Author Topic: Pieter's Puzzle 16 - SOLVED - 1957 Protea (Read 2870 times)

pieter · « **on:** May 31, 2007, 04:11:16 AM »

What is it?
I'll admit this is bound to be a difficult one, but my last four puzzles were all solved within their first hour. The chance that any of the usual suspects will know this one is slim.
(I myself have only seen one of these in the flesh when I was a little boy, but the one in the pic is in a museum only about half an hour's drive from where I live, so I will go there soon.)
I put up a googlesearch for the car and it did not give any results.
About 20 were built, Spaceframe chassis, Ford (1200cc sidevalve) mechanicals.
The pics I show are screen snapshots of the museum's website, since it uses Java and I could not copy the pic. The name on the logo was blocked out for obvious reasons.
I will give clues later if necessary.

billtorrance9999 · « **Reply #1 on:** May 31, 2007, 06:02:19 AM »

Turner?

pieter · « **Reply #2 on:** May 31, 2007, 07:33:36 AM »

Not a Turner

Otto Puzzell · « **Reply #3 on:** May 31, 2007, 09:01:39 AM »

Australian?

pieter · « **Reply #4 on:** May 31, 2007, 09:28:59 AM »

Not Australian

Allan L · « **Reply #5 on:** May 31, 2007, 09:32:28 AM »

Could be
a Microplas Stiletto body. . .
on a Mistral chassis. . .
from New Zealand. . .

Ultra · « **Reply #6 on:** May 31, 2007, 09:39:35 AM »

James Hall Transport Museum?

pieter · « **Reply #7 on:** May 31, 2007, 11:08:34 AM »

Not any of those, not from NZ, not James Hall Museum (unless there is one of those there - unlikely)

Otto Puzzell · « **Reply #8 on:** May 31, 2007, 11:17:11 AM »

Is the car from Great Britain?

pieter · « **Reply #9 on:** May 31, 2007, 11:22:17 AM »

No, not GB. Or, to be honest, at the time the car was built, its country of origin was a union under the authority of the queen.

Allan L · « **Reply #10 on:** May 31, 2007, 12:38:42 PM »

Quote from: pieter on May 31, 2007, 11:22:17 AM

No, not GB. Or, to be honest, at the time the car was built, its country of origin was a union under the authority of the queen.

As in the Union of South Africa?

rchirnom · « **Reply #11 on:** May 31, 2007, 07:26:38 PM »

Ok, here's a real longshot. Is it Malaysian? Malaya was a British colony until 1957, and their intl racing color was yellow. The logo design tempted me to say India but this car looks post 1949 to me.

pieter · « **Reply #12 on:** June 01, 2007, 02:52:49 AM »

Yes, South African. In fact, the word at the bottom of the logo is Johannesburg.

pieter · « **Reply #13 on:** June 01, 2007, 07:24:05 AM »

Ultra, I went to the James Hall Museum site - didn't know about it. So you actually had the country correct already. But the museum in question is a different one, newly opened with exhibits from mainly another SA museum which had to close down.

Ultra · « **Reply #14 on:** June 01, 2007, 07:32:24 AM »

Quote from: pieter on June 01, 2007, 07:24:05 AM

Ultra, I went to the James Hall Museum site - didn't know about it. So you actually had the country correct already.

I thought so.

pieter · « **Reply #15 on:** June 04, 2007, 03:30:46 AM »

The museums in question: The one that had to close down, was quite well known (in SA, at least.) The new one, where this car is, was opened on May 6th 2007. I believe this car wasn't one of the first mentioned museum exhibits, rather one of a batch bought from a private collector (if my source is reliable).

JR · « **Reply #16 on:** June 04, 2007, 04:27:18 AM »

Is there any connection with the Protea? It looks different to the examples I've seen in pictures but the badge looks a bit like the flower of the same name.

JR

pieter · « **Reply #17 on:** June 04, 2007, 08:36:23 AM »

It is indeed the Protea.
The museum is the Franschhoek Motor Museum on the L'Ormarins wine estate

www.fmm.co.za - click on 'view all cars'

The Protea was built in 1956/7; some 26 were built.
The museum that closed down was the Heidelberg Transport Museum.

http://www.news24.com/Regional_Papers/Components/Category_Article_Text_Template/0,2430,303-716-717_2122112~E,00.html

Otto Puzzell · « **Reply #18 on:** June 04, 2007, 08:46:56 AM »

JR = Superstar

Carnut · « **Reply #19 on:** October 14, 2013, 10:14:21 AM »

Another picture;

News:

Author Topic: Pieter's Puzzle 16 - SOLVED - 1957 Protea (Read 2870 times)