Another mystery car
Discussion
torquespeak said:
Folks, this obviously ISN'T the car, so apologies for the slight hijack - but since we've all been looking at 1960s specials (many with gullwing doors) for nearly three years now, I'm hoping someone can ID the car below within minutes.
Anyone?
-Ed
Bah. I thought I'd included the year and mag. It's CAR, July 1969. Apologies.Anyone?
-Ed
-Ed
_Sorted_ said:
Bloomin' car does get under the skin. My date for when picture taken search below.
Can someone remind me how we got to mid-1962 as likely photo date? I thought the Haig ads were discontinued in late 1961, so apologies if I missed more discussion on this point earlier on.-Ed
torquespeak said:
torquespeak said:
Folks, this obviously ISN'T the car, so apologies for the slight hijack - but since we've all been looking at 1960s specials (many with gullwing doors) for nearly three years now, I'm hoping someone can ID the car below within minutes.
Anyone?
-Ed
Bah. I thought I'd included the year and mag. It's CAR, July 1969. Apologies.Anyone?
-Ed
-Ed
Might just be me, but I reckon the photo shown 'might' just relate to the advert above it?
The 'gullwing' ad says contact for 'photos' and further details.
torquespeak said:
_Sorted_ said:
Bloomin' car does get under the skin. My date for when picture taken search below.
Can someone remind me how we got to mid-1962 as likely photo date? I thought the Haig ads were discontinued in late 1961, so apologies if I missed more discussion on this point earlier on.-Ed
Just in case this hasn't been gone over. I really can't be arsed to go back through the minefield again!
Met with old friend from my print days of yore - not into cars but he knows I always was. I brought this mystery car up and we got into the 60's bonnet reg. He's an ex typographer and I'm an ex comp (if you can understand that). He reckons, and so do I now, after looking at the photo under magnification, that reg 100 per cent definitely ends with JJ.
What's prior to it is of course impossible as it's not shown.
1960s was when 1- to 4-number registration number sequences came in and one and two letter area codes, in reverse direction of the original reg numbers scheme. ie: 1 A to 9999 YY.
What area code is JJ?
Probably be London which will mean we've still got nowhere!
Met with old friend from my print days of yore - not into cars but he knows I always was. I brought this mystery car up and we got into the 60's bonnet reg. He's an ex typographer and I'm an ex comp (if you can understand that). He reckons, and so do I now, after looking at the photo under magnification, that reg 100 per cent definitely ends with JJ.
What's prior to it is of course impossible as it's not shown.
1960s was when 1- to 4-number registration number sequences came in and one and two letter area codes, in reverse direction of the original reg numbers scheme. ie: 1 A to 9999 YY.
What area code is JJ?
Probably be London which will mean we've still got nowhere!
dandarez said:
Just in case this hasn't been gone over. I really can't be arsed to go back through the minefield again!
Met with old friend from my print days of yore - not into cars but he knows I always was. I brought this mystery car up and we got into the 60's bonnet reg. He's an ex typographer and I'm an ex comp (if you can understand that). He reckons, and so do I now, after looking at the photo under magnification, that reg 100 per cent definitely ends with JJ.
What's prior to it is of course impossible as it's not shown.
1960s was when 1- to 4-number registration number sequences came in and one and two letter area codes, in reverse direction of the original reg numbers scheme. ie: 1 A to 9999 YY.
What area code is JJ?
Probably be London which will mean we've still got nowhere!
JJ was indeed Greater London...Met with old friend from my print days of yore - not into cars but he knows I always was. I brought this mystery car up and we got into the 60's bonnet reg. He's an ex typographer and I'm an ex comp (if you can understand that). He reckons, and so do I now, after looking at the photo under magnification, that reg 100 per cent definitely ends with JJ.
What's prior to it is of course impossible as it's not shown.
