A later ~1970 Aussie Falcon, with a "Thunderbirds" theme.
G'day
Spot on! The late 1960's Falcons are all pretty similar although the tail lights differ; I think this is an XW. The Thunderbirds gear is part of a fundraising event, where competitors are invited to enter a "Bash" from some remote place starting with ther letter "B" to somewhere more populated starting with the letter "B". Thunderbird 2 is as good an idea as any!
I can't say i can recall the "Diplomat" as a DeSoto model name.
Graham's photo is interesting. At first I thought it was Manhattan NY but then I noticed the little Morris Minor camionette and the DeSoto driver sitting on the wrong side.
They used the name "Diplomat" for a lot of export model DeSotos, which were usually built on the Plymouth body, just with a DeSoto grille put on. Or, in cases where a proper DeSoto grille wouldn't fit, a DeSoto-esque grille. Here's a '56 Diplomat, for instance... Plymouth body, but that's a unique grille, designed to somewhat resemble the DeSoto grille, but made to fit a Plymouth.
For 1957-59, the Diplomat was a Plymouth body with a Firesweep front clip. In '57-58, the Firesweep's front clip was actually a Dodge clip, with a DeSoto grille, but for '59 it actually looked like a "real" DeSoto. For '60-61, the Diplomat was a rebadged Dodge Dart, but by that time they didn't make any effort to make it look like a DeSoto. Considering how the '61 DeSoto looked, maybe that's not a bad thing! And, I found a pic of a '60 Diplomat wagon, in two tone, that had a contrast spear on the side similar in shape to the one on my '57 Firedome. So at least they tried a little bit, to give a nod to the DeSoto traditions.
The DeSoto Diplomat actually outlasted the "real" DeSotos, as there was a South African DeSoto Diplomat for 1962, that was essentially a Dodge Dart 440
It's funny to think that until only a year or two ago, the image quality of old 35mm images shot on Kodachrome exceeded any digital image. This image is by an amateur photographer, Fred Mitchell whose shots of Melbourne dating from the 1950's are available on line. http://www.redbubble.com/people/failingmemory?ref=breadcrumb
Kodachrome 35mm has an image quality of about 20Mp at A4 size.
Early-mid 50s rounded styling, such a stark contrast to a few years later.
Bottom left is I guess a 53-54 Chevy 2 door sedan, maybe a 55 210 wagon in front of it? (also appears to be the newest car there) and a roughly 1950 Dodge Wayfarer or Plymouth variant in front of that.
I'm not sure what you mean but IMO the Miura to this day may be the best-looking mid-engine car ever built. That's remarkable considering it was one of the first mid-engine road cars.To be sure it was highly styled at the expense of practical considerations but you could say that about most exotics.
At a quick glance, I think that Miura looks a bit over-styled, mainly up front. The front-end makes me think a bit of some kind of costume you might see from "H.R. Puff'n'Stuff". But, hey, it's from around the same era, so maybe the stylists were smoking the same stuff as Sid and Marty Krofft! But, considering that timeframe, I think it looks a lot better than many of its contemporaries.
The Miura does have nice proportions, with that long-ish hood. Many mid-engine cars come off looking a bit too cab-forward for my tastes.
Good point about the clashy colors. I actually like the green, though...probably because it's similar to what you might see on a '69 vintage Mopar musclecar. That Miura would probably look better if it was all green, and no stripes.
Good point about the clashy colors. I actually like the green, though...probably because it's similar to what you might see on a '69 vintage Mopar musclecar. That Miura would probably look better if it was all green, and no stripes.
IMHO it would look better if it was all some other color. That green has some charm on a '69 Roadrunner, but on a Miura not so much.
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
I should mention that the Nov. issue of Road & Track has a good article on the history of the now defunct house of Bertone. It's illustrated w a picture of a Miura in the same color green.
Hm, works for my bud in Texas on his Mac. Beats me, maybe the dashes in the link are messing with you. One more try - http://bit.ly/ZUUzHh. Ah, get a "forbidden" error on the iPad.
Well that one is hard. I have spent far too much idle weekend time, peering through books and internet images. I'd figures out that the body is probably fibreglass and the design looks 1950's German (lacks a little something on the style front!). The Auto Union rings suggest it is one of their companies, so I was down to DKW or Auto Union, The Monza name eventually gives a lead as a DKW Monza, but I am not sure that I have ever seen one.
Well that one is hard. I have spent far too much idle weekend time, peering through books and internet images. I'd figures out that the body is probably fibreglass and the design looks 1950's German (lacks a little something on the style front!). The Auto Union rings suggest it is one of their companies, so I was down to DKW or Auto Union, The Monza name eventually gives a lead as a DKW Monza, but I am not sure that I have ever seen one.
Cheers
Graham
That's right Graham, it's a ca.1954 DKW Monza, a fiberglass-bodied sports coupe based on the DKW F89. Power came from Auto Union's two-stroke 3 cylinder displacing all of 648cc.
@993er, looks like a military spec Jeep Gladiator - M715 Kaiser Jeep. 1967 to 1969.
Wonder if this was a surplus one given to the fire department there in South Carolina. Check out the Vintage Military Trucks site for similar ones. And welcome to the forums!
Yup that is the new BMW 428xi Gran Coupe which of course is not really a coupe at all but a five door hatchback. BMW, which used to have the most logical naming convention in the industry, has really screwed the nomenclature up. That said I rather like the car itself but then I 'm a fan of five door hatches and wagons.
