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Mystery car pix

15875885905925931470

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  • grahampetersgrahampeters Member Posts: 1,786
    G'day

    Rover 800 series Fastback (5 Door), probably an 820 (4 cylinder) , probably from about 1990. Later models (after 1992) had a proper grille rather than the roll over of the bonnet (hood)

    Sold in the USA as Sterling

    It shared a lot with the Honda Legend, but had the curse of English electrical systems. The early dashboard was from the same source as the cursed Austin Maestro. I cannot remember now if this one talked at you, but that was a pretty freaky feature of the era.

    A neighbour had one when we lived in Gloucestershire in the mid 1990's. He was an engineer and loved tinkering with it.

    Cheers

    Graham
  • wgraferwgrafer Member Posts: 592
    edited August 2011
    OK, I'll take some on the right too:
    '51 Chevrolet, '55 Buick, green '55 or '56 Pontiac leaving the curb, peachy '56 Dodge, and the previously mentioned pink '56 Chrysler. Great old pic!!!!
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,467
    It's probably a Sterling 827 given a Rover rebadge, seeing as it has California plates. There are a handful still on the road in my area, the 5 door model being extremely rare even when new.
  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,670
    You're right, Fin. this article calls it the last Rover 827 SLi sold in America but since the rest wore Sterling badges it's the only one. That might be worth an extra $50 bucks to a collector. ;)

    2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93

  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,670
    image

    2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93

  • wgraferwgrafer Member Posts: 592
    I hope this is not Mr. Bean's car!!!! :sick:
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    It is, and according to press reports a neighbor suggests he tends to drive it in the manner of his on-screen persona. :surprise:
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Well that's going back to the factory, I'm sure.
  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    Well that's going back to the factory, I'm sure.

    Yes, I don't think 'Joe's "All Makes" Body Repair' would handle it too well.
    Won't be a warranty repair though. ;)
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    shame that such beautiful machines have to suffer at the hands of klutzes. :cry:
  • grahampetersgrahampeters Member Posts: 1,786
    G'day

    Inevitably, the whole story is a bit more complicated. Rowan Atkinson is actually an engineer (M Sc in Electrical Engineering)and a very competent racer. He holds the record for "Celebrity in a Reasonably Priced Car" on Top Gear. He has raced some vicious machines including a Lancia and a Renault 5 Turbo (if you ever want to find out how to go backwards, sideways or anything else, there is a lesson)

    However he has had a couple of "offs" and this looks like a very good example. I guess that is what happens when you drive an almost pure sports racer as a road car in soggy British conditions. I do feel sorry for the bloke. He has the cash and inclination to run very pricey machinery hard and inevitably, does have an accident. It does not look that serious as the general shape of the care remained straight.

    Oh well, off to the repair shop.

    Cheers

    Graham
  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,670
    You've identified the driver correctly but so far no one has mentioned what type of car Mr.Bean wrecked.

    2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93

  • colin_lcolin_l Member Posts: 591
    McLaren F1. :)
  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,670
    McLaren F1

    Keerect.

    2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Fair enough...I don't know the circumstances...but "competent" of course means "competent" to the level of your abilities. It takes a lot of talent to lose a McLaren on a public road? I dare say, what it took was not talent. The best race drivers, of course, do not generally smash up their rides on a regular basis. Oh, well, there *was* Nigel Mansell, so maybe I should take that back :P
  • colin_lcolin_l Member Posts: 591
    I would agree, particularly given that this car does not possess modern electronic safety nets.

    Everyone used to put 911s in the ditch. Now they rarely go there due to in part to suspension tuning, but mainly the presence of stability control.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    I know. Law enforcement used to love old 80s Porsche turbos, since they eliminated so many drug dealers.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    McLaren F1

    Nope, it's now a McLaren F'd Up.

    :D
  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,670
    LOL, very cool Juice!

