January Car Spotter

[Robert Hall]

Not much going on so far in the new year...was out in the backyard after sunset and spotted what appeared to be a CUV w/  full width (multi-segment) headlights drive by... bright white HID...appeared to be something midsize and aerodynamic, didn't look like aftermarket lighting (not an off-road light bar).   it was too dark and far away to see exactly what it was...reminded me of the old Mercury Villager minivan but something modern...any idea what I saw?   Was not a a Rivian..;)

[balthazar]

Quick glance driving past an open gate- side view of a restored '53-56 Ford pickup, red with mini stake sides in the bed.

[balthazar]

Lil old grey-haired couple, possibly original owners (tho the plate is post-1991) : 

Edited January 8, 2021 by balthazar

[G. David Felt]

Earlier this week our local County Fire Fighters News Letter arrived and on the cover was a picture of all the various Fire Command Personnel and their new Toyota Rav4 Hybrid AWD CUVs. The county stated that they had been looking for replacement auto's that would meet the go anywhere in any weather SUV/CUV to replace the aging Tahoe fleet. GM lost out big time on this 59 vehicle order and today in running out for the weekly Grocery run, I saw one of the new Fire Command Rav4 hybrids at an intersection.

Sharp looking CUV, bummer Toyota won the sales over GM. GM has always responded to slowly to what the needs have been.

Been stated in this forum before by others, the Chevrolet VOLT system should have been moved with Gen 2 into a CUV as well at the time and I am now positive due to the crazy Sales and waiting List for Rav4 Hybrids that GM could have sold everyone they built.

[balthazar]

Municipalities should not be spending taxpayer money on foreign products.

- - - - -
Read a story online somewhere that a police detective department just took delivery of a Model Y outfitted with (inside the passenger department) light package... and there was a considerable degree of backlash. Department said it was trying to 'go green' and the Model Y was expected to save $8500 in fuel costs over 5 years (the in-service life limit?) and also cited unspecified lower maintenance (but we've seen that one police case study showing the opposite there) ... but the Model Y cost $27,000 MORE than a police Charger. With near unilateral budget shortfalls everywhere, perhaps now's not the time to blow an extraneous $18 grand on one vehicle over other choices.

Edited January 8, 2021 by balthazar

[trinacriabob]

I went to the post office today.  

In the parking lot exit, a burgundy late(r) model Mercury Grand Marquis was in front of me.  It was spotless and there was a beige baseball cap on its rear shelf.  It was a tall senior gentleman who had also been inside the post office.  Ahead of him was an older BMW where the driver was being overly cautious to go out into the traffic of a major 4-lane road.  The Grand Marquis driver began to honk in repetition.

The Grand Marquis driver finally got into traffic and chose the right lane.  As someone slowed down to turn into a gas station about a block further down, he started repeatedly honking at that person, too.  This guy was slightly dysregulated.  I pondered the beige baseball cap on his rear shelf.

Oh, yeah ...  I forgot where I was going.

Nice 4.6 liter SOHC V8!

[balthazar]

'70s AMC Hornet sedan, red, pretty worn, pulled up to take-out pizza place.

[ykX]

Saw brand new Escalade in grey.  I have to say I really think it doesn't look proportioned right in the front.  Not a fan.

[G. David Felt]

3 hours ago, ykX said:

Saw brand new Escalade in grey.  I have to say I really think it doesn't look proportioned right in the front.  Not a fan.

Totally agree with you that the 2021 Escalade front end is a FAILURE!

[balthazar]

I like the '21 'E', esp the Premium trim with the chrome blade grille... but the Sport fascia also looks refined/cohesive/sharp. Cadillac has it nice & snug to the front axle line, too.

[trinacriabob]

I am driving along, minding my own business, and I see this.  Is this for real?  Unique.  I've never seen anything like this before!

[G. David Felt]

15 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

I am driving along, minding my own business, and I see this.  Is this for real?  Unique.  I've never seen anything like this before!

Yup that is for sure the Rolls-Royce Cullinan. One of the Ugliest SUVs to have ever been made and way over rated for the money.

Rolls-Royce Cullinan - Wikipedia

[trinacriabob]

15 hours ago, ykX said:

Saw brand new Escalade in grey.  I have to say I really think it doesn't look proportioned right in the front.  Not a fan.

I had to look up what it looks like because I have an "if you have to ask the price ..." situation with Escalades.

