As promised last week, we’re going to try to do a weekly gallery of some of the best finds posted at the CC Cohort. Now this is not a contest, and by “best” I mean just a sampling of some of the many that really caught my attention, of which there were many. I admit that this one, of a Fiat 128 in traffic in Mendoza, Argentina by Rivera Notario really grabbed me. What a great battered survivor, and the hunched down driver on the phone really adds to it. Is he hiding from someone?
A great shot of three Rancheros shot and posted by Don Kincl.
I’ve got a real thing for the ’55-’56 Nomad, and Trabantino caught this ’56 in France. He pointed out the French license plate that’s imitating an American one.
GM’s Y-Body compacts like this ’62 Tempest are pretty rare on the streets. Canadiancatgreen caught this one on the go.
Thomas Jarvis found this relatively uncommon short-wheelbase Porsche 911.
Jerome Solberg seems to have moved to Japan, where he shot this Mark VII among some other vintage and collector cars.
Rivera Notario also posted this IKA Torino in Argentina.
Tim Finn found this 6×6 Steyr-Puch Pinzgauer in Portland. Portal hubs and swing axles for the ultimate off-road capability.
Another splendid shot by Don Kincl, of a ’53 Packard.
Hyperpak spotted this Lumina Z34 with the 3.4 L DOHC V6.
This Nissan Patrol is from the 4th generation (1989-1999), shot by canadiancatgreen. Not sold in the US.
A Lancia Gamma coupe with suitable backdrop shot by Trabantino in France.
Another American expat found in Hungary by Roshake, this time a ’75 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham.
I haven’t seen a Fiero in too long. But canadiancatgreen has.
I’ll end it with this rather sad face of a ’46 Chevy, by Don Kincl.
Keep them coming, and we’ll be back next week.
Too bad you have to sign up with Flickr to join the CC Cohort. I am not on any social-media platform, and it will stay that way.
I have plenty of pictures I could share.
It’s not social media; it’s just a photo hosting site.
I really admire the argentine IKA Torino. The car was based on the AMC Rambler American, but they improved it and in my opinion it turned out prettier.
I’m not motivated to look it up and remind myself who the actual designers were, but the fact that the same company that sold the delicate and gorgeous Fulvia coupe, could put their badge on the portly Gamma, is sad. An Italian lead sled, and not in a positive tribute way. Now the Fiat 128, that is a great design for a basic small sedan and will be a classic forever. Thanks Paul, for opening with it.
Really? I rather like it. It’s classic Pininfarina from that era. The Fulvia coupe was designed inhouse, by Piero Castagnero who also did the sedan. To me this is an apples to oranges comparison, as they were in different classes/sizes, and most of all, in different eras.
Agreed, I’ve always found the Gamma coupe quite sleek and rakish for its size, tho’ I’d concede the berlina came off looking a bit ponderous.
One misstep with the coupe IMO is their decision to put that fat rub strip along the middle of the bodyside cove, rather than having it continue the bumper line or just omitting it altogether as a stock trim item. It seems to camouflage the presence of the cove rather than enhance its effect; I’ve seen Gammas without it that appear much sharper for the omission.
I’ve read Pininfarina’s die stampers were a bit worn out by the time they produced the Gamma coupe, resulting in inconsistent panel quality, so only the very best stampings were selected for cars to be painted black, which would show up any waviness or other panel imperfections more than lighter colors, and why few Gammas were sold in black. I suspect the mid-cove rub strips may have been another gambit to conceal panel imperfections.
These are all great finds and cool pictures. The Fiero is one car I forgot to mention in Aaron Severson’s QOTD from earlier this week. I still love them and would want one…in theory, if not in practice.
The tire on the trunk of the IKA Torino makes me wonder what’s in the actual trunk.
Also interesting that the Torino’s spare tire doesn’t appear to be strapped down, so I presume it’s mounted through the trunk lid? Opening the trunk can’t be easy.
It’s the Torino Continental Mark IV!
More Mark II than Mark IV actually, since the II actually had the spare tire where the trunk lid made it look like it was
A 128! That would have been my answer to the QOTD! There is a 128 wagon for sale I saw on Kijiji. I will avoid it but 40 years after owning one I still think in was a brilliant design if not execution
I’d take a look. As a round about way of answering the recent QOTD, that might be mine too.
Fortunately that coveting has mostly been negated due to the superpowers of ferric oxide.
I like the Lumina Z34 – definitely my favorite Lumina, though that’s not a high bar.
Don Kincl’s Packard shot is outstanding. And with a GMT400 in the background, it’s a appropriate shot for CC this week!
The Packard looks like an easy save.
