Headed for the lake

 

Protective coloration

A person working on their firewood came across the frog that is shown in the first image. Can you find him in the second image after he moved? He can be found in the center of the second image. Apparently this species of tree frog is capable of adjusting his color between gray and green for added protection.

1953 Maico Mobil

The Maico Mobil was produced from 1950 until 1958. It was powered by a 150 cc two stroke engine and had a three speed manual transmission that was shifted by a twist grip on the handlebars. In 1953 the displacement was increased to 175cc and an optional 200cc was added in 1955. It was also in 1955 that the transmission was upgraded to a four speed and shifting was accomplished with a heel and toe action. Notice that it carried a spare tire affxed to the rear. This scooter has a real George Jetson feel to it.

Daihatsu Midget II

 The Midget II falls under the umbrella of Kei vehicles in Japan. The Midget II was perfect for navigating alleyways and making deliveries. Read about limitations on being classified as a Kei vehicle at Wikipedia.

Steam powered motorcycle

 

James Aldridge on his new 1912 Indian

 

Mercedes 300SL

Whenever I see a Mercedes gullwing it takes me right back to about 1959. My uncle had a trucking company in Columbiana County, Ohio.  He had a huge parking lot and his drivers would park their cars there before going to work. My cousin and I would sometimes play in their cars. I specifically remember a silver gullwing and it was a favorite of mine. It had red leather like the one in this picture. When we went on our imaginary drives we had to leave the doors up because otherwise we couldn't deal with the heat build up. I probably would have forgotten about playing in the car if it hadn't been a gullwing, but it holds a special place in my memory because of those unusual doors. Even at eleven years old I recognized that this car was unusual and special.

By the time I was old enough to realize just how special it was no one was able to provide any information on the driver or the car. Production on the gullwing coupe was from 1954 until 1957 so it couldn't have been more than five years old. How did a guy who was employed as a truck driver acquire a Mercedes gullwing?

1963 Studebaker Westinghouse prototype

Westinghouse came to Studebaker with an idea in 1963. They wanted a simple truck with an eight foot bed that they could utilize for their in town deliveries. It was designed with flat panels to simplify the tooling and was a cab over design. It used the 289 cubic inch engine that was used in their other products and a three speed automatic transmission. Studebaker was on the verge of bankruptcy when they took on the Westinghouse project and any hopes that the prototype would save Studebaker vanished when the South Bend, Indiana plant closed in December 1963.

1970 Fiat Ferves Ranger

 

The Ranger was made from 1965 until 1970. The 499cc engine as well as the steering was from a Fiat 500 while the suspension and brakes were from the Fiat 600. It was available in 2 or 4 wheel drive and top speed was 45mph. A total of 600 cars were produced.

Over the river

 

Tesla Cyber Cab

These Cybercabs were introduced at an announcement event in October 2024. Twenty Cybercabs were provided at that time for demonstration rides. They are self driving and do not have steering wheels or pedals. Apparently they began production in February 2026.

Why didