Author Topic: Name Needed... SOLVED!:Dan LaLee Streamliner (Read 10733 times)

Tuckeroo · « **on:** June 30, 2007, 01:54:37 PM »

Mystery retractable hardtop...can anyone identify?

http://retractable.free.fr/uk/index.html

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/category/oddities/one-offs/

grobmotorix · « **Reply #1 on:** June 30, 2007, 03:49:46 PM »

That´s so remarkable that I found the two pics on my hard disc drive immediately:

I ´ve tried to find out more, too, but I wasn´t even able to retrace the pics myself.
When filing them I´ve added all information I had.

So I can just tell that the source said that it was built by a certain Dan Lalee or Dan La Lee and the pics were taken in or near Detroit.

Maybe I was able to help

Tuckeroo · « **Reply #2 on:** July 02, 2007, 12:27:59 PM »

That is amazing, and it's the best lead yet, thank you!

Unfortunately I too was unable to follow-up with the name Dan La Lee/Lalee, but I will ensure that you get credit! Who knows, that may be all the info there is!

Ultra · « **Reply #3 on:** July 02, 2007, 01:19:47 PM »

Quote from: Tuckeroo on July 02, 2007, 12:27:59 PM

That is amazing, and it's the best lead yet, thank you! Unfortunately I too was unable to follow-up with the name Dan La Lee/Lalee, but I will ensure that you get credit! Who knows, that may be all the info there is!

I would love to get Hemmings to talk to me about using this place as a resource for articles and other types of partnership ideas I have that I think would benefit both sites. Any ideas on who I should try reaching out to there?

grobmotorix · « **Reply #4 on:** July 02, 2007, 02:22:10 PM »

Well, I set a hyperlink to this autopuzzle.com site at Hemmings.

So this is a first step, isn´t it?

Ultra · « **Reply #5 on:** July 02, 2007, 02:35:20 PM »

Quote from: grobmotorix on July 02, 2007, 02:22:10 PM

Well, I set a hyperlink to this autopuzzle.com site at Hemmings.

So this is a first step, isn´t it?

Helping us grow is what it is all about!

Ultra · « **Reply #6 on:** July 03, 2007, 11:43:29 AM »

Quote from: grobmotorix on July 02, 2007, 02:22:10 PM

Well, I set a hyperlink to this autopuzzle.com site at Hemmings.

So this is a first step, isn´t it?

http://blog.hemmings.com/index.php/category/oddities/one-offs/

grobmotorix · « **Reply #7 on:** July 04, 2007, 06:15:02 AM »

Cool, I hope this will bring some publictity to my favoured web-site....

Otto Puzzell · « **Reply #8 on:** July 04, 2007, 08:11:46 AM »

Thanks, grobmotorix - this is great!

Ray B. · « **Reply #9 on:** July 15, 2007, 12:01:00 PM »

It may not be the same, but here is a link showing a Daniel La Lee as manufacturer of a plane.
http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/N20LL.html

grobmotorix · « **Reply #10 on:** July 15, 2007, 02:46:35 PM »

I ´ve seen another link talking about a plane builder Dan LaLee, too, before. So...

Tifosi · « **Reply #11 on:** July 17, 2007, 04:47:16 AM »

The aircraft in question was certified in 1984 and deregistered in 1991, so I doubt that it was the same person because of the time span. The car was probably built prior to WW ll. It might be his son, or it could be the same person...but that seems to be stretching things a little.

Dan

Allan L · « **Reply #12 on:** July 17, 2007, 05:12:00 AM »

Looks like a home-built-from-kit job to me, so probably no relevance.

Like this:
http://www.mustangaero.com/Midget%20Mustang/Midget%20Mustang.html

Ray B. · « **Reply #13 on:** July 18, 2007, 10:27:12 AM »

Quote from: Allan L on July 17, 2007, 05:12:00 AM

Looks like a home-built-from-kit job to me, so probably no relevance.

Like this:
http://www.mustangaero.com/Midget%20Mustang/Midget%20Mustang.html

It's true. The link I found gave 1991 was the date of a crash, and the Mustang Midgets do seem to be sold as kits.

