Trying to figure out what this car is

[Hymin]

Hey, new guy here. Just saw this abandoned car. Trying to figure out what car this is. This is 1 of 2 oldest cars in this country. The other one is a 1968 chevy impala used by the queen when she visited here.

Thanks in advance

[joe_padavano]

Might help if you gave us a hint as to which country you are talking about.

[CarlLaFong]

The oldest car in your entire country is a 68 Chevy?!?! Evidently, rust is the enemy where you are living

[Hymin]

It's in Maldives. We only have them old cars when delegates visited here and they left them here. It was when Maldives was occupied by England and they had their base in the south. Don't know how this will help.

[Matt Harwood]

That poor Oldsmobile must be stored inches away from the salt ocean. Look at how that hood rotted away! I've never seen anything like that, and I live in Cleveland!

[TerryB]

Zbart would have been a busy place on that island!  Never saw rust like that.

[28 Chrysler]

Olds FeO2

[8E45E]

Appears to be mid to late '70's Holden.  It would have the plug-ugly 5mph bumpers if it was an Oldsmobile.  and the articulated windshield wiper on the RH side shows its a right hand drive car.

 

Craig

Edited December 10, 2018 by 8E45E (see edit history)

[trickydicky43richard]

It's an Australian built Holden HQ Premier sedan built by General Motors, Holden Division.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[ragtop4two]

I feel like I need a tetanus shot just for looking at that picture

[Hudsy Wudsy]

As a Minnesotan, I thought that I knew rust, but his is just nightmarish!

[jeff_a]

I was going to say 1970 AMC Ambassador or Oldsmobuick. You could walk to the  other end of the car and look for a makers badge. It's kind of a moot point what it was, no? Who knows what the drivetrain is like? It looks a little hard to fix up. I bet if you sent it to Cuba, it would be running on the streets as a taxi in two weeks!

Edited December 11, 2018 by jeff_a (see edit history)

[Ozstatman]

Holden HQ Premier

[joe_padavano]

3 hours ago, trickydicky43richard said:

It's an Australian built Holden HQ Premier sedan built by General Motors, Holden Division.

 

And THIS is why I asked the country. I didn't think it was a car sold in the US, and it DEFINITELY is not an Oldsmobile.

[Craig Gillingham]

If that car was in Australia, somebody would want it --a few actually-- even if it's just for the mechanicals and particularly if it's a V8 and for the diff. I didn't know any Holdens went to the Maldives, I know they went to India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and just about every other country around there, so it stands to reason. The 1968 Chev Impala may have also been sourced from GM-Holden. They sold a few 4-door sedans at this time with a 327. It may have a GMH compliance plate on the firewall, and is it a RHD car?

Edited December 11, 2018 by Craig Gillingham (see edit history)

[padgett]

I grew up on the coast. Is one of the reasons I live in Orlando.

[mike6024]

Distinctive headlight bezels

[1939_Buick]

4 hours ago, Craig Gillingham said:

If that car was in Australia, somebody would want it --a few actually-- even if it's just for the mechanicals and particularly if it's a V8 and for the diff. I didn't know any Holdens went to the Maldives, I know they went to India, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and just about every other country around there, so it stands to reason. The 1968 Chev Impala may have also been sourced from GM-Holden. They sold a few 4-door sedans at this time with a 327. It may have a GMH compliance plate on the firewall, and is it a RHD car?

I have came across Holdens in Kenya & Malawi.

 

Were also sold in South Africa with Chev badges, where this car may have come from. When I lived is South Africa for a few years a guy at the same company had a "Chev with 350 auto" . Took a while to convince him it was built in Aussie and not USA.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holden

 

Quote

 

Exports

Holden began to export vehicles in 1954, sending the FJ to New Zealand.[171] Exports to New Zealand continued, but to broaden their export potential, Holden began to cater their Commodore, Monaro and Statesman/Caprice models for both right- and left-hand drive markets. The Middle East was Holden's largest export market, with the Commodore sold as the Chevrolet Lumina from 1998, and the Statesman from 1999 as the Chevrolet Caprice.[122] Commodores were also sold as the Chevrolet Lumina in Brunei, Fiji and South Africa, and as the Chevrolet Omega in Brazil.[172][173] Pontiac in North America also imported Commodore sedans from 2008 through to 2009 as the G8. The G8's cessation was a consequence of GM's Chapter 11 bankruptcy resulting in the demise of the Pontiac brand.

