Mystery car pix

fintail

And we won't even get into the engine changes.

fintail

Like Shifty mentions, this was a bit of a quantum leap:

Mr_Shiftright

Yeah----'54 to '55 Chevy---dramatic changes. Some say that the '55 Chevy was the first American "modern" car. The famous "3-box" design.

Mr_Shiftright

This had to hurt. What a difference a year makes!

fintail

MB has done this a bit, now that I think of it. An even bigger leap:





And before that:





I've read that Ponton drivers did not care for the fintails when introduced.

fintail

An obscure one comes to mind. As conventional and conservative as can be (for the time):



Turned into something very different:

texases

Here are my two 'what were they thinking' pairs.

First, the 1997 vs. 1998 Lincoln Town Car, as was mentioned elsewhere:



And my top two, the pre/post Bangled 5er:

fintail

On those lines, this was a shock for some people, too:

berri

Fin, I think your 54 v 55 Chevy example nails it. Once the 55 came out, the 54 just looked old and obsolete. Plymouth did it some too between those years, but the 54 Ford was a clean looking car, so while the 55 had many changes I don't think the 54 took it on the chin as much.

The comment on the 59 v 60 Ford difference was interesting . Recently I saw them side by side in the Escondido, CA car museum. Not just the styling, but the size of the 60 was quite noticeably larger in all dimensions except height where it was perhaps a bit the opposite.

uplanderguy

Two of the most dramatic styling changes that come to my mind, are the '64 to '65 full-size Chevrolet two-door hardtop, and the '52 to '53 Studebaker line.

berri

Was that the year Studebaker dropped the propeller

uplanderguy

No, the '52 had what we call the 'clam digger' front end, but the car was the same basic body as the model you're talking about--'50-51.

'52:

http://s.hswstatic.com/gif/1952-studebaker-14.jpg

'53:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/56/Studebaker-commander-starliner-1953.jpg

uplanderguy

'64 Impala Sport Coupe:

https://ccpublic.blob.core.windows.net/cc-temp/listing/76/2625/1389318-1964-chevrolet-impala-thumb-c.jpg

'65:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2127/2352029923_9e83ccec8a.jpg

fintail

The Starliner must have looked like something from the future on 1953 streets. That'd be another good idea for a pic post - cars that were years ahead of the pack styling-wise when new, to the point that they looked out of place.

uplanderguy

The '53 Stude coupes were narrow, low, and long--120.5 inch wheelbase. If I had one, I'd want to park it at any show I went to next to a Chevy two-door hardtop of the same year.

andys120

There's a part of me that prefers the elegance of the older design but most people like the finny 55.

andys120

Imagine the poor schnook who bought this in 1959-60.>




It's pretty but look what replaced in 1961>

tjc78

Here is another example from the 90s.  1993 


1994

uplanderguy

As most long-termers here know, there's not a foreign car that does much of anything for me...except for the Jag E-Type. That'd make a convert out of me for sure!

berri

...if you can climb in and out, and fit

andys120

Michaell

andys120 said:

Mid to late 90's Acura Integra.

Almost bought the four door version of that model.

andys120

Mid to late 90's Acura Integra.

Almost bought the four door version of that model.


Yup, it's a 1997 Acura Integra GS-R. I almost bought one too but when I test drove one it didn't feel any more special than my 1985 Prelude.

Michaell

andys120 said:

Mid to late 90's Acura Integra.

Almost bought the four door version of that model.


Yup, it's a 1997 Acura Integra GS-R. I almost bought one too but when I test drove one it didn't feel any more special than my 1985 Prelude.

Oh! Didn't recognize it as the GS-R. That's the one with the 190HP motor.

We test drove the 4-door. What I remember about it was that it was pretty quick (had a stick shift), but the ride was a bit, um, sporty. Of course, we were driving a '97 Escort at the time.

andys120

Here's another pair for Shifty's comparo>

If you got this in 1982>



You wished you'd waited for this in '83>

Mr_Shiftright

No kidding. Honda was just starting to hit its stride then. 2nd gen Prelude, 2nd gen Civic. They already had a 4 cylinder and 6 cylinder motorcycle out and were beating the stuffing out of the British and American bike market as well as the U.S. small car market. Also just opened their Marysville plant in the U.S.

One year later in 1984 the HP-X came out, which was the forerunner of the famous NSX of 1990.

fintail

Controversial to some, no doubt.

1990:



1991:

stickguy

or going backwards, even bigger shock.

berri

Stick - is that the "ugly" stick

kyfdx

fintail said:

Controversial to some, no doubt.

