Topic: Information Requests || What is this car ? thread

[nicanary]

Thanks. I knew you'd be just as interested as myself - you have done great detectice work and it's much appreciated. I'm more or less in agreement with you. It all leans towards some sort of Simca-based special. The Balsa is definitely single-seater, the Martin BMW in my image bears no relation to the other Martin car which was one of my puzzles - and there's always the possibility that an image has been incorrectly captioned!

That's the problem with history. It's always being changed. Every reference I came across regarding this race stuck rigidly to the official entry list, even the sainted Black Book. On the day of the race, the organisers would have announced any changes to the entry, and no doubt some spectators would have marked their programmes accordingly. Oh to have access to one of those!

So it goes down in history as a BMW special, and nowt can be done about it. I would like to put this enigma to the old codgers on a well-known website for nostalgic enthusiasts (you'll know) but I lack the technical skills - they have a complex system for posting images which has confused lesser men than I. Go ahead if you want.

Thanks for the hard work.

PS I've just double-checked the photo of Martin's earlier BMW at the Coupe de Lyon, and it's confirmed in the Black Book.  I imagine he rebodied it a few years later. It's not as you say the same car as our puzzle - the bodywork does vary and the spring hanger is absent in the Coupe de Lyon photo. The rear view of the car which you have found looks like it is taken in the paddock (the car is shown on the tarmac road in the race footage) and bears the number 22 (faded) in the strange painting style used by French officials of the period. I mistook it for 26 or 28 in the film footage. This almost certainly makes it the race at Sables d'Olonne. Definitely the same car as my poser. The wheelbase looks rather long for anything Simca-based.

[tobytwirl]

I think I have cracked it. I am absolutely certain that the mystery car is the same as that labelled in my photograph " Balsa or is it". That photo even bears the outline of no.22 on its tail. The problem is that we have no photo of its front - until now. Attached is an albeit modern photo of what is undoubtably a Balsa, and I think this is Balsa-BMW no.2. Notice it is left hand drive, and has that perspex windscreen as opposed to the more common aero screen. It is quite different to the earlier Balsa - and note its cockpit shape. OK it has a different grille but I am 99% sure this is our car. I cannot of course explain why it is not driven by Marcel Balsa, who is on the programme as driving no.2O. I have peered at the film again and it is possible that he was driving the first Balsa-BMW, but I cannot be sure. On the version of the programme I worked on there were 3 "BMW Meteors" numbered 20, 22 Philippe and 24 Orley. I could not see one on the film, whereas I can make out the Duval and  I think a Deho-Simca.  I suspect the BMW Meteors were in fact all BMW specials.
Whatever, I think our car is a Balsa-BMW!

[nicanary]

Well done TT !  I have to agree with you 99.9%. I've got to keep something back!

Virtually everything on the internet about Balsa is just stats of his career. For that final 0.1% I'd like to see mention of him either improving his first car or building a second. Can't have everything I suppose. Now I know the results of your investigation, I realise that I probably couldn't have used this car as a puzzle anyway - it's probably a continuation model of an existing solved puzzle.

Thanks. Very much appreciated.


PS I'm a bit slow today - the BMW special with which we are most familiar is usually captioned as 1952. This suggests that either the puzzle car was altered to a smaller less heavy body shape, or that indeed there were 2 cars, because the photo you have posted shows the car as it is in modern times.

[Oguerrerob]

Does anyone knows anything about this car?

Lynx Eigenbau (Kitcar) by Jon 1994 Netherlands

[Wendax]

I came across this one in a video about a Chinese rallye. It looks Italian to me, who knows more?

[gte4289]

I've seen this one somewhere before, but can't place where at the moment. Seems like it may have been British-based, but I'm not sure (and LHD is giving me doubts). Let me see what I can come up with. If nothing else, I can contact someone I know who participated in the same rally and ask him what this was.

[nicanary]

I've posted this on a couple of other well-known websites, with no real response. The white open car has a Cord-like frontal treatment, but is much smaller. The Duncan Drone comes to mind, but they had more basic bodywork and cycle wings.

Any idea?

[nicanary]

This one is on other forums at the moment. The photo is from Australia, the car is registered as a Simca, and the small letters above the licence plate read OAL or possibly QAL. Looks very like a Toyota 2000GT of course, but the rear end is wrong. Anybody from Down Under know what this is?

