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Mystery car pix

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Comments

  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    I believe that's the 1974 Fascination 700 - a thermonuclear car that never got off the ground. Only five were made and all are still rumored to exist. I imagine the EPA would go nuts over somebody building a nuclear car.
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    image
  • michaellnomichaellno Member Posts: 4,120
    Dymaxion by Buckminster Fuller.
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    That's correct. Buckminster Fuller also tried to market a Dymaxion House in the late 1940s that looked like a flying saucer.
  • texasestexases Member Posts: 10,685
    edited January 2012
    That's the new Fusion/Mondeo - looks good, but seems a bit 'heavy' in that pic, like the current Taurus.
  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,369
    Yup, that's the 2013 Ford Fusion Energi, the p[lug-in hybrid version of the Fusiondeo.

    2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93

  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,369
    image

    2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93

  • uplanderguyuplanderguy Member Posts: 16,056
    Nash Healey. What a wonderful picture, BTW!!
    2024 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray 2LT; 2019 Chevrolet Equinox LT; 2015 Chevrolet Cruze LS
  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,369
    edited January 2012
    Yes it's a '53 Nash Healey, supposedly the first one to arrive in the USA. There's a couple of interesting (tracked) vehicles on the flatcars behind it, anybody recognize them?

    2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93

  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,369
    Last call for someone to ID the big tracked vehicles between the Nash-Healey and the freighter in #31934.

    Hints: They're highly modified from the original configuration but the shape of the hull and the track/bogey layout should be familiar. Almost 50,000 were made.

    2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93

  • stickguystickguy Member Posts: 50,435
    abrams tanks?

    2020 Acura RDX tech SH-AWD, 2023 Maverick hybrid Lariat luxury package.

  • texasestexases Member Posts: 10,685
    Sherman tanks - odd looking turrets, though.
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    Did they have Sherman tanks as late as the Korean War which would've coincided with the Nash-Healey? The Sherman wasn't that great a tank, but we built a lot of them! We had produced something like 60,000 Shermans versus maybe 10,000 Panzers. The Panzer and Tiger tanks were superior, but they were overwhelmed by the sheer quantity of Shermans, not to mention the Russian T-34. The Sherman, however, was a huge improvement over the Grant tank with a gun that was mounted on the right side of the vehicle and could only move up and down.
  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,369
    edited January 2012
    Yup those are M4 General Sherman medium tanks, modified for some purose hence the odd looking turret and attachments but the shape of the hull and the track/bogey arrangement is unmistakable>

    image

    Some Shermans saw early action in Korea but they were obsolete by the time of the photo (1953) and had been replaced by the M47 Patton as the Army's main battle tank. I have no explanation of why these were at the Port of Milwaukee apparently being loaded or unloaded to this freighter.

    Factoid- 500 Shermans shipped to Alexandria, Egypt in late 1942 were said to have been instrumental in Montgomery's victory over the Afrika Korps at El Alamein. The M4 was competitive with German tanks at this stage of WWII but as Lemko pointed out later German tanks like the Panther and Tiger were far superior and the Shermans prevailed by weight of numbers.

    2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93

  • lostwrench1lostwrench1 Member Posts: 1,165
    Those are tank "tow trucks", M32 Recovery Vehicles.
  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,369
    Thanks Lostwrench, I figured it must be something like that.

    2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93

  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,369
    image

    2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93

  • tmarttmart Member Posts: 2,233
    Looks like the first cousin of a 53 Ford. Maybe Canadian?
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Hudson Jet?
  • wgraferwgrafer Member Posts: 592
    Yes, this looks like the infamous '54 Hudson Jet convertible prototype. Too bad they never built more than one....
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I'm surprised you didn't point out the headlights that stretch back half way to the A-pillar.

    That and the taillights stand out as unique.

    I like it.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,096
    The lights are actually conventional looking, the other piece is just kind of an eyelash - not full on Toyota-esque lazy styling trying to look sporty when it is anything but.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    You mean Peugoet? They were first. ;)
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,096
    I don't know of any Pug that is like, say, the Solara - the front and back lights both stretched way out in a weird attempt at being interesting. Then we have the goofy faces that Toyota likes. Dorky design for, well...

    But what am I thinking, Toyota does no wrong.
  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,369
    Yup, it's the one and only 1954 Hudson Jet convertible

    2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93

  • texasestexases Member Posts: 10,685
    "the infamous '54 Hudson Jet convertible prototype"

    Infamous? Why so?
  • wgraferwgrafer Member Posts: 592
    "Infamous? Why so? "

    Well, there must be hundreds of pictures of the 1954 Hudson Jet convertible in books and on the web, and they are all red because they are all of this exact same car! It was a prototype that was never put in production due to money problems.
  • lemkolemko Member Posts: 15,261
    The Jet pretty much sunk Hudson as an independent automaker hastening their merger with Nash to form American Motors. The Jet was the wrong car at the wrong time. It was a compact that cost more than a full-size Chevrolet. It was too tall, too short, and too narrow when the public wanted long, low, and wide. It's oddball styling resembled a 5/8 scale 1952 Ford with an Olds rear.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    You always pick on Toyota, as if they are to blame for all that is bad in the world.

    Please.

