Mystery car pix

Mr_Shiftright

I think "retro" is pretty dead now.

The problem with "retro" is that it's hard to go anywhere with it---yes, VW proofs the rule, but in general most retro designs are dead-ends after a few years.

VW was always retro, is probably the reason---ditto Porsche. But to go from modern back to retro, that's very risky.

fintail

A little microvan thing could be cool, but otherwise, like shifty says, hard one to pull off for any period of time. Fiat 500 does the job too, but will eventually need an update. Then the problem begins. I think only Mustang and Beetle been successful at updating retro. Heck, MB even dropped the ponton-inspired rear fender detail on the new facelift E-class.

kyfdx

Isn't the MINI retro? Not that I disagree with your premise, but that's a pretty successful example.

Mr_Shiftright

Mustang fumbled with the Mustang II but they came back. The original retro design has to be very very strong for it to continue. Iconic. Legendary. Even well known to people who weren't alive when the first versions came out. Not many cars qualify.

But retros can have "a run" for a while---sooner or later, though, there's nowhere to go. I'm not even sure how I feel about the new "ManBug" VW.

I see a marked trend away from cars that are too-too small---people are afraid to drive them, and I don't blame them.

fintail

Oops yeah, forgot about that one. And it's been updated well, too.

The successful retro cars have a very distinct silhouette that can be tweaked over time. That could be the key.

I wonder if one could count an SLS as a retro car, as it has a roadster too, just like the original 300SL. It's not quite as relatively insane as the original, but really nothing is.

kyfdx

Saw my first Smart car moving at traffic speed, this week. Doing 70 in the center lane. Looked scary, even from my vantage point.

andys120

stickguy

'68 Dodge Dart?

andys120

Close, it's a 1969 Dodge Dart GT.

stickguy

andys120

Not much to work but maybe a Jeep CJ7?

stickguy

Jeep yes. you got that part right.

stever

Not a CJ-5 because there's no wiper motor hanging off the windshield. At least my '74 had one.

uplanderguy

Somebody removed the government-mandated 1969 head restraints, then.

kyfdx

The CJ-5 would also have quarter-cut door for the rear wheel. I'll guess that is a CJ-6? With the pickup bed?

stever

How about a CJ-8? Scrambler? Nope, no graphics. Just a "regular" one then.

stickguy

should have gone with your gut. It is a 1985 CJ-8 Scrambler.

andys120

stever

Jeep made around 230 full length hardtop CJ-8s for postal carriers in Alaska that I must have seen them back in the day. RHD, and barn doors in the back. Rare NA birds, but they were widely sold as the CJ8 Overlander in Oz and Venezuela.

stickguy

right in Lemko's wheelhouse.

tellin0

1973 Cadillac Fleetwood

omarman

The small blue car in the upper left corner of this pic:

Then there's the other one with the door open.

andys120

Blue car on the left looks like a Subaru Impreza WRX, the other is a Peel P50 with Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson at the wheel.

boomchek

That's a hilarious video, thanks for posting!

omarman

Gottem both. The WRX is second generation I think...2007 or so? The Peel P50 is well, what it is, and on display at the Isle of Man's Manx Transport Museum.

grahampeters

G'day

BMW 700 from mid 1960's, I think. Odd looking, to my eye. However more conventional than its predecessor bubble car.

I think they were raced or hill climbed or similar. Somewhere in the back of my mind I recall something about Hans Stuck (1950's GP driver and father of Hans Joachim Stuck) driving one.

Cheers

Graham

andys120

Yup, that's a '65 BMW 700 Luxus. Oh yes they were raced, rallied and hillclimbed extensively.

stickguy

Fleetwood Brougham to be exact.

stickguy

lostwrench1

1967 Impala SS

stickguy

yup.

gagrice

January 10, 2013. HOUSTON, Texas – Hennessey® Performance (HPE) today announced that on January 10, 2013 its street-legal Venom GT® supercar accelerated from 0-300 km/h in just 13.63 seconds, thus establishing the vehicle as a new record holder according to Guinness® WORLD RECORDS (GWR). The acceleration time was an average of two runs made in opposite directions within one hour and validated by a VBox 3i GPS-based data logging system. VBox officials were on hand to certify the numbers as required by Guinness® rules. The first run was completed in 13.18 seconds with a 4 mph tailwind. The second run was made in 14.08 seconds while encountering a 6 mph headwind. The resulting two-way 0-300 km/h average was 13.63 seconds.

http://www.desktopmachine.com/press/1970/Lotus_Exige_Hennesey_Venom_GT/

ateixeira

Could that be the world's most flexible platform?

