Motor Quizzes, Mystery Car Competitions.
This is a small item that hinges (as it were) on perceived quality. I am sure many of DTW’s readers will identify the vehicle immediately.
I am not so sure many of them would have expected the exterior design to be hiding messy interior detailing as is shown in this screen shot. My own car has the same design of hinge by the way. That’s justifiable because it’s an affordable car built to a reasonable standard. This one costs rather more…
Time to reveal the answer to our mystery car puzzle.
For those of you in doubt, the identity of the mystery car can now be revealed. All you have to do is to take your mouse, stylus or finger to this button and Continue reading “Mystery Car: The Reveal”
Time to reveal the answers:
1. An odd number. Why does the nominally 1.1-litre Rover K-series engine have an actual capacity of 1,119cc?
a) It was based on a three cylinder K-series developed for a Mini replacement, with an engine capacity of 848cc.
Today we will set a modest challenge for you. It might not even be a challenge as inevitably someone will provide the right answer in seconds.
Still, here we go. I had a heck of a job even finding an example of the car to photograph during my three weeks in Dublin this August. Eventually, I saw just two of them, a metallic grey one in Dublin 4 and the one partially shown above, seen in Wexford. Unfortuately for me, at the time I saw the first one I could not Continue reading “Mystery Car”
Test your knowledge of automotive model nomenclature here:
Here’s a little teaser to Continue reading “Off the Grid”
How did you get on?
It is time to Continue reading “Scrapyard Challenge 2022: Answers”
Time to reveal the answers to our twenty-two for 2022.
Test both your automotive knowledge and lateral thinking skills here:
1. An odd number. Why does the nominally 1.1-litre Rover K-series engine have an actual capacity of 1,119cc?
a) It was based on a three cylinder K-series developed for a Mini replacement, with an engine capacity of 848cc.
b) To avoid a speed restriction imposed on sub-1100cc cars using Swiss and Austrian autobahns.
c) Because of an incorrect annotation on a production drawing.
How many of these can you identify?
Today’s festive teaser requires no explanation. Simply identify the seventeen numbered cars in the image above. The answers will be published in a few days. Good luck! Continue reading “Scrapyard Challenge 2022”
Twenty-two questions to chew on, to see 2022 out and keep you entertained during the downtime between meals and family visits.
So, how did you get on?
A few more things to chew on, and they’re low on calories.
Before DTW service returns to normal, one final festive brain teaser. Step away from those biscuits…
[1] What car model name started life as the name of a four door version of an existing coupé (which frankly did not resemble said coupé much at all) before it became a model name in itself three years later?
Is Christmas TV is causing your brain to atrophy?
Then why not see if you can identify the fifty cars below from close-up images of their tail lights? They are a mixed bag, some easy, some more difficult. The first reader to Continue reading “Tail Light Teaser”
Overindulged much? Time for some more questions.
Test your knowledge of all things automotive. Again, there’s something for everyone – if all else fails, try lateral thinking…
Go on, they’re only small…
The season of enforced merriment is once again upon us and DTW offers an opportunity to test your knowledge of all things automotive. There’s something for everyone – if all else fails, try lateral thinking…
Continue reading “Festive Frolics (1) Sprouts With Everything”
Some brain teasers to keep you occupied during the idle hours, or in between meal courses…
Season’s Greetings everyone. Continue reading “Festive Cracker”
One final festive quiz to round out 2020.
Question 1:
Who are we looking for, and what happened to him in France in 1968? Continue reading “New Year Teaser”
DTW wishes you all a very Happy New Year and offers you another opportunity to test out your knowledge of all things automotive. Good luck and no Googling!
The answers will be published in a day or two. Continue reading “The DTW Bumper Holiday Quiz (Part Two)”
Four giants of the automotive industry – which is the odd one out, and why?
