Name this car....

[Viv]

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22 minutes ago, pippy said:

See posts 18283 & 18285...

Philip.

Yes. Sorry.

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[John Z. Goriup]

One or two more guesses and you would have mentioned every British marque except the one that formed the basis for this one. In Hercule Poirot's words..."it is time for all to be revealed".

It is a Vauxhall Zimmerli, based on the then current Vauxhall Velox sedan, and was intended to be produced from its inception in the late 1940s well into the '50s. The attached story / link https://www.hemmings.com/stories/article/the-roadster-not-taken-1948-vauxhall will tell the entire story of this car far better than I could. This is the only image of this car I have, taken in 2017 at Monterey Car Week at the " Cars-on-the-Avenue" concours and went from there straight to the auctioneers, but was not sold for the expected US $ 100,000 to 140,000 and therefore was withdrawn from the market.

Thanks for participating - I propose that anyone with something interesting to post please do so.

JZG

 

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[NigelG]

John - thank you for opening-up another internet research wormhole for me to disappear into…😉

[hektor]

Sorry.  I am out of synch.  As you know we are upside down on this side of the world and blood goes to our heads!😉

Edited August 26, 2022 by hektor

[Rona!d]

vor 21 Stunden schrieb John Z. Goriup:

One or two more guesses and you would have mentioned every British marque except the one that formed the basis for this one. In Hercule Poirot's words..."it is time for all to be revealed".

It is a Vauxhall Zimmerli, based on the then current Vauxhall Velox sedan, …

Nonono, you underestimate the sheer volume of possible cars, especially x100 times when it comes to one offs from UK.

I think, they have stolen from all makers we have mentioned ;-)))

Thanks for this interesting vehicle, have to read up your link later.

[Rona!d]

Now I know why I was thinking about:

Cisistalia, Lancia, Alfa 6C 2500 and Veritas.

[John Z. Goriup]

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Since noone so far has come forth with the next puzzle subject, allow me to put up the next car.

Vintage, make of the 'donor car', and any additional definitive details you can think of that will positively identify it - since this was never a production vehicle. 

JZG

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[wlaidlaw]

Tucker Torpedo? 

Wilson

[hektor]

Good morning Wilson,

There is a Tucker 48 Torpedo here in Melbourne.  It has a quite different rear with small chromed tail-lights on each rear mudguard.  I am scratching my memory bank on this one.  Initial thoughts were Buick Fastback but could not find an image on Google that was similar.  The lights on each wing I assume are recent additions.

Edited August 29, 2022 by hektor

[wlaidlaw]

The lights look like Lucas aftermarket ones.  My other thought was one of Tommy Thornburgh's custom cars. 

Wilson

[Rona!d]

Reminds me of a Bentley R Continental fastback but that was serial made. Special version? But the lights look too awful.

[John Z. Goriup]

Wilson, the Tuckers were built in 1948 and that happens also to be the exact year the subject car was created as well, but No, not a Tucker and not American.

I was surprised to see how little information on this car is available on Google or any other commonly used forums / sites, therefore I offer the following hints:

It is a one-off special that was intended to be put into limited production

British 'donor car' rebodied by a European coach builder, with the usual result of being much too expensive for commercial success

Optimistically displayed at the 1949 Geneva Auto Salon - much interest shown, but no sales

Kept & used by owner/builder until his death - currently in England, and has remained completely original

Additional view of another portion of the car

hektor, I suspect this may kill all the suspense, but these images were taken at the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours

JZG

 

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[Rona!d]

Ah, now I know why I was thinking of Bentley!

That´s the Köng Riley 2.5 ltr. which was initially planned as a Bentley.

[John Z. Goriup]

14 minutes ago, Rona!d said:

Ah, now I know why I was thinking of Bentley!

That´s the Köng Riley 2.5 ltr. which was initially planned as a Bentley.

Correct, you've got it. In the official Pebble Beach 'Car Guide' this car is described as follows:

"1948 Riley 2-1/2 Liter Walter Koeng Transformable Saloon

Walter Koeng was a Swiss coach builder based in Basel who created bodies for Bentley, Mercedes, Cadillacs and Delahayes. In 1948 he purchased a new Riley 2-1/2 Litre chassis to serve as the foundation to create his dream car. The overall shape is Art Deco; the body is made of aluminum using aircraft technology and includes removable roof panels-hence its name, Transformable. Silk panels are also provided ( they are stored in the trunk) to be installed in place of the clear panels when desired. Koeng planned to build a series and exhibited it at the 1949 Geneva Auto Show. Although it attracted much interest the price was too high with all the handmade details."

Ronald,your turn, thank you all for participating.

JZG

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[John Z. Goriup]

....and a rear view.

JZG

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[John Z. Goriup]

A view of the engine compartment....reminds me a bit of a Pegaso - no wonder people balked at the price.

JZG

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[John Z. Goriup]

 

Fascinating when you remember that this is a 1948 effort ....and completely original.

JZG

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[Rona!d]

Thanks for the fascinating car, John. I think I saw it in the early 2000s.

Walter Koeng worked as a coachbuilder in Italy for Sala who´s main business were Isotta Frascinis in the 1920s. Later he worked in France for Gallé before he moved to the US and worked for Chrysler and Packard.

After his fathers death he returned to Switzerland and took over his dads coachbuilder company in 1935. In 1948 he planned to build the shown body on a Bentley chassis but due to cost reasons opted for a Riley. He bodied some Bentleys before. The Riley he presented at the Geneva car show should have cost about 40.000 CHF (in 1949 !!!). Not surprise he found no buyers, especially when the car is a Riley RM and not a Bentley like he has initially planned.

Later he built some ambulance cars (even based on Cadillacs!) and his main business became classic car restaurations like Mercdes 540 K for the MB museum  and cars like a Bugatti Type 57 Atalante.

W. Koeng passed away in 1989 (still owning this car) and his company had been closed about ten years later.

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[Michael Geschlecht]

57 minutes ago, Rona!d said:

Thanks for the fascinating car, John. I think I saw it in the early 2000s.

Walter Koeng worked as a coachbuilder in Italy for Sala who´s main buisiness were Isotta Frascinis in the 1920s. Later he worked in France for Gallé before he moved to the US and worked for Chrysler and Packard.

After his fathers death he returned to Switzerland and took over his dads coachbuilder company in 1935. In 1948 he planned to build the shown body on a Bentley chassis but due to cost reasons opted for a Riley. He bodied some Bentleys before. The Riley he presented at the Geneva car show should have cost about 40.000 CHF (in 1948 !!!). Not surprise he found no buyers, especially if the car is a Riley RM and not a Bentley like he has initially planned.

Later he built some ambulance cars (even based on Cadillacs!) and his main business became classic car restaurations like Mercdes 540 K for the MB museum  and cars like a Bugatti Type 57 Atalante.

W. Koeng passed away in 1989 (still owning this car) and his company had been closed about ten years later.

Hello Ronald,

Nice photos.

In the USofA, in the 1950's & the 1960's, ambulances based on Cadillacs were regularly available.

Best Regards,

Michael

[Rona!d]

vor 5 Minuten schrieb Michael Geschlecht:

Hello Ronald,

Nice photos.

In the USofA, in the 1950's & the 1960's, ambulances based on Cadillacs were regularly available.

Best Regards,

Michael

Michael, NOT my photos but Johns. Thank him.

I´m aware that in the US Cadillac based ambulance cars were not uncommon but Koeng made them in the Switzerland like his father made vehicles for the Swiss Post.