Mystery Car on Pistonheads (Via the blue forum)

[Dick Cheeseburger]

On 7/26/2022 at 9:25 AM, Dick Longbridge said:

Spotted this one on CrapBook earlier. I see it's been mentioned on Pistonheads previously. I reckon the bloke replying at the bottom has a fair point in that the orange mystery car could be a mk1 version of whatever the blue 'mk2' car is.

Not dissimilar...

Just spotted on Twatter. Different car - looks to be Spitty/GT6 based, but love the way some 50s/60s customisations are making people scratch their heads all these years later.

 

[HMC]

^ love it, looks to be inspired by the mid 60s triumph entries at Le Mans. Looking at its semi dilapidated state, and the lack of fuel, wonder if this is around 1973?

[Missy Charm]

7 hours ago, Dick Longbridge said:

Just spotted on Twatter. Different car - looks to be Spitty/GT6 based, but love the way some 50s/60s customisations are making people scratch their heads all these years later.

 

I've never understood the fixation with the blue car; it's clearly a one-off special that someone skilled concocted in his garage like so many other home-mades that were around at the time.  Bodywork on production cars in those days was rubbish but lots of mechanical bits were fairly tough, leading to a surfeit of useable engines and gearboxes and the like in breakers' yards.  The last war with the make do and mend mentality, and the affinity with mechanics and engineering that existed in the minds of many in what was then an industrial nation led to the obvious desire to do something with the car parts that were often just lying around.  Specials were the obvious answer, bringing glamour to the mundane and grey backstreets of fifties Britain; they were a chance to express creative flair too, which was important in context.  Where there is conformity there is always the desire to subvert; if you can't afford a sports-car, make one.  

Specials: they're nothing special!  The blue car looks well made, but to find that unusual is to fail to understand the history of the period.  The things people could put together in a backyard or a railway arch could be of equivalent quality to goods from proper manufacturers; indeed some outfits were actually putting series production cars together under similar circumstances.  Things like engineering could be done at the special builder's works, sometimes when the supervisor's back was turned and sometimes with the boss's blessing.  We'll probably never be able to say categorically that the special is actually a Salkeld Josephine GT (or whatever), because the answer is lost in time.  Understanding why it is, however, leaves one free not to care.  

[chaseracer]

On 13/07/2021 at 22:22, Dick Longbridge said:

Looks like it's been discussed in many places, too:

https://postcardsforpetrolheads.co.uk/car-mystery/

Well, that's a bit of a rabbit-hole...! 😎

[JeeExEll]

3 hours ago, Missy Charm said:

I've never understood the fixation with the blue car; it's clearly a one-off special that someone skilled concocted in his garage like so many other home-mades that were around at the time.  Bodywork on production cars in those days was rubbish but lots of mechanical bits were fairly tough, leading to a surfeit of useable engines and gearboxes and the like in breakers' yards.  The last war with the make do and mend mentality, and the affinity with mechanics and engineering that existed in the minds of many in what was then an industrial nation led to the obvious desire to do something with the car parts that were often just lying around.  Specials were the obvious answer, bringing glamour to the mundane and grey backstreets of fifties Britain; they were a chance to express creative flair too, which was important in context.  Where there is conformity there is always the desire to subvert; if you can't afford a sports-car, make one.  

Specials: they're nothing special!  The blue car looks well made, but to find that unusual is to fail to understand the history of the period.  The things people could put together in a backyard or a railway arch could be of equivalent quality to goods from proper manufacturers; indeed some outfits were actually putting series production cars together under similar circumstances.  Things like engineering could be done at the special builder's works, sometimes when the supervisor's back was turned and sometimes with the boss's blessing.  We'll probably never be able to say categorically that the special is actually a Salkeld Josephine GT (or whatever), because the answer is lost in time.  Understanding why it is, however, leaves one free not to care.  

Good post there, says it all.

[Fabergé Greggs]

4 hours ago, Missy Charm said:

I've never understood the fixation with the blue car; it's clearly a one-off special that someone skilled concocted in his garage like so many other home-mades that were around at the time.  Bodywork on production cars in those days was rubbish but lots of mechanical bits were fairly tough, leading to a surfeit of useable engines and gearboxes and the like in breakers' yards.  The last war with the make do and mend mentality, and the affinity with mechanics and engineering that existed in the minds of many in what was then an industrial nation led to the obvious desire to do something with the car parts that were often just lying around.  Specials were the obvious answer, bringing glamour to the mundane and grey backstreets of fifties Britain; they were a chance to express creative flair too, which was important in context.  Where there is conformity there is always the desire to subvert; if you can't afford a sports-car, make one.  

