By Robert Emslie
Happy Norwegian Constitution Day! That’s right it’s Syttende Mal, and that means it’s time to proudly display your Nordic Cross and perhaps quaff a Hansa. When you’re done with all that Norse-ing around, today’s also Friday, and that means Mystery Car.
Our candidate this week is red, just like the field of the Norse flag, and as a hint to its identity, I’ll aver that it wouldn’t be at all surprising to find it on the streets of Oslo. The Constitution of Norway is considered to be one of the world’s most liberal and democratic, but we won’t have any of that here. Instead, we have very strict rules for the Mystery Car contest, those being, make, model, likely engine, and year range to win.
Image: ©2013 Hooniverse/Robert Emslie, All Rights Reserved
Kamil Kaluski
Yay Norway!
<img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6180/6178604933_e91f6b668b_b.jpg" width=550>
When I first saw this, I had to scroll back down to the previous two articles…
<img src="http://hooniverse.info/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/gto-pic-A.jpg" width="500">
<img src="http://hooniverse.info/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Ferrari-250-GT-Lusso.jpg" width="500">
thought it might be a Volvo and came across this
<img src="http://i.auto-bild.de/ir_img/7/1/4/5/4/3/1978-Volvo-Pro-Street-Wagon-729×486-dd5996f8027262dc.jpg" width="600">
Ahh yes, that thing keeps appearing in Volvo circles. I'm still not sure how I feel about it, although it's hard to hate a purplish 240.
Looks like a Torino to me. So it's probably that NASCAR homologation special, with a 427.
Hmm, it's not a Troll (the only norwegian car).
Is this the front grille edge in the first place? If so, some thoughts:
There's plastic in the grille, so it's more 70ies+.
The curve between grille and light excludes Volvos.
The slanted gap between fender and hood looks more like something british to me. Or some DAF…
30yo+ US muscle cars are a pretty common sight during skandinavian summer, though.
I can confirm that it's not a Rally.
<img src="http://images.hemmings.com/wp-content/uploads//2012/03/Lysellbubbletop_01_1200-700×456.jpg" width="600/">
I should just resign myself to the fact that there's Norway I'm gonna figure this one out.
Also, hey, does anyone else get a whiff of Zagato? I mean, it's not this…
<img src="http://www.ponysite.de/zagato2011mcdf.jpg">
…but it's not entirely unlike it, either.
Also also, part of me hopes this isn't the front grille of our Mystery Car.
Nothin', huh? Damn. I still don't know either.
(Also, 'this' in the post above was a Zagato-restyled '67 Shelby Mustang with square headlights and a more prominent schnozz. It suffered greatly, from what I can see.)
Just watch, it'll be some crazy Volvo…
I stumbled across this site by accident and this mystery car is driving me nuts. It looks so familiar yet i can't put s name to it.
If its from Norway it could be a Lada, they are very square looking. Or a Fiat from which the Lada were derived.
With that squareness It could also just as easily be Ferrari 308/348 our even a De Lorian, but its neither.
Then their are the muscle car options, 60s mustang or 70s Gran Torino.
This one is driving me nuts! As Russell states I know I have seen it before, probably in the flesh too but I can't place it. Argh!!
Damn its still bugging me.
Last night it occurred to me that the grill shape (rounded rectang le) and the grill style (strongly squareish grid) was very typical ofAMC. AMC grills i have seen, though I'm no expert on AMC so not sure what model it could be if it is indeed AMC.
My other thought was it looks very similar to a late 60s (68 or 69) SkiMoto snowmobile, which is possible given the references to Norway/Oslo. So it could be a snowmobile rather that a conventional car, is the poster that devious?
It could almost be a Fiat 124 but the side of the grill isn't quite right, nor is the intercept between bonnet and quarter panel. Unless there WA some weird 124 prototype or derivative I don't know about.
So my money is on a Datsun S30 (240z/260z/280z) that ran from 1969 to 1978 with 2.4/2.6/2.8L engines. The only thing that is not quite right is they all had a chrome fender below the grill. But it was common to remove the fender and fit a front spoiler, so that could explain the red below the grill.
GAH!!! It's still bugging me too, I don't think it's the Datsun though, keep on fighting the good fight here Russell!
Rob, please help us out 🙁
Ok, this is ridiculous.
FINALLY…I think.
1973-74 Autobianchi A112 – with a 903cc I4 OHV
<img src="http://www.lanciaflavia.it/public_old_foto/img-1193663786.jpg" width=600>
Yes,I think you're right, well done!!!!
Now, for last weeks…..?
Whoohoo Kyle, that just has to be it!