It's the basis for the Elise, Exige, race cars, Tesla EVs, and now the world's fastest car.

Colin Chapman is smiling, somewhere. :shades:

andys120

ateixeira

Aston Martin DB5 based. I'll swag at the name:

DB5 shooting brake

grahampeters

G'day

Radford bodied Aston Martin DB5. One of about a dozen.

Cheers

Graham

andys120

You're a little off guys, the purple car is one of about 6 Aston Martin DB6 Shooting Brakes, modified by Radford from standard DB6 coupes. The coupes were physically different from the DB5s mainly by the spoiler lip and flat Kamm panel in back, neither of which are on the wagon versions.

lemko

1973 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham. The stand-up hood ornament is added on. They didn't appear on production Cadillacs until late 1975. The wire wheel covers are also incorrect as they didn't debut until 1976.

andys120

The stand-up hood ornament is added on. They didn't appear on production Cadillacs until late 1975. The wire wheel covers are also incorrect as they didn't debut until 1976.

How could they have forgotten the padded half-roof or the faux Continental spare?

Late 70s Detroit, yuck! :sick:

rtfi12345

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/photo.php?fbid=4998592534082&set=a.4998592494- 081.173580.1577824869&type=1&theater

Looking for an approximate year of this photo, and I am guessing one of you know the approximate year of the car!

fintail

The car is mid 20s, wood wheels, the drum headlights make it probably no later than 1925-26, nickel radiator shell probably 1922 or later. Clothes are mid-late 20s looking.

Can't 100% tell what it is, radiator shell is kind of Buick-y in shape (also kind of Packard-y, but the car doesn't look fancy enough), but I don't think that's it. Lots of dead brands from that era, so hard to tell.

The Antique Automobile Club of America Identification Forum has more experts and activity,they will know.

andys120

The only thing that I'd add is that the car looks well-used, I suspect it's at least 5 yrs old. Note the poor condition of the paint on the hood and the top doesn't look so hot either.

Possibly this is a 1922-23 car photographed ca. '27-'30.

explorerx4

I figured it was the rare 'eggplant' edition.

fintail

I agree with that. Cars aged really quickly then, too.

Here's my great-grandmother and great-great-grandfather with a roughly 1911 car, photographed around 1913. It's pretty beat, too:

tjc78

I'm sure the poor road surfaces contributed to wearing out the cars back then.

It's funny today a car with minimal care can still look very new even being 10 years old. IMO the biggest thing that makes a car looked aged is cloudy headlights. My boss has a first generation (very miled up) Infiniti G and it still looks great except for the headlights.

ateixeira

For his bday give him one of those headlight restoration kits.

uplanderguy

'67 was the best-ever full-size Chevy panel IMHO. Love how the instruments are behind a clear plastic cover.

I'd like a radio and an uncracked dash pad on mine, though.

fintail

The roads were the factor, for sure. Especially pre 1920s, when there were virtually no paved roads outside of cities.

Cars age better now than ever - styling evolution has slowed, paint is better. The Infiniti owner needs to invest 15 minutes on those lights, it would be worth it (for safety too).

stickguy

One bad feature of my Integra was the lights. Quite yellowed, and opaque. But, the seller threw in a cleaning kit he had bought but never used. 15 or so minutes with that, and they went from yellow to clear. Effectively look like new now. I highly recommend it to anyone with cloudy lights. A whole heck of a lot cheaper than new lenses or light assemplies!

tjc78

Yeah the kits work. I did my stepdad's 03 Camry two/three years ago. They looked great for a while, but now starting to cloud again.