David Bache (1925-1994) – Styling chief at The Rover Company and BL Cars Continue reading “Festive Teasers 2020 – Odd Man Out”
The solutions to our Christmas Day edition of the DTW Bumper Holiday Quiz are as follows…
Continue reading “The DTW Bumper Holiday Quiz – Answers (Part One)”
An actor, a small city in Wisconsin, and an item of bespoke door furniture. Together they link to a well-regarded luxury car which spanned three decades of the 20th century.
What’s the car?
Sir Roger Moore, British actor (1927 -2017) Continue reading “Festive Teasers 2020 – What’s the Car?”
Because there are only so many times you can watch Gone With The Wind or Frozen without losing the will to live, DTW instead offers you an opportunity to test out your knowledge of all things automotive. Good luck and no Googling!
We will Continue reading “The DTW Bumper Holiday Quiz (Part One)”
An interest in automotive design history can result in a fair bit of detective work, and occasionally, a surprise ending.
For three years, all the money in the world wouldn’t buy you a brand new Ferrari Gran Turismo. It may appear almost impossible to imagine from today’s perspective, but Maranello’s premier car maker wasn’t always the money printing machine it is nowadays, which would historically entail the odd glitch and hiccup in terms of production planning.
It was for this reason that certain models would outstay their welcome on a somewhat regular basis. But not offering a mainstay product for several years appeared very odd indeed, even before Ferrari evolved from being the maker of enthusiast’s cars to the status of luxury goods purveyors.
From 1989, when production of the long-serving 412i four-seater model finally ceased, until 1992, the year the 456 GT successor was unveiled, anyone looking for a Ferrari that could accommodate not just driver plus wife/mistress, but also the dog and/or kids, would need to go for the unloved Mondial. If this kind of customer was hellbent on a V12 engine under the bonnet, he’d have to Continue reading “Maranello Model Mystery”
Three seemingly unrelated photos and illustrations. What’s the car?
The clues are as follows Continue reading “New Year Quiz”
Three Objects, and three premium saloons.
Link the objects to the cars.
The cars: Continue reading “Festive Teaser 4”
No, it’s not the opening to a joke, but another festive puzzle.
A politician, a dog, and a gramophone record. Together they link to a significant mid-20th century saloon car. What’s the car? Continue reading “Festive Teaser 3 – What’s the Car?”
These 1986-1989 drawings were unrealised proposals for the replacement of a multi-million selling small car.
From which manufacturer? Continue reading “Festive Teaser 2 – Mystery Concept”
Three of these cars have something in common – which is the misfit?
Lloyd Alexander Continue reading “Festive Teaser 1 – Odd Car Out”
A mysterious city car concept, allegedly created by Tata Motors, may possibly be the final creation of one of the titans of automotive design. Or could it?
Officially, Marcello Gandini didn’t exactly bow out on a high note. The Stola S86 Diamante’s appearance was challenging for all the wrong reasons: Unveiled in 2005, his second design for Stola looked both clumsy, old-fashioned and rather unaccomplished – one could even be led to say: unprofessional. It marked the final time a car designed by the great Gandini was publicly unveiled.
As an end note to a career that had resulted in shapes which changed the craft of automotive design forever, the Stola S86 Diamante’s sole saving grace was its ability to Continue reading “Tata Enigma”
A Shanghai Surprise for your Sunday deliberations.
Earlier this week, our German correspondent offered his considered views upon the stylistic progress of the Chinese auto industry, as evidenced by some highly credible concept cars shown at the recent Shanghai show. What’s clear from his report is that China’s carmakers, with some assistance from Western design professionals, are making significant aesthetic strides and that in this arena at least, the so-called developed world’s carmakers have little to feel complacent about.
The standard of many domestic concept cars at Shanghai would have put any European or North American motor show to shame, and while we have yet to Continue reading “Match Not Found”
Whoah, Nellie! It’s another Wolseley photo. That means it’s either an article on Wolseley or a Friday quiz challenge.
