Mystery car pix

magnette

"Forward to go forward and backwards to go back..."

texases

Spent the week in LA-la land, lots of expected cars (including an unfortunate trend to put black wheels on anything expensive), but seeing these two driving down the street were firsts for me (no cheating with the urls). I've seen the second on various web sites, but not the first:

andys120

Don't know the one on top but the lower pic is of a Fiat Jolly, essentially a cut-down Fiat 500 or 600 for use at resorts like Villa D'Este, San Remo or perhaps St. Tropez.

The one on top is obviously along the same lines but bigger. Those look like
Fiat hubcaps and that's a Pininfarina emblem on the flank so perhaps it's based on a Fiat Millecento(1100) or a 124.

texases

Yep, second one's a Jolly...first one had me really puzzled...it is Fiat-based...

grahampeters

G'day

Oddly I had happened across images of both of these in recent weeks. The top one is a variant on a Fiat Multipla with a body by Pinin Farina, I think (see logo halfway along body). It was called the Fiat Multipla Marine and was intended as transport around beach resorts. There are also similar bodies by Michelotti with a roof but not sides, called the Marinella (I thought it was the name of a type of pizza). The timber-work on the Pinin Farina echoes those lovely fifties Italian speedboats

I had found this image of the car being rolled through a factory. http://www.carstyling.ru/en/car/1956_fiat_multipla_marine/images/13341/

If I remember the story correctly, Henry Ford II bought one as a run around for a beach or lake estate.

It is a lovely design and reprises some of the look of trucks and buses from the early to mid fifties in Europe.

You have to love Italian Design; something to lust after!

Cheers

Graham

magnette

This one seems to have got left behind - it's a DAF - I think this would be an early / mid 60's DAF 700, there was also a 600 but that had a smaller grille. In some markets, including Britain, it was sold as a DAF Daffodil initially. Basically the same car later became the DAF 33, but this looks earlier than that and there were trim differences.

texases

That Multipla Multiple Marine apparently was also call the "Eden Roc", as described here in some detail.

andys120

Yes, it's from the brochure for a 1966 DAF Daffodil.

andys120

in this shot of Santa Ana California taken in the early 60s. Go crazy!>



BIGGER, more cars!

Imagine, a picture of traffic in Cali with not a single import!

berri

My guesses - 52-54 Ford in front, mid 50's Chevy pickup, 60 Ford station wagon, mid - late 50's Jeep FC truck, early 50's DeSoto, maybe a 49 or 50 Ford behind it, 55 or 56 (can't see the parking light) Ford wagon, and a mid 50's Caddy. All I can make out.

bhill2

55 or 56 (can't see the parking light) Ford wagon

From the tiny bit of the lower grill that shows I am going to guess 56.

berri

The light and shadows are bad, but the wagon may actually be a delivery version without the windows? If I had to pick, I'd go 56 too because there may be a bit of side view of the parking lamp housing.

wgrafer

It's definitely a '49 DeSoto with a '50 Ford behind it on the left. And definitely a '56 Ford delivery. But the real beauty in this pic is the '60 Ford wagon! I remember looking at the '60 Ford in a Ford showroom with my parents way back when, and in spite of my recommendation they ended up buying a '60 Plymouth! Which I ended up driving many years later and loved it....

andys120

I think you guys have them pretty well covered. It's pretty hard to see but I think the car parked behind the '50ish Ford might be a '57 Chevy.

Anyone got a clue on the prewar car behind the Ford delivery?

berri

I learned to drive in a 60 Ford, but it was a sedan. Other than the odd fins, you may have been better off in the Plymouth. The 60 Ford was a real ruster and the seat sat practically on the floor as well - but it was reliable, and the 6 cyl had a hand choke so it would start in practically any weather. Don't forget on those 60 Ford's you had to put some reflector tape on the fender indentations that were reverse tailight designs!

magnette

The car behind the delivery van, fourth car back, is an import - it's an Austin A40 - probably a Devon, but possibly a Dorset 2-door (if you had those).

andys120

The car behind the delivery van, fourth car back, is an import - it's an Austin A40 - probably a Devon, but possibly a Dorset 2-door (if you had those).

Thank you for that one Magnette, I believe you're right, that car certainly looks like an A40.

1950 Austin A40 Devon>


Aside from the sports cars, not many Austin-branded cars made it to the USA. The only ones I can remember are the Austin Atlantic (my first girl friend's father had one) and the awful Austin America (an 1100 variant).

andys120

Brit we didn't get>

stickguy

It looks like a Chevy Cavalier that went through the mad max shop for a new front end.

andys120

You aren't far off, it is a GM product and I believe it has J-Car roots.

grahampeters

G'day

It is a Vauxhall Manta (badge engineered from Opel), possibly from about 1978. The nose does it no favours as the underlying design was quite pretty.

