# What's the most interesting car you saw today? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 21, 2014, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-interesting-car-you-saw-today/688889 "2014-05-21T02:35:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 224
**Author:** ![carnut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnut/32/3531_2.png) [@carnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnut)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2022, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-interesting-car-you-saw-today/688889/4467 "2022-08-06T22:03:12Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > It was a brilliant marketing move! It might get me talking but neither I, nor my friends in pony cars, are interested in buying. Not at all. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2022, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-interesting-car-you-saw-today/688889/4468 "2022-08-06T22:30:09Z")
Maybe you’re not interested in buying one, but other people who hear you talking about them, or people who read about them in this thread might be. And from the reviews I’ve seen they are genuinely good vehicles. If I were in the market for an electric crossover I would choose the Mach-e over a Model Y. But anyway, on my walk to the store today an Oldsmobile 442 drove past me. I’m honestly not all that interested in muscle cars, but I thought I’d mention it. Not long after it, a very well preserved, original looking 1980s era Camaro IROC-Z drove past. Now that’s more my thing. Maybe just because I was an 80s kid. It looked very much like this one – same color, same graphics: > **[Own An Original 3K-Mile 1985 Chevy Camaro Z28 IROC-Z Time Capsule](https://www.motorious.com/articles/handpicked/1985-camaro-iroc-bat/)** > > The highest performing Camaro at the time, this example is all-original down to the tires with just 3,134 actual miles. Lastly, there was a Kia Stinger in the parking lot of the store. I was a bit confused by the ‘E’ emblem in place of the Kia badging, but apparently that’s the emblem they’re putting on the Stinger now. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2022, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-interesting-car-you-saw-today/688889/4469 "2022-08-09T01:14:40Z")
On my walk tonight I saw a 4th generation (1967?) Dodge Dart 270. [![Google Photos](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/kfuKCgk7bIbKOVcl2BqOpcUTeYOH-33JPZnpSbD3LdmcCQI5SC-bOJOuPGppzeZnCPC2KeH3FMnEF-tJD6OpNRQas_6U6q_oQAzAbozHajAsmxlxmMV3x3eiJhu3lx8ukJzRtV7FM5o=w600-h315-p-k "New item by David Metsky") ](https://photos.app.goo.gl/LQf5KCsVt3MNGtYQ9) ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2022, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-interesting-car-you-saw-today/688889/4470 "2022-08-09T01:25:38Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > And more cheating since this last happened about two weeks ago, I see Illinois plate O (oh) a couple times a year on my commute. Basically, [this without the IRNY](http://learningresourcesinc.blogspot.com/2010/07/guest-blog-solution-to-too-many-warning.html). We apparently take the same exit in the morning. In researching [Os and zeros on Illinois plates today](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/driving-in-the-u-s-with-foreign-plates-in-a-foreign-script/968977/42), I came across this article about plate zero which I first reported in 2014. It now seems it is indeed a zero and not an O. > **[Much ado about zero - Oak Park](https://www.oakpark.com/2014/05/13/much-ado-about-zero/)** > > Tom Feddor became a local celebrity of sorts five years ago after he received nearly 200 undeserved parking tickets from the city of Chicago for his Illinois license plate that is simply the number zero. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2022, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-interesting-car-you-saw-today/688889/4471 "2022-08-09T21:59:58Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > On my walk tonight I saw a 4th generation (1967?) Dodge Dart 270. Close. That’s a '68, first year for the sidemarkers. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2022, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-interesting-car-you-saw-today/688889/4472 "2022-08-09T22:47:28Z")
Yep, round markers in 1968, rectangular in 1969. That also works for the B-bodies (Chargers, Road Runners, Satellites, etc) which are also otherwise very similar. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2022, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-interesting-car-you-saw-today/688889/4473 "2022-08-09T23:13:27Z")
And to add to that, in general the lack or presence of side markers is a good way to narrow down the year for cars from that era. They became mandatory in 1968, so no side markers = 1967 or older, with side markers means probably 1968 or newer (I’m not sure if any manufacturer put side markers on their cars before they were required to). And I can say from personal experience, they make a huge difference in nighttime visibility. Years ago I was commuting home on a December evening (so it was already dark out). For a few blocks I was following a flat black mid-1960s Chevy pickup. With just two small taillights, it was noticeably harder to see than all the modern cars around it. When it turned a corner it was almost a ghost truck for a second; without side markers it was nearly invisible from the side. Vehicle safety has improved a lot in the last 50 years. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2022, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-interesting-car-you-saw-today/688889/4474 "2022-08-09T23:22:34Z")
> [@WildaBeast](#): > > (I’m not sure if any manufacturer put side markers on their cars before they were required to). I heard over at the IMCDb that some manufacturers did indeed have them the year before but I don’t recall which. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2022, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-interesting-car-you-saw-today/688889/4475 "2022-08-10T13:42:19Z")
