Name that Car - Porridgehead Edition

porridgehead · January 10, 2007, 09:05:51 AM

So I've collected a few pics over the years. Figure it's time to share and annoy the bejeezuz out of a bunch o' nice people. 'Cause annoyin' is whats I does best.

This one I just posted elsewhere, where it was greeted with a round of

Let's see if you folks can do better.

Arthur Dent · January 10, 2007, 10:04:03 AM

I seen this one before somewhere. I believe its Triumph TR based with an Italian body. Maybe by Ghia or similar.

MG · January 10, 2007, 10:57:25 AM

Naaah, yer all wet on this one. That's a 240Z variant by somebody, somewhere at some time!

porridgehead · January 10, 2007, 12:22:40 PM

Quote from: Dent, Arthur Dent on January 10, 2007, 10:57:25 AMI've seen this one before somewhere. I believe its Triumph TR based with an Italian body. Maybe by Ghia or similar.

Nope. Although I can understand why you might think so.

Quote from: MG on January 10, 2007, 10:57:25 AM
Naaah, yer all wet on this one. That's a 240Z variant by somebody, somewhere at some time!

Although, not really a variant... but I've said too much.

MG · January 10, 2007, 12:30:27 PM

Well, its RHD, it doesn't have the high back bucket seats the Z came with in America and it has flip up lights instead of the "sugar scoop" headlights on the American version. Ergo, it is a Fairlady 240 Z sold in England (or mayhaps Australia) back in the days when such cars were sold under the Datsun moniker.

Because of the wire wheels, I am guessing England is the home market for this car. Nice looking ride, actually, even by today's standards. FAR more attractive than the current 350Z convertible, which looks like and inverted sea tortoise - and that's with the top DOWN!!!!

porridgehead · January 10, 2007, 01:18:37 PM

It's not a Nissan or a Datsun. Neither in nomenclature, nor manufacture, nor engine. However it is related to the Z. How it is, or isn't, I will not say.
Furthermore, this photo was taken well before the Z ever came into being.
Clear as mud?

Arthur Dent · January 10, 2007, 01:26:26 PM

Is it possible it was something designed by Albrecht von Goertz for Toyota?

porridgehead · January 10, 2007, 01:57:00 PM

It's possible, except for the fact that it's not a Toyota.

I wouldn't abandon that avenue however.

Ultra · January 10, 2007, 02:11:05 PM

Yamaha A 550X

MG · January 10, 2007, 04:14:51 PM

Clear as mud?

Yes, thank you very much!

Arthur Dent · January 10, 2007, 04:24:44 PM

Nicely done Ultra

MG · January 10, 2007, 04:39:51 PM

That's a stupid name!

porridgehead · January 10, 2007, 04:44:23 PM

I suspect you weren't too far behind Arthur. As for you MG, you got the ball rolling. You saw the genesis of the Z underneath all the frippery.

Here's some info on the car:

This prototype was powered by the Yamaha 2.0L 4 cylinder engine.

It would appear to be the continued refinement by Yamaha of the Joint Nissan 2000GT/Yamaha A550X Development Project. Shown here in Black as of Dec. 1964, it was built as a fiberglass prototype and first painted white. Other pictures of this prototype have been circulated, but no documentation as to the date it was finished has been found so far.

According to Mr. Yoshikawa, Yamaha used this prototype to demonstrate their Design and Rapid Prototype Build capabilities to perspective clients of their Yamaha Design Center.

Here we can see several of the Goertz styling clues (Corvette front end, radius'ed wheel arches, tall greenhouse etc.) carried forward; yet the rear quarter windows receive far different treatment, the overly long nose of the Nissan 2000GT is shortened and the front fenders are far more rounded etc.

Unlike the first clay and metal prototype of the Nissan 2000GT, this prototype of the Yamaha A550X was kept by Yamaha, and all the pictures of it were taken at the Yamaha facility.

This was taken from here:<<< link removed >>>

Next up: something a little more difficult.

porridgehead · January 10, 2007, 04:48:25 PM

Ok, here's something that will twist your knickers in a knot. It may cause retina scarring, but it sure is memorable.

SeaLion · January 10, 2007, 06:42:55 PM

Is it a student project based on the Citroën Visa?

porridgehead · January 10, 2007, 08:05:36 PM

I don't know. It very well may be. The book that I scanned this from (hey, stop laughing, I can so read.) doesn't give a lot of information about the designer or the mechanicals. But now that you mention it, I wouldn't be at all surprised. If that is the case, I'm going to pull the damn thing and chuck it in the "wish I'd never seen that" bin.

Hmmm...I've noticed a hint in the image that may not be of any use whatsoever.

I'll give this one 'til the morn' and if nobody has it by then, out she goes.

Arthur Dent · January 10, 2007, 09:37:47 PM

I assume you mean the plate IAA '91. IAA is an auto show I think. 1991 would be the year.

porridgehead · January 10, 2007, 10:15:41 PM

That would be the good-fer-nuthin clue. Or maybe it's a good clue. I honestly don't know. I have a feeling that if it pans out, somebody will tell me pretty durn quickly.

MG · January 11, 2007, 07:32:51 PM

Or not!

GTO48 · January 12, 2007, 02:48:17 AM

Kind of looks like the IAA '91 might be a 1991 concept built a few years earlier.

porridgehead · January 12, 2007, 08:20:20 AM

Ok, here's the dealio. It's the G Pollman Famlienspass, whateverthehell that is. It was displayed at the 1991 International Automobile Alakazamabamaboozle in Germany. You can read more about it here, although why anybody would want to is something I cannot bear to think about.

G Pollman also created the Die Limousine (Die! Die! DIE!) in 1989, Why he was allowed to continue producing anything beyond burnt toast is a matter of conjecture.

Now I've got to come up with something else. Lessee... howzabout this then:

<<< links removed >>>

Ultra · January 12, 2007, 08:24:16 AM

Quote from: porridgehead on January 12, 2007, 08:20:20 AM
Ok, here's the dealio. It's the G Pollman Famlienspass, whateverthehell that is. It was displayed at the 1991 International Automobile Alakazamabamaboozle in Germany. You can read more about it here, although why anybody would want to is something I cannot bear to think about.

http://www.geocities.com/conceptcarcentralgermany/familienspass.html

G Pollman also created the Die Limousine (Die! Die! DIE!) in 1989, Why he was allowed to continue producing anything beyond burnt toast is a matter of conjecture.
http://www.geocities.com/conceptcarcentralgermany/dielimousine.html

Now I've got to come up with something else. Lessee... howzabout this then:

At least it is better looking than that last piece of shit you shared with us.

MG · January 12, 2007, 08:40:01 AM

Nice Wheels! Exposed hubs always give me such a warm, squishy feeling in my shorts!

Tifosi · January 12, 2007, 04:06:57 PM

Quote from: MG on January 12, 2007, 08:40:01 AM
Nice Wheels! Exposed hubs always give me such a warm, squishy feeling in my shorts!

TMI!!!

SeaLion · January 12, 2007, 07:22:21 PM

It is the Abarth Alfa Romeo 1000 GT Colani Coupé from 1959. The engine was from Alfa Romeo and Scaglione built the bodies.

The italian-born designer Luigi Colani also designed and produced a VW Beetle based sportscar with a very similar front end from 1964 to 1968. The german Colani car was available with either a coupé or roadster body. Colani have later styled a lot of cars, most of them have never been made in numbers larger than one.

Here is one Colani one-off:

News:

Name that Car - Porridgehead Edition