1990:



1991:

That '90 doesn't look much different from a '78 model.

fintail

Amusingly enough, the then-revolutionary downsized box Caprice was for MY 1977. A big departure from the land yacht posted by stickguy, but kind of a relic in 1990.

uplanderguy

I'll stick my neck out and say that that '91 didn't look that bad to my eyes--except from straight-on in the rear. As is so often the case, magazines liked it but once a mag, then two, then three, started with the 'whale' analogy, everybody climbed on board (no pun intended). I bought a new '93 for barely more than a Lumina cost and it was a good car for the six years we owned it (sold it to a Saudi exporter). Honestly, up close, the way they did the '93 rear wheel opening cutout was almost amateurish. I like the lacy wheels of the one in the pic above.

I had the dealer locate my '93--maroon outside and in, F41 suspension. full-size spare, Positraction, Goodyear Eagles with pinstripe whitewalls (as in the pic above). I wouldn't take a second choice on colors. My salesman said, "203 dealers and one car like you're looking for". It came from Don Allen Chevy in downtown Pittsburgh.

uplanderguy

I know I'm GM-biased, but I thought even by '90 the Caprice was better-looking than the Crown Victoria. I think every design that HFII might've had a hand in, was so boxy, blunt in the front, slab-sided, etc. I always like the big, rounded wheel openings, front and rear, on the Caprice. Not a fan of the padded roof and partly-filled-in quarter window on the rear doors though.

fintail

I remember when the aero Caprice was introduced, and I was appalled by it. It just seemed to big, and almost like the body was too wide for the track. I think in time, history has been more kind to it, and it is now referred to as the "bubble" Caprice by those who customize them, rather than the whale. It looks better in the eyes of today than those of 25 years ago.

In comparing to the Crown Vic, for 90, I think the Caprice did look more upmarket, even with the goofy quarter vinyl top.

uplanderguy

At the time, I thought the '91 Caprice Classic with red leather interior seemed really plush. Plus, it had standard ABS and driver's airbag, and I think it was the first Chevy to have them. Now, I'm pretty sure the '91 Corsica/Beretta had them, but the '91 Caprice had an early introduction. In fact, I can plainly remember when I first saw one. I was driving my Dad's car on I-71 N. in south-central OH and we were gaining on a car I mentioned to my Dad that "I have no idea what that car is". We got up close and saw the "Caprice" nameplate on the decklid. It was a base model. On the driver's door was the name of some kind of shipping company--it was apparently a fleet car. We were both underwhelmed. It was white with the plastic wheelcovers. The "Classic" model above, was nicer, in and out.

I hadn't even seen spy photos of it before I'd seen an actual car.

uplanderguy

One small thing I didn't like about our '93 was the way the tops of the rear doors curved in at the top. When getting into the back seat, if you weren't paying attention, you could hit yourself in the face/head with them.

Mr_Shiftright

Okay, here's a variation of both mystery car and the two-car theme.

This vehicle is actually made up of two real cars, using their actual body parts. Can you tell what they both are?

HINT: Both from the same automaker.

uplanderguy

I'd say the center section is Mark VIII, but that and the DeSoto wouldn't be the same manufacturer.

Mr_Shiftright

Well then, you've just found yourself wrong---LOL!

uplanderguy

I'd like to find out what Mopar product the center of the car is.

Even the unusual, U-shaped Mark VIII instrument panel looks like it's there.

uplanderguy

Mark VIII:

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/34/d6/78/34d6785fb03bf19b3b2d7e0d389325d6.jpg

Mr_Shiftright

Very similar, yes.

It's a 1998 Chrysler Sebring coupe mated to a '57 Desoto.

Mr_Shiftright

A *very* sharp-eyed person (not me) might be able to spot the Mopar vehicle that formed the basis of this Brook Stevens creation:

uplanderguy

http://www.dldebertin.com/sebringphotos/dsc58.jpg

Weird, I couldn't find a single '98 Sebring coupe in Google images that had the bright molding across the top of the side windows, like the car shown in the mashup does.

It's the 36-year auditor in me.

uplanderguy

I've seen the Scimitar, but have no idea its foundation.

Mr_Shiftright

I think that molding might be painted. Remember this is a custom car to the MAX. Anyway, I'm only going by what the builder's friend sent me.

The underpinnings of the Scimitar would be hard to spot but once I was told, I said "of course!"

uplanderguy

The kickup in the beltline at the bottom of the rear doors say '62 Plymouth or Dodge to me, but only guessing.

berri

So do the ventipanes and rear fins. Kind of like a 62 Plymouth.

Mr_Shiftright

Well you're sniffing in the right place---it's a '59 Chrysler

uplanderguy

I don't see a single thing on that car that would make me think that, other than possibly the vent windows in the front doors. But I do seem to remember that the Scimitar itself was made in 1959. It's a foggy memory though so not sure.