The "WTF is that?" thread

[Mr Pastry]

  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).

Expand  

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

[bunglebus]

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

[sheffcortinacentre]

  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.

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?

Expand  

I find stuff like this fascinating .

[Mr Pastry]

  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.

Expand  

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:

[quicksilver]

  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.

Expand  

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.

[sdkrc]

[bunglebus]

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

[sdkrc]

[MiniMinorMk3]

  On 16/02/2024 at 17:45, sdkrc said:

Expand  

Has someone stuck a Mk1 Golf Cabrio on a Suzuki?

[Pieman]

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?

[Dyslexic Viking]

  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?

Expand  

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

[quicksilver]

  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.

Expand  

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.

[FakeConcern]

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.

 

250 GTO in same place 1966

[Spiny Norman]

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.

[FakeConcern]

  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.

Expand  

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

[lesapandre]

It's the photographer Maurice Rowe I think:

https://www.goodwood.com/grr/columnists/doug-nye/doug-nye-remembering-motorsport-photographer-legend-maurice-rowe/

The signed picture has some value as he was well respected. Well worth £48 IMHO.

https://cars.bonhams.com/auction/25454/lot/89/the-maurice-rowe-photographic-archive-offered-for-sale-with-full-copyright-qty/

[Mr Pastry]

  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.

 

250 GTO in same place 1966

Expand  

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. 

[FakeConcern]

  On 16/04/2024 at 13:29, lesapandre said:

It's the photographer Maurice Rowe I think:

https://www.goodwood.com/grr/columnists/doug-nye/doug-nye-remembering-motorsport-photographer-legend-maurice-rowe/

The signed picture has some value as he was well respected. Well worth £48 IMHO.

https://cars.bonhams.com/auction/25454/lot/89/the-maurice-rowe-photographic-archive-offered-for-sale-with-full-copyright-qty/

Expand  

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?

Expand  

It does look a lot like it...

Not sure about the window shapes though

[scaryoldcortina]

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.

[Skizzer]

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

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.

Expand  

It’s an Opel Rekord P2.  Pretty cars.

[barrett]

  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...

Not sure about the window shapes though

Expand  

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

[ProgRocker]

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.

[MiniMinorMk3]

It's a 1952 Ford F1 truck

1952 Ford F1 | GR Auto Gallery

[martc]

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

[Mr Pastry]

  On 22/05/2024 at 05:34, martc said:

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

Expand  

Autobianchi Bianchina, based on Fiat 500.

[MiniMinorMk3]

Mr Pastry beat me to it.

 

It's an Autobianchi Bianchina Berlina

[bunglebus]

Dashcam capture - any ideas?

[artdjones]

  On 03/06/2024 at 16:39, bunglebus said:

Dashcam capture - any ideas?

Expand  

Looks like a Lincoln MKZ

I 

[Rod/b]

It is. And it has a number plate to match

[DSdriver]

All moderns look the same... as we have been saying for ever. 🙃