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The "WTF is that?" thread


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Posted
  On 13/02/2024 at 20:05, EyesWeldedShut said:

No idea what the car is but I reckon it's coming out of Vere Street, W1 going left to be eastbound on Oxford Street itself. If it went straight on that'd be New Bond Street. (Vere St/New Bond Street cut across at a slight angle).

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If you have a few minutes to spare, the whole story (such as it is) is on Pistonheads: "Another mystery car."

Posted

I'm 99% certain it says in the book exactly where the photo was obtained from, a transport museum but I don't recall which one. 

I was tempted to buy the book when I saw it at a boot sale but it was a bit expensive just for one picture that's all over the interweb anyway

Posted
  On 12/02/2024 at 16:24, lesapandre said:

Interestingly the car we are looking at appears to have a bench seat? Lifted out of something. That would reinforce the economy car idea - 3 seater idea.

Screenshot_2024-02-12-17-54-01-046_com.android.chrome.thumb.jpg.bc867e978391d44a31b9761bf8eb0031.jpg

Other things to note:

It's skillfully done - the doors have internal door hinges and recessed door handles - crude kit cars often had easy to fit external hinges - and internal door latches only. Except the bonnet which has been very crudely modified - which might mean there has been an engine swap for something taller.

I wonder if it is a development mule of some kind or a factory apprentice piece?

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I find stuff like this fascinating .

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Posted
  On 11/02/2024 at 17:14, barrett said:

It's obviously not an 'off the peg' job and I do not think it's a special at all, but some sort of prototype.

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Not sure about this.  It seems to be metal construction and all welded in one piece.  That is a coachbuilder's method.  If it was prototype for series production surely it would have separate panels with visible joint lines.   Also I think if it was a professional design it would be better styled.  I think it's more likely to be a one-off, where some wealthy amateur has taken a chassis and a few sketches to his local coachbuilder and they have done their best with it.  Like this one:

motoring-graphics-_1328205a.jpg.97619cddd5383f0139da14d5e3a9c15a.jpg

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Posted
  On 13/02/2024 at 19:21, Tayne said:


I love looking at old photos and trying to figure out when and where they were taken.

When were the cars launched, when did that business get bought over, when did that building get demolished, what’s the time on the town hall clock, is that a steam train, how tall are the trees?

I never realised that people do that for a living.

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Please tell me I'm not the only one who on seeing an old photo instinctively looks for cars to date it. Even better if there's a numberplate visible as that can give you an earliest possible date, which is often later than other people who aren't into cars thnk.

Posted

Well apparently it's a Karenjy, Madagascar's only car manufacturer. They made a Popemobile in 2019 it seems

Karenjy

Posted

Not a mystery, but just covering my lack of military vehicle knowledge here - this is currently moving the unexploded WWII bomb in Plymouth.  What is it please?

PA-75420484__3_.jpg?fm=jpg&fit=fill&w=650&h=430&q=80

Posted
  On 23/02/2024 at 17:59, Pieman said:

Not a mystery, but just covering my lack of military vehicle knowledge here - this is currently moving the unexploded WWII bomb in Plymouth.  What is it please?

PA-75420484__3_.jpg?fm=jpg&fit=fill&w=650&h=430&q=80

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It's a MAN but not sure which model but think it's an SX45.

Posted
  On 23/02/2024 at 19:08, Dyslexic Viking said:

It's a MAN but not sure which model but think it's an SX45.

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Correct, MAN SX45 8x8 or "Support Vehicle - Recovery (Improved Medium Mobility)" in military parlance. The standard MoD wrecker that replaced the 6x6 Fodens, with 288 delivered but some now demobbed. Big impressive beasts to see on the road and I'd love to see one in civvy colours like Crouch's bright orange or Egertons' yellow.

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Posted

I saw this nice picture in a junk shop in Hastings and wondered what the car is, looks to be rear/mid engined and rear lights look to be VW so i imagine it's a VW or Porsche.

I think it must be the Targa Florio in the mid 60s and Google finds several cars in the same place, but not this one.

