[FourWheelDrift]

ID 889 is a ZAZ 965

File:Saporoshez ZAZ 965 A.JPG - Wikimedia Commons

[Double Mac]

Regarding ID:889, the correct English spelling is ‘Zaporozhets’, I think (‘Запоро́жец’ in Russian).

Originally Posted by CyCarConsulting

I can't tell you the sense of accomplishment I feel when I can stump you DM. It brightens my whole day.

Alright, in that case I must remind myself to give up more often! You stumped me alright… albeit by breaking some of the sacred rules of this thread (as the car is believed to be a one-off prototype and a possible styling proposal for Bond Cars).

Originally Posted by CyCarConsulting

I had some info on this car and for some reason I can't find it in my files.

Here’s the link to the car’s AutoPuzzles thread for everyone’s convenience.

I would’ve probably nailed it (either by systematic browsing through the ‘solved’ threads at AutoPuzzles as I had originally planned – the car’s page was last updated in early August after all – or by taking a closer look at the Slatford site which Ram linked to and which I visited a mere couple of days ago) if it hadn’t been for my narrow-minded, near-superstitious clinging to that theory proposed in my previous post (according to which a well-known designer and a popular brand were involved).

My instincts were telling me that the car was British though so the ‘sloppy-looking’ taillight arrangement definitely makes sense, and the Bond connection (mentioned in the link above) comes as no surprise to me either. It’s funny because I normally try to think out of the box (‘what if this American-looking car is actually Japanese’, for example) and – fooled by some hazy memory registered during a frantic search binge – I completely failed to adhere to that useful mentality in this case.

All that said, I’ll try to return the favor by subjecting you to comparably painful public humiliation by introducing the Kelmark GT lookalike I posted at MySpace here (I think it qualifies) so try to crack it within the next few days before that happens.

Now, if you’re familiar with the majestic aerodynamic thing I’ve posted at No Grip Racing very recently (actually, I’ve just updated the puzzle with two other models sharing a similar design), you’ll rightly conclude that I’ve been on a pre-war streamlined coupé kick. According to my source, ID:890 was definitely not a one-off:

[karlosdeville]

FourWheelDrift - its actually (apparently!) a 900, but I give it to you.

Originally Posted by Double Mac

According to my source, ID:890 was definitely not a one-off:

That maybe a Triumph Gloria Streamline/Airline saloon?

[karlosdeville]

ID 891 anyone? It surprised me.

[Double Mac]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

That maybe a Triumph Gloria Streamline/Airline saloon?

Impressive! Although, somewhat annoyingly, I have to ask you for the name of that particular body style which, I’m told, was applied to around 25 units.

Your ID:891 is a Ford Abeille, by the way. A 5-door, 5-seat variant of the Vedette introduced in 1952 and manufactured until 1958, I think.

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by Double Mac

Impressive! Although, somewhat annoyingly, I have to ask you for the name of that particular body style which, I’m told, was applied to around 25 units.

Your ID:891 is a Ford Abeille, by the way. A 5-door, 5-seat variant of the Vedette introduced in 1952 and manufactured until 1958, I think.

ID 891 is correct.

And I'm afraid I must stoop down to googling to tell you the bodystyle of this Triumph Gloria would be the quaintly named Flow Free Saloon.

[Double Mac]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

(…) I'm afraid I must stoop down to googling to tell you the bodystyle of this Triumph Gloria would be the quaintly named Flow Free Saloon.

Yes, ID:890 is a 1935 Triumph Gloria Six Flow-Free – the sole surviving unit representing that sympathetic streamlined variant, sporting a body which was once fitted to a Bentley. You can read about the twisted history of that specimen at length here.


With regard to ID:891… on second thought (unless you know better) I think it’s a regular Vedette saloon. For a start, it’s a 4-door! Sorry about that. It's pretty late (or rather early) here in Poland, you see, and I suspected this to be a tricky question.

[karlosdeville]

Originally Posted by Double Mac

With regard to ID:891… on second thought (unless you know better) I think it’s a regular Vedette saloon. For a start, it’s a 4-door! Sorry about that. It's pretty late (or rather early) here in Poland, you see, and I suspected this to be a tricky question.

It is indeed a Vedette, but the Abeille is pretty much the same thing, so...

[Double Mac]

Originally Posted by karlosdeville

It is indeed a Vedette, but the Abeille is pretty much the same thing, so...

It’s alright, I just got confused by incorrectly labelled pictures and rushed to answer without delving deep enough, that’s all. What did you find so surprising about the car though? The fact that it was a French Ford perhaps?

Anyway, you guys are gonna looove this one:



Some say that around 50 of these were planned but a considerably lesser number ever saw the light of day. Some say I shouldn’t give any starter hints for my puzzles. All I know it’s called ID:892!!!

[predatorwheelz]

Hey DM. Any chance we can have a first clue about ID 892? Been a week!

[CyCarConsulting]

ID 892

How about a clue as to why the tail lights don't match?

[predatorwheelz]

Originally Posted by CyCarConsulting

ID 892

How about a clue as to why the tail lights don't match?

Could be simply because the right tail light cluster includes a reverse beam, thats why it has a white bulb. The left one doesn't.

[Ram]

Originally Posted by predatorwheelz

Could be simply because the right tail light cluster includes a reverse beam, thats why it has a white bulb. The left one doesn't.

You know? I've also often wondered why car manufacturers skimp by installing one reverse light and one fog light in the rear. Of course, this is generally on the down market models.

Examples:

OK, I know that Honda Accord is still not down-market in India



Mahindra Logan

[Double Mac]

Originally Posted by predatorwheelz

Hey DM. Any chance we can have a first clue about ID 892? Been a week!

Yes, sorry about that. I was deliberately waiting for some feedback before simply revealing the answer, as I feel that this Euro-American hybrid inspired by the LMX Sirex (my first entry in this thread which got identified way too quickly for my liking) is quite an interesting model.

Originally Posted by predatorwheelz

Could be simply because the right tail light cluster includes a reverse beam, thats why it has a white bulb. The left one doesn't.

Or else it’s related to the restoration this specimen seems to have undergone recently. While it’s true that the other examples I’ve seen sported matching taillights (with the white bulbs included) the resulting asymmetry – unlike those ribbed sections – could hardly be called a design-defining feature which might potentially impede the identification process.

[CyCarConsulting]

ID 892

Pedro Serra Dodge....3700 Dodge Boulevard.......How do you dig this stuff up?