Well, it gives the expression "long in the tooth" a new meaning.

[balthazar]

3 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

Is this for real?

New Age Aztek.

[oldshurst442]

11 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

I am driving along, minding my own business, and I see this.  Is this for real?  Unique.  I've never seen anything like this before!

 

Sure you have seen something like that.  Especially with your Italian heritage.  

Come on now, dig deep into your mind. Its there. You WILL see it.

Here...Ill help you out a little bit.  Give you a couple of clues.

a) Rallye.

b) It has a Greek name of the 4rth letter in the Greek alphabet. 

 

 

TA DA!

Lancia Delta HF Integrale 

[G. David Felt]

2 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

 

Sure you have seen something like that.  Especially with your Italian heritage.  

Come on now, dig deep into your mind. Its there. You WILL see it.

Here...Ill help you out a little bit.  Give you a couple of clues.

a) Rallye.

b) It has a Greek name of the 4rth letter in the Greek alphabet. 

 

 

TA DA!

Lancia Delta HF Integrale 

WOW, Never seen this ugly POS till you posted it. Thank you for showing where RR got their hideous inspiration. WOW, Cannot believe some actually think this looks good. Guess money has no way of dictating taste. 

[Robert Hall]

1 hour ago, David said:

WOW, Never seen this ugly POS till you posted it. Thank you for showing where RR got their hideous inspiration. WOW, Cannot believe some actually think this looks good. Guess money has no way of dictating taste. 

I guess you never paid attention to rallying in the 80s...these made phenomenal race cars, and the street version was quite formidable.   Then again, you are a truck guy and not into performance cars.

Edited January 15, 2021 by Robert Hall

[ykX]

19 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

I guess you never paid attention to rallying in the 80s...these made phenomenal race cars, and the street version was quite formidable.   Then again, you are a truck guy and not into performance cars.

This was one of the greatest rally cars ever ...

Edited January 15, 2021 by ykX

[balthazar]

5 hours ago, Robert Hall said:

the street version was quite formidable

B-but it's a generic, FWD, transverse-engined appliance!

And yes; quite unattractive.

Edited January 15, 2021 by balthazar

[Robert Hall]

4 hours ago, balthazar said:

B-but it's a generic, FWD, transverse-engined appliance!

And yes; quite unattractive.

AWD..  

[balthazar]

Oh, right

9 hours ago, Robert Hall said:

an AWD/transverse engine generic platform

Got it. Also a 'meh' by association.

[G. David Felt]

22 hours ago, ykX said:

This was one of the greatest rally cars ever ...

Still a Blah of an auto, Subaru is just blah to me but killer looks when compared to this.

23 hours ago, Robert Hall said:

I guess you never paid attention to rallying in the 80s...these made phenomenal race cars, and the street version was quite formidable.   Then again, you are a truck guy and not into performance cars.

Yes a truck guy, but did build at my dads shop Camaro and Mustang racers for others that were always a blast to drive in the final test check before returning to the owners. Road rally is a cool sport, but this just has no passion to me. Guess growing up in Darrington WA in the woods around loggers and trucks, that does make a bigger impression on youth.

[trinacriabob]

On 1/15/2021 at 8:37 AM, oldshurst442 said:

It has a Greek name of the 4rth letter in the Greek alphabet. 

TA DA!

Lancia Delta HF Integrale 

Help me out.

Alpha ... beta ... (?) ... delta.  I don't want to cheat and look it up: what is the (?)?  I'll probably recognize it.

I'm not sure if omega is the last letter, as in alpha-omega.  It's probably zeta.

Well, have I got a "looker" for all of you ...

 

[Robert Hall]

17 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

Help me out.

Alpha ... beta ... (?) ... delta.  I don't want to cheat and look it up: what is the (?)?  I'll probably recognize it.

I'm not sure if omega is the last letter, as in alpha-omega.  It's probably zeta.

Well, have I got a "looker" for all of you ...

 

Here is another GM Omega--the Opel Lotus Omega (badged as Vauxhall Lotus Carlton in the UK).   A later generation of Opel Omega came to the US as the Cadillac Catera...

 

[trinacriabob]

1 hour ago, Robert Hall said:

A later generation of Opel Omega came to the US as the Cadillac Catera...

The Cadillac Catera was a mess, along with its "the Caddy that zigs" ad campaign. 

Its saving grace might have been that the Cadillac Cimarron was worse! 