Specials: they're nothing special!  The blue car looks well made, but to find that unusual is to fail to understand the history of the period.  The things people could put together in a backyard or a railway arch could be of equivalent quality to goods from proper manufacturers; indeed some outfits were actually putting series production cars together under similar circumstances.  Things like engineering could be done at the special builder's works, sometimes when the supervisor's back was turned and sometimes with the boss's blessing.  We'll probably never be able to say categorically that the special is actually a Salkeld Josephine GT (or whatever), because the answer is lost in time.  Understanding why it is, however, leaves one free not to care.  
 

Imagine playing Cluedo with you at Christmas: 

“I understand that people get crazy/angry/jealous and end other peoples lives, therefore I care not who committed murder. GAME OVER” 

[Asimo]

9 hours ago, HMC said:

^ love it, looks to be inspired by the mid 60s triumph entries at Le Mans. Looking at its semi dilapidated state, and the lack of fuel, wonder if this is around 1973?

Petrol was less than half that price in ‘73.

[Mr Pastry]

19 minutes ago, Fabergé Greggs said:

Imagine playing Cluedo with you at Christmas: 

“I understand that people get crazy/angry/jealous and end other peoples lives, therefore I care not who committed murder. GAME OVER” 

I am a little surprised that a historical novelist is so dismissive.

As a special builder and car restorer I am interested in the car itself, which has many anomalies.

As a historian I am interested in the photograph and its provenance, which also raises questions.

As a writer I am interested in the back story, whatever it is.

I don't lose any sleep over it, but there is a lot going on there under the surface.

[Missy Charm]

19 hours ago, Fabergé Greggs said:

Imagine playing Cluedo with you at Christmas: 

“I understand that people get crazy/angry/jealous and end other peoples lives, therefore I care not who committed murder. GAME OVER” 

Why not?  Leaves more time for drinking...

[206B]

On 9/25/2022 at 10:14 PM, Mr Pastry said:

I am a little surprised that a historical novelist is so dismissive.

As a special builder and car restorer I am interested in the car itself, which has many anomalies.

As a historian I am interested in the photograph and its provenance, which also raises questions.

As a writer I am interested in the back story, whatever it is.

I don't lose any sleep over it, but there is a lot going on there under the surface.

Full disclosure. Am the person who thinks the car is a... well won't even mention the car name. Have not been able to prove that this is the case as no car, pictures or info have been uncovered that prove it. However, the evidence points to this being the case (IMO)

So why am I here? Wanted to get everything polished and 100% before showing to the world, but Covid and work have gotten in the way. So, for anyone genuinely interested in research (hence quoting the Mr Pastry post) there are links below to my research, a YouTube video explanation and this YouTube video shows the playlist for other videos below.

Has the car got a flip front? Could be. Has it got gullwing doors? No reason why not. Could it be a Special or film prop or a totally different car that has used the car that can't be mentioned as a base? Why not? Is it, as has been suggested especially on Pistonheads, a small car like a 30's MG? No. Do forums get a bit of a kicking? Well PH does as over two thousand posts with zero info that could not have been found elsewhere is remarkably bad.

Link to the research.

Link to the explanation on YouTube.

The videos are very unpolished as, to re-iterate, am time poor and as this work was completed almost 6 months ago, felt it was best to publish as is as opposed t delay. As you can see, hopefully, my CGI is good when I have completed to my satisfaction. The gallery CGI am very happy with.

Not looking for an argument re type of car. Been done to death. Would love someone to run with what I have done in some direction I have not thought of and discover the car! If it proves me wrong, am not bothered as finding it is the main gig.

[206B]

Bit of fun with The Blue Car and some Oxford Street footage from 1956.

Probably best with a bit of sound on. Love the black car behind the Rentokil van at around 40 to 44 seconds as it looks a bit retro when it was modern? No rear bumper?

[Mr Pastry]

@206BYou do realise, don't you, that the photo is a composite picture?

The blue car has been cut and pasted from somewhere else, and it is not to the correct scale.  It is almost certainly an artist's sketch, so it is not even to any correct scale.  This explains why some of the dimensions do not quite stack up, and why some features of the design such as the shut lines are questionable.  It also explains the slightly odd composition of an otherwise professional photograph.

Whatever the car was, it wasn't in Oxford Street when the photo was taken.  For how, why, and who, you have to look at the back story.   You can take it from there.  

A good historian never takes anything at face value, and should never, ever, manipulate the evidence to prove his own pet theory.

