Mystery car pix

wgrafer

Well, the Chevy bowtie on the hubcap and its shape scream '52 Chevy (prior year hubcaps were mostly more rounded, without the ridges, and with a way smaller Bowtie). The shape of the strip of chrome also indicates 1952 vs. other years. Whitewalls were readily available on any vehicle, so that doesn't indicate it's an upscale GM. And the split windshield does limit it to pre-1953. So that's why I went with '52 Chevy.

Of course I'm always open to any suggestions.......

andys120

I defer to your expertise on hubcaps but I can't make out anything more than a dark oblong spot on the hub center; it could be a bowtie. Back then minor changes like hubcaps and chrome strips often separated one MY from another.

I appreciate your explanation.

andys120

Love that wraparound!

andys120

Last call for #27547, can't anyone guess what the little roadster is?

Going...going...

stever

A '56 Tennille driven by the Captain?

fintail

Simca Aronde/Oceane I think

done37

Steve, Best answer ever! That couple might have muskrat love

andys120

Simca Aronde/Oceane

Oui! It's a 1959 model, also known as the Simca Aronde Oceane Plien Ceil
(Open Sky IIRC).

andys120

with a wraparound windshield>

jwilliams2

Auto Union 1000 (DKW), somewhere between 1958 and 1963.

explorerx4

Don't Know Why it was made?

Mr_Shiftright

To kill mosquitoes as it drove by. :P

andys120

Auto Union 1000 (DKW), somewhere between 1958 and 1963.

Yep, it's a 1959, one of a a limited series with bodywork by Fissore which appears to consist mostly of applying the wraparound to the standard body
but I think the fenders and trim may have been subtly reshaped.

andys120

wgrafer

Well, this is verrrry obscure. I've never seen one here in the States, so I'll guess it's European. Something that was never imported. Maybe a rare old Volvo???????????

andys120

Yes it is a really obscure Eurocar but no it's not a Volvo. Hint: it's an early post-war model from an Iron Curtain country.

jwilliams2

GDR or Czech?

andys120

Czech but not a Skoda or Tatra. :shades:

magnette

A guess - is this a Praga ? As it doesn't look like a Piccolo, it must be the Praga 6, or Praga Golden, as it had been known pre-war, but I've never seen one, and it is really just a guess...

andys120

I had a feeling, you'd be the one to solve this, if anyone did, Mag.

It's a 1946 Praga Piccolo, I found it at Motorbase.com.

andys120

magnette

As I said, it really was a guess - I knew of the Piccolo, but the only pictures I have ever seen of that looked different, with an upright grille, I think, so I guessed the 6, (I'm not even sure it was called the Golden 6, or something) but I had never seen anything about that. I thought the bonnet looked a bit longer, enough for a small six, but hey, its a Praga....

To be honest, my first thought was a Skoda Popular, of some sort, but you had already ruled that one out!

tmart

The new Ford C-Max.

stever

Available, supposedly, as a gasser, a hybrid or a plug-in, at least by 2013. The Prius minivan announcement is this afternoon I think.

Ford C-Max Energi and C-Max Hybrid: 2011 Detroit Auto Show (Inside Line)

andys120

The new Ford C-Max.

New to us in 2012 but the C-Max has been available for years in Europe whe they sell quite a few MPV type vehicles to a market that thinks a five passenger micro-van is plenty big enough. For some reason in the USA we insist on 7-9 passenger capacity even if it's only used twice a year to lug the kids' softball team around.

texases

I wonder how well these'll sell in the US, given the limited sales for the Mazda 5. Hope it does well, though. We'll see....

stever

available for years in Europe

Good point. My wife tells me that the plug-in C-Max version will be a 5 seater.

ateixeira

For some reason in the USA we insist on 7-9 passenger capacity even if it's only used twice a year

Speak for yourself...I have 2 kids, and nanny, a large dog, and car pools for honors chorus, dance, boys basketball, girls basketball, and flag football.

More like twice a week!

qbrozen

New to us in 2012 but the C-Max has been available for years in Europe

Yes, but that's still the NEW C-max, is it not? As in a new design? :P

Word is we will only get the Grand C-max here, with 7-passenger seating.

With a 1.6 turbo and 6-speed trans, I'm anticipating over 30 mpg highway. Will try to get the wife to check it out when it arrives in the Fall.

andys120

Yes, but that's still the NEW C-max, is it not? As in a new design?

