Another mystery car

[threespires]

Swedishjames said:

Bringing this thread into the new decade.

Still no closer to an answer but continuing the line of discussion above...

Posted previously, I can't help but this car that Edmond Pery created before Apal has something about it that is reminiscent of the mystery car:



I have been digging into the Apal side of things, and whilst I can't find anything definitive (surprise surprise) I have found a few interesting images of cars that he made in the late 1950's (including one with removable T-tops).






Yes, the features (fins, wraparound screen etc) are common for the era but I still feel it worthy of a post.

There is something about the overall look of the cars that is reminiscent, plus he was clearly a talented chap who built quite a few one offs (including a mysterious gullwing that I cannot find any images of).

Can't help but think the mystery car is almost like a missing link between the early cars and the Apal Coupe (wishful thinking!).

Again, nothing but speculation, but it's all good fun.

Thanks for your interesting post. I'm in France at the moment in the Monte Carlo Classique with a poor connection. I'll study your reply when I get back home.

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Indeed, a very interesting roof arrangement
Good find.

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Stevepolly said:

I've googled a bit about Pery but a lot of the stuff is in french, but it does say an early effort was a small gullwing coupe but no pictures.

Thanks for having a go --

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Yes, it's amazing that nobody can offer any info on this car, despite the picture having been seen worldwide.

I've just noticed the original picture has disappeared on the opening page, so I've uploaded it again and here too.

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uk66fastback said:

I’m convinced that isn’t the driver you can see in his white shirt and dark suit, but a reflection of the building on the corner to the photographer’s right. The white line outlining the bottom of the rear wing behind the wheel of the mystery car was a common manual retouch to continuous tone pics back in the day, although nothing else about the car itself looks ‘false’ or retouched.

OK, thanks.
Something I've always found curious is the front wheel. There doesn't appear to be much room for the wheel to turn.
The rear axle arrangement is interesting, what kind of springs could it have? Its very close to the cockpit.
So the mystery continues.

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Is the passenger window showing a reflection of the woman in red?

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True, just an observation.
Whats your opinion on the steering lock or rear axle arrangement?

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Well spotted - That's the mystery car!

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piper said:

Just received the Charles Dunbar book titled 'Transport Oddities' dated 1962, I was optimistically hoping to see a pic and description of the mystery car, but nothing in there unfortunately. What it does highlight is that Chas (Charles) Dunbar definately had more than a passing interest in odd vehicles. I beleive he definately would have had an interest in that vehicle. I do not own the book with the pic of the mystery car in but in Transport Oddities he does acknowledge all the photos. Could somebody on here scan the photo acknowlement page of the 'Buses, trolleys & trams' book and I will research the names and see if I can uncover who took the photo.

Good idea, I hope somebody can help.

[threespires]

I'd need to look back and check to make sure.
I think you could be correct.

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Girvan Holbien said:

I've been following this thread since it started and have read every post.
One question.
Is the Disney Corporation following it too?
Is Finn McMissile based on the mystery car?
Will the scene feature in the next of the 'Cars' series?

Excellent! Finn McMissile is an attractive car, makes me think of Volvo P1800.

[threespires]

This is the Arnott Climax, it competed in 1957 Le Mans.
The cabin area is very similar, front and rear not so.

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anonymous said:

[redacted]

I managed to track down the painter who substituted 'our 'car for the taxi. He's a bus fanatic in Australia. He found the book and painted the taxi in as that's more his type of vehicle.

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TSP3 said:

and the line drawing is superimposed on a drawing of a Ashley Sportiva.





I think the original photo in Oxford Street is an Ashley based prototype with a Williams & Pritchard made alloy body that did not make production.

Rochdale Olympic History Archive.

You could be right. Any more info?

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TonyRPH said:

Come on guys, don't derail a great thread with pettiness.

I've followed this pretty much from the day it was posted, and the thread has always remained quite civil.

I hope we can keep it this way.

I'm not a mod by the way - just a very interested follower of the thread.

Thank you.

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anonymous said:

[redacted]

Perhaps you're right, a very early version of Photoshop must have been used!

Buses, Trolleys and Trams Hardcover – 1 Jan. 1967
by Chas. S. Dunbar (Author)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Buses-Trolleys-Trams-Chas...

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I'm showing page 194.
Why would they be different for each user?

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thegreenhell said:

page 97 for me.

You can set page length in your preferences.

OK, thanks..I didn't know that.

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dandarez said:

Spot on!!

For years (I'm searching along with some others - some have given up - for a very rare Ginetta) we thought GI6 in that old 'owner's cars' snippet in Practical Motorist meant a Ginetta (but the G16 never had a hardtop, it was an open top racer).

The Registrar of the Ginetta club twigged the answer only this week that it must have been a typo and that it was meant to be (Triumph) GT6 - the chances of any rare Ginetta having crashed and having its hardtop used on an Ashley had to be remote. But panic for us searchers set in back then in the 80s and it overruled our sensible thinking, and still did up until this week

Also, it's been established now that a Richard (Dick?) Voss had a Ginetta G15 in the 80s too. Perhaps he still has?

So, the search for the missing Ginetta carries on.
If you think you can find it, all I can say is I/we've spent over 35 yrs looking for it!

Some rare forgotten models do appear, a yellow G15 posted on here recently which had been stored in the owner's garage for many years turned out to be a car missing on the Club's listings too.

The road going left hand drive Ginetta G10 exported to the USA in the 60s went off the radar for many years and turned up in recent times too, still in the USA.

That's good to hear..