February 2022 Auto Spotting Thread

[G. David Felt]

My daughters 1999 Durango needed work and I have no time, so took it to a we respected local auto repair place today, found this dodge and old Toyota there being worked on.

[Robert Hall]

Haven't seen much of note this month, with the weeks of snowy weather and such.   Did go to Dunkin this morning, and in the drive thru line there was a very clean dark blue WJ Grand Cherokee Laredo behind me, much the same as my old one...and a dark red WL Grand Cherokee Summit L in front of me...was like seeing my past, present and possible future all at the same time...

[balthazar]

Saw an old VW pickup, the '60s era, restored, done up as a canopy truck, selling some sort of wares at the curb, bedsides folded down.

[balthazar]

Saw my 2nd Maverick- the first was an unpleasant flat grey, yesterday it was a refreshing burnt orange color. Both were driving, so haven't walked around one yet.

 

[G. David Felt]

On 2/13/2022 at 6:09 AM, balthazar said:

Saw my 2nd Maverick- the first was an unpleasant flat grey, yesterday it was a refreshing burnt orange color. Both were driving, so haven't walked around one yet.

 

Very cool to hear they are getting out. Have seen non here in Washington and non on the dealer lots. 

Interesting observation as I ran an errand yesterday afternoon. Drove by on Hwy 99 the Hyundai, Honda, Kia, Ford, Lincoln, Toyota, Lexus, Chevrolet, GMC, Tesla and finally the Mercedes Dealerships to where I picked up some stuff the wife had ordered.  Interesting observation was a ton of USED auto's all over and so few new autos. Tesla was an empty lot except for a couple of used auto's due to the date on the windshield and the crazy like new prices also. Mercedes had a dozen new commercial vans out front, but nothing new that I could see on the lot. Toyota had a few Hybrid Rav4 at to me crazy prices as posted on the windshields in big numbers. The other dealerships, if they had new auto's they were heavily mixed in with used autos.

Usually, I see new auto tractor trailer deliveries, but lately, been seeing used auto deliveries to the dealers. Crazy.

Did see an old first-generation Toyota FJ driving up to the pass to ski yesterday. Was in pretty good shape, was a very light blue to funky gray color.

[balthazar]

FB Marketplace ~ 

[Robert Hall]

21 hours ago, balthazar said:

FB Marketplace ~ 

Someone spent a lot on that, but couldn't paint it?  Looks like a pile of shit..

[balthazar]

Patina / rat rod movement is huge.

I actually prefer it in some instances, esp for stealth street racing. I see something like this and just as often, I don't think 'Boy that'd be pretty with a 200HP 292 and a fresh paint job'... I think 'Boy that'd be nasty with clean glass, some tire and a 550HP 427'. 

[G. David Felt]

2 hours ago, balthazar said:

Patina / rat rod movement is huge.

I actually prefer it in some instances, esp for stealth street racing. I see something like this and just as often, I don't think 'Boy that'd be pretty with a 200HP 292 and a fresh paint job'... I think 'Boy that'd be nasty with clean glass, some tire and a 550HP 427'. 

I agree with the Clean Glass, new tires and a 550hp powertrain or more under the hood. Just lets take it to that nice mode IMHO of a new paintjob as is. Make it look like it came off the assembly line as a family hauler. Just able to leave the stupid German auto's at the start line!

[balthazar]

The less money you put into chrome & paint, the more money you can throw into the powertrain/suspension.

[balthazar]

[G. David Felt]

Ran to Fred Meyers to get some grocery shopping done before most people wake up and saw a Unimog in Euro Military baby poop yellow brown and then an old white Datsun Pickup truck almost in rat mode.

[G. David Felt]

Ran to my local Napa to get a part and saw this in the parking lot.

[balthazar]

^ ‘57.

saw an approx 5-yr old F-350 crew cab/8-ft bed dually. Except it had dual axles with dual tires, so a total of TEN tires on one pickup.

[Robert Hall]

6 hours ago, balthazar said:

^ ‘57.

saw an approx 5-yr old F-350 crew cab/8-ft bed dually. Except it had dual axles with dual tires, so a total of TEN tires on one pickup.

