Solved - MJW #044 - Tai-phun, the car that never existed

[woodinsight]

Make and year for one point

[Aaron65]

Total guess--1960 Sinjin Publica

[woodinsight]

Sorry but it's not that

[woodinsight]

I'm moving this up a level
Perhaps the experts know what this is?

[fyreline]

Well, it's based on a Datsun P210 (about 1958) from the look of it - but the body is decidedly custom and I will assume THAT's what you really want to know . . . . .

[barrett]

It looks to me like the 'modifications' have been crudely drawn in...... 

[fyreline]

I kind of thought so, too . . . . is it possible the little "500" pennant on the front has any significance?  It looks like an extremely deluxe version of the base car.

[yves]

I think it's the Yue Loong 500, a Taiwanese-built version of the Datsun Bluebird.

[fyreline]

That's a great guess, Yves. I can't seem to find any photo references of YLN cars that early, just later Datsun variants. Could be.

[woodinsight]

Interesting thoughts from you all!

However, I can tell you the following -
It is not Japanese nor from Taiwan.
I have no idea what the pennant with 500 on it means.
This is an original photo of the car (only registration no. and writing on placard on roof have been altered) but you are right in a way, there is something strange about it that was intentional at the time.

[woodinsight]

Just found out that the 500 on the pennant is part of the model name.

[yves]

From South Korea ?

[woodinsight]

Not from South Korea but it is Asian (obviously) and from a former colony.

[woodinsight]

I'll probably move this up to the pros soon so before I do that do you see something odd in the proportions of the girl to the car?
That I think is the last clue before it goes upstairs

[yves]

From South Vietnam and based on a Nissan 580 truck chassis. I have no clue about the name.

[woodinsight]

Malheureusement non!
Not from South Vietnam and nothing to do with Nissan.

[woodinsight]

I wonder if the pros know?

[Allemano]

from China?

[woodinsight]

The country where this car was built was not part of China then!

[Allemano]

Tibet? 

[yves]

Hong Kong ?

[woodinsight]

Not Tibet but Yves has got it - Hong Kong

[DynaMike]

Surprising to see it is LHD, since they drive on the left side of the road in Hongkong...

[woodinsight]

LHD - yes, but I have a feeling that the car was intended for export markets.
Another clue - the backers were American/Italian.

[fyreline]

Is it possible that the photo of the car was enlarged, then inserted in the rest of the photo in order to make the vehicle look larger than it really was?  In any case, I figured Hong Kong had to enter into it, but you've really thrown me with your "nothing to do with Nissan" clue. From the cowl forward it's a blatant copy of an early Datsun, so perhaps someone ended up getting named in a lawsuit!  Anyway, I'll keep looking.