Great choices and an excellent idea, to pull curated selections from the CC Cohort, for CC readers appreciation.
It also highlights these outstanding photographers, and their fine work.
I found the more fully-figured aero Ford designs of the early ’80’s so refreshing, over the fragile/emaciated/cheap-looking (to me), products from the Fox body family tree. The Mark VII has aged very well. You didn’t need to be convinced, it was a state-of-the-art luxury car. And broke so well, with the barges of the past. It spoke for itself.
I liked the Gamma, thought it looked like a French design. Never liked the Subaru XT. Which I felt was influenced by the Gamma.
I would have preferred if the Fiero’s black bodyside molding was body-coloured, from the beginning. I thought the black molding, cheapened the design. But GM design was so consistently unsure, and generally disappointing, during the ’80’s
The body kit and louvres, just made the Lumina Z34 laughably tacky. This was Pontiac territory.
I see what you mean about the Gamma coupe’s plausible influence on the XT, and FWIW I’ve also long noted some likely influence on the Nissan 240SX (Silvia S13) coupe aft of the B-pillars:
Nissan Patrol NO, that is a Nissan Safari its even written on it, ex JDM they werent sold anywhere else, but turned up over here used, a mate of mine got a million kms out of one, two engines and sold it to one of his employees its still on the road, it was used for towing boats not ittybitty trailer boats but big bastards up a slipway, NA diesel 6 bloody hard to kill
Edit Gran road Safari not Patrol, NZ was littered with both versions.
Quite a collection indeed, with different styles of photography and lighting. Different angles on each car, different times of day. Great post.
These posts are a great addition to CC, many thanks.
Just wondering, what is the silver wagon behind the tree in the Lancia Gamma picture ?
(Citroën) DS3, a subcompact hatchback and Mini competitor.
Thanks, Looks like a great little runabout.
Nice Cohort collection, diversity to the max!
That Nissan Patrol generation was the most common and desirable ‘work-SUV’ here in the nineties. Both the SWB 3-door and the LWB 5-door. Inline-six turbodiesels FTW!
The 911 is beautiful. How does one tell the difference between a “short-wheelbase” 911 and any other kind of 911 from this photo alone? Advise.
The easiest way to tell is to look at the round plug (jacking point?) just in front of the rear wheel opening. The longer wheelbase post-1969 cars have a noticeable (just over 2” or 50 mm) gap between the plug and the wheel opening. An early design change to tame the “dreaded” 911 oversteer.
Don Kincl’s excellent colour manipulation, and photo editing, deserve a special compliment. He really does a terrific job of enhancing the mood and atmosphere in his imagery.
The very general proportions of the Nissan Patrol/Safari, are similar to the Studebaker Wagonaire. Without a lot of sheetmetal changes to modernize its styling, the Wagonaire could have achieved the look and feel of an early sport utility wagon. In the vein of the AMC Eagle and Subaru Outback. Slightly lifted, with more aggressive wheel arches/fender flaring.
Perfect view selection by Roshake, emphasizing the length of the ’75 Caddy.
Great photos, and this thread is an excellent way of pulling us back to the Cohort…something I often forget to check.
The lede photo of the 128 is terrific. It’s a poor color choice (the car) and not one that I recall as common here in the U.S. at least. But that’s more than made up for by the totally bizarre image of the driver. It’s like something from a bad 1970s spy movie.
Or maybe we now know what kind of car the Time to Make the Doughnuts guy drove. (who would have guessed that he actually lived in Argentina??)
I really like the photos by Don Kincl. Very talented photographer.
At first glance I thought the 128 was a Lada in some iron curtain place .
All these pictures are well framed, that’s a skill many (me) don’t have .
Whatever was done with the colors just makes them all sublime .
I didn’t twig to the ’56 Chevy long roof’s license tag until you pointed it out ~ well done .
-Nate
That 128 photo is brilliant – not only the framing of the car, but I’ve spent ages wondering what the guy is up to. Nefarious can be my only logical conclusion, since the heater flaps aren’t that awkward to reach.
I also confess a fascination for IKA Torini – a great-looking design. Almost as if IKA asked Pf, “we want a new Borgward 2.3, but we’ve got hardly any money for sheetmetal changes. Can you help?” The result looks like its own design, not merely a facelifted AMC.
Great idea for a weekly feature.
Thanks for posting these pictures!
Just visiting Japan, thanks!
I actually like the Lancia Gamma. It’s like Brutalist architecture – if everything looked like that, it might wear you out, but in isolation it’s interesting, though I wonder if the outward visbility is poor enough to make driving it a pain?
That 1953 Packard photo is cool! The Pinzgauer too!
The 128 guy has the feeling of somebody calling in a hit on someone.