So it was a ‘dual dually’…interesting. 

[trinacriabob]

I'm going to be retroactively dropping some sightings into this thread so they slot into the correct month.

Bologna (IT)

The agnostic/atheistic Subaru wagon (it appears to be that way in the U.S., where they seemed to have the most Darwin decals) in front of a church - I once saw a rosary on the rearview mirror of one and posted the photo here. 

There is always a vehicle on display in the Bologna airport because Modena, home to the high end and exotic Italian automakers, is nearby.

 

This is a Lamborghini STO.

[trinacriabob]

Cars spotted (yes, in February) driving past the Colosseum as I was standing on the street corner across the street:

The painful but obligatory Subaru wagon (by the way, police departments like to use them) - it's not pronounced Soo-bah-roo, but Soob-bah-ruh, with the emphasis on the "ba."

Smart cars have not diminished in popularity - not at all - especially in the big, crowded cities.

The icing on the cake was this ancient Fiat 500 ... and the passenger waving at me as they rounded the corner.

It's good fun to check out cars in foreign lands.

[Robert Hall]

1 hour ago, trinacriabob said:

 

Neat...I remember when I visited the Colosseum in Sept. 2003 on a nearby street seeing a dark blue Chevy Tahoe and a dark blue Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited parked one behind the other...they really looked out of place amidst the typical small European cars of the era...though the GCs were sold in Europe then (saw many in the UK, France and Italy). 

[trinacriabob]

2 hours ago, Robert Hall said:

Neat...I remember when I visited the Colosseum in Sept. 2003 on a nearby street seeing a dark blue Chevy Tahoe and a dark blue Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited parked one behind the other...they really looked out of place amidst the typical small European cars of the era...though the GCs were sold in Europe then (saw many in the UK, France and Italy). 

What's interesting is that the powertrains in U.S. vehicles sold overseas are different.  Sometimes, the engine doesn't even sound like a configuration (liters, etc.) that is made in North America.  Maybe they source it over there somewhere, like Germany.

[oldshurst442]

Im more excited to see the Colosseum. Especially knowing that you (@trinacriabob) were actually right there.  I WILL eventually visit Italy to see all these magnificent places for myself.  We were supposed to go this year. My daughter's high school trip was to be in Sweden and end in Italy (Rome) and my wife, son and I were to meet up when the high school trip ended and we would continue a family vacation right after. 

Phoquing Covid got in the way...    As soon as we could travel relatively well, next year or the next, Italy will be checked off the bucket list.   

[trinacriabob]

Here are some cars seen in the EUR.  The EUR (pronounced Eh-oor) is an edge city/business suburb for Rome.  Sort of like Bellevue:Seattle, White Plains:NYC, Las Colinas/Irving:Dallas, etc.  except that it's still within Rome proper, with a Rome address and zip code.  But it would feel familiar to an American.

It's a corporate place and all that, and there is some money floating around.  With that, come the cars:

Cadillac - a derivation of a model offered in America, but I believe the transmission was manual.  Not what I'd want in a Cadillac I'd have as a daily driver.

- this part looks very familiar and drew me toward the car

- there is a change in the beltline toward the rear sail panel; it looks slightly different from whatever the American equivalent was

- here you see both the beltline and rear taillamp differences

- here it is in front of a massive modernist complex

Popular econobox 3-door hatchbacks

- the Opel Corsa (front) and Ford Ka (beyond) nameplates have been going strong over there for over 2 decades; I saw them everywhere

Ford Mustang

- our popular muscle car is pronounced "Moose tongue" over there, unless the subject is "sufficiently" Anglicized

Ferrari

-  all these cars in this one parking lot, probably for a corporate or professional services building in the EUR

I wish I had seen these during the day.

And this is all within a few blocks after a much needed Big Mac and fries that evening at a nice multi-level McDonald's in the EUR.

[trinacriabob]

Yes, back in February ... self explanatory ... I'm thinking they're electric ...

Edited April 21, 2022 by trinacriabob

[Robert Hall]

^the Cadillac was the European-only BLS (based on the Saab 9-3 IIRC).  The Police cars are BMW i3 hybrids. 

