Mystery car pix

lemko

Correct. This one's a 1989 model.

ateixeira

Far more normal than the older Tercel wagons.

andys120

the convertible is a 1964 Cadillac DeVille or Series 62. I can make out the hood of a VW Beetle, the rear of a Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud, a red Alfa-Romeo but not sure of the model or year, and what may be an early Porsche 911.

I wasn't sure of the Caddy, I thought it might be a '65 but you would know. The Alfa is a ca. 1960 2000 Spider (w hardtop in place). The fastback coupe next to the Alfa isn't a 911 but it's what was known as the "French Porsche",
an Alpine-Renault, probably an A106.

lemko

The 1965 Cadillac was an all-new design with stacked headlights. However, the 1965 Series 75 sedan and limouisine retained 1964 styling replaced with an all-new design in 1966.

boomchek

Yeah I think an Evo Lancer hatchback was about $42k CDN or something wacky. An A4 Avant would only be a few grand more.

boomchek

For some reason I thought it was called the Nissan Axxess but that was the later model, it's replacement.

fintail

I don't think it was actually an Evo, was it? Just a loaded Lancer. Seemed pretty insane, ambitious pricing.

boomchek

Maybe you're right, it wasn't an Evo but a loaded fully dressed up Lancer hatchback.

andys120

1. Who are the actors in the scene?

2. Make and approximate year of the car behind them on left?

3. Make/model of the car they're in (hint: look closely at the hood)?

ateixeira

Ralliart bridges the gap between the base power Lancer and the EVO.

It was meant to compete with the WRX (non-STI).

fintail

And in pricing, for Canada anyway, is almost meant to compete with Audi. I bet they'll sell at least 3 of them.

fintail

I see a 55-56 Mercury of some sort behind them,

ateixeira

Edmunds compared an EVO to a 3-series, and prices were close. Mitsubishi simply got too ambitious with pricing.

fintail

I can see a base 328i matching EVO pricewise - but they are kind of apples and oranges. Load up a 335d and see what it'll cost ya.

That sportback thing was over 40K Canadian, it was kind of funny.

lemko

The actors are Dean Martin and Shirley McLaine.

ateixeira

Funny thing is it was a 335i. Both had prices in the $40s.

The STI/EVO belong in the $30s, IMHO.

fintail

But still, you have slightly softened race car compared to a comfy sports sedan, or in many forms, just a yuppie cruiser. A new Corvette costs as much as lower line E-class, too.

But yeah, I think the wannabe ralliers should be in the 30s...going past that prices out the demographic if anything.

ateixeira

Agreed on the pricing.

I hear it's tough selling one - the buyers are all kids in their 20s aiming for joy rides.

andys120

1955 or 56 Mercury is correct, they are Dean Martin and Shirley McLaine.

So what are they riding in? (see previous hint about closely examining the hood.)

fintail

I bet Subaru dealers hate fielding inquiries about them, lookie-loo city

I've only known a couple people who actually bought then new.

fintail

I see the hood welts, can't think of what they mean

andys120

I see the hood welts, can't think of what they mean

Fintail, you of all people should know!

ateixeira

paisan and a couple of old timers in the Subaru Crew own an STI.

Fitzmall didn't allow test drives when they first came out. Not sure about now.

I'm sure if you showed up and let them do a credit check they'd let you. That policy was probably to scare away the 16-25 year olds who mostly were not serious buyers anyway.

texases

300SL roadster?

fintail

Is it a 300SL? Looked way too small for me to consider it...although the shape of that rear view mirror does ring a bell :shades:

texases

Yeah, I looked at the 190SL first, but the 300SL's a match. Course, the hint didn't help at all

andys120

Course, the hint didn't help at all

Well, I tried Fin. It's an early Roadster, 1957 according to IMCDB.

fintail

Funny thing, the cowl vents and mirror made me think MB...but it looked too small to be a 300 and too big to be a 190, so I didn't think much of it.

Lovely pic though, must have been nearly new.

andys120

jwilliams2

Looks like a 54 Chevy, about a 59 Opel Record, a 57 Dodge, and a 62 Plymouth...and maybe a Corvair facing the other way?

imidazol97

And a 56 Olds 4-door hardtop.

andys120

Looks like a 54 Chevy, about a 59 Opel Record, a 57 Dodge, and a 62 Plymouth...and maybe a Corvair facing the other way?