1960s was when 1- to 4-number registration number sequences came in and one and two letter area codes, in reverse direction of the original reg numbers scheme. ie: 1 A to 9999 YY.
What area code is JJ?
Probably be London which will mean we've still got nowhere!
But if it was built on a pre-existing chassis, wouldn't it have retained the donor's ID and registration?
JJ isn't even listed here - and I think a fair few of these are wrong anyway ... EG is defo PBoro ...
https://www.newreg.co.uk/dvla-number-plate-identif...
Could it be LL, which IS London.
And while you can be an ex-comp, you're NEVER an ex-typographer!
https://www.newreg.co.uk/dvla-number-plate-identif...
Could it be LL, which IS London.
And while you can be an ex-comp, you're NEVER an ex-typographer!
Edited by uk66fastback on Monday 6th August 13:20
Have followed this from the start. The holy grail of ‘mystery cars’.
Love all the sleuthing that has gone trying to find more on the car.
Just a bit of lateral thinking - but you would imagine the owner / manufacturer would have been proud of their creation and would have taken it to motoring events to generate interest.
I wonder if it went to the ‘62 Tourist Trophy at Goodwood that year. Lots of ‘now’ historic sports cars racing at the event. Anyone got photos of the public car parks that year ? The British GP ?
Love all the sleuthing that has gone trying to find more on the car.
Just a bit of lateral thinking - but you would imagine the owner / manufacturer would have been proud of their creation and would have taken it to motoring events to generate interest.
I wonder if it went to the ‘62 Tourist Trophy at Goodwood that year. Lots of ‘now’ historic sports cars racing at the event. Anyone got photos of the public car parks that year ? The British GP ?
uk66fastback said:
JJ isn't even listed here - and I think a fair few of these are wrong anyway ... EG is defo PBoro ...
https://www.newreg.co.uk/dvla-number-plate-identif...
Could it be LL, which IS London.
And while you can be an ex-comp, you're NEVER an ex-typographer!
JJ - London (until 1974)https://www.newreg.co.uk/dvla-number-plate-identif...
Could it be LL, which IS London.
And while you can be an ex-comp, you're NEVER an ex-typographer!
Edited by uk66fastback on Monday 6th August 13:20
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicle_registration...
uk66fastback said:
JJ isn't even listed here - and I think a fair few of these are wrong anyway ... EG is defo PBoro ...
https://www.newreg.co.uk/dvla-number-plate-identif...
As its title implies, that site lists new registration letters, not the original allocation which we in this sub-forum are/should be familiar with. In that allocation EG was indeed the Soke of Peterborough, if that's what you mean.https://www.newreg.co.uk/dvla-number-plate-identif...
There were 1.5 million cars registered in the London area in the mid-sixties.
Someone with a bit of time on their hands may want to have a look through the archives: https://aim25.com/cgi-bin/vcdf/detail?coll_id=1306...
Someone with a bit of time on their hands may want to have a look through the archives: https://aim25.com/cgi-bin/vcdf/detail?coll_id=1306...
_Sorted_ said:
Bloomin' car does get under the skin. My date for when picture taken search below.
Sandy colour is less likely dates as per when Royal Tournament was on. A 1 is a possible and 0 impossible.
Only way I can see of narrowing it down anymore is getting info from the Met Office. They offer the below for 1962:
• Kingsway/Aldwych – Daily Sunshine Hours
• St. James Park – Daily Rainfall, Daily Mean, Max, and Min Temperatures.
• London Weather Centre – Daily total solar radiation (this may help with the cloud issues).
• Kensington Palace – Grass, Soil at 30cm depth, Soil at 100cm depth.
Not sure if above helps as frankly do not understand what they are offering. Any weather experts on here?
Well aware above is getting a bit daft, but love a mystery.
Not sure if this helps as you may have the location,but and it is a bit the reg on the bus looks to me like LUC 250Sandy colour is less likely dates as per when Royal Tournament was on. A 1 is a possible and 0 impossible.
