Another mystery car
Discussion
Good render that, SwedishJames - if you edit your post and remove the full point after html, it'd then link ...
I think the Dolphin body was discussed at some point - that link mentioning gullwing doors was a bit of a red herring as I presume they meant making a GT version of THAT drawing - which of course looks nothing like our car. But who's to say the drawing wasn't improved at some point in '61/62 and restyled - with a handmade ali body. Who's to say the thing didn't turn into Oxford St and was hit by a Commer van, writing it off.
We'll never know I guess ... !
I think the Dolphin body was discussed at some point - that link mentioning gullwing doors was a bit of a red herring as I presume they meant making a GT version of THAT drawing - which of course looks nothing like our car. But who's to say the drawing wasn't improved at some point in '61/62 and restyled - with a handmade ali body. Who's to say the thing didn't turn into Oxford St and was hit by a Commer van, writing it off.
We'll never know I guess ... !
Edited by uk66fastback on Monday 6th August 20:53
davepoth said:
Maybe something, perhaps.
I was looking at google image search for ford 103e kit cars, and saw this one:
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/kit-car-for...
Although it looks completely wrong in terms of the styling, what really piqued my interest was the rear window and the location of the fuel filler - they look to be right for "our" car. Maybe our builder started with one of these and decided he could do better?
Interesting car that Autobodies, the style is totally different and much older (Jag XK style) but what is interesting about that car is the choice of suicide doors. I was looking at google image search for ford 103e kit cars, and saw this one:
https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/kit-car-for...
Although it looks completely wrong in terms of the styling, what really piqued my interest was the rear window and the location of the fuel filler - they look to be right for "our" car. Maybe our builder started with one of these and decided he could do better?
The doors on "our" mystery blue car are one of the elements I find most perplexing. To be a true gullwing I think the rear side window pillar would be thicker to accommodate a perimiter lifting structure, otherwise it would be extremely flimsy and unsuitable for a road car. As it stands personally I think the door may be "butterfly" winged (i.e. hinge on body and A pillar) or maybe even a split door and flip up roof section (Marcos had something like this on one of their early Adams designed Spyder bodies, hinged at the rear no less, I'll see if I can find the pic)
TonyRPH said:
This might be a crazy notion, but what about if the doors were hinged at the bottom?
Not very practical, but looking at the layout it could work?
That'd make ingress and egress even harder.Not very practical, but looking at the layout it could work?
Hinge top and bottom on the forward edge, so it folds up and forwards? Porsche 956-style?
<thinks> Well, down and forwards.
That new render is fabulous, well done Swedishjames.
One thing that is does again suggest to me is that the car is quite small. This new render obscures to some extent the images that are ghosted through the side window, and I'd always thought that you can see the outline of the drivers head, collar and shoulder, and that the driver is squeezed into a small cabin just in front of the rear axel.
Does anybody else see these 'shapes' as the driver?
One thing that is does again suggest to me is that the car is quite small. This new render obscures to some extent the images that are ghosted through the side window, and I'd always thought that you can see the outline of the drivers head, collar and shoulder, and that the driver is squeezed into a small cabin just in front of the rear axel.
Does anybody else see these 'shapes' as the driver?
The Surveyor said:
That new render is fabulous, well done Swedishjames.
One thing that is does again suggest to me is that the car is quite small. This new render obscures to some extent the images that are ghosted through the side window, and I'd always thought that you can see the outline of the drivers head, collar and shoulder, and that the driver is squeezed into a small cabin just in front of the rear axel.
Does anybody else see these 'shapes' as the driver?
That's all a bit clearer in the original.One thing that is does again suggest to me is that the car is quite small. This new render obscures to some extent the images that are ghosted through the side window, and I'd always thought that you can see the outline of the drivers head, collar and shoulder, and that the driver is squeezed into a small cabin just in front of the rear axel.
Does anybody else see these 'shapes' as the driver?
Front passenger, though, surely? Unless we're assuming it's LHD?
Given the depth of field, and the height at which the 'driver' appears to be sitting - surely that person must be sat on the r/h side of the car?
If they were sat on the left, the sight line would be straight into the join at the top of the windscreen / roof...
Hence I'm fairly confident there is only a single occupant and that person is sat on the r/h side of the car.
If they were sat on the left, the sight line would be straight into the join at the top of the windscreen / roof...