IMG_9166.JPG.2cdee79412bfad565c4b321ee353c989.JPG

 

250 GTO in same place 1966

1966-05-08_Targa_Florio_Collesano_250_GT

Posted

Nice photo, wonder if the signature is the driver or the photographer.
Sure I've seen that car before, might be a Porsche but looks a bit dumpy. Definitely looks rear engined, I was thinking Fiat/Abarth/Simca maybe but can't find anything.

Posted
  On 16/04/2024 at 12:29, Spiny Norman said:

Nice photo, wonder if the signature is the driver or the photographer.
Sure I've seen that car before, might be a Porsche but looks a bit dumpy. Definitely looks rear engined, I was thinking Fiat/Abarth/Simca maybe but can't find anything.

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I also wondered about the signature and tried googling variations of what I thought it could say together with Targa Florio, but came up with nothing so far

image.png.2bb3566e8366368f501674b6b009fc99.png

Posted
Posted
  On 16/04/2024 at 12:07, FakeConcern said:

I saw this nice picture in a junk shop in Hastings and wondered what the car is, looks to be rear/mid engined and rear lights look to be VW so i imagine it's a VW or Porsche.

I think it must be the Targa Florio in the mid 60s and Google finds several cars in the same place, but not this one.

IMG_9166.JPG.2cdee79412bfad565c4b321ee353c989.JPG

 

250 GTO in same place 1966

1966-05-08_Targa_Florio_Collesano_250_GT

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I think its a 1960 Fiat Abarth 1000 Zagato, the rear lights are Fiat 600 rather than VW, and the wheels also Fiat-ish?  The signature is surely the photographer Maurice Rowe. 

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Posted
  On 16/04/2024 at 13:29, lesapandre said:
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Thanks for that I thought I tried that name, maybe I didn't!

  On 16/04/2024 at 13:29, Mr Pastry said:

I think its a 1960 Fiat Abarth 1000 Zagato, the rear lights are Fiat 600 rather than VW and the wheels also Fiat-ish?

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It does look a lot like it...

abarth%201960%20lemans_49.jpg

image.png.666efab2081f63707bafbe2ae47e7adb.png

Not sure about the window shapes though

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Posted

20240410_113323.jpg.77a499e91180012d5d251095f6f0f717.jpg

Was staring at this print in a hospital when I realised there's a car in the middle of the picture I have no clue about. It's the LHD thing between the consul and the Daimler bus.

Posted
  On 16/04/2024 at 14:38, scaryoldcortina said:

20240410_113323.jpg.77a499e91180012d5d251095f6f0f717.jpg

Was staring at this print in a hospital when I realised there's a car in the middle of the picture I have no clue about. It's the LHD thing between the consul and the Daimler bus.

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It’s an Opel Rekord P2.  Pretty cars.

Posted
  On 16/04/2024 at 13:43, FakeConcern said:

Thanks for that I thought I tried that name, maybe I didn't!

It does look a lot like it...

abarth%201960%20lemans_49.jpg

image.png.666efab2081f63707bafbe2ae47e7adb.png

Not sure about the window shapes though

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It's a few years later (post-Zagato). It's Randazzo's Abarth 1000SP on the 1967 Targa Florio

cc7f48279be752bf2e39517dccb01567.jpg

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Posted

Caught this cream or yellow coloured American 1940s-50s pick up truck on my dashcam but I cannot identify what make it is. I'd guess GMC or Chevrolet. I see a few American pick ups driving around but I rarely get a chance to photograph them.

American pick up.jpg

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  • 4 weeks later...
Posted
  On 22/05/2024 at 05:34, martc said:

Any idea what the black car is? I think we're in Italy.

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Autobianchi Bianchina, based on Fiat 500.

Posted

Mr Pastry beat me to it.

 

It's an Autobianchi Bianchina Berlina

3468215444_831be96c9f_b.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...
Posted

All moderns look the same... as we have been saying for ever. ðŸ™ƒ

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