Saw this vintage local police cruiser on my morning walk. > > OK, those links didn’t work well, but it’s the cruiser in question is obvious once you click through. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2022, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-interesting-car-you-saw-today/688889/4476 "2022-08-10T19:00:57Z")
[[Album] imgur.com ![](https://i.imgur.com/faD8E66.jpeg?fb "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/a/vlL8nbm) My Bronco on the assembly line. I’ve been waiting for it since 7/16/20, when i put in my reservation. Could see it by the end of the month. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2022, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-interesting-car-you-saw-today/688889/4477 "2022-08-10T19:06:41Z")
They let you follow your car on the assembly line? That’s cool. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2022, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-interesting-car-you-saw-today/688889/4478 "2022-08-10T19:09:46Z")
Not really follow, but they send a photo at a specific point. It’s kind of hit-and-miss - some people never get their picture, some get it after they have received the car. ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2022, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-interesting-car-you-saw-today/688889/4479 "2022-08-10T20:04:24Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > some people never get their picture They hold back photos that show a worker dropping a wrench on the hood, or eating lunch in the driver’s seat. “Hey, wait, is that a… _half barrel_ I see in the bed of my truck?” ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2022, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-interesting-car-you-saw-today/688889/4480 "2022-08-10T22:51:33Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > My Bronco on the assembly line. I’ve been waiting for it since 7/16/20, when i put in my reservation. Could see it by the end of the month. Cool. Never owned a Ford myself. But the New Bronco looks capable. I wonder what the handle looking things are on the hood? I’ve a 4Runner myself. Everything is turning into a crossover. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2022, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-interesting-car-you-saw-today/688889/4481 "2022-08-10T23:05:48Z")
The “handles” are “Trail Sights.” They mark the corners of the hood for reference to rocks and obstructions. Also, you can run guy-wires up to the windshield frame to lift small branches out of the way. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2022, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-interesting-car-you-saw-today/688889/4482 "2022-08-10T23:27:43Z")
I understand the guy-wire thing. Are the trail sights just a visible reference for the driver? Or do they have cameras built into them? I used to do a lot of rough rocky-mountain 4-wheeling. Mostly in short-bed Chevy’s, FJ 40s and a CJ 7. Back in High School a buddy dropped a hi-powed 327 into an FJ. It was kinda crazy. Parked next to a new Bronco the other day. I was impressed. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2022, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-interesting-car-you-saw-today/688889/4483 "2022-08-10T23:39:39Z")
They are just visual. But the “High” package adds trail-navigation cameras, and a “bird’s eye” view. [![](https://www.thedrive.com/content-b/message-editor%2F1624745387346-img_2459.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&quality=70&width=2018) ](https://www.thedrive.com/content-b/message-editor%2F1624745387346-img_2459.jpg?auto=webp&optimize=high&quality=70&width=2018) ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2022, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-interesting-car-you-saw-today/688889/4484 "2022-08-11T00:12:17Z")
This magnificent ride: [![Imgur](https://i.imgur.com/udcJZpY.jpeg "imgur.com") ](https://imgur.com/udcJZpY) It’s been parked in this restaurant/hotel parking lot since late last week and I finally remembered to turn into the lot for a photo because it’s too late to make the turn once you see the car. It’s not in excellent condition. The paint is particularly cloudy and dull. Can anyone identify it and the underlying chassis? ---
**Author:** ![J-P\_L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/j-p_l/32/3156_2.png) [@J-P\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/J-P_L)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2022, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-interesting-car-you-saw-today/688889/4485 "2022-08-11T00:30:47Z")
I believe that is an Excalibur > **[Excalibur (automobile)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Excalibur_(automobile))** > > The Excalibur automobile was a car styled after the 1928 Mercedes-Benz SSK by Brooks Stevens for Studebaker. Stevens subsequently formed a company to manufacture and market the cars, which were a standard Studebaker car with special bodywork (and soon got an upgraded engine as well). > A prototype premiered at car shows in 1963, fitted on a Studebaker Gran Turismo Hawk chassis and using a 290-brake-horsepower (290 PS; 220 kW) Studebaker 289 V-8. Studebaker ceased engine production in December 19... ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2022, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-interesting-car-you-saw-today/688889/4486 "2022-08-11T13:51:22Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > This magnificent ride: Definitely some replica of a 500 SSK but so many have been out there it would be difficult to determine which company is responsible. I don’t think it’s an Excalibur but it is close to what came out of the Classic Factory of Pomona, CA. [![](https://photos.classiccars.com/cc-temp/listing/114/6502/13594996-1934-mercedes-benz-500k-thumb.jpg) ](https://photos.classiccars.com/cc-temp/listing/114/6502/13594996-1934-mercedes-benz-500k-thumb.jpg) They used Ford chassis & drivetrains. AFAIK, less than 100 of those are known to exist, though. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-interesting-car-you-saw-today/688889.md?page=223) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-most-interesting-car-you-saw-today/688889.md?page=225)