 

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Statesman_(automobile)

Quote

HJ Statesman de Ville and the HJ Statesman Caprices were sold in South Africa as the AJ series Chevrolet Constantia sedan[12] and the Chevrolet Caprice Classic,[13] respectively.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holden_Brougham

Quote

 

South Africa

From 1969 to 1971 the Brougham was marketed in South Africa as the Chevrolet Constantia.[7] In addition to the name change, the Constantia featured a unique grille and had trafficators on the leading edge of the front fenders (as did its little sister, the Chevrolet Kommando).[7] It utilised a 250 cid (4,093 cc) Chevrolet inline-six or, as an option, Chevrolet's 307 cu in (5,025 cc) small block V8.[8] Either engine version came equipped with the two-speed "Powerglide" automatic transmission.[8]

 

 

Edited December 11, 2018 by 1939_Buick (see edit history)

[Stude17]

Judging by the grille (or what is left of it) I believe that it is actually a Holden HQ Statesman and not a Premier.  The statesman has a central vertical divider in the grille where the Premier has the standard HQ grille. A rear or side photo will verify what it is.

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=hq+holden+statesman&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjajKaq0JffAhUPSX0KHWOWDOYQ7Al6BAgAEA0#imgrc=z6waZcjKTI1QjM:&spf=1544525871133

[Marty Roth]

The knowledge available, as well as the willingness to share on this FORUM, continues to surprise and please me-

and we are truly International.

 

Thank you to all, per this thread, and beyond.

Edited December 11, 2018 by Marty Roth (see edit history)

[Hymin]

Agreed @Marty Roth. Surprised by the knowledge base in this forum. Never heard of this holden thing before.

The purpose of asking is that I was thinking of getting it as a project car. But the state which it is and the issue of people not wanting to ship most of the items to this country making me think twice

[viv w]

South Africa sold these cars as a Chevrolet, with either the straight 6 or the V8. The V8 version was very upmarket with leather trim, power windows and steering, aircon etc and known as a De Ville . The 6cyl  was less luxurious and called a constantia. They also sold a pick up version of this vehicle, it was known in Australia as a Holden Belmont. In South Africa these pick up's were badged as an El Camino, most of if not all the South African  El Camino's were fitted with straight 6 engines.

 

[Joe in Canada]

Here it where the car is due south of India.  https://www.google.ca/maps/place/Maldives/@-0.6458221,73.1079547,12z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x24b599bfaafb7bbd:0x414509e181956289!8m2!3d3.202778!4d73.22068?hl=en

[mike6024]

exposure to salt air alright 

[Robert G. Smits]

Jeff_a if you went to Cuba today you would be impressed with the quality of most of the Taxi’s. I will try to attach a photo of one of our rides in Havana. This one had the original nailhead although most were powered by Diesel with auto transmission.  AC is required for closed cars. $50 for 60-90 minute tour.  Since 2010 private Taxi’s have been allowed. Our driver was a Veterinarian. Gov salary for a Vet is $40/Mo.  Another evening we selected a nice 57 Plymouth conv that the owner (electrical engineer $33/mo)Paid $30K for.  Capitalism is slowly creeping into Cuba. When the first McDonalds shows up it will be gone forever.  Bob Smits

[Guest]

Holden wrecks and boiling diesels steam in 45 degrees.

[chistech]

I’ve seen rust just like that here in the states. My dads best friend (we grew up calling him uncle and he was probably better than my blood uncles to us) was born and raised on Nantucket Island here in MA. There were tons of cars and trucks rotted out just like this one in the early years when average working people still lived on the majority of the island. There were farms and plenty of pastures weused to hunt on that 6 x 9 mile island with cars like that on them and if the car ran, people would continue to drive it no matter how rotted it was. Once it got too bad, often they would drive them to the land fill and run them over the edge. One of the hunt groups deer (brushing) hunt truck had no doors because they had rotted off but it still ran and had 4wd. It was a 50’s era Chevy with a Napco conversion. My uncle told the story of driving over 10 model A’s over the edge of that landfill that he alone owed as a young guy. I really miss the old days and my childhood. Kids these days will never get the chance to experience things like we did. 

[JACK M]

3 hours ago, chistech said:

Kids these days will never get the chance to experience things like we did. 