[Oguerrerob]

This car appeared in some Aussie group, This guy recognized it
Roger Wright Ok guys. Well we are going back a while here.
This car was built in Adelaide by a colleague of mine who worked with me in DCA, when I had my Bolwell Mk7 (RFN145) in the 70s.
The car was a Simca and the inspiration was a Ferrari Daytona.
The owner builder had the initials GAL and from memory they were attached to the front of the car.
While the car initially had all Simca running gear Peter Nelson and I suggested that the engine and gearbox be changed for something more modern. A Mitsubishi Sigma engine and gearbox replaced the Simca.
Good to see this car still in use and looking good.

[oko94]

Anyone got a front view of this Simca ?

[nicanary]

This car appeared in some Aussie group, This guy recognized it
Roger Wright Ok guys. Well we are going back a while here.
This car was built in Adelaide by a colleague of mine who worked with me in DCA, when I had my Bolwell Mk7 (RFN145) in the 70s.
The car was a Simca and the inspiration was a Ferrari Daytona.
The owner builder had the initials GAL and from memory they were attached to the front of the car.
While the car initially had all Simca running gear Peter Nelson and I suggested that the engine and gearbox be changed for something more modern. A Mitsubishi Sigma engine and gearbox replaced the Simca.
Good to see this car still in use and looking good.

Brilliant! Thanks. I'll let people know. Pity I can't use it as a new puzzle!

[Djetset]

I would have been tempted to have used this modified 101-Series Alfa Romeo Sprint as a Puzzle, but sadly I don't know who modified the car's front end! Does anyone have any ideas and more information about this Alfa please with its accessory Volkswagen wheel covers? Thanks. (Still unresolved).

[Djetset]

Looking on a few Alfa Romeo-related websites to see if I could find out anything more about the (still unidentified) modified 101 Sprint above, I spotted this red car in the background of a photo of Alfa meeting in the USA. The car looks vaguely familiar, but I can't quite place it. Any ideas, and sorry for the small image size. (Now resolved; Alfa Romeo SP256)

[pnegyesi]

Any idea on this presumably German cyclecar? Picture was probably taken around 1919-1920

[Wendax]

I don't know it, but I think it is the same as this one from Bremen. The front axle and the belt drive look the same.

[Djetset]

I just found this intriguing low roof Lotus Elan chop-top coupe, as advertised in a 1971 edition of Motor Sport magazine. I have no idea who created it, but if anyone knows anything about it, please feel free to share here thanks. (Still unresolved).

[SACO]

Anybody knows more about this car ? 

[Delorean]

Anyone knows this car? They say it's a Lancia Aurelia, but I have my doubts ...

[Wendax]

Looks like a Talbot-Lago T26 with Graber  body to me: https://www.classicdriver.com/de/car/talbot-lago/t26/1948/340168

[Delorean]

Looks like a Talbot-Lago T26 with Graber  body to me: https://www.classicdriver.com/de/car/talbot-lago/t26/1948/340168

Ok, thanks!

[Djetset]

A friend of mine just sent me these two photos of a mystery car that he says is currently doing the rounds on various Social Media sites (which I personally don't use very often), asking if I might know what it is?

I don't (if I did, I'd have made it a Puzzle!), so I thought I'd share it here in case any fellow AP users might know what this (seemingly British) car is, registered in 1965. Thank you in advance. (still unresolved).

[Allemano]

Looking on a few Alfa Romeo-related websites to see if I could find out anything more about the (still unidentified) modified 101 Sprint above, I spotted this red car in the background of a photo of Alfa meeting in the USA. The car looks vaguely familiar, but I can't quite place it. Any ideas, and sorry for the small image size.

https://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/2017-47/dalla-6-who-knows-this-solved-alfa-romeo-sp256/msg442213/#msg442213

[Djetset]

Ah, perfect. Thank you Allemano, very much appreciated 

[Allemano]

Ah, perfect. Thank you Allemano, very much appreciated 

You're welcome! It took me a whole day to find it again! 

[Djetset]

Another mystery car for you all. This metallic gold coupe with Alfa Romeo 166 rear lights appeared in the background of an old Quiller puzzle posted here on 19 December 2010 (Q656; https://www.autopuzzles.com/forum/2010-38/q656-solved-experimentbil-03-kipper/msg83643/#msg83643). This photo was taken at a custom car show somewhere in Sweden (not sure when or where).

The 'mystery' car looks to be possibly based around an older Japanese coupe (perhaps a Honda Prelude MK3, Nissan Silver 200SX, etc.?) but I still don't know what this car is, so if anyone has any ideas, please do share then here. Thank you, and sorry for the small photo.