    2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93

  • texasestexases Member Posts: 11,126
    How long have you been saving this? Mitsu 3000GT VR4, looks like a later year for these with the fixed headlights, so about 1999?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    To be honest I'm not even sure the exact year, but yeah, that's a later model sans the barn doors (pop-up headlights).

    Styling was inspired by a Samurai warrior, supposedly.
  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,670
    The newest car in this photo tells you what year it was taken>

    image

    2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93

  • imidazol97imidazol97 Member Posts: 27,682
    I tried a little Paint Shop Pro on this photo to make the cars easier to see.

    image

    2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,

  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Certainly not the best time for automobile styling that's for sure. Are we in 1961 in the time machine?
  • texasestexases Member Posts: 11,126
    Looks later to me - isn't that a 1965 Chevy headed the other way? And I'm going to guess a 1963 Falcon a few cars back on the left side of the photo.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Yep, you're right--and the pickup is probably early 60s as well. Gee I wonder if the Beatles just landed!
  • berriberri Member Posts: 10,165
    Nice enhancement!

    My guesses: 56 Chevy, 61 Rambler American, 59 Olds flat top, 61 Olds F-85, early 60's Falcon, 66 Chevy Biscayne or Bel Air, late 50's Chevy pickup and mid fiftes Caddy.
  • wgraferwgrafer Member Posts: 592
    Parked on left: '56 Chevrolet, '61-'63 Rambler American (I could never tell the difference even back in the day!), '59 Oldsmobile, '63 Buick Skylark, '62-'63 Falcon (again, hard to see details).

    Driving away: '56 Cadillac, '58-'59 Chevrolet Fleetside truck, and the aforementioned '65 Chevrolet Biscayne.
  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,670
    Nice job on fixing the overexposure. It helps to see the '65 Chevy which is indeed the most recent car in this 1965 photo of downtown Winona, MN.

    I think the car behind the white Falcon is a '49-'52 GM of some sort.

    2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93

  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,670
    image

    2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93

  • tjc78tjc78 Member Posts: 17,032
    Is that an AMC Spirit (82ish)? Cabs are Checkers, not sure of year.

    2025 Ram 1500 Laramie 4x4 / 2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Icon I6L Golf Cart

  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    Or an AMC Eagle Kamback altough it looks too low for that.
  • bhill2bhill2 Member Posts: 2,602
    Or an AMC Eagle Kamback altough it looks too low for that.

    Actually, I was going to guess an Eagle because it looks higher than a Spirit.

    2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])

  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,670
    The IMCDB crew says it's a 1979 AMC Spirit.

    I'm inclined to agree, the Eagle Kammback was just a Gremlin on stilts>

    image

    2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93

  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    Is that DB Cooper crouching at the back? :shades:
  • berriberri Member Posts: 10,165
    Where are the shredded twenties?
  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,670
    image

    2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93

  • texasestexases Member Posts: 11,126
    No picture for me...
  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,670
    Let's try this again>

    image

    2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93

  • bhill2bhill2 Member Posts: 2,602
    Still no picture for me

    2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])

  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,670
    Sorry, can't get that one to work, let's try another>

    image

    .

    2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Is that a wing nut or a Chevy logo? ;)

    I'll play the odds and guess SBC.
  • texasestexases Member Posts: 11,126
    Nope, SBC has the distributor in the back. Some Fords have that kind of coolant tank, so I'm going to guess an early 60s Ford, 260 or 289?
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 58,467
    Yeah, I think it's a Ford too, I remember the 60 Ford with a 352 that my dad had used a setup like that.
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    And it has that typical Ford starter solenoid on the fender.
  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,670
    It's a 352 CID V8 with Offy heads and dual Quads from a '63 Ford Galaxie 500XL Slope-back>

    image

    2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Nice lines...wonder why Ford doesn't put lines like that on the boxy Flex. Right now it's just a MAXI Cooper, all boxy.

    That looks square but still manages to have some character/style.
  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,670
    image

    2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93

  • mac24mac24 Member Posts: 3,910
    Looks like the Lagonda in the top of the ad to me:

    image
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