Hence I'm fairly confident there is only a single occupant and that person is sat on the r/h side of the car.
TooMany2cvs said:
The Surveyor said:
That new render is fabulous, well done Swedishjames.
One thing that is does again suggest to me is that the car is quite small. This new render obscures to some extent the images that are ghosted through the side window, and I'd always thought that you can see the outline of the drivers head, collar and shoulder, and that the driver is squeezed into a small cabin just in front of the rear axel.
Does anybody else see these 'shapes' as the driver?
That's all a bit clearer in the original.One thing that is does again suggest to me is that the car is quite small. This new render obscures to some extent the images that are ghosted through the side window, and I'd always thought that you can see the outline of the drivers head, collar and shoulder, and that the driver is squeezed into a small cabin just in front of the rear axel.
Does anybody else see these 'shapes' as the driver?
Front passenger, though, surely? Unless we're assuming it's LHD?
With regard to this car, it has (IMO) a very distinctive windscreen -does anyone know what it might be from ? (I presume, that it was the rear screen of something else ?).
Likewise, the glass in the doors is a rather unusual shape - if the donor vehicle(s) could be identified, that might provide a few clues.
Likewise, the glass in the doors is a rather unusual shape - if the donor vehicle(s) could be identified, that might provide a few clues.
anonymous said:
[redacted]
Three years of thinking - now I have an idea... and it isn't really anything new.
As above, I have to say I wasn't 100% convinced about the gullwing doors from the outset.
Are we sure that the vertical line is the bonnet shut. What if that was the forward edge of the door?
It does look like the door shut continues along the top edge of the windscreen - but then again that might not actually be what we are seeing.
Could the bonnet be a panel in the middle of the front rather than a clamshell? Probably not as it does seem to line up with the rear bonnet line.
Just some ideas.
As SwedishJames showed before, maybe some features more like this sketch (doors and bonnet).
I wonder if a way forward with this would be to send some pictures and the story of the efforts made so far to identify the car (such as Sorted's renders made with the help of original parts and painstaking reviews of the motoring press from the 1960's) to a newspaper who might thing it would be an interesting article?
For instance John Smith who used to sweep the floor of Acme Laminate Bodies in 1959, aged 18 (now 77), may not be a car enthusiast, and may not use the internet, but may well read the Daily Mail or similar, and recognise the car.
Set up a special email address for people to send their thoughts to?
For instance John Smith who used to sweep the floor of Acme Laminate Bodies in 1959, aged 18 (now 77), may not be a car enthusiast, and may not use the internet, but may well read the Daily Mail or similar, and recognise the car.
Set up a special email address for people to send their thoughts to?
What amazes me after all this time is that even with the Dolphin (for example) which was never made and never left the drawing board, a drawing exists ... on the 'net. Someone, somewhere has commented on it in the past - it actually has a past, and a few things are known about it - intended manufacturer of the kit etc.
But ALL we have of this car is ONE picture (and _Sorted's superb renderings).
Incredible, really.
But ALL we have of this car is ONE picture (and _Sorted's superb renderings).
Incredible, really.
uk66fastback said:
What amazes me after all this time is that even with the Dolphin (for example) which was never made and never left the drawing board, a drawing exists ... on the 'net. Someone, somewhere has commented on it in the past - it actually has a past, and a few things are known about it - intended manufacturer of the kit etc.
But ALL we have of this car is ONE picture (and _Sorted's superb renderings).
Incredible, really.
If the photographer had waited a second or two before took the picture, for the old woman to wander out of shot, we'd never even have known it existed.But ALL we have of this car is ONE picture (and _Sorted's superb renderings).
Incredible, really.
Yertis said:
uk66fastback said:
What amazes me after all this time is that even with the Dolphin (for example) which was never made and never left the drawing board, a drawing exists ... on the 'net. Someone, somewhere has commented on it in the past - it actually has a past, and a few things are known about it - intended manufacturer of the kit etc.
But ALL we have of this car is ONE picture (and _Sorted's superb renderings).
Incredible, really.
If the photographer had waited a second or two before took the picture, for the old woman to wander out of shot, we'd never even have known it existed.But ALL we have of this car is ONE picture (and _Sorted's superb renderings).
Incredible, really.
Kind of reminds me of the Traub - https://www.motorcycleclassics.com/classic-america...
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