AFAIK it is a new design.

Word is we will only get the Grand C-max here, with 7-passenger seating.

With a 1.6 turbo and 6-speed trans, I'm anticipating over 30 mpg highway. Will try to get the wife to check it out when it arrives in the Fall.

The photo I showed must be of the regular C-Max, that doesn't look like a 7-passenger rig. 1.6 liters doesn't sound like much for a "Grand" design. Turbo or not. Can u say slooooow?

qbrozen

Depends. I'm not sure what the output is projected to be, but our Mazda5 with just 157hp and 5-speed auto is quick enough. It only weighs as much as a standard mid-size sedan.

andys120

Depends. I'm not sure what the output is projected to be, but our Mazda5 with just 157hp and 5-speed auto is quick enough. It only weighs as much as a standard mid-size sedan.

Yeah but the Mazda5, which I like BTW, is not a 7-passenger job.

stever

My 7 passenger minivan has 170 hp and it's torquey and plenty peppy enough. My in-law borrowed it a couple of months ago and remarked that it snapped his head back. :-)

Same old name:



Friend of mine teaches in the background building.

Mr_Shiftright

LOL! Do you have a picture of him in a neck brace? :P

stever

For an 85 year old duffer, the guy really has a lead foot. He's in a Buick now, but I think the van really reminded him of the Bimmer they had before the Buick. Before the Bimmer he had some old Detroit big iron rig that I'm sure got hammered in the straights all the time.

stickguy

I love the C maxx. exactly what I would like to replace the odyssey with.

Like Steve, I had a gen 2 Quest. The 170 HP (230 tourque?) moved it along just fine.

before that, a 1996 voyager with the 3.3l. That was a whopping 153 IIRC, with maybe 200 lb.ft? again, cruised along just fine.

I believe the new Ford is actually bigger than a 1st generation Voyager SWB. so it isn't exactly too tiny for normal family use (at least for a modest sized one!)

stever

My '89 SWB Voyager was the 100 hp four banger. Great body style, but it was a bit of a dog.

wgrafer

C-Maxx looks like a good size for most, but is that really a 5-mph bumper in front????? Looks like Big Repair Bills to me.

And the silver 'same old name' looks like the new Passat.

stever

Yep 2012 Passat, in front of the Hunter Art Museum on the Tennessee River in Chattanooga (the main museum is the modern building to the left - not sure, they may just use the old mansion part for admin and fundraising). Conservative and bland (what pundits are calling the Passat, not the museum).

Volkswagen Unveils All-New Passat Sedan to Headline Detroit Auto Show (AutoObserver)

ateixeira

Actually it's the new 2012 Mediocrity.

It's not extraordinary, it's extra ordinary!

Could they have come up with a duller design? At least the interior is nice.

andys120

ateixeira

Can I wear my old MC Hammer balloon pants?

Toyota Corolla All-Trac.

I'll guess 1986 model.

texases

Actually a Tercel wagon, a friend had one back then, very practical and popular in Anchorage.

p.s. - Andy, I voted "NP"...

ateixeira

Did it have an All-Trac label on the hatch? Not sure why that's what I seem to recall.

texases

From what I can find on Google pics, it just has "AWD" in red letters. My memories about the friend's Tercel just include him drag racing my GTI - I won't forget the cloud of his exhaust smoke. But it did move out OK.

qbrozen

Yeah but the Mazda5, which I like BTW, is not a 7-passenger job.

There is no real difference in the 2, though. The mazda5 has a walkthrough to the rear seats. If you lift the base of the right second-row seat, there is a storage bin that you can fold out into the aisle. The Cmax has simply replaced that foldout storage bin with a foldout seat.

If you are referring to what happens when you are carrying 7 people ...well, you can overload any vehicle and make it sluggish.

andys120

Are you saying you can get seven adults into Mazda5? It sure doesn't look like it from outside.

ateixeira

Isn't it a 6 seater anyway? The US models were like that, at least. JDM had a 7 seat model when I shopped around for them.

I'd really call it a 4+2.

Mr_Shiftright

Actually it said 4WD -- it was a manual lever you used to get into 4-wheel.

I had one of these Tercels when I had a house in Hawaii. It was a good little car, very handy on the beach or on rough gravel roads and got great gas mileage.

stickguy

the only car with an ATM right on the back hatch.