Mystery car pix

Michaell

andys120 said:

Cadillac BLS wagon .. essentially a Saab 9-3 for the Euro market.

andys120

berri said:

I think you're right. I seem to vaguely recall 63 or 64 4 dr hardtop XL 500's.

You rang?>

bhill2

fintail said:

I want to say the only 4 door XLs were 63-64 - and they are fairly rare today. LTD came out in 65 and probably filled that market segment better.

bhill2 said:

For instance, there were no four door XLs during that period (trivia question; in what year was the last four door XL offered). So there isn't a straight line between the three models.

Bang in the gold, Fin. XLs were only two-doors in '62 (their first year) and after '64. The four-doors were hardtops. I really liked the '63 500XL 4-door, and also liked the '64, but must have been in the minority.

berri

also liked the '64, but must have been in the minority.

While I preferred the 63, I'm with you on the 64 4 dr HT. It's my favorite version of the 64's. I really liked the C pillar treatment and it's effect on the rear doors. Kind of classy. But remember, I was also a fan of the flat top version of GM's 59/60 models )

bhill2

berri said:

But remember, I was also a fan of the flat top version of GM's 59/60 models )

We are brothers under the skin. The mother of one of my friends bought a '59 Pontiac flat top new (yes, I myself am not new). I almost hurt myself and was thereafter embarrassed to be seen in my parents' '58 Chevy.

fintail

63 has that triangular trim piece on the rear door near the C-pillar (like on 60-62 highline Galaxie 4 door HTs), 64 has similar with the kind of cool semi-fastback roofline. They aren't bad looking cars at all. But then again, I am the weirdo who likes 60 Fords.

bhill2 said:

Bang in the gold, Fin. XLs were only two-doors in '62 (their first year) and after '64. The four-doors were hardtops. I really liked the '63 500XL 4-door, and also liked the '64, but must have been in the minority.

berri

I think I said before, my dad had a 60 Ford stripper Fairlane I learned to drive in. Our next door neighbor had a 60 Galaxie. Lots more difference than the back window glass! I recall it's styling being a bit controversial, sometimes referred to as an aborted 59 Chevy (insert butt) end when they came out.

grahampeters

G'day

Not something you'd want on your driveway. This is its prettiest angle



Cheers

Graham

fintail

For a 60 Ford, the lowline models can look kind of plain or awkward - it has to be a higher trim. I know I've mentioned the red and white 60 Country Sedan my dad had in the 90s - that was a cool old car. The 60 Ford needs some gingerbread and maybe two toning to look right. The rear is very similar to a 60 Chevy, with the flat wide wing fins. The move away from dogleg A-pillars and giving it a lower more conventional front end made it look more modern, too.

grahampeters

G'day

What is it?



Cheers

Graham

Michaell

grahampeters said:

G'day What is it? Cheers Graham

Corvette Z06

robr2

grahampeters said:

G'day

Not something you'd want on your driveway. This is its prettiest angle



Cheers

Graham

Aston Lagonda Shooting Brake.. I knew it was the Lagonda but wiki says Roos Engineering made the one only shooting brake.

berri

60 Country Sedan my dad had in the 90s - that was a cool old car.

I tend to like station wagons in general. But another Fomoco from the 60's I liked was the Mercury Marauder. Particularly the mid 60's coupes. I especially liked the coupe's rear profile.

really liked the '63 500XL 4-door

I think 4 dr hardtops are very under appreciated. For example, everyone focuses on the 57 Chevy convertible and 2 doors (and the occasional Nomad). But the 4 dr hardtop was quite a good looker to me. It had that nice roofline and greenhouse that started with some of the upper level 54 GM's. Another sleeper is the 55/56 upper line Mopar ones with the retracting rear ventipane. The 60's had gobs of nice looking ones as well.

andys120

kyfdx

andys120 said:

Saab 900 Turbo.. Looks like maybe a special edition, with those wheels?

Michaell

kyfdx said:

Saab 900 Turbo.. Looks like maybe a special edition, with those wheels?

Isn't that a 99 turbo?

kyfdx

Ahhh..... duh..

berri

Interesting color on that SAAB. Was it available in the US? It kind of reminds me of a similar green on 69 Mustangs.

andys120

Yup that's a Euro Spec 1979 Saab 99 Turbo, the 900 introduced that year had a longer nose in the interest of meeting US crash safety standards. I believe I have seen that shade of green on a few US spec models. There are many Saabs of all kinds stll running around in New England.

fezo

I want to go on record as saying the Saab 99 I owned was NOT that green. It was red actually and a 73 - before Saab got the turbo bug.

fintail

I think those are called "Inca" wheels, and could be specified on US-spec cars too.

fintail

The rear "wagon" part looks like it could fall off. It's funny that the British made so many aftermarket wagon conversions - a few of them cool, but many pretty frumpy.

grahampeters said:

G'day

Not something you'd want on your driveway. This is its prettiest angle


Graham

fintail

There was also a Marauder sedan with the fastback roofline of the Galaxie XL sedan.

4 doors is still a kiss of death in terms of monetary value. Wagons are the exception. Good for the enthusiast who isn't rich or lucky, anyway.

berri said:

60 Country Sedan my dad had in the 90s - that was a cool old car.

I tend to like station wagons in general. But another Fomoco from the 60's I liked was the Mercury Marauder. Particularly the mid 60's coupes. I especially liked the coupe's rear profile.

really liked the '63 500XL 4-door

I think 4 dr hardtops are very under appreciated. For example, everyone focuses on the 57 Chevy convertible and 2 doors (and the occasional Nomad). But the 4 dr hardtop was quite a good looker to me. It had that nice roofline and greenhouse that started with some of the upper level 54 GM's. Another sleeper is the 55/56 upper line Mopar ones with the retracting rear ventipane. The 60's had gobs of nice looking ones as well.

grahampeters

G'day

I know it is very small, but the influence is obvious.





Cheers

Graham

stickguy

Some sort if Crosley? Or a mini moke variant?

grahampeters

G'day

A lot smaller than either. Powered by a 200cc engine and capable of 40mph

cheers

Graham

lostwrench1

Talk about small. I saw the new Jeep Renegade last April.

andys120

Michaell

andys120 said:

That be the new Buick Cascada ... rental car agencies all over the US are breathing a sigh of relief, as they now have something to replace the late, but unlamented, Chrysler 200 convertible in their fleets.

stever

Just read a blurb on the Cascada. Low 30s MSRP predicted. FWD, six speed automatic, 200 hp.

Best feature is ... 4G LTE WiFi capability.

@grahampeters, nice Penny Farthing trike hanging from the ceiling.

andys120

That be the new Buick Cascada ... rental car agencies all over the US are breathing a sigh of relief, as they now have something to replace the late, but unlamented, Chrysler 200 convertible in their fleets.

Yup, that's the new 2015 Opel..Buick Cascada
. i might actually rent one if no Mustang rags were available.

tmart

Hate to admit it, but that Buick looks really good!

robr2

Notice that it doesn't have the Buick styling cues of portholes or the waterfall grill. I wonder if Buick will drop those cues.

stickguy

huh. That Buick is snazzy looking. I like the specs. Something like that in 3 years could still happen.

qbrozen

profile of that buick reminds me of the last eclipse

bhill2

grahampeters said:

G'day

A lot smaller than either. Powered by a 200cc engine and capable of 40mph

cheers

Graham

Is it by any chance a variant of the King Midget?

grahampeters

Is it by any chance a variant of the King Midget?

G'day

I'd never heard of the King Midget, so found that fascinating. However. this one is Spanish!

Cheers

Graham

Mr_Shiftright

the "Rey Enano" ?

grahampeters

Mr_Shiftright said:

the "Rey Enano" ?

G'day

I had to think about that, for a bit, as Spanish is rarely spoken here.

It is a Kapi Jip from 1950s. I don't think production numbers worried the majors.

Cheers

Graham

andys120

Brochure art>

Michaell

andys120 said:

Brochure art>

Ah, yes. The Oz-sourced Mercury Capri. Ford thought they had a Miata killer on their hands.

Uh, nope.

grahampeters

andys120 said:

Brochure art>

G'day

I always feel like I should apologise to the USA for the Ford Capri. Sadly, Australia cannot make soft-tops. The Capri was a spectacular "fail" which pops up occasionally to haunt us. A neighbour had one, which she loved. Okay with roof down, it looked ugly and leaked prodigiously with the top up.

Ford's understanding of their market in Australia was always flawed. In 1988, I looked at their decision to badge engineer a Nissan Patrol as a Ford. I was writimg a paper for a Marketing Degree. Supposedly they could get an extra $1500 for the Blue Oval. Did not fly as actual value was a $1500 discount.

Cheers

Graham

andys120

Yup, that's a 1991 brochure for the car sold in the US as the Mercury Capri. It was indeed a "spectacular fail", being completely outsold by the Mazda MX-5 Miata.

There's a lesson there for carmakers which is simply that even peopled who don't know which end of the car does the driving know that roadsters ought to be rear wheel drive. Mini's FWD roadster isn't selling well either. If the folks at Mini want to compete with Mazda in that segment they should turn the drive train around and put it behind the driver (call it a Mini Sprite or Midget).

andre1969

andre1969

I used to know a local guy who was into old cars, who started getting the convertible itch soon after I bought my '67 Catalina convertible. So, he scratched that itch with, of all things...a 1984 or so Chrysler LeBaron convertible! That didn't go over too well, so he got rid of it, and bought one of those little Aussie Capris. I don't know how it fared, as he moved away soon after.

Mr_Shiftright

Probably in rehab soomewhere after those two episodes.

andys120

lemko

andre1969 said:

I used to know a local guy who was into old cars, who started getting the convertible itch soon after I bought my '67 Catalina convertible. So, he scratched that itch with, of all things...a 1984 or so Chrysler LeBaron convertible! That didn't go over too well, so he got rid of it, and bought one of those little Aussie Capris. I don't know how it fared, as he moved away soon after.

Yeah, but didn't the car once belong to Jon Voight?

andys120

grahampeters

G'day

Fiat 850 Sport Coupe. The base for very many cars which have popped up on these pages. The wheels and stance are characteristic and often offer a hint of the underpinnings.


In about 1978, I looked very seriously at buying a bright yellow example for about AUD1,100 before good sense told me it was a bad idea. Still like them, though!

Cheers

Graham