This puzzle starts in the Pro section with a very zoomed-in look at a puzzle vehicle. If, in a week, no one identifies it, I will zoom out with a new photo and move the thread to the Expert section. If, after another week-or-so, no one gets it right, I will post another photo, further "Zoomed Out" and I will move it to the Rookie section.
Name it!
Is that dark tadpole on the hood of any importance concerning the identity of the puzzle car?
Quote from: Wendax on July 22, 2012, 07:28:49 AM
Is that dark tadpole on the hood of any importance concerning the identity of the puzzle car?
HAHAHA that reminded me of the old (1971) "Godzilla VS Hedorah" movie...
You'll know if you saw the movie!
Quote from: Wendax on July 22, 2012, 07:28:49 AM
Is that dark tadpole on the hood of any importance concerning the identity of the puzzle car?
Merely a flaw on the original photo.
I'm not sure about tadpoles, but I'm assuming (with all the inherent dangers) that the "thing" in the red circle (for all intents and purposes, let us assume that the shape is geometrically perfect) is the flaw in the ointment....uhh...photo.
Based on that, is the car a US GM product?
1960 Pontiac Bonneville?
Quote from: RayTheRat on July 22, 2012, 08:39:27 AM
I'm not sure about tadpoles, but I'm assuming (with all the inherent dangers) that the "thing" in the red circle (for all intents and purposes, let us assume that the shape is geometrically perfect) is the flaw in the ointment....uhh...photo.
Based on that, is the car a US GM product?
GM DNA, for sure.
But 60s GM car?
No, but you've close enough to the right tree to begin barking.
Chevy Nova 1966?
Plain production car or show car?
Quote from: Wendax on July 22, 2012, 12:15:16 PM
Plain production car or show car?
Isn't that two questions?
I thought it could be just one or the other.
Well then: Is it a plain series production car?
No...
Two days until this gets bumped to the Expert section.
GM car?
Quote from: Wendax on July 27, 2012, 05:14:32 PM
GM car?
Some GM parts, though the externaly-visible badges are from another brand.
Checker?
Stutz Blackhawk?
25,000 posts - that's amazing and has without doubt contributed to the success of AP :applause:
Thank you - that's very kind.
Studebaker?
(congrats on your 9 millionth post...or however many it is. It's a pretty kool achievement demonstrating commitment and dedication. Not to mention some pretty mind-bending puzzles.)
RtR
Thanks!
There is a remote Studebaker connection, though I'm not aware of any Stude' parts in this one.
58 Packard?
It's no more nor less a Packard than a Studebaker
Well, here's what it looks like to me. The cowl vent opening and wiper motor attachment point on one of my old Camaros. (1967 to be exact....I sure miss that critter...and its brother the 67 RS/SS.)
Very similar indeed. The puzzle vehicle was built before the Camaro was a twinkle in Chevy's eye.
Iso Rivolta GT?
Is it an Italo-American hybrid?
Is it an American production car?
American concept car?
The trail goes cold....
Could this be an Australian car?
It was built in the good ol' US of A; some of the parts were not. But none were from Down Under, that I know of.
Opel Kadet B?
No
Hmmm...this is strange. Not an American production car, not an American concept car, but built in the USA. The trail does indeed grow cold. One more shot at it:
How about a replicar of some sort?
Not a replicar, per-se. It was largely influenced by a conceptually similar vehicle from another country, but not a direct copy by any means.
This one is more of a Yankee attempt to one-up the vehicle that inspired it.
Excalibur? Designed by Brooks Stevens, started production in 63 and used a supercharged Studebaker 289 V-8...at least for the first 66 examples.
No sir. As I said the Studebaker connection was very remote.
Let's try this from a different angle. Is the puzzle car a "Yankee attempt to one-up" a European classic?
The puzzle vehicle was an attempt to one-up an iconic vehicle - very well-known to enthusiasts. That vehicle did not, at the time, fit the strict definition of 'classic', though many today would call it one.
And to clarify, neither the puzzle vehicle, nor the vehicle that inspired it, fit the strict definition of 'car'.
Well looking at the relative spacings I dont think this is a particularly large vehicle.
Pondering on the strict definition of car makes me think it may be a wheel short.
So a small 3 wheeled vehicle of sort sort?
Nope - a full set of wheels and tires.
Unpowered vehicle?
No -it's powered.
I wish we had a "Smacks head" smiley. I could use one. Are we talking about a type of truck here?
This one? :doh:
You have made a significant breakthrough!
1959 Chevrolet El Camino with badges/body work from another GM brand?
International Harvester?
Quote from: sixtee5cuda on August 03, 2012, 08:54:15 AM
1959 Chevrolet El Camino with badges/body work from another GM brand?
There are some El Camino bits, but much more special than a re-badge. After all, what now-classic European vehicle would a re-barged El Camino be trying to one up?
The only thing that comes to mind at the moment is the story about how the French derided the Bentleys (27-30) after having their butts handed to them at LeMans by referring to the winning cars as "the fastest lorries in Europe." Or something like that. It's been a long time since I heard that and a short night. Need more caffeine.
Brain lock. I can't think of any Bentley "inspiration"/tribute cars/trucks at the moment.
Getting much colder
Going back toward center. Is the "now classic" vehicle from the 50s?
Yes!
One more day until this becomes a Rookie exclusive
Is the "now classic" vehicle from Germany?
Yes!
VW?
A Corvair van doing a "oneupsmanship" thing in a VW Microbus.
Ohh...I hadn't seen Giles' reply. I just thought of it as I was trying to nap and recover from yesterday's "exhaustion." :)
RtR
Is the "no" answer to Giles' question in regard to the "now classic" vehicle or the "oneupsmanship" vehicle or both?
Is the "now classic" vehicle the 1954 Mercedes racing transporter?
Yes it is. You've set this up nicely for the Rookies
Bleu Wonder by Mercedes?
No
1961 Cheetah Cartransporter
That's it!
Inspired by the Uhlenhaut Mercedes transporter, Norman Holtkamp and designer Dave Deal set out to build one of their own. Using a Mercedes* 300 sedan chassis, they added a Chevy V8 and the cab from a 1959 Chevy El Camino cab and Corvair headlights. This one was completed in 1961, and series production was proposed, but never happened.
Later, this truck was bought by Dean Moon, who added a Moon Eyes logo. It was often referred to as the Moon Transporter after that.
* Mercedes in the late 50's and early '60's, was distributed in the US by Studebaker-Packard corporation, hence my earlier reference to a 'remote Studebaker connection'
Here's a pic of the whole vehicle (which was retouched years ago, probably for inclusion in a print article):
Great puzzle, nice read!
This vehicle was featured on the cover of the December 1961 Car and Driver magazine. I just found the magazine while cleaning up in my garage.
The Cheetah was also the subject of puzzle M#8 by Metalshapes in April of 2009.
As this was a quite different kind of puzzle, I won't be merging them.