Mystery car pix

fintail

Few MBs of that era of any model made it here when new. That Dutch plated pickup appears to be based on a 170S/SD.

lostwrench1

Mr_Shiftright said:

Hmmmm.......it's possible that the label on this car is incorrect. I'm going to call it a '66 Monaco, so Lostwrench gets it first.

KYFDX posted 67 Polara.
I thought it was a 1966 Polara and came back with -1 = 1966 (Polara) but the TMART Monaco post appeared first which made it look as though I was posting about TMART's Monaco.
These Dodge posts would make a good skit a la "Who's on First?"

andys120

fintail

Hillman Minx ca, 1958? I've always liked those, and the variants.

It's like a 1:1 Matchbox car:

stickguy

probably same build quality too.

andys120

stickguy said:

probably same build quality too.

Yup, it's amazing that someone would bother to keep one going and even more amazing that they could.

stever

New four door. At the auto show but it sounds like it's a go.

stickguy

that is either a Nissan, or some other company (possibly Hyunkia) stole away their lead designer!

fintail

Renault also has a Nissan link, and the same sometimes wacky (and nowadays seldom pretty) styling.

I ran across a nicely restored and lovely Minx at a local small town car show a couple years ago, neat car:

Mr_Shiftright

stever said:

New four door. At the auto show but it sounds like it's a go.

Looks like a cockroach I once saw in Barbados.

berri

Minx - that word reminds me of a line in the movie Animal House

Michaell

That red car is the new Toyota xx-x. Don't remember the actual letters, but it's their entry into the subcompact SUV game (HR-V, Juke, Encore, etc.).

Built in Turkey.

stever

Yep, the Toyota CH-R.

Blurb on it here. (LA Times)

texases

We have a new winner in the 'how hard can we make it to see out the back of the vehicle' sweepstakes!
Man, that CH-R has HUGE C-pillars.

andys120

After a look at that ghastly CH-R thing I thought we should look at something pretty>

tmart

1954 MG TF. Definitely pretty and brings back memories.

qbrozen

MG TF

stever

I'm looking forward to seeing the new Toyota and I bet @iluvmysephia1 is too. :-)

Michaell

My father - who was never much of a car guy - always harbored a desire to have one of those 50's MG's.

Mr_Shiftright

They are really fun, and simple to work on, but you have to be a fairly compact person to drive one, and have complete disregard for any level of comfort from wind, rain or road bumps. They are also very small and partly framed in wood so god forbid you got hit by anything.

Michaell

Mr_Shiftright said:

They are really fun, and simple to work on, but you have to be a fairly compact person to drive one, and have complete disregard for any level of comfort from wind, rain or road bumps. They are also very small and partly framed in wood so god forbid you got hit by anything.

My dad was 5'8", so I suspect he would have fit fine. He also had decent mechanical ability.

Living in CA, I don't think the elements would have been much of an issue. Smooth roads, too.

Mr_Shiftright

Yep, fun car for SoCal. I like the TF. It had a good deal more power than the TC and looked better than the dumpy TD.

andys120

Mr_Shiftright said:

Yep, fun car for SoCal. I like the TF. It had a good deal more power than the TC and looked better than the dumpy TD.

I think you're right but if you see a "dumpy" TD mixed in w modern cars and no TCs or TFs around (as I did recently) the TD looks quite fetching.

andys120

From the same year as the TF, probably cost twice as much new>

Mr_Shiftright

andys120 said:

Mr_Shiftright said:

Yep, fun car for SoCal. I like the TF. It had a good deal more power than the TC and looked better than the dumpy TD.

I think you're right but if you see a "dumpy" TD mixed in w modern cars and no TCs or TFs around (as I did recently) the TD looks quite fetching.

Each version of the T series has its fans--the TC for traditional fanatics, the TD for people who wanted LHD, and the TF for those who thought the TD was dumpy looking and lacked power. But by 1955, these cars were terribly outdated, and thus we get the MGA.

