Anybody remember THESE?

Its a link to my car - I'm posting it here not to sell - the auction is over, but rather I thought some of you would get a kick out of it. I grew up in one - my grandparents actually traded a 49 Buick SEDANETTE for a brand new one of these in 1959! {$1985 with optional motorola no button am radio} Slightly ahead of their time I suppose {or more likely, just nuts} Interesting little thing; water cooled rear engine, indpendent suspension all the way around, with swing axles in the rear... and you thought Corvairs and Porsche 356's handled quirky! mine is the "deluxe" model, which cranked out a full 30 horsepower - on pump gas!

Not many survived; poor dealer network, badly trained mechanics and the fact that the metal is so thin on it, you'd swear it was an aluminum factory lightweight. Wish I had a pic of it when it was parked next to a 59 Lincoln ... yes, they really DO things differently on the other side of the pond!

Anyway hope you enjoy the story - it TRULY is THE one old country lady, {95 years old} owned and babied, original time capsule.

Happy Motoring!

jm

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=110058046554

I remember them well. For some reason there were quite a lot of them sold and in use in Odessa, Texas where I lived from 1945 to 1962. Our mail carrier bought one new and I became pretty familiar with them through him. They were attractive, roomy, decently appointed for their size and price and gave excellent service until approximately 40,000 miles when, unfortunately, nearly everything from upholstery to electrics to mechanicals generally self-destructed.

Dear Joe,That THING brings back a couple of memories.My Dad bought a used one to drive back and forth to work in the early sixties.I think my brother and i thought it was cool cause it was the first car the family had that had a manual trans..Please refresh my memory,there was a kinda neat way to start it when the battery was dead.diz <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Dear Joe,That THING brings back a couple of memories.My Dad bought a used one to drive back and forth to work in the early sixties.I think my brother and i thought it was cool cause it was the first car the family had that had a manual trans..Please refresh my memory,there was a kinda neat way to start it when the battery was dead.diz <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> </div></div>

Hi Diz!

me being a car nut since day one as a kid, i thought it was so cool because it was just the opposite of all the other cars i loved - which were all american, front engine - and BIG! with its 89 inch wheelbase, the Dauphine makes a Falcon look gigantic. but by god as a 5 year old car nut, that engine in the rear fascinated me - not to mention grandpa ALWAYS getting out when we stopped for gas; he would NEVER let the attendant do it - you see, the gas fill is inside the trunk, and with the radiator in front of the engine, its fill pipe is the first thing you see resembling a filler neck - the gas fill is tucked down in the upper right corner; think 1959 and pump jockeys being confronted with all that foreigness, and if you just said "the fill is in the trunk" well, you can be sure there was lots of cases of gas in coolant!

[/image]

as for that starting method your asked about, you must mean this: [/image]

they were standard equipment until the model was discontinued in 1967, by then boasting 4 wheel disc brakes {since 1963}

where were you guys living when he owned it?

be well,

jm <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">I remember them well. For some reason there were quite a lot of them sold and in use in Odessa, Texas where I lived from 1945 to 1962. Our mail carrier bought one new and I became pretty familiar with them through him. They were attractive, roomy, decently appointed for their size and price and gave excellent service until approximately 40,000 miles when, unfortunately, nearly everything from upholstery to electrics to mechanicals generally self-destructed. </div></div>

Hi Loyd -

WOW! thats interesting, I wouldn't have thought the cooling system would be up to life in texas, but I guess I'm underestimating them. All your points about the car are right on the money; it definately didn't have that stark feel of a volkswagen for example. They also gave grat mileage; 45 mpg was/is not uncommon - though not much of a concern then, at least not to most people. A lot suffered early demise because they wern't maintained properly, but they were also far from bulletproof cars! especially the plastics. My grandfather had good luck with his for 8 years, but he was a stickler for following the maintanance schedules.

He used it regularly until he got broadsided by a Biscayne; then he bought an MG 1100!

happy motoring!

jm <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Dear Joe,We were living in Fairfield a suburb of Cincinnati.diz <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Joe,

I remember Dauphines, indeed. Dad wanted a sports car in the early sixties, but Mom quickly put an end to that notion. Instead, she compromised and bought him a small, French compact sedan for his birthday -- but not a Renault. It was, in fact, a 1958 Simca. I clearly remember the Dauphine as its better-known contemporary, however. Dad admired them, too, and would probably have been even happier with its "exotic" rear engine.

My preference for gigantic Chryslers as my collecter-cars-of-choice would probably mystify Dad if he were still with us . . .

Jeff

Back in the mid 70s someone used one of those motor and transaxle in a 3 wheel motor cycle and we could not figure out what it came from and now I know. Jeff

Don't be dissing the Dauphine (Princess in french); my dad traded a '60 Mercury Monterey for one in about 1963. Talk about culture shock! At six-foot-six, he fondly remembered the car as one of most comfortable he ever drove. I have a '61 needing a total resto, same colors, and while this one was pricey, I can understand it selling for what it did.

Happily, my younger sis' doesn't ever go on these forums, as she'd KILL me to know this photo is floating around on the web.

Tom Gibson

Dear 57Roadmaster,Just got off the phone with SIS,gave her directions to this site and the last i heard she was sharpening her BOBITIZER.GOOD LUCK.diz

Okay Diz...you got me.

What on earth is a BOBITZER? I could only find references to it in German, and since I toiled for four years in high school French, je ne sais quois! How do I stave off the inevitable, when Kate attacks me (with a murderous glare) with her BOBITZER? My only hope is to cloak myself in a cloud of Chanel # 5, n'est-ce pas? That may throw her off my scent; I'd never try the subterfuge of using

Evening In Paris, 'cause it's only worn by dowagers and street walkers.

And I wouldn't even be able to hide in the trunk of my Dauphine!

Tom Gibson

Tom, I don't think that he is speaking literally. (and not in German either)

I think he is alluding to this little piece of history when he thinks about how your sister is going to get even with you...

What a (non) bloody relief...I didn't have that much to worry about anyway, 'cause she's not allowed to carry ANY weapons while she's still on parole.

TG

There ia a municipal Dept of Transportation Building in Maspeth Queens New York. The building was built in 59' and was built to assemble Dauphines there. One of the offices overlooking the where the assembly floor area was still had curtians on the windows with "Dauphine" printed all over the material. (long gone now)

nice story joe. very heartwarming indeed. the good old days.

these cars are cool. a lot of collectors would love to get hold of these. i myself wish, if i have the resources, to own some vintage items, restore them to its glory, and put on some really amazing add-ons. that would just be totally interesting.