This postcard of Gengenbach in the Black Forest of Germany makes me homesick and nostalgic. It also makes for a good CC quiz. Can you identify these cars and tell which year the shot was taken?
Postcard Classic: Can You ID These Cars?
– Posted on July 27, 2016
The Beetles don’t help much save that none seem to have the very big rear lights fitted in 1973 and none are obviously Super Beetles. The 4th car along the road (LH side) looks like it might be an Opel Rekord D estate/wagon which were available from 1972. There also appear to be two BMW 5 series parked on the RH side of the triangle, a design also introduced in 1972. The brown Ford Taunus TC almost in the middle of the triangle were introduced in 1970. Most of the rest are 1960s designs, so all in all, I’d say the date is circa 1972 to ’75.
Mk.1 Escort bottom left was built 1968-75.
The orange Beetle is a 1973 or newer Super Beetle with curved windshield. 7 Beetles in this picture!
I positively identified 9 beetles. I am not 100% sure if the orange one on the left of the picture is a 1302/1303 (Super Beetle) because the photo has some significant distortion from the wide angle lens. But there is a smidgen of black that could be the vent behind the rear side window that came with the Super Beetles.
After blowing up the picture now I see the other 2 Beetles. And I too can see the black air vent bezel behind the side window on the orange Beetle well. I see the stretched distortion but I used the flat windshield blue Beetle behind the orange Beetle to compare.
Vent behind the rear window was on a 67 South African beetle I was looking at Wednesday nothing on it matched what should be there, interesting car.
Appears to be a Renault 10 next to the white Beetle on the RH side of the triangle. Also appears to be an orange/red Fiat 850 next to the Ford Taunus in the middle of the triangle.
The orange car on the right foreground looks like a BMW 5 series from around 1980.
It appears to be an E12 (1972-1984).
I think the white car at the lower left is a Ford Escort.
Could be a DAF next to the dark Renault R10 lower right side of card
The copper/brown car is a Taunus TC, beside that may be a red Fiat 850, then a silver earlier Taunus, then the beige sedan I’m not sure, it doesn’t quite seem right for a Mercedes W114.
Lower left is definitely an Escort, there is also a green E12 5-series in the right-hand row of cars at the intersection.
Maybe a brown Renault 12 at the far right of the picture?
It looks like the picture must have been taken around 1973-74.
Landcrab saloon at the point where the road divides?
Beige sedan is a BMW E3 methinks.
A 2500/2800/3.0 did cross my mind, the front turn signal would work.
The white car I thought might be an Alfa?
But no Mercs…
Renault 16 and a Citroen DS on the far right side.
Renault 10 and DAF 55 or 66 in the centre, with a Fiat 850.
Escort Mk 1, and we are in need of a Taunus Expert!
I am not sure about the Renault 16. I am missing the “roof rails”. My guess is Simca 1100.
Here are my guesses, starting at the lower left and moving up the rows:
Ford Escort Mark 1, Beetle 1302, Beetle, Opel Rekord C, Ford Taunus 17M Turnier,
Beetle, Ford Taunus 17M, Beetle, X,X,X, Beetle or Citroen DS, X
Ford Taunus TC, Fiat 850, Ford Taunus, BMW 1600
Beetle (red), Beetle
Beetle, BMW E12, Beetle, Renault R10, DAF, BMW E12, Opel Kadett B, Ford Taunus 17 M, Fiat 850, X
Simca 1100, Citroen DS, Opel Rekord B Caravan, Opel Rekord C Caravan, X, white Alfa Romeo Giulia, Beetle, X, BMW 1500/1600, the remaining cars are too blurred.
My best guess is the picture was taken in 1971. This is based on the VW 1302 which started in 1971 and lack of an Opel Rekord D which started in 1972. The Taunus TC must have been pretty fresh as it started in 1970.
Wasn’t the BMW E12 first produced in 1972? This is a great postcard BTW, makes me want to visit Staufen again. I see Gengenbach is about 50% larger but still small. That main street though is quite wide for German village. It’s funny to see the Brunnen with the Volksbank right next/behind in, Staufen has the exact same setup. Also the street being paved (except for the part around the fountain) is different, Staufen still has the cobblestone all the way through the town with the old “Baechle” street gutter system.
Not seeing any Mercedes’ seems normal to me in this place and time compared to the proportions of the other cars. I would have though there’s be a little more Fiat representation and perhaps one or more Audi’s. What was your police car? Ours was a Beetle (!) replaced by an Audi a few years later (mid/late 70’s).
Volksbank always tried to be in the center of a town. Before Volksbank and modern plumbing the fountain was the natural center of the town. The road is not a wide as you might think. The picture was probably taken with a 24 mm wide angle lens. Today the town center is a pretty pedestrian zone. The Rathaus (city hall) is also known as the largest “Adventskalender”. It has 24 windows and and they will be shuttered at the end of November. Starting December 1 every day one widow will opened to show a beautiful display and so on until Christmas day.
The E12 BMW’s were not readily available until the end of 1972, so it has to be later than that. No Capris? I’d venture Summer 1973 as a best guess.
Excellent deduction. this is clearly a picture taken in the summer, therefore it can’t be earlier than 1973.
The white car straddling the fork is perhaps a Mazda Luce,and the little Fiat next to it a 127.
Great eye on the Fiat; I think you are right.
Mazda Luce is highly unlikely. As I recall Mazda had no presence in Germany at that time.
Fiat 127 it is!
The Luce is a long shot I agree .that curving rear screen and round wheel arches…shall keep trawling .I remember Stuttgart in the 90’s having plenty of 626 and 929 Mazdas.
It would seem Mazda started its European sales in 1967.Considering the link with NSU ..not too far away in Neckarsulm…
o.k.
The Mercedes tail fin has a curved rear window as well. The deck lid seems a bit short though.
The Alfetta does not fit either..If I could get the time machine to start ….But I have run out of Wellsium dichloride crystals.
Simca 1501? Help
VW Kaefer, BMW 5, BMW 2500, Ford Escort Mk 1, MB W123 Estate, Ford Taunus Mk 1 GXL, Fiat 850, Opel Kadett-A, Renault 8, Volvo Amazon,Opel Rekord-C 4 door sedan, Opel Rekord-C Caravan, Rambler, Opel Kadett-B, etc. Hopefully correct observations. All of them had been regular daily drivers in my childhood.
Renault 10! Not 8.