[trinacriabob]

25 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

^the Cadillac was the European-only BLS (based on the Saab 9-3 IIRC).  The Police cars are BMW i3 hybrids. 

Learned something.  The Cadillac sure looks like the CTS of the 2000s.  If there are any shared underpinnings, this car looks a little bit nicer because of the curved up beltline while the rear taillamps are slightly obnoxious ... as in overbearing.

[Robert Hall]

9 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

Learned something.  The Cadillac sure looks like the CTS of the 2000s.  If there are any shared underpinnings, this car looks a little bit nicer because of the curved up beltline while the rear taillamps are slightly obnoxious ... as in overbearing.

The BLS was FWD... while the CTS was larger and RWD.  Different platforms.   The BLS was built in Sweden in a Saab plant...available as a sedan or wagon. 

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

I remember an episode of Top Gear w/ the BLS. 

 

[trinacriabob]

Our Chrysler 300 as seen across the pond near a couple of train stations functioning as a nicer taxi or limo.  They call it a Lancia Thema.  I did speak to one of the drivers and I think he said it had a 3000 cc (3.0 liter) V6.  Again, I don't know who would have supplied that engine, given that the entry-level engine here is the Pentastar 3.6 liter V6.

Seen in one city:

Seen in another city - namely the port city of Bari, a major hub for ferries to and from Adriatic Greece.

[Robert Hall]

^ probably the 3.0 VM turbodiesel V6...

[trinacriabob]

Was too exhausted to post these upon returning.

More sightings from the Adriatic coast:

Here's yet another Opel Corsa

Here's yet another Ford Ka ... it looks somewhat more normal these days, yet slightly odd when released slightly before 2000

Here's something that I think is considered equivalent to a motorcycle for driving or licensing purposes ... not sure ...

And, finally, here's some graffiti on a wall wishing a happy birthday to a (girl)friend or relative named Melania ... or, it could have been put up one April day in reference to that well known individual who hails from a northeasterly direction across the Adriatic.

[trinacriabob]

Also seen around these same days was an older Lancia Thema that bears no resemblance to the current Chrysler 300.

It reminds me more of the jelly bean-like Kia Amanti, which looked like something out of a cartoon.

[G. David Felt]

20 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

Also seen around these same days was an older Lancia Thema that bears no resemblance to the current Chrysler 300.

It reminds me more of the jelly bean-like Kia Amanti, which looked like something out of a cartoon.

Wow, Wonder who copied who here Lancia of Kia or Kia of Lancia. crazy 

[trinacriabob]

I saw this "car" meandering through Rome's main Termini Station for passenger trains ...

 

[G. David Felt]

14 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

I saw this "car" meandering through Rome's main Termini Station for passenger trains ...

 

Another good use of electric that benefits the disabled and elderly. ?

[trinacriabob]

When in Rome ...

... go Brit (but NOT Brexit)

... you may wonder if these are identical or fraternal twins ... the nod goes to the one on the left, for its grille

[trinacriabob]

Goofy car sighting in northern Portugal:

Old school Fiat with an "ancient" squarish black and gold license plate, too.

[trinacriabob]

Also in northern Portugal:

Their Mondeo by Ford ... I wonder what powers it and what sort of gearbox it has.

A new type of Smart I haven't seen before.  The owner saw me photographing it and we exchanged thumbs up gestures.  (In some countries, you DO NOT gesture with a thumbs up or give someone the OK sign.)

[trinacriabob]

In Lisbon (PT):

Opel Insignia there ... Buick Regal here.

Brochure quality?  You tell me.  I liked how this photo turned out.  It was in an alley behind some condo towers.  

[trinacriabob]

Wrapping up Lisbon (PT):

A funny looking vehicle at the National Palace at Queluz

- - - - -

An even funnier situation ... who says "lighting doesn't strike twice," so to speak?

Seen one evening near the Metro yellow line's Picoas station

Seen the following day near the Metro blue line's Laranjeiras station while coming back from my Covid-19 test so I could board the plane home

When I got home and looked, it had the same license plate.  Amazing coincidence!

 

 

[trinacriabob]

And, finally, an unusual way to get home - by changing planes and laying over in snowed upon Montreal.

