Roger says “Actually, a photo of just about any late model German or Japanese car will stump me.” OK, so it doesn’t qualify as “late model” but there’s no doubt as to it’s origin! Hai!
To be honest, I don’t remember what it is. So after I go eat some sushi for lunch (Nigiri Lunch Combo, a Bomb Tuna Roll, and a Blazing Godzilla please… oh yeah, and a large Kirin Ichi Ban.) I’ll look up my notes from when this photo was taken. I remember the marque (and it is even somewhat readable on the sign) but the exact model escapes me.
Guess the make/model/year, and maybe I’ll buy you sushi. 🙂
–chuck
I think you’ve probably got me on this one. You can read the make, but I think little “boutique” carslike this were/are fairly common in Japan and as I recall can come in a bewildering assortment of models.
As a note, what a weird display. A nicely printed sign and then a bench full of junk behind it.
I’ve gone full circle on this one–it’s like trying to corral 70 kangaroos.
Here’s some hints for you.
It is a Subaru (which as I said originally, can be barely made out in the photo). It was quite popular in Japan, where it was available starting around 1958. It is propelled by a rear-engine, air-cooled, 2-cylinder/2-stroke engine(!) and imported into the US from 1968 to 1970.
The “ahead of his time” guy who brought them into the US was none other than….
They were a disaster, selling almost zero units because…
Read my 2nd comment closely. 😉
Actually, I enjoy seeing old Japanese cars now…older Japanese cars are almost completely non-existant on the roads any longer. When was the last time you saw an RX3 or even something as ubiqutious as a Datsun B210? Just like seeing a dead-stock Pinto or Vega in nice shape, I don’t want one, but it’s fun to see.
I actually made a joke about a B210 not long ago, and then saw two within a week!
My son asked me about Sirocco & Corrado VWs and I said, hang on I’ll show you one… and of course haven’t seen a single one since. I imagine the 70’s & 80’s will end up being like the 40s… a big gap in the collector car universe.
–chuck
It is a Subaru 360.
As for the background, it was photographed in the “storage area” of a small car museum, hence the junk.
Ah, so. (I suppose it’s PI to use that phrase from our non-PC childhoods any longer.)
I originally figured it out via a google search (hence my second comment, “full circle” = 360, “70” = 1970, and “kangaroo” = Subaru, though that last one is a stretch 😉 ). What was amusing to me was I was helped most by cached images from…goolsbee.org. 🙂
Much like your B210 incident, I commented to a friend that I hadn’t seen a mid-70’s toyota corolla liftback in ages (I had one) and then sat behind the SAME one two days running on the ferry, literally the next day. Weird. Maybe we should be saying things like “I haven’t seen a pile of gold in years” or “you just never see half-dressed college cheerleaders in the house anymore.”
Now that you mention it, I haven’t seen half-dressed cheerleaders with briefcases full of $100 bills around my house lately.
As for the Subaru, I like the connection to Malcolm Bricklin.
–chuck