Strange Sighting

[meaneyedcatz]

Only unusual car I have seen in the last few weeks is a 1957 Nash Metropolitan my wife bought last week.

She used my kind of reasoning, She said it goes well with my Studebaker

here is a pic of it on the way home

When I was young we had one of these. A family of five in that little thing. It was cool.

 

[bgrone]

Only unusual car I have seen in the last few weeks is a 1957 Nash Metropolitan my wife bought last week.

She used my kind of reasoning, She said it goes well with my Studebaker

here is a pic of it on the way home

Nice pic but I want to see the Studebaker

Jim in iowa

 

[Cyrano]

Visited France in 1984, and had a rental car. They upgraded us to a Citroen. It took some getting used to; when you started it up, it would sort of unfold the suspension until it was up at the right height. When you shut it off, it would give a sigh and collapse several inches. It was very comfortable, plenty fast, handled well in the curves and had plenty of room I sure would have liked to bring it home. Unfortunately, there's no Citroen dealership in the US, and getting parts is slow. Also, since everything on them is hydraulic, US mechanics just don't have the knowledge, skills or tools to handle them, and don't want to learn.

 

[LVSteve]

My dad had a Citroen GS Estate Car (a station wagon smaller than a DS) in the UK in the 70s. It was very comfortable and gripped like a leech while rolling like a galleon. The joke in England about many French cars was that you could roll them without the wheels ever leaving the ground. The suspension had LOTS of travel to deal with some of the awful roads in rural France. I suspect many SUVs on the US market have less suspension travel in standard form.

As for seeing strange cars, we've got 'em all here in Vegas. Some brave soul even drives a 1960s mini, complete with gear whine.

 

[captorquewrench]

strange sight? not even a vehicle. I saw a a *VERY* strange "convertible" a couple of months ago. It was a boat that had been fitted for road use. A boat hull cruising on wheels down I-10!!!

And I did see a Citroen this past week. I do about 100 miles on the interstate daily, so I see some very, very unusual things sometimes.

 

[quneur]

I wouldn't mind a Citroen GT. Strangest car, there's a AMC Pacer for sale I wouldn't mind one of those either.

 

[moe smith]

I totaled my Renault LeCar. Had to climb out through the sun roof. I don't think the paint was even scratched on the bicycle that hit me.

 

[gm272gs]

I saw a Nash Metropolitan just three days ago. It was a convertible - and I had never seen a convertible - until then.

My brother and I wanted to go in on buying one, back in the late 1970's. The guy wanted $500 and we had the money, but Mom wouldn't let us buy it. Darn her.

 

[David LaPell]

There is actually an annual get together here locally for Citroen's and while I have never attended, I do see quite a few of them during that event when driving through. Somewhere I have a picture I took of one a few years back at a different car show. They were not my thing and I am not sure where one gets parts for the older ones, but they have a dedicated following. Every so often a weird foreign car pops up in a parking lot during the summer being there is the resort towns nearby, I have seen quite a few older Alpha Romeo's and even the odd occasional Lancia or Fiat (my cousin had a green 74 Fiat back in the late 80's). It's nice to see old cars once in a while that are not Mustangs, Camaros, and GTO's. While they are nice cars, I stopped going to car shows for a long time because you would see the same make and model cars in every other space. Now that those cars are out of the price range for most of us unless you have $$ or had one before the market went up on them there are plenty of alternatives that ten years ago no one would have considered. Now foreign cars are really starting to show up. One guy locally took a Volvo sedan and shoehorned a 350 Chevy into it. Definitely gets some looks there. But the strangest car I saw recently, how about a 1949 Studebaker? When's the last time you saw a Studebaker?

 

[gm272gs]

I must say that I have always wanted a 2CV (aka: "deux cheavaux").

They are so incredibly ugly and under-powered, that they're nifty.

 

[kimporter]

my aunt had a car called a Goliath,made in germany.fun little car to drive,just NO parts outlet,fuel pump went out and that ended that

 

[THE PILGRIM]

Was headed up I-25 toward Santa Fe and saw a Studebaker convertible coming South. If was one of the early Post WWII models, don't know exactly what year. Don't recall ever seeing a convertible Stud of that vintage before. In fact don't recall seeing many Studebaker convertibles of any vintage.

 

[wbraswell]

I wouldn't mind a Citroen GT. Strangest car, there's a AMC Pacer for sale I wouldn't mind one of those either.

Save your money guneur, see a psychologist instead. Have you had these self-loathing issues long? Do you own an Aztec?

 

[deadin]

Someone mentioned a Renault Dauphine... That brings back a memory..
In the early '60's I was stationed with a Chief Petty Officer that had one. He also was known to "tipple" a little and was a little on the chubby side. Came into work one morning and was a bit bruised and skinned up. When asked what happened his only comment was "Damn car fell over." (They don't corner worth a .....)

Another CPO I was stationed with had an Isetta. He was fat enough that he didn't so much as get into it as he put it on. The first day he had it he drove it into his garage and found he had pulled too far forward and couldn't get the door open. Then he couldn't find reverse and had to holler for help to get someone to push the car back so he could get out.

(If you're not familiar with the Isetta, Google it. They're somewhat unique.)

 

[Marshwheeling]

Borgward, Panhard, Goggomobil, Messerschmidt, NSU all cars or cycle-cars I remember from the '50s. One I never heard of as a kid, but only learned about later, was the Velorex, a Czech-made cycle-car:

Even though I had a couple of Velorex sidecars, I had never seen one until a guy brought one to a motorcycle show. (Dave Manthey, who also had the world's largest assemblage of Mu¨nch motorcycles.)

 

[SgtLumpy]

Citroens - Do they all do this?

When you step on the brake, the rear of the car lowers. Air suspension I think. The idea is the car stays level as you're driving forward and apply the brakes, as if coming to a normal stop at a stop sign. I suppose that's so you don't spill your champagne and caviar while driving.

What makes it really odd is when backing. The "rear lowering" thing thing happens in reverse too. So imagine backing out of your driveway at a mile an hour or two, then applying the brakes when you want to stop. The rear now dips down, with brake application. Like you're doing a little curtsy. Very strange feeling.


Sgt Lumpy

 

[PALADIN85020]

The lead character, "Patrick Jane," in the TV series "The Mentalist" is often seen driving a Citroen. Rumor has it that these cars are in the top ten ugliest cars ever built. France dropped the ball on its styling. A friend of mine had one in college, and I sat in it once. I had nightmares for weeks.

John

 

[REM 3200]

Only unusual car I have seen in the last few weeks is a 1957 Nash Metropolitan my wife bought last week.

She used my kind of reasoning, She said it goes well with my Studebaker

here is a pic of it on the way home

It just screams for a small block Chevy.

 

[old bear]

I haven't seen a Citroen in years, perhaps for very good reason.

As for strange/odd cars I've noticed lately, from time to time, when the weather is NICE, there is an older gentleman who has a very clean looking Lotus or Caterham 7 he drives. I hope to be able to speak to him one day about this great classic he has.

Hear my confession all: I just LOVE old "nut-ball" English cars and Motorcycles.

 

[NCTexan]

Nothing says "I'm my own man" like a stylish Citroën ride.