A transit system (STM) Dodge Charger in front of the main bus station (modern and in a nice neighborhood)

This looks familiar, except that it's in another country!  Just in time.

- - - - -

All this not too far from @oldshurst442 ... don't they shovel the sidewalks (trottoirs) over there? ... even curbside at the airport ... what little walking around I had to do was no fun!

[G. David Felt]

27 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

All this not too far from @oldshurst442 ... don't they shovel the sidewalks (trottoirs) over there? ... even curbside at the airport ... what little walking around I had to do was no fun!

I have noticed that on the east coast and in Canada even Victoria BC in the past when I visited, no one seemed to care about clearing the sidewalks for safety. Very interesting, but I guess if no one complains, then why spend the money might be the attitude.

[oldshurst442]

5 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

And, finally, an unusual way to get home - by changing planes and laying over in snowed upon Montreal.

A transit system (STM) Dodge Charger in front of the main bus station (modern and in a nice neighborhood)

This looks familiar, except that it's in another country!  Just in time.

- - - - -

All this not too far from @oldshurst442 ... don't they shovel the sidewalks (trottoirs) over there? ... even curbside at the airport ... what little walking around I had to do was no fun!

 

Top pic is rue Berri going north almost at the corner of rue Ontario.  The bus terminal is just outside of the picture to the south. 

 

Bottom pic is the southshore suburb of Brossard.  My mother-n-law, may God rest her soul, lived maybe a mile or two away from that intersection.  My first house was bought in the suburb of La Prairie. You could see the sign telling you to drive straight ahead. In another 2 or so miles and you'd reach my house.   The Ford Edge I bought in 2007 would be bought at the Ford dealership along the way to La Prairie just slightly past that overpass down yonder. Montmorency Ford.   

I know both areas very very...very well.   Actually, I know Montreal and its surroundings very very well no matter where. Rue Berri is almost at the center of the city. St. Laurent boul. is the street that divides the city/island between east and west and Berri would be a handful of streets to the east.   But Berri is the tourist and city bus terminal and our metro system has Berri at the center of where all the lines connect.  EVERY Montrealer or tourist knows Berri very very well...   Berri is almost downtown and Berri is also almost the access point of OId Montreal.  

About those sidewalks (trottoirs- merci pour le français) 

Montreal does clean them. We have cute ski doo buggies that fit our sometimes narrow sidewalks, (but in the last 2 decades it looks like Ville-Marie (the official name of the main city of Montreal) has spent millions in enlargening the sidewalks and bicycle paths.

 

This is done after a snowfall during the snowfall but usually not long after it has stopped snowing.  They do a fantastic job of clearing the snow.  But...in the following days, snow ends up getting back to the sidewalks somehow. Whether because the actual street removal will dump snow back on the sidewalk through thee clean-up and residual snow gets back up there. Although sometimes those cute little tractors clearing the sidewalks work in tandem with the street clearing  crews.

 

It just happens.  Montrealers ALWAYS bitch on how poorly the city cleans its streets and its sidewalks. No matter who the mayor is, no matter what burrough and what era, Montrealers DEMAND better...   But ultimately,  Montrealers cope with it...because we know it will NEVER get better. So we bitch some more to cope with it better.  

Keep in mind though...we do get a lot of snow.  

[trinacriabob]

@oldshurst442

Yes, I know Centre-Ville fairly well from so many trips.  I've walked around most of it on foot, thanks to the Metro and bus pass that I typically get.  It's a very walkable city.  The first time I went, I even took the foot trail from Avenue des Pins, I think, up to the Chalet's Belvedere from Parc Mont-Royal over the city, which was an ascent of almost 1,000 feet.  Now, I just drive the rental car to it, or take transit!

And, yes, they do clean up and they certainly do a great job of it at the airport.  I was nervously watching the weather reports and, yep, it would be snowing upon arriving from Lisbon.  But I read that, among major airports, YUL is one of the best in keeping its runways open.  Snow drifts and all, the landing was a smooth one, as was going through customs and getting luggage.  I much prefer YUL to YYZ, for both the city AND the airport!