CARS-YDSE.com – Page 10 – Cars You Don't See Everyday

’67 Morris Minor Traveller Woody Wagon

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During the early 2000s I worked in an industrial part of San Francisco at a dot.com. I walked the twenty or so blocks to work most days and started to carry my camera. I passed this car on the way to work many times. I never met the owner but loved the car.

Over 1050 ’67 Minors made it to these shores (U.S.A) before BMC was forced to pull the plug again. This time, the 1968 EPA (smog) and DOT (safety) regulations would require all auto manufactures to re-engineer their products to comply and BMC decided to drop the importation of the Minor and put their efforts into the MG 1100/1300 sedan and the Austin America. The Minor continued in various forms overseas until mid-1971. Over 1.5 million were built by the end of production. In total, 65,000 were imported to the US between !949 and 1967.

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1963 Plymouth Valiant

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This was a car that sold fairly well before this major style change. In 1963 the car was redesigned.

The Valiant was totally reskinned for 1963 with a 1⁄2 in (13 mm) shorter wheelbase; it had a wide, flat hood and a flat square rear deck. The upper belt feature line ran from the rear body, in a gentle sweep, to the front fender tip. Here it was ‘veed’ back and down to the trailing edge of the front fender. The roofline was flatter and sharpened in profile. The grille was a variation of the inverted trapezoid shape that characterized contemporary Chryslers, with a fine mesh insert. Advances in body structure, many accessories and a new spring-staged choke were promotional highlights. The Valiant was offered as a 2-door coupe or hardtop, a 4-door sedan and a station wagon. The hardtop and the convertible, with manual- or optional power-operated top, were offered only in the high V200 and premium Signet trim levels.

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1965 Plymouth Barracuda

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I took this picture many years ago and have not found another Barracuda in much better shape. This was a very cool car in its day and my cool Uncle Oscar had one for me to admire. Oscar was an engineer by profession and I’m sure he baught it because it was good value, not because it was “cool”.

The back window was huge. Here is a quote on that aspect of the car.

The fastback body shape was achieved primarily with a giant backlight, which wrapped down to the fender line. Pittsburgh Plate Glass (PPG) collaborated with Chrysler designers to produce this 14.4 ft² (1,33 m²) rear window, the largest ever installed on a standard production car up to that time.

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1955 Chevy 210

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While I was in college in Beaumont Texas in 1962-1968, many of my classmates had cars like this one. Some were four doors, some two doors and even one was a convertible. This car was a big hit for General Motors.

When Chevrolet introduced the 1955 Chevy in late 1954 it changed their history. What made the new Chevy so popular, then and now? It’s new 265 cubic inch V-8 was probably the most important feature in the motoring public’s eye. The 1955 Chevrolet also represented a completely new vehicle in styling and engineering. With its new styling and the option of a potent new “Turbo-Fire” V-8 it was the most changed Chevy and the most exciting car to ever wear the bowtie badge since WWII.

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1949 Plymouth Special Deluxe

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Shortly after the war, the US auto companies went from turning out tanks to making, well, consumer tanks. This 1949 model is in exceptional shape.

All Plymouths for 1949 were powered by a six-cylinder L-head engine that displaced 217.8 cubic-inches. There were four main bearings, solid valve lifters and nearly 100 horsepower on tap. A three-speed manual gearbox was standard.

The Series 18 Deluxe Six was available in either a four door sedan or two door club coupe. The sedan was very popular, accounting for 61,021 sales. It was not the most popular Plymouth of the year, those honors fell on the Special Deluxe Six Series sedan which sold for $1,629 and totaled 252,878 sales.

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1955-1963 Mercedes 190SL

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Walking down Market Street one sunny day was rewarding. This car was in unbelievable condition to be parked in a retail store parking lot.
Apparently, there were subtle changes in this car during the eight years it was produced. I can not tell what year this one is. I f you know or want to guess, please post a comment.

Avanti, Ever Seen One?

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I love this car. It was introduced the same year as the Jaguar XKE and I still think its a great looking car, way ahead of its time. This shot was taken in July of 2003 and it looks very “Cool” even in 2009.

The Studebaker Avanti was a sports coupe built by the Studebaker Corporation of South Bend, Indiana, USA between June 1962 and December 1963. Designed by a team of stylists employed by industrial designer Raymond Loewy, the Avanti featured a radical fiberglass body design mounted on a modified Studebaker Lark convertible chassis. After the closure of Studebaker’s factory in December 1963, The Avanti model name, tooling and plant space were sold to two South Bend Studebaker dealers. They introduced a slightly modified version of the car in 1965 under the brand name “Avanti II”, but neither it nor subsequent models assembled by a succession of entrepreneurs had any lawful connection with the Studebaker Corporation or its brand name.

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Riley RMA 1951

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This was shot in the Marina district of San Francisco. It is a wonderful example of the post-war British motorcar. This Riley had a wooden chassis like the Morgans’. This one was manufactured for export. It is a left-hand drive car.

The RMA was the first post-war Riley. It used the 1.5 L engine and was equipped with hydro-mechanical brakes and an independent suspension using torsion bars in front. The frame was made of wood in the English tradition, and the car featured traditional styling. The car was capable of reaching 75 mph (121 km/h). The RMA was produced from 1945 until 1952 when it was replaced by the RME

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1939 Cadillac, Series 61

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This is the car the elite drove before World War II. It was modified version of the 193-1938 models. I snapped this one walking home from work in 2001 right outside of the UPS terminal in San Francisco. It could use a good paint job but seems to be in great shape.

Briggs The Series 60 was replaced by the 126-inch-wheelbase Series 61, offering the same body types and many of the Sixty-Special’s appearance features. Common to all 1939 Cadillacs were a:
* redesigned dashboard,
* newly optional vacuum-operated radio antenna,
* rubber rear fender protectors,
* and something called “Controlled-Action Ride,” a reference to a higher rear axle rotation center claimed to enhance ride comfor

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Cadillac would produce cars through late 1941 before switching to tank production until 1948.

1964 (1961-1967) Ford Econoline Truck

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Ford introduced the Econoline series in 1961 and ran it until 1967 when the style changed. It was based on the Falcon and was quite economical. Ford built Econoline vans, station buses and trucks. I read that the rear quarter windows seen in this model were an option. I can’t really tell what year this truck is but I guessed 1964 because it is in the middle of the range. I f you know, please leave a comment and let us know too.
© Fred Winograd copyright 2009