Somehow the TD managed to become 5 inches wider but offer no more seat room ??. I always thought the extra width threw off the proportions. Then the TF came out and the TD people just freaked. They were particularly aghast that you could no longer open the sides of the hood (bonnet) to service the engine. But the TF people in 1954 got the last laugh with a larger 1500 engine that could actually run comfortably on a U.S. freeway.

More than you ever wanted to know, I'm sure.

iluvmysephia1

How'd ya guess, stever, on me wanting ta get a good 'ole look at the new Toyota? If I get an uncontrollable hankering to actually buy one there'll be one for sale in the KC Metro that'll blow your socks off! Although those taillights on the new Toyota CH-R look weird...even from a side view.

stever

The taillight lines must be intended to match the roof spoiler.

Either that, or it's a flat spot to stick your can of Diet Coke while you are waxing it.

bhill2

andys120 said:

From the same year as the TF, probably cost twice as much new>

That would be your hardtop (Newport, I believe) 1954 Imperial. I always had a hankering for an Imperial to cruise around in, since they are less plentiful than Cadillacs and Lincolns. Perhaps one with the freestanding headlights just to make a statement.

Mr_Shiftright

Very nicely made car, too.

andys120

I t's a 1954 Chrysler Imperial Newport Custom. This car with the two-tones and Kelsey-Hayes wires is obviously a top of the line MoPar, It probably has power everything and automatic but they don't mention air-con.

The guy who fist bought it of course had no idea that those features (and air!) would one day be available on cheap compacts and even trucks!

I've always particularly liked the '53-'54 MoPars, they featured clean, elegant lines. I remember having a Hubley Diecast of a similar car. Apparently I'm not the only one who likes them, the dealer is asking $79,900!

Mr_Shiftright

Dealer's price is very ambitious, about 1/2 of what a fully restored one would bring. They made a little over 1200 of them, so there probably aren't more than a handful around, and I understand that this one is a low mileage original----soooooo, the question is, will someone pay double the market price for that privilege?

berri

My dad once had a 54 Desoto Firedome in kind of the reverse color pattern and an uncle had a baby blue and white 54 Chrysler coupe (both bought used!). So that shot kind of takes me back to being a little kid.

andys120

stickguy

I should know this. Fiat Panda clone? Some sort of Monteverdi?

andys120

Lol, it's not a Panda clone, or a Monteverdi. It's just a plain ole 1987 Fiat Panda 4X4, possibly the first transverse-engine vehicle w 4x4.

stever

This is another LA auto show rig. Supposed to be out in one year. They slightly misspelled the name inho by sticking an L in there.

andys120

Alfa-Romeo Stelvio, Alfas entry into the Crossover field. I can't believe that Alfa would ever have such a thing.

As far as I can tell Alfa spells Stelvio the same way everyone else does. It refers to one of the most amazing roads in Europe that goes thru the Stelvio Pass in the Italian Alps


i

stever

Yeah, but wouldn't it be so much cooler if it was Stevio?

That said, I still use Sweet n Low and never Stevia....

There's a few more pics here:
Edmunds Top Picks of the 2016 LA Auto Show

andys120

Meh, it could just as easily be a Mazda or a Kia but what do I know, it'll probably end up being their best seller.

Mr_Shiftright

Many of our "mystery cars" are obscure because they were too late to the game.

andys120

Mr_Shiftright

Looks like a Fiat 124 wagon, circa early 70s?

fintail

Fiat-based Lada (VAZ) 2102, probably from launch around 1970.

Mr_Shiftright

Oh yeah, look at the plate.

Mr_Shiftright

OK I have a new battery of stumpers for you all:

Let's try this one first:

berri

European hearse

stickguy

whenever I see something ungainly like that, I think Borgward. somewhere around 1958. Combi?

fintail

I can read the fender script

All I can say is, very amusing interpretation of period American styling themes.

Mr_Shiftright

Well so far you guys are pretty fair detectives...the approx. year is right (close) and you are in the right country.

As for hints---this model was right near the end of this famous marque's existence, and you have to decide which part of Germany it came from.

stever

fintail said:

I can read the fender script

Dang, I blew it up 600% and I can't make it out.