lordleonusa Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 OK, I am having a mid-life crisis...as in er, I'm 50 on March 4th, wtf have I been doing for the last half century? Anyhow, I am scanning in some photos taken with a crap 126 film camera in July 1972, on a scout trip to Rotterdam, Holland. At that time, I was 13 and my interest in cars was fairly limited, ie: I was vaguely interested in my Dad's 1967 Rover 2000TC. Amongst my photos, I took one with these cars in it. Obviously the Mini in the foreground is a British car, but what of that Saffron/Mustard sports car in the background? What does anyone think it may be? Lotus Elan maybe? or, perhaps an Opel or NSU ??? Anyone? Léon (clinging to the remainder of his 40's) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GHR630 Posted January 31, 2009 Share Posted January 31, 2009 50 ? A mere boy!! I'm 59 in May FFS !!! I've always been mad on cars. I don't remember anything else. In the fifties I was mad on American Hot Rods. My sis was a GI bride and her husband used to give me his Hot Rod mags etc when he had read them (he was based at Upper Heyford). He had a '49 Ford 2 door V8, red with wide whitewalls and caddy hubcaps. You can imagine in grey old fifties England (my dad had a black moggie) it was the coolest thing on the planet. Anyway, I reckon that car is the rare cabriolet version of the Fiat 850 Sport, google it??? Had joint ownership of a Fiat 850 coupe in the very early 70's. Bloody thing boiled every 5 miles! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordleonusa Posted February 1, 2009 Author Share Posted February 1, 2009 Thanks George, but looking behind the mysterious car, it looks like another mini to me, so my money is still on the gorgeous Lotus Elan, this almost looks like a British car meet! Found pictures of the FIAT & NSU sport etc L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordleonusa Posted February 1, 2009 Author Share Posted February 1, 2009 and for comparison here is a front view of the Lotus... L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elsieolly Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 Might be a jensen healy ? there was also a kit (can't remmeber the name) for a grp bonnet on a sprite as that windscreen looks very sprite like? but that fiat looks awful close to me really.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordleonusa Posted February 14, 2009 Author Share Posted February 14, 2009 Thanks, I still contend that it's not a FIAT because the FIAT has vestigial front over-riders and the mystery car in my photo seems to have blacked out headlamp 'covers', whereas the FIAT doesn't, although the FIAT does have styling similarities. Very odd. I hadn't considered the Jensen Healey, but will go google one... L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordleonusa Posted February 14, 2009 Author Share Posted February 14, 2009 Of course J-H's were still being produced brand new at that time, and the car in my photo looks kindof careworn... Here's a couple of JH piccys The first one is a 1972 car. The second is a front shot of a 1974 model. L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordleonusa Posted February 14, 2009 Author Share Posted February 14, 2009 Here's the second, but the front bumper looks too heavy to me to be the one in my photo, as that looks to be a much more graceful and slim wrap around affair like the Lotus Elan has... L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 http://www.carsablanca.de/files/medias/filename/Spider_Sport_4738_big.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
motov8id Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 that 850 Fiat is still a beautiful modern shape 40 years on.Giugiaro designed i think, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 "Fiat 850 Sport" above is in fact the 850 Spider, desgned by Giugiaro at Bertone. The Sport was a rather less pleasing 600 derivative. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordleonusa Posted February 15, 2009 Author Share Posted February 15, 2009 Wow, thanks Harry, now that looks a bit more like it! Quite different from the photo I found of a FIAT earlier on in this thread. It DOES look remarkably like the car in my old photo. L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordleonusa Posted February 15, 2009 Author Share Posted February 15, 2009 I do believe that Harry has found it! Here are a few more (small) piccys of what looks to be a very pretty little car, in production from 1967-1972, apparently the earlier cars didn't have the small front over-riders! thanks to all for the help ID'ing that car. L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordleonusa Posted February 15, 2009 Author Share Posted February 15, 2009 few more to end this thread. Italian design rocks! L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordleonusa Posted February 15, 2009 Author Share Posted February 15, 2009 Last one, promise! L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GT6Steve Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 "Fiat 850 Sport" above is in fact the 850 Spider, desgned by Giugiaro at Bertone. The Sport was a rather less pleasing 600 derivative. John Why is that John? Heavier engine? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GHR630 Posted February 15, 2009 Share Posted February 15, 2009 EXCUSE ME! So the Alzheimers hasn't completely taken me over and I was right all along????? It was 1971 when I had my 850 Sport. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lordleonusa Posted February 15, 2009 Author Share Posted February 15, 2009 Sorry Harry, GEORGE got it first! However, I probably got confused because George originally said "Anyway, I reckon that car is the rare cabriolet version of the Fiat 850 Sport, google it??? Had joint ownership of a Fiat 850 coupe in the very early 70's. Bloody thing boiled every 5 miles!" This caused me to google the wrong sub-model, because it is more accurately known as the "Fiat 850 sport spider". All very confusing. But I am pretty certain that George is right and it is not an Elan, because that car has a much larger air intake below the front bumper. L Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 Why is that John? Heavier engine? http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fiat_850_Sport_1969_1.JPG The front of a Vitesse, with the back of ....... a VW variant? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GHR630 Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 Ah that's how I remember it JD. I was only 20 so I thought it was pretty cool. My next car was a '64 TR4 - but that's another story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeljf Posted July 13, 2020 Share Posted July 13, 2020 Hello, I have had an 850 sedan, 600 sedan and a 850 sport amongst othet Fiats. I can't find the original posters photo! Regards,Michael. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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