To make the challenge remotely soluble, I will reveal that the cars in question are the 1975 Alfa Romeo Alfetta GT, the Ford Capri 3000 Ghia and the Audi 100S coupe. So far so good. Many of you may think you may have been able to Continue reading “So Curve The Dark Shadows Of The Wintered Beams”
Our Leinster correspondent has been out and about and has seen this car (or part of it). It’s todays’ Mystery Car.
Since the DTW readership has shown staggering aptitude at identifying cars I think the difficulty level of this ought to be within the range of your collective abilities. While I am here I might take this opportunity to encourage our Leinster correspondent to post another 500 words, if possible.
A longer item will be along later on today.
Following the rapid arrival at a solution of the last mystery car, I have decided to try again with what I believe might be a slightly harder one.
I suppose it’s fairly obvious that the view is from the rear of the car. It’s remarkably tidy, don’t you think? As ever the solution will be along at some point in the near future and if you Continue reading “Shaking Off The Feeling of Feeling Shakey”
Today we are having a mystery car competition which is why the headline says “Mystery Car”.
To make it difficult for almost everyone, I am showing the underside of the car and not the usual detail of the exterior. Seeing this car up close came as a pleasant surprise. Just after Christmas day I was driving past a venue in south county Dublin known for meetings of members of the marque club.
I saw no classic cars and drove on disappointed. By chance, ten minutes later saw the whole lot of the club parked up in Dun Laoighaire, by the yacht club. I did a rapid U-turn and drove back to give the fleet a closer gander. I had a chance to talk to some of the members as well and if you are by chance reading this please do not Continue reading “Mystery Car”
Another four cars with something unusual in common, and a rogue in the company. Who can spot it?
A neat coupe from a still-operational coachbuilder. Who can identify it?
Four apparently unrelated cars. What links them and which is the misfit?
The other day I gently placed a tiny gauntlet at the feet of the readers, a challenge concerning the set of boring parked cars. What had they in common, I inquired softly.
I received some jolly interesting replies ranging from observations about their grilles to their general banality. There was also a good guess about engine displacements. Alas, despite their ingenuity and their not being 100% wrong, none of the replies were precisely, exactly and perfectly what I was looking for. So, in order to lower people’s tension levels I will Continue reading “If Only Hope and Despair Did Not Live Side By Side”
Driven to write offers one of two items today. The first one is a little puzzle.
The second item comes along a little later, just as soon as I have invested two weeks of research into the matter.
For the first item I must ask you to Continue reading “Eyeline to Eyeline”
Driven to Write once again challenges readers with a small and largely harmless puzzle.
The year is 2010. This time I am gathering quotes concerning one manufacturer. Who do you think it might be? If this item does not Continue reading “It Wasn’t Called Porto Seguro When Cabral First Saw It”
Thank you for your patience. Here now is the set of links connecting the 1964 Morris Monaco to the 1960 Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato.
BMC sold the Morris Six in Denmark as the Morris Monaco sometime between 1964 and 1976. You might be intrigued to know that a rear centre arm-rest only became available a month after sales began. More interesting than that is that Pininfarina were involved in mitigating Alex Issigonis’ design intentions. I suppose they tidied things here and there though there is still a very great deal wrong with the shape. For the next connection we must Continue reading “Connections: Solutions”
Sunday mornings often kick off with a headache.
Here’s a minor one. What is this vehicle? Either everyone will recognise it or no-one will. I certainly wouldn’t.
If you want another clue you must Continue reading “Mystery Vehicle (solved)”
The last “mystery” car proved entirely unmysterious, partly because DTW’s readership includes ex-owners and people with uncanny memories and powers of observation.
It’s time to take the oven gloves off. All I can say is that it’s rear-drive. I’ll get back when I feel you’ve twisted long enough in the wind.
This car took the prize for being the most interesting vehicle I saw on a day trip to Mulhouse.
I expect the ink won’t be dry before someone can identify it. Still… what is it? I don’t mean the red car.
Driven To Write 