I only knew one person who went out and bought a Cimarron and their head wasn't right on all levels.  It's beyond the scope of C&G, though definitely soap opera material.

[oldshurst442]

Alpha, Beta, GAMMA, Delta    

You were missing the 3rd letter...

And Omega would be the last letter in the Greek Alphabet.   Zeta would be the 6th letter... 

Speaking of the Omega and the Zeta.  The Zeta platform would be the platform that succeeded the Omega car and  We know know the Zeta platform  as the Pontiac G8 and Chevrolet SS. 

I know its all Greek to you folk, but I...am damned proud that Greek is being discussed one way or other. ?

 

[oldshurst442]

41 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

The Cadillac Catera was a mess, along with its "the Caddy that zigs" ad campaign. 

Its saving grace might have been that the Cadillac Cimarron was worse! 

I only knew one person who went out and bought a Cimarron and their head wasn't right on all levels.  It's beyond the scope of C&G, though definitely soap opera material.

The Catera could have worked if GM allowed more funds to develop it for Cadillac. As is, it was at Chevrolet or Pontiac levels. 

In the Middle East, it WAS a Chevrolet.  A Lumina.  It had the 3.8 liter V6 from Buick. It had the supercharged version too under the hood and as a Lumina SS, it had the LS1 under the hood. 

In the US, it had the lame Opel 3.0 V6. No torque.  Horsepower was a tad anemic for a Caddy that wanted to zig and zag. 

The sedan was made into a coupe...and we got it as a Pontiac.  And THAT too failed.  Because Pontiac labeled it as a GTO.  It was a great Pontiac. But at that point in time, retro was ALL the rage. And the Catera couped GTO looked NOTHING like a PONTIAC GTO... 

Ah....yes!!!   Those wonderful General Motors times at the end of the last century.  What fantastic times they were.    

 

Edited January 18, 2021 by oldshurst442

[balthazar]

'62 Plymouth full-size, white. Saw the nose inside a barn/garage, car was clean and even in the quick drive-by glance, appeared to be a racer.

[trinacriabob]

15 hours ago, oldshurst442 said:

Alpha, Beta, GAMMA, Delta    

You were missing the 3rd letter...

And Omega would be the last letter in the Greek Alphabet.   Zeta would be the 6th letter... 

I definitely know "Gamma."  I sort of expected the third letter to start with a "C" sound, though, so I thought Gamma might be somewhere else in the Greek alphabet.

And Omega being last makes sense, in line with the religious concept of "Alpha-Omega."

As for this photo, what's the likelihood that 1) two scuba divers will illegally drive their Olds Omega onto a California beach, and 2) that demographic would even set foot into a showroom to buy an Olds Omega?

Also, I know we have some members here who just love multilingual discourse ...

[Robert Hall]

Re: Gamma...Lancia had a Gamma, and even a Megagamma.   Lancia liked the Greek letter names--they also had a Beta and Delta...no Alpha (probably to avoid confusion w/ Alfa Romeo). 

[balthazar]

‘78-era Elky, navy blue, very solid/unrestored original, likely relatively low-miles.

Since we were mentioning it elsewhere, another XT6 : 

[G. David Felt]

13 minutes ago, balthazar said:

‘78-era Elky, navy blue, very solid/unrestored original, likely relatively low-miles.

Since we were mentioning it elsewhere, another XT6 : 

XT6 is such unimpressive blah CUV.  

[balthazar]

'38 Ford panel delivery, looked solid but was lettered up like a static business advertisement [40 miles/hr in the dark].

[trinacriabob]

I saw a black Olds Bravada SUV today as I was leaving the car wash.  

Wiki told me it's a 1998-2001 type, based on the grille.  Great engine, that 4.3 Vortec V6.

I see Aleros weekly.  I haven't seen a Bravada in months.

[balthazar]

'03-07 generation SIlverado regular cab / 6.5' bed, completely coated in black bedliner paint.

[ocnblu]

On 1/14/2021 at 9:22 PM, trinacriabob said:

I am driving along, minding my own business, and I see this.  Is this for real?  Unique.  I've never seen anything like this before!

The new Escalade's got the Cullinan's eyes:  high, deep-set, starkly rendered rectangles peering down on the peasantry... none of which has any Grey Poupon.

[G. David Felt]

On the way out to my sisters to TV installation on Saturday January 30th, I had to stop and snap this pic of these trucks in the front yard of a house.