SeaLion · « **Reply #14 on:** July 19, 2007, 06:04:02 PM »

I found a thread at an Hungarian site about this car:
http://belsoseg.blog.hu/2007/05/06/mysterycar

SeaLion · « **Reply #15 on:** August 03, 2007, 10:24:24 AM »

The roof is very similar to that of Chrysler Thunderbolt from 1940/1941. Five Thunderbolts was built, maybe the mystery car was a test car?

otto · « **Reply #16 on:** August 06, 2007, 06:26:52 PM »

I think SeaLion is correct that this was a custom car. Note the wheels on upper picture. The size and rims are much smaller in cross section and bigger around then the 1940s cars. Looks like the wheels are of the early 1930 instead. Compare the pictures below with the ones above. I see several close details.

otto

Ray B. · « **Reply #17 on:** August 09, 2007, 08:15:55 AM »

You're not the first ones to think of those fantastic Chryslers and Alex Tremulis' work.
I have great admiration for Tremulis, who did the Tucker also, but here is an article from Popular Mechanix, year 1938, identifying the builder as a California airman. If it was the work of a design studio of one the Big Three, they would have sais so.
http://blog.modernmechanix.com/2007/08/08/flier-designs-streamline-push-button-car/

Tuckeroo · « **Reply #18 on:** August 27, 2007, 03:42:09 PM »

How did I miss that one?? I'm a regular viewer of the modern mechanix blog! Thanks for posting that!

Tuckeroo · « **Reply #19 on:** August 27, 2007, 03:54:37 PM »

...Oh, and being that I am Tuckeroo, I had also made the Tremulis comparison and ruled it out

But it does raise the whole chicken and egg question in my mind again...

Motorace · « **Reply #20 on:** August 30, 2007, 04:41:04 PM »

Quote from: SeaLion on July 19, 2007, 06:04:02 PM

I found a thread at an Hungarian site about this car:
http://belsoseg.blog.hu/2007/05/06/mysterycar

The plate's a little fuzzy, but when I squint my eyes, it seems to read New Mexico.

Motorace · « **Reply #21 on:** August 30, 2007, 04:46:11 PM »

Quote from: grobmotorix on June 30, 2007, 03:49:46 PM

and the pics were taken in or near Detroit.

If near Detroit - the background reminds me a lot of the old Packard Proving Grounds track , though this does not appear to be a Packard. If anything it reminds of all the custom cars I used to see in Popular Mechanics - built by returning servicemen who;d learned all kinds of metal-working and mechanical skills while in the service, and everyone was off to build the car of the future. So, my guess is that it ws built in the early 1950's. Packard folded in 1958, so maybe these were taken at their proving Grounds after the car was several years old. Just guessin' here.

grobmotorix · « **Reply #22 on:** August 31, 2007, 12:43:38 AM »

Motorace:

As i´ve written before. I´m quite sure I had found this pics on the MMM-site (Making of modern Michigan). There was a big package of hundreds of old Packard works pics, too. So the Packard link may be absolutely right.

Strangely enough I wasn´t able to retrace the pics anymore...

Ray B. · « **Reply #23 on:** September 13, 2007, 05:01:41 AM »

Quote from: Motorace on August 30, 2007, 04:46:11 PM

Quote from: grobmotorix on June 30, 2007, 03:49:46 PM
and the pics were taken in or near Detroit.

If near Detroit - the background reminds me a lot of the old Packard Proving Grounds track , though this does not appear to be a Packard. If anything it reminds of all the custom cars I used to see in Popular Mechanics - built by returning servicemen who;d learned all kinds of metal-working and mechanical skills while in the service, and everyone was off to build the car of the future. So, my guess is that it ws built in the early 1950's. Packard folded in 1958, so maybe these were taken at their proving Grounds after the car was several years old. Just guessin' here.

If you check a few comments above and follow the link I've added to the Modern Mechanix blog, you'll see there were pics taken in 1938. So It cannot have been built in the early 50's.

Tuckeroo · « **Reply #24 on:** January 11, 2009, 02:19:35 PM »

Very belatedly, we shall consider this puzzle...SOLVED!

News:

Author Topic: Name Needed... SOLVED!:Dan LaLee Streamliner (Read 10733 times)