Very true.

They all think we a BSing when we try and explain.

 

Off topic, A buddy of mine lived way out in the woods in NW Oregon, an aunt came out to visit once from back east somewhere and was afraid that the Indians might come out of the woods.

This would have been in the fifties.

She couldn't believe that us kids would carry our 22s around for squirrel hunting, She thought we carried them to protect ourselves from Indians like in the movies. (the native American kind of coarse)

Little did she know that the bears would have been something to worry about more.

She was very uncomfortable on that trip and never came back.

[Craig Gillingham]

I found this article online about Queen Elizabeth's Chevrolet. I'm not sure if it's 1966-67-68? or an Impala? I really don't know for sure. I doubt if many, or any pillar-less four doors were sold by GM-Holden at the time, so this car may have been sourced from South Africa. The RHD, 6 cylinder engine and manual gearbox fit in with what GM-Holden would have sold, however, they may have sold the same in S-A. What viv w said about the Original Post car being a South African sourced vehicle (Chevrolet) sounds more plausible. A photo from the rear would tell if it's a Premier or a Statesman.

 

https://en.sun.mv/44234

 

 

[mike6024]

This video shows the car at the very beginning, Queens Chevrolet. 

 

Edited December 14, 2018 by mike6024 (see edit history)

[mike6024]

This video shows the car well, from several angles.

 

 

Edited December 14, 2018 by mike6024 (see edit history)

[PaulHostetler]

Finding a problem in identifying the model since the image is not so clear.

[Frank DuVal]

1969 Chevrolet. Very distinctive taillamps. Impala or Caprice. Wait, Caprice wheel covers, right?

 

After looking at yellow car picture, it says Impala, not Caprice. Of course, it was a 3 year old car at the time, who knows what wheelcovers came on it.😉

Edited December 14, 2018 by Frank DuVal (see edit history)

[mike6024]

 

The car was used by the Prime Minister at the time – Ibrahim Nasir – who went on to be the country’s second President. The car was State-owned, and had the State’s crest on it. It was used for transportation when Queen Elizabeth II visited Male’ City in 1972.

Make and Model

The car is a fifth-generation Chevrolet. It has four doors and is cream in color.

Manufactured by: General Motors, United States of America

Manufactured in: 1966

Engine type: Spark ignition four-stroke, 250 cubic-inch, six cylinder, rear-wheel drive, three manual speed gear box

Fuel: Petrol

Length: 5,415 mm/ 213.2 inches

Width: 2,022 mm/ 79.6 inches

Maximum speed: 156 km/hour

The car, used by historical figures such as Ibrahim Nasir – who brought independence to the country – and Queen Elizabeth II has been taken out of its dusty covers and is being repaired once more, to be driven in time for the opening the most significant landmark in recent times – the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge.

[Craig Gillingham]

16 minutes ago, cmorales said:

So, this rusted car has very unforgettable history. Very interesting.

Well, I think it's interesting, even if you disagree. The fact it's an American made vehicle 10,000 miles from where it was built, in the middle of literally nowhere has interest to me, and I'm sure others would as well.

[Craig Gillingham]

I think we're coming off the same page here. I know it's not a valuable vehicle as is, but could become a valued treasure once looked after.

[mike6024]

27 minutes ago, Craig Gillingham said:

Well, I think it's interesting, even if you disagree.

 

He said it has an "unforgettable history" which does mean an Interesting History. Yes he AGREES with you. you misinterpreted.

 

IF he had said a "forgettable history" that would have meant unimportant.

 

 

Edited December 14, 2018 by mike6024 (see edit history)

[Craig Gillingham]

OK, although I don't think that's what he meant. Otherwise, he wouldn't have said anything at all. He would have said something like 'very interesting', 'I like it' etc..

Edited December 14, 2018 by Craig Gillingham (see edit history)

[Hymin]

The car used by queen Elizabeth was sold for $14,200/- and the buyer said he is gonna fix it (he mentioned it to a news channel) up and put it in the museum. But that was almost 2 years ago and haven't heard anything after. So I doubt it's gonna get fixed.

It was suppose to be the first car to be ridden on the only bridge opened in Maldives in September this year. 

Edited December 14, 2018 by Hymin (see edit history)

[Stude17]

Hymin is it possible to take a rear photo of the car in your original post?  This will enable positive identification  so you will know for sure what it is.