Only way I can see of narrowing it down anymore is getting info from the Met Office. They offer the below for 1962:
• Kingsway/Aldwych – Daily Sunshine Hours
• St. James Park – Daily Rainfall, Daily Mean, Max, and Min Temperatures.
• London Weather Centre – Daily total solar radiation (this may help with the cloud issues).
• Kensington Palace – Grass, Soil at 30cm depth, Soil at 100cm depth.
Not sure if above helps as frankly do not understand what they are offering. Any weather experts on here?
Well aware above is getting a bit daft, but love a mystery.
Did some searching and found this on RTL buses.
This would give the bus routes LUC 250
ran.
Website
http://www.countrybus.org/RT/RTLa10.htm#fleet
Allan L said:
uk66fastback said:
JJ isn't even listed here - and I think a fair few of these are wrong anyway ... EG is defo PBoro ...
https://www.newreg.co.uk/dvla-number-plate-identif...
As its title implies, that site lists new registration letters, not the original allocation which we in this sub-forum are/should be familiar with. In that allocation EG was indeed the Soke of Peterborough, if that's what you mean.https://www.newreg.co.uk/dvla-number-plate-identif...
I'm finding this thread pretty fascinating and as others have said, it's quite refreshing that for once the internet doesn't hold the answers! Been following it from the beginning and periodically check back to see if the mystery has been solved. Part of me hopes it never will be!
Nothing massively new to add to the thread but I created this cleaned up version of the original image with the ladies removed from the foreground and washed out the background to emphasise the car - particularly the rear end:
It's probably the only image we'll ever see of it and none of the other doctored images I've seen are quite right, so here's another attempt. It's quirky for sure, but in my eyes is actually a pretty cool looking little thing.
I think the rear end is probably somewhat different to the renders (that are absolutely brilliant by the way) - possibly more like this:
In my eyes the car looks to have some sort of bezel beyond the rear fin (as per an Alpine) and the rear certainly seems to extend a little - possibly similar to the Harrington, only with more prominent over-riders added. The 'hump' above the back of the roof could be a vent as per the Harrington (maybe one per door). Quite possibly just a reflection though.
In my eyes, of all the suggestions in the thread I think Dolphin Sports Shells seems to hold the most promise http://www.fordspecials.co.uk/dolphin.html. The car certainly looks Ford Sidevalve based proportionally. Either way it seems likely it was a one off, but seems pretty well proportioned and executed.
Can't help but feel the designer took some inspiration from this sketch too (that has been mentioned earlier in the thread):
All just opinions, but after all this time I'm not sure we'll ever have a definitive answer!
Nothing massively new to add to the thread but I created this cleaned up version of the original image with the ladies removed from the foreground and washed out the background to emphasise the car - particularly the rear end:
It's probably the only image we'll ever see of it and none of the other doctored images I've seen are quite right, so here's another attempt. It's quirky for sure, but in my eyes is actually a pretty cool looking little thing.
I think the rear end is probably somewhat different to the renders (that are absolutely brilliant by the way) - possibly more like this:
In my eyes the car looks to have some sort of bezel beyond the rear fin (as per an Alpine) and the rear certainly seems to extend a little - possibly similar to the Harrington, only with more prominent over-riders added. The 'hump' above the back of the roof could be a vent as per the Harrington (maybe one per door). Quite possibly just a reflection though.
In my eyes, of all the suggestions in the thread I think Dolphin Sports Shells seems to hold the most promise http://www.fordspecials.co.uk/dolphin.html. The car certainly looks Ford Sidevalve based proportionally. Either way it seems likely it was a one off, but seems pretty well proportioned and executed.
Can't help but feel the designer took some inspiration from this sketch too (that has been mentioned earlier in the thread):
All just opinions, but after all this time I'm not sure we'll ever have a definitive answer!
Edited by Swedishjames on Monday 6th August 18:18
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