It is a higher spec vehicle with mods including the fog lights and wheels.

My boss had a well thrashed one in 1990, which he had owned since new. Handling was surprisingly good and they are now considered rare, if in original condition.

Cheers

Graham

grahampeters

G'day

Just searched on the Internet and see one shown elsewhere as Cavalier Coupe (Opel Manta) so wonder if later ones were branded differently in the UK

Cheers

Graham

andys120

Yes, the car shown was a Vauxhall Manta but no year given, '78 can't be that far off. I think the Opel Ascona, Vaux Cavalier/Manta, Chevy Cavalier (and it's Pontiac/Olds Buick/Cadillac spinoffs) were all pretty closely related.

I don't know how they were regarded on the East side of the Big Pond but over here they were decidedly low-end crap (as in Crapalier ). It took Cadillac 20 years to live down the Cimarron.

andys120

kyfdx

Well... it's a BMW...

I'm going to guess that it's a 503... but, I might be in the wrong decade..

andys120

No you're in the right decade and that's a BMW 503 Cabriolet (ca. mid 50s), you can also see a 507 sports, a 501 or 502 "Baroque Angel" and a pre-war 327 or 328.

andys120

lostwrench1

1964 Chevy
1964 Dodge x 2
1922 Jason Robards

stickguy

that a corvair 2 behind the taxi?

andys120

I see no Corvairs of any kind in that pic.

andys120

Well we've missed a '48-'52 Ford behind the second cab.

wgrafer

Didn't miss it, I thought it was a '50 but really couldn't see it clearly enough to call.

stever

berri

I'd say 49-51 (can't see enough of the grill or parking lights to tell on my monitor). Windshield rules out a 52 and I think its profile is too low for a 48.

qbrozen

I have no idea, but I like what I can see of it.

stever

That's because we don't get it in North America. Except perhaps in Saint Pierre and Miquelon.

(Yeah, that's a hint and you could drive there to look at one).

texases

"Saint Pierre and Miquelon"

The only 100% French posession in North America. Weird, C&D just had an article about trying to repatriate a junker Citroen there, I had never heard of it before. Interesting history.

stever

Yeah, I briefly visited there 11 years ago and saw the guillotine of movie fame, but the only interesting cars I saw were Renault Espace vans with tiny wheels. Was in Newfoundland a couple of months ago, but other than a couple of good restaurants, there's not much to see or do in St. Pierre that's any different from the big island a short ferry ride away, so we didn't go back.

And no, it's not a Citroën.

andys120

ateixeira

2012 Opel Astra OPC.

A few funky details but definitely an interesting car.

stever

Sorry Juice, not an Opel. Here's another pic:

fintail

Another weird random assemblage, like from an episode of CHiPs or something. Audi Fox 2 door sedan in the front, Honda 600 behind it, a couple of Datsun B210s behind that (or maybe white car is a similar era Corolla), and a Ford Bronco behind that.

ateixeira

DOH!

That's the new Pug, 20x. What's that last number again?

Looking it up is cheating, so I'll say it's the 208.

stever

Mais oui!

New Peugeot 208 Photos (Straightline)

ateixeira

Redeemed myself, phew. :shades:

I like that kink in the A-pillar, from both a style and functional stand point.

andys120

Actually it's from Magnum P.I., the Audi is a '78 Fox (Audi 80 outside the US IIRC). The Honda is a late 60s/early 70s N600, the second Honda four-wheeler to come here (The S600/800 was first).

andys120

jwilliams2

Looks like an early 60's Renault Floride (or Caravelle).... with a removable hardtop.

fintail

Yep, I remember this as a Caravelle.

I remember one from when I was around 12 or so - this would be around 1989, a local used car lot had one. It was yellow, and it really caught my eye, I wanted to take a look at it. My dad said something to the effect that they were unsafe and I wouldn't want to touch it (I was already thinking about my first car), odd thing to show up on a lot in a small west coast town. I remember the same lot also had a Fuego at one time.

andys120

Yup, it's the Dauphine based Renault Floride which was called a Caravelle in North America, a subsequent Caravelle based on R8 mechanicals was sold in Europe but not here. It looked very much like the Floride but by that time the Dauphine and Caravelle had both outlived their popularity on this side of the Atlantic.

The car shown does look like it has a removable hardtop but there was a fixed head coupe>



Wikipedia says the stylists at BMC admitted to being influenced by the front end styling of the Floride when they styled the MG-B.