulling on the cable really fast. You got good mileage, but you also free-wheeled in overdrive.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
So it's not a Dolomite? :confuse:
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
It's a Winchester - they built two versions, the first was curvy and really old fashioned even by cab standards, but this Mk2 came along in about 1969, and they made at least a hundred or so by about 1972. I think the firm also made van conversions and hearses, at about the same time. Hardly any left now, but I can remember them running in everyday service in London when I first moved here in the late 70's.
The 1500 was still FWD until 1973, when it was replaced by the RWD 1500TC, which looked exactly the same as this but for some badges. A few months after that the Toledo and 1500TC were subsumed into the Dolomite family, and all of them were RWD so the 1300 and original 1500 were the only FWD cars of this shape. It must be pretty rare for a mainstream small car in Europe at that time to revert to RWD from a well established FWD, which was by then the norm for such cars over here.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
OK, I will say 1964 Falcon. Unless it is a mercury comet. Or something else.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Blue '66 or '67 Chevelle or Malibu behind it.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Close but no cigar, it's a 1952 Siata Daina Sport which used a four cylinder 1500CC four from Fiat rather than the 2 liter Otto Vu (V8) in the larger 208S.
It's often misspelled as "Diana". There was an open cabriolet version known as the Daina Gran Sport 1400 that used a slightly smaller motor. Bodies for both were usually done by Farina but Bertone did some of the late ones..
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2016 Audi A7 3.0T S Line, 2021 Subaru WRX
The RO80 was a Wankel-pioneer (Dr. Wankel worked at NSU) and also a tem0plate for the aero-styling adopted by Audi in the late 70s thru present.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
I am shocked to know the Ro80 was actually sold in the US for at least a few years. Must have been hellish for the few who bought them - temparamental car with pretty much no service network.