Let's go Carspotting, in THE PAST! Part four!

"Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available" (whoistheleader2) 01/23/2020 at 15:34 • Filed to: Carspotting, The Traveler's Book of Color Photography by Van Phillips and Owen Thomas, Dots, Books

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We are back with the fourth installment of Carspotting in the Past!

Part four! The first can be found !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , the second !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , and the third !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! .

This remarkable vintage book* was picked up at a library sale by a sibling, and is now my favorite picture book. Why? It is a guide to the brave new world of color photography, using examples taken by a team of professional photographers on a continental (and American) adventure. Better yet, it is set in the colorful, colorful world of 1972!

*All images are copyright 1972 by Hamyln House and taken by Van Phillips and Owen Thomas. I do not own the right to reproduce these photos. The publisher still exists, but I can find no mention of this book online. It is unlikely that they renewed the copyright this long out of print, since color photography needs no introduction; I don’t think they would mind me sharing a few partial images online after 50 years has elapsed. Please tell me if you have any information regarding this. Enjoy.

I previously overlooked this colorful parking lot containing many interesting things. There appear to be two identical white Fiat 600s with red interior flanking the bright red Fiat 500 and the Beetle. The cream colored car above them appears to be a Renault 10, also with a red interior.

Finally, an American scene! I am not particularly proficient in this era of Detroit iron, but I know many of you are. Let me know. Is that a Buick to the right of the brightly painted SanFran Trolley? I would guess this photo was taken some time before the publication date of 1972.

Update: The hood striped car is a ‘56 Pontiac Chieftain. The black car on the left is a ‘57 Lincoln Premier. And the Buick is also a ‘56. Looks like we know the year now, with this being a well to do area that would have many new cars. Than you, Fintail, AwesomeAustin, and the others who helped!

And finally, we have what appears to be a cathedral parking lot. The tailfin W110 Mercedes and the early small taillight Beetle convertible are obvious, but the identity of that white car eludes me. Is that plaque with a “B” engraved on it some sort of government emblem or just a garden variety personal touch?

Update: Looks like the white car is a Vauxhall Velox with a B for Brussells. The car behind it is an upscale Fiat   Peugeot  403  fami ly sedan, possibly a 2100. Thank you, Oppos! Your input is what makes these fun to make.

Let me know if you can spot anything in these fascinating vintage photos!

kanadanmajava1 > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 01/23/2020 at 15:50

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B = B elgium

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 01/23/2020 at 16:04

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Which white car in the third pic ? As for the American pic, my knowledge of classic American island is amusingly deficient compared to my knowledge of Euro stuff, despite being from Canada where we predominantly had American stuff. :P

Much want for that 500 or the 600s in that first picture though!

Roundbadge > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 01/23/2020 at 16:06

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I like the ‘57 Lincoln at the left of the San Fran pic in the foreground, also the ‘60(?) Cadillac entering the intersection behind the streetcar.  Not sure, but I think that’s a ‘55 Buick on the far right in white.

Jim Spanfeller > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 01/23/2020 at 16:08

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I figured it out! The car next to the brightly colored trolley is a 1956 Pontiac Chieftain:

I love my giant book of ‘50s American cars...

Roundbadge > Jim Spanfeller 01/23/2020 at 16:10

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Nice...I was trying to identify it but I never found a good enough picture to judge in my Google Images searches.

RamblinRover Luxury-Yacht > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 01/23/2020 at 16:13

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You appear to have a ‘56 Pontiac:

And a ‘57 Lincoln Premiere or Capri.

I think the white thing is a ‘56 Buick, yes.

Jim Spanfeller > Roundbadge 01/23/2020 at 16:16

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Thanks! I knew I’d seen those chrome hood strips on old Pontiacs before, so from there it was just a matter of matching grilles.

ranwhenparked > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 01/23/2020 at 16:17

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Thats a gorgeous ‘57 Lincoln (Capri or Premiere, can't tell) parked next to the Civil Defense shelter sign, with a '56 Pontiac Chieftain in the lane next to it.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Jim Spanfeller 01/23/2020 at 16:25

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I did not have the time to consult my complete Encyclopedia (with trims for each year too!) Of '50 to '70 cars (too bad you lost it) but thanks for the spot!

fintail > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 01/23/2020 at 16:26

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White car appears to be an E series Vauxhall Velox, apparently again in Brussels. Fintail is a W110, so no older than 1961. Car with wide whites in background at left appears to be another fancier Fiat, perhaps a 2100 as it appears to have more pronounced fins than a 1300/1500 .

As you say, the SF pic was older even then, probably no later than around 1960.

Nice wooden speedboat docked at right in the first pic.

Jim Spanfeller > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 01/23/2020 at 16:44

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Lose it? I haven’t lost it. It’s just at home right now, where I am not.

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > Jim Spanfeller 01/23/2020 at 17:12

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Oh, it was Rallydarkstrik e that lost his. But Kinja is just as confused as to who commented to whom.

“4, maybe 5 people"

Jim Spanfeller > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 01/23/2020 at 17:22

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LOL

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 01/23/2020 at 21:15

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What, wha? Lost what now?

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > fintail 01/23/2020 at 21:17

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Pretty sure that white car in the background isn’t a FIAT 2100...roofline and tailights are different. Not sure what it is though!

Pretty sure that gray or black car at the rear-left with whitewalls IS a FIAT 1500/1800/2100 though!

Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 01/23/2020 at 21:20

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Hmmm. . .

. . . l ooks like I’m crazy. Must have read that some one lost theirs in another post or. . .

. . . I am just so confused as to where I got that idea. Maybe that “4 or 5 people “ nonsense got to me.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Who is the Leader - 404 / Blog No Longer Available 01/23/2020 at 21:24

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Ah, that white car in the background to the right of the Beetle and in front of the Belgian Vauxhal l is a Peugeot 403!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peugeot_403

fintail > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 01/23/2020 at 21:49

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That’s the one I meant, wide whites/whitewalls. As you say, it appears to be a senior model Fiat.

White car in the foreground is a Vauxhall Velox, white car in front of it appears to be a lower line MB Ponton with odd chevron mudflaps, light colored car at far right slightly bent appears to perhaps be an Opel Rekord.