Good job, I didn't notice the Corvair at first.

andys120

And a 56 Olds 4-door hardtop.

Maybe but with just the windshield and roof showing it could be any GM H/t of the era, it's even hard to say how many doors it has.

andys120

imidazol97

>hard to say how many doors it has.

4.
The unique roof shape at the C-pillar is visible in the picture through the window of the car next to it.

andys120

"Unique C-pillar", perhaps but given the little that is visible it could be a Buick with a similar C-post>

Mr_Shiftright

TRAINS!!

PARKING SPOTS!!!

What planet is this?

explorerx4

That picture sure makes the driver look pretty small.

jwilliams2

Looks like a Maserati A6 G 1500, Pinin Farina.

andre1969

That picture sure makes the driver look pretty small.

Yeah, I think a lot of that old artwork is one reason people think those old 50's cars were bigger than they really were.

It's a '56 Buick, but from that artwork, I can't tell what series. The Special would only have three portholes, but the Century, Super, and Roadmaster all had four. The Century was on a shorter 122" wb, while the Super/Roadmaster were on a 127", but the way the artists distorted things back then, it's hard to judge.

To put size into perspective, a '56 Buick Special/Century is probably about as long as my 2000 Park Ave, or a new Lucerne or DTS. It would be wider, though. A Super/Roadmaster would be slightly smaller overall than a Lincoln Town Car. Not tiny cars, but not as huge as you'd think, either.

But to look at that picture, that thing looks like it would derail a train if it hit it!

andys120

Maserati A6 G 1500, Pinin Farina.

Correctamundo, note how small it is.

andre1969

TRAINS!!

PARKING SPOTS!!!

What planet is this?

"Be careful with your new pets, dear. Daddy brought them all the way from Earth!"

andys120

It's true that '56 full sizers weren't all that big but a few years later they became positively gigantic. I saw a '59 Chrysler 300E at the Russo & Steele Auction and couldn't get over how enormous it was. It would dwarf it's 1955-56 equivalent.

I learned to drive on a 1959 Monterey which is kinda like learning on a Semi rig. I'm sure it was bigger than today's Town Cars.

andys120

andre1969

I saw a '59 Chrysler 300E at the Russo & Steele Auction and couldn't get over how enormous it was. It would dwarf it's 1955-56 equivalent.

Believe it or not, they really weren't that much bigger. Same 126" wheelbase, and maybe 220" long, compared to around 216 or so for a 1956. However, the '59 would be a LOT lower, which might give it the optical illusion that it's a lot longer.

I'm not sure how long a 1959 Mercury Monterrey is, but they were on a 128" wheelbase. Mercury was all-new for 1957, but on the 122" wb, even for the top models, it just didn't seem as prestigious as the bigger Desotos, Chryslers, and the senior Buicks and Olds 98s. So I'm guessing they tried to rectify that for the new 1959 models, but they were introduced at just the wrong time, when people were flocking away from cars that big!

Overall, a '59 Merc probably isn't more than a few inches longer than a Town Car. However, the wheelbase has about 10-11" on a Town Car. And where a Town car is going to have bumpers that jut out, both front and rear, puffing up the length, the 220" or so of a 1959 Mercury is all car!

So in driving, a modern Town Car is probably going to feel like a Mini compared to a '59 Merc, when it comes to handling!

stickguy

well, a 1956 Buick "super" was 213" long. So, just about the size of a crown vic, right?

and a series 40 was 205". So just a few inches longer than my wife's Odyssey!

stickguy

1975 Datsun 260Z?

imidazol97

>that thing looks like it would derail a train if it hit it!

I drove Dad's 55 Special while I was tearing down the motor on my 67 'Tang. It was like driving a locomotive so it might have knocked that train off the track.

Great power, smooth, smooth transmission. I don't recall it even shifted. It got terrible gas mileage compared to my 289 Mustang. Sat high up on oversized seats in an oversized car.

andys120

1975 Datsun 260Z?

You have the right idea Stickguy but it's a 1978 Datsun 280Z.

tmart

This has to be one of the neatest web sites whether you have gasoline in
your veins or not.

This is a web-site featuring the original factory brochures for nearly
every American car you have ever owned.

Pick the manufacturer, the year and the model. Enjoy!

Factory Brochures