 

[206B]

3 minutes ago, Mr Pastry said:

@206BYou do realise, don't you, that the photo is a composite picture?

The blue car has been cut and pasted from somewhere else, and it is not to the correct scale.  It is almost certainly an artist's sketch, so it is not even to any correct scale.  This explains why some of the dimensions do not quite stack up, and why some features of the design such as the shut lines are questionable.  It also explains the slightly odd composition of an otherwise professional photograph.

Whatever the car was, it wasn't in Oxford Street when the photo was taken.  For how, why, and who, you have to look at the back story, but I am not going to share any more of my research.   You can take it from there.  

A good historian never takes anything at face value, and should never, ever, manipulate the evidence to prove his own pet theory.

 

Thank you for your input and when you are ready to share what you have discovered I would love to see it. All the best.

[Missy Charm]

17 hours ago, Mr Pastry said:

@206BYou do realise, don't you, that the photo is a composite picture?

The blue car has been cut and pasted from somewhere else, and it is not to the correct scale.  It is almost certainly an artist's sketch, so it is not even to any correct scale.  This explains why some of the dimensions do not quite stack up, and why some features of the design such as the shut lines are questionable.  It also explains the slightly odd composition of an otherwise professional photograph.

Whatever the car was, it wasn't in Oxford Street when the photo was taken.  For how, why, and who, you have to look at the back story, but I am not going to share any more of my research.   You can take it from there.  

A good historian never takes anything at face value, and should never, ever, manipulate the evidence to prove his own pet theory.

 

If the blue car isn't really there, why are the pedestrians in the vicinity looking at it?  

[Mr Pastry]

2 hours ago, Missy Charm said:

If the blue car isn't really there, why are the pedestrians in the vicinity looking at it?  

Very few of them are actually paying it close attention, given its prominence, and they could equally well be looking at something more mundane which was really there.

[mk2_craig]

Sakes man. I'd love to know the worldwide cumulative number of hours people from myriad fora have spent staring at this photo, sharing their thoughts on Tinternet, and arguing with strangers who have a different view.

[De Selby]

On 11/2/2022 at 9:00 PM, mk2_craig said:

Sakes man. I'd love to know the worldwide cumulative number of hours people from myriad fora have spent staring at this photo, sharing their thoughts on Tinternet, and arguing with strangers who have a different view.

Presumably far more than the amount of time some bloke took in the early 60s to cobble together a 'special' in some shed in the Midlands 

[rob88h]

Is it whatever is on my Christmas present socks? 😉

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Back on twitter again...

 

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Those hubcaps look rather familiar...

[somewhatfoolish]

On 1/21/2023 at 10:50 PM, Dick Longbridge said:

Back on twitter again...

 

2015 has come again? Why don't I feel 8 years younger?

[Dick Cheeseburger]

4 hours ago, somewhatfoolish said:

2015 has come again? Why don't I feel 8 years younger?

Hadn't spotted the date 👌

[M'coli]

On 9/25/2022 at 10:04 PM, Asimo said:

Petrol was less than half that price in ‘73.

I'll take a guess at 1979, because the Budget in 1970 put 4* above £1/gallon.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Saw this. 

Thought it looked like the Fuckington Mullet.

Checked this thread and concluded that it doesn't. 

Credit to @JeeExEllfor the tweaked photo above.

 

[Jmac]

On 9/25/2022 at 10:15 AM, Dick Longbridge said:

Just spotted on Twatter. Different car - looks to be Spitty/GT6 based, but love the way some 50s/60s customisations are making people scratch their heads all these years later.

 

Just seen this picture from last year , that cars parked on Bloomfield rd , off the a21 .

I probably cycled past it going to school , it’s still a petrol station and vauxhall and Suzuki dealer 😀, window frame still the same on the church .

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Close? Not really. Not heard of a JWF before though...

[High Jetter]

More than a hint of Merc in the top one, and D & E type in the bottom.

[Dick Cheeseburger]

Spotted this on Twitter

Rob Shipley was corrected pretty quickly tbf. 

Someone managed to find the uncropped version of the original photo.

What was the name of the book which the photo was first published in? 

[mk2_craig]

4 hours ago, Dick Longbridge said:

Spotted this on Twitter

Rob Shipley was corrected pretty quickly tbf. 

Someone managed to find the uncropped version of the original photo.

What was the name of the book which the photo was first published in? 

You answered your own question two years ago! 
 

 

[bunglebus]

I found a copy at the boot sale but it was too expensive just for that one picture. I seem to recall a lot of the pictures were provided from a transport museum so they may have the original, who knows