Solved: Rust never sleeps - Water edition

[Wendax]

Of the remaining extensions, I reckoned it had to be x, a late 1940s Plymouth "Woody". Knowing the Memphis connection was a great help, as searching for "Plymouth Station Wagon" and "Memphis" brings up this picture. The car was donated to the Memphis Academy of Art by a benefactor in 1949, and was used for field trips and mobile exhibitions.

So Rust B: Singer Gazelle - Water 7: The "Fountain of Life" at the birthplace of singer Elvis Presley - Extension x: Plymouth Station Wagon owned by the Academy of Art in Memphis, Tennessee, where the Presley family moved to in 1948.

That's it!

[Wendax]

Rust R has been frustrating me for quite a while, as I was fairly sure I had identified it as a BSH, a French kit car intended to be based round a Renault 8 Gordini as donor car. The initials are from the surnames of François Benais and Max Saint-Hilaire, who produced the kits. Up until now, however, I've found it impossible to make any connection to any of the Water entries.

One thing I learned early on while Autopuzzling is that you often have to use search terms in different languages, given the international nature of the membership and the subject material. I don't know why I didn't do it before, but assuming that the car would be in France, and quite likely be for sale, I searched using "BSH voiture à vendre", and found the actual car, and very instructive it was too.

It seems that the first owner, a M Guiry, included his own name when registering the vehicle, so the documentation shows it as a BSH Guiry.

From there it's a short leap to Water 21, a water pump in Guiry-en-Vexin, in the Val d'Oise in northern France, and from there to Extension b, electric all-terrain vehicles which can be hired at the Château de Guiry for use by visitors with reduced mobility.

So Rust R: BSH Guiry - Water 21: Water pump at Guiry-en-Vexin - Extension b: All-terrain mobility vehicles at the Château de Guiry-en-Vexin.

That's some fine detective work!

[Wendax]

Extension i is a Lincoln Tomaso Versailles, a special cut-down version of the common sedan. Searching for a connection with Versailles, France, I found Water 23, a member of a series of small baroque fountains placed along the two sides of the Allée des Marmousets (aka Allée d'Eau). A work of Louis Lerambert, it is called Danseurs et danseuses... and I have no idea how I could link it to an automobile. Another case for a team effort, it seems.

Correct so far, the connection to one of the rusty cars is quite straightforward though.

There is only one car left, Rust C. I thought it was a VW of some sort, but I guess it is a Brazilian Ford Versailles Royale. (Thanks for the hint!)

As easy as that! 

[Wendax]

That leaves two questions:
- What is Rust D and how is it connected to Water 17?
- What is Extension d and how is it connected to Water 1?

Perhaps I'll add hints this weekend.

[Ehhxekt]

Extension d is a 1906 Lion Peugeot Type VA, displayed at the Musée de l'Aventure Peugeot in Sochaux. Now we only have to find a connection with the Fontaine monumentale at La Défense...

[Wendax]

Extension d is a 1906 Lion Peugeot Type VA, displayed at the Musée de l'Aventure Peugeot in Sochaux. Now we only have to find a connection with the Fontaine monumentale at La Défense...

Aaargh!!! I goofed that one up. I should have double-checked.
Please take the picture below as the new Extension d. Sorry!

[Ehhxekt]

I think I found it: F - 1 - d: Spreckelsen pickup - Fontaine monumentale at La Défense – A Delage D8-120 Sedanca Coupe by Saoutchik in the showroom of La Colline de l'Automobile at Paris-La Défense.

[Wendax]

Yes! 

How about the last missing one?

[oko94]

Is Rust D a Luc Court ?

It's been already asked.

[pnegyesi]

Although I did not find the car, I suspect car D may be a Glide.
Wendax said that looking for a name might be a good idea. So the road in Bellefontaine was paved by George Bartholomew.
Now, the Glide was produced by John B Bartholomew.

[Wendax]

Not a Glide.

The car today:

[Tom_I]

Is the name of the car a translation of Bellefontaine into another language, like Schönbrunnen, or something similar?

[Wendax]

No need to translate this time.

[Tom_I]

Duh! I can't believe I missed this!

When I originally looked up Bellefontaine in my 1968 Georgano encyclopaedia, there was a photo of this car on the same page!

It's a Belle, made in London from 1901 to 1903.

So Rust D: Belle - Water 17: Court Avenue, Bellefontaine, Ohio - Extension l: McKinley Street, Bellefontaine.

[Wendax]

There goes the final one, although the car was not built in London, but in Switzerland by Kaufmann of Tägerwilen, while Georgano thought it was built by Berna.

[Wendax]

This leaves me awarding the points to our masters of deduction:
Ehhxekt: 11 points
Tom_I: 9 points
pnegyesi: 5 points
oko94: 1 point

I hope solving this puzzle provided as much fun and brain twisting as it did for me constructing it. Now I have to start collecting interesting objects for the next edition. 

[Tom_I]

A brilliant puzzle. Thank you.

[el_monty]

I just wanted to say how thoroughly impressed I am by Wendax for being able to create such an intricate puzzle, and by all the players who solved it. Hats off. 

[Wendax]

Thank you for the flowers! 

[Ehhxekt]

I hope solving this puzzle provided as much fun and brain twisting as it did for me constructing it. Now I have to start collecting interesting objects for the next edition. 

As you may have noticed, your brilliant, sophisticated group puzzles are addictive for me. This Water edition was no exception – thank you for the fun. I'm looking forward to the next one!

[pnegyesi]

I had to remind myself that I have a PhD thesis which needs to be finished by April. So I couldn't spend as much time as I wished on this one, but it was still fun

[Wendax]

Thank you very much! The first rusty car is already waiting for next year's puzzle. No idea yet what it will be about, but some day intuition will rise above the foggy scrapyard.