    Puegoet 206 pre-dates that Solara. They sell tons in Brazil.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,096
    206 also isn't as proportionally bad, maybe it was designed by a Toyota "stylist" before he jumped ship. The Toyolex influence isn't positive in terms of interesting cars, I just call it as I see it. :shades:
  • omarmanomarman Member Posts: 2,702
    Anyone recognize the engine and the vehicle it was built for?
    Photobucket
    A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.
  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,369
    Small-block Chevy V8 in a Tri-Chevy ('55, '56 or '57)

    2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93

  • omarmanomarman Member Posts: 2,702
    edited January 2012
    No but it's a GM product, post war, all stock and here's another angle.
    Photobucket
    A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.
  • odie6lodie6l Member Posts: 1,173
    image

    Extra points if you can name the TV series this was featured in.

    Odie
  • grahampetersgrahampeters Member Posts: 1,786
    G'day

    It is an AC Petite from about 1956. I never got the whole British fascination with three wheelers.

    I think that it had a small Villers engine of about 360cc. There may have been some tax advantage to using this.

    No idea on the TV series

    Cheers

    Graham
  • tmarttmart Member Posts: 2,233
    TV show was probably Top Gear. If not, there was a show hosted by a female racer. Don't remember the the name, something like Chasing Classic Cars, or Car Clubs.
  • odie6lodie6l Member Posts: 1,173
    good call. It is a 56 AC petitie, also known as an Invilid Carrage. As for the show,it was not Top Gear or any car review show. The Show was Mr. Bean
    (the color was Blue)

    Odie
  • omarmanomarman Member Posts: 2,702
    305 V6 equipped 1963 GMC Suburban. Apparently the "Scotch Plaid" valve covers were a 1963 only feature which denoted that the V6 had been revised by GM for better fuel economy. The story goes that the Suburban ads for that year emphasized the new "thrifty" nature of the 305 V6.
    Photobucket
    A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.
  • texasestexases Member Posts: 10,685
    Like the Studie Scotsman...don't see many companies playing on national stereotypes these days. And which V8 was the starting point for the 305? I hadn't heard of it before.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    The Toyolex influence isn't positive in terms of interesting cars, I just call it as I see it.

    So do it, and imitation is the sincerest form of flattery:

    http://publicanfashion.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/2012-Mercedes-Benz-CLS550-- Rear-Side-View-800x600.jpg

    Maybe M-B hired the same stylist to do those tails.

    Solara wasn't pretty, but it wasn't ugly either. Perhaps a bit ahead of its time?
  • omarmanomarman Member Posts: 2,702
    I think the GMC 305 was a unique 60 degree V6 engine. And the 305 was the "baby" of the V6 family. Some larger versions included a 351, 401, 478, and even a 702 V12 double six - which was one engine block but used many parts derived from the 351 V6 engine.
    A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.
  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,369

    2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93

  • tjc78tjc78 Member Posts: 15,852
    edited January 2012
    Solara wasn't pretty, but it wasn't ugly either. Perhaps a bit ahead of its time?

    I think the first generation was. I got nothing but compliments on my 2000 V6, however, it does look dated to me now. The next generation I always liked, even with some of its quirky features.

    2023 Mercedes EQE 350 4Matic / 2022 Ram 1500 Bighorn, Built to Serve

  • omarmanomarman Member Posts: 2,702
    I just knew there had to be a Mustang somewhere at Bobby's (in the bigger shot) so I'll take the 65/66 Mustang convertible on the lower right corner. :shades:
    A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing.
  • texasestexases Member Posts: 10,685
    Notice how many kids are in that Mustang? 5 :surprise: + driver = 6 people! And I think it's a '65, based on the gas cap.

    This is posed, right? All the cars jammed in there, all of them clean, no rust.
  • fintailfintail Member Posts: 57,096
    edited January 2012
    Calling that imitation is either joking, intellectual dishonesty, or deception, take your pick. If you want to see imitation, just look at first LS vs W126 or second LS vs W140.

    Solara, with its stretched lenses, was twice as bad as the weird rear of the CLS. An 80K+++ car sold on the global market isn't going to imitate a modern day Monte Carlo sold in one market.
  • wgraferwgrafer Member Posts: 592
    edited January 2012
    I'll take the 2 Ford Country Squires - red '63 and a white '70. And I just can't resist the blue '63 Pontiac Tempest hanging off the tow truck!
  • Mr_ShiftrightMr_Shiftright Member Posts: 64,481
    Rare vehicle, the 2-door Suburbans, and quite collectible today. If you see a decent one for cheap, grab it and make yourself a few bucks.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    You can't help but notice that taillight starting to stretch, trying to reach the C-pillar.

    That is how this conversation started.
  • andys120andys120 Member Posts: 23,369
    edited January 2012
    This is posed, right? All the cars jammed in there, all of them clean, no rust.


    The photo is something of a mystery, but no I don't think it's posed, the cars are at all sorts of odd angles, it must've taken a traffic cop to get them out.

    My first thought was that it was of the gas crunch of '73 that followed the Arab Oil Embargo but I don't see any 1970's automobiles there and oddly for a late 60s scene, although all sorts of make/models are represented, there's not one import.

    2001 BMW 330ci/E46, 2008 BMW 335i conv/E93

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