Yup that is the new BMW 428xi Gran Coupe which of course is not really a coupe at all but a five door hatchback. BMW, which used to have the most logical naming convention in the industry, has really screwed the nomenclature up. That said I rather like the car itself but then I 'm a fan of five door hatches and wagons.
Yeah... the hatchback thing would sell it for me..
new BMW 4 series. IOW, another confused mish mash since it definitely does not have 2 doors.
Yeah, a more proper term for cars like this would be "pillared hardtop", which is what they called them back in the old days, when they were essentially 4-door hardtops, which usually had a more rakish roofline than a 4-door sedan, with a B-pillar grafted on.
It's also a cheaper way to make a car, since the car doesn't have full frames around the windows, and the window glass seals right against the door jamb seal, so it cuts out a few parts. In the old days, frameless windows also gave a car a cleaner look (1980-85 Seville, 1979-81 Mopar R-body) than a sedan with fully framed doors. But, with the way they integrate everything and smooth it out these days, I don't know that it makes much difference anymore.
Comments
G'day
Flinders Lane, Melbourne 1960.
Cheers
Graham
My stepfather's uncle had a Diplomat for a few years when he was living overseas, ages ago. I think it was a 1949 or 50.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Plymouth body, but that's a unique grille, designed to somewhat resemble the DeSoto grille, but made to fit a Plymouth.
For 1957-59, the Diplomat was a Plymouth body with a Firesweep front clip. In '57-58, the Firesweep's front clip was actually a Dodge clip, with a DeSoto grille, but for '59 it actually looked like a "real" DeSoto. For '60-61, the Diplomat was a rebadged Dodge Dart, but by that time they didn't make any effort to make it look like a DeSoto. Considering how the '61 DeSoto looked, maybe that's not a bad thing! And, I found a pic of a '60 Diplomat wagon, in two tone, that had a contrast spear on the side similar in shape to the one on my '57 Firedome. So at least they tried a little bit, to give a nod to the DeSoto traditions.
The DeSoto Diplomat actually outlasted the "real" DeSotos, as there was a South African DeSoto Diplomat for 1962, that was essentially a Dodge Dart 440
'11 GMC Sierra 1500; '98 Alfa 156 2.0TS; '08 Maser QP; '67 Coronet R/T; '13 Fiat 500c; '20 S90 T6; '22 MB Sprinter 2500 4x4 diesel; '97 Suzuki R Wagon; '96 Opel Astra; '11 Mini Cooper S
It's funny to think that until only a year or two ago, the image quality of old 35mm images shot on Kodachrome exceeded any digital image. This image is by an amateur photographer, Fred Mitchell whose shots of Melbourne dating from the 1950's are available on line. http://www.redbubble.com/people/failingmemory?ref=breadcrumb
Kodachrome 35mm has an image quality of about 20Mp at A4 size.
Cheers
Graham
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
And lots if old American cars test all look alike to me
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Bottom left is I guess a 53-54 Chevy 2 door sedan, maybe a 55 210 wagon in front of it? (also appears to be the newest car there) and a roughly 1950 Dodge Wayfarer or Plymouth variant in front of that.
G'day
This is so stylized, it's almost funny
Cheers
Graham
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G'day
This is so stylized, it's almost funny
Cheers
Graham
Lamborghini Muira.
I'm not sure what you mean but IMO the Miura to this day may be the best-looking mid-engine car ever built. That's remarkable considering it was one of the first mid-engine road cars.To be sure it was highly styled at the expense of practical considerations but you could say that about most exotics.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
The Miura does have nice proportions, with that long-ish hood. Many mid-engine cars come off looking a bit too cab-forward for my tastes.
IMHO it would look better if it was all some other color. That green has some charm on a '69 Roadrunner, but on a Miura not so much.
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Enough of that.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
Well that one is hard. I have spent far too much idle weekend time, peering through books and internet images. I'd figures out that the body is probably fibreglass and the design looks 1950's German (lacks a little something on the style front!). The Auto Union rings suggest it is one of their companies, so I was down to DKW or Auto Union, The Monza name eventually gives a lead as a DKW Monza, but I am not sure that I have ever seen one.
Cheers
Graham
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
BMW 4 series gran tourer. The exact model is too hard for me, as they look suspiciously like any number of similar designs.
Cheers
Graham
I'm with you. I own a 3 series and just don't see the advantage of that fastback roof. Less headroom for more money. Such a deal.
2009 BMW 335i, 2003 Corvette cnv. (RIP 2001 Jaguar XK8 cnv and 1985 MB 380SE [the best of the lot])
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
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Wonder if this was a surplus one given to the fire department there in South Carolina. Check out the Vintage Military Trucks site for similar ones. And welcome to the forums!
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
Yeah... the hatchback thing would sell it for me..
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The proportions are all wrong .. the 4 GC looks much better, IMO.
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The 3 GT has a stretched wheelbase - presumably set up for the Chinese market.
The proportions are all wrong .. the 4 GC looks much better, IMO.
What he said.
2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93
If only the 4-series didn't command a hefty price premium over the 3-series....
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Plus, a raised suspension and AWD only..
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It's also a cheaper way to make a car, since the car doesn't have full frames around the windows, and the window glass seals right against the door jamb seal, so it cuts out a few parts. In the old days, frameless windows also gave a car a cleaner look (1980-85 Seville, 1979-81 Mopar R-body) than a sedan with fully framed doors. But, with the way they integrate everything and smooth it out these days, I don't know that it makes much difference anymore.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.
2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.