Orsovian Beauty !

[Vintman]

Hi Folks,

Interesting photo from Romania. Car looks European. Enlarging the badge on the rad suggests an indistinct Merc type shape. Rest of the car does not. Body seems to have an American expensive feel. No obvious marks on the wheel hubs. Anybody got any ideas??

Regards

Vintman (UK)

Classic Cars, Veteran Cars and Vintage Cars - The Surrey Vintage Vehicle Society

[Guest northpacific]

At 1st glance it's very "1931 Oldsmobile" but the unusual curve at the bottom of the cowl + the even more unusual "artillery" wheels make me more inclined to think it's a ( German ) 1930/31 Wanderer ( later to become Auto Union, then Audi )

NP

Picture is of a 1937 Auto Union; similar 14-spoke steel artillery wheels with plain hubcaps

Here's an earlier Wanderer; it also shares that "American expensive" look, but has a couple of unusual features shared with the later car; look how the doors are cut out in the body, above the sill/splash panel but parallel to the rear fender The later Wanderer has the same style doors, but less exaggerated

The Military version isn't quite as pretty, but "Wandered" a fair bit further East than Romania

Man in the hat + coat appears lost, no SAT NAV back then

Edited August 11, 2011 by northpacific (see edit history)

[TheMoneyPit]

My first thought was 27 LaSalle due to the body lines - but the emblem & wheels are very wrong for that. I wonder if it is a European knock-off of the body style, or a rero-fit in later life.

[nzcarnerd]

I reckon it is a 1929 Oldsmobile fitted with later wheels - probably for ease of availability of tyres. I am guessing that the picture was taken in the late 1930s? http://www.sportingcarclubsa.org.au/Gallery.mvc/Category/KeelsandWheels2010

Edited August 12, 2011 by nzcarnerd (see edit history)

[Vintman]

Hi all,

Thanks for your inputs. Agree with Nortpacific on Oldsmobile; not sure on the Wanderer. NZ suggests a 29 Olds with later wheels. I think it could well be an Oldsmobile. Many pointers suggest cca 1929/30. Only problem is they had stalks to the headlamps under the cross bar. Only photo I have found without stalks is an F28 of 1928, but then the rad is wrong. There is a GM family resemblance to models of this period including, slightly, the bigger Opel. Without much doubt a GM model but the headlamp stalks are a nono. Any thoughts???

Regards

Vintman

[Guest stephen48]

It is a 1929 Oldsmobile with replacement air wheels and later model horn fitted where the headlight stands would usually be.The headlight stands on these are ornamental and the cross bar can support the headlights alone.

"Themoneypit" has commented on the Lasalle resemblence.28- 30 Olds do resemble a scaled down Lasalle.

[Vintman]

Hi, Just looked up the Standard Catalog and see that the 1928 F-28 had both doors opening the same way. in 1929 the rears were suicide. Also seems no headlamp stalks.

Thanks to all

Regards

Vintman

[nzcarnerd]

I think you will find that all of the closed bodies of that era have suicide rear doors but the tourers have regular rear doors because of the difficulty of hanging two doosr from an unbraced pillar. My copy of The Standard Catalog does not have a pic of the 1929 tourer, but does have the 1927, '28 and '30s, all of which have regular rear doors. Looking at this again I am not sure whether it is '28 or '29. There were very few differences.

[Guest stephen48]

The 28 - 29 sedans have a rear suicide door.The 28 - 29 tourers have the rear door hinged on the front edge onto the middle pillar

The most obvious visual difference between 28 and 29 is that the 28's have an insert at he top of the grille shell and it was deleted for 29.

Attached is a photo of a 28, in which you can see the insert.This means the shutters are shorter in length.

So the car in"vintmans" photos has external charactristics of a 1929 apart from the obvious modifications.

[Guest stephen48]

Also there are more hood vents on the 29 than on the 28 as can be seen by comparing the photos above.

[TheMoneyPit]

Hmmm - what about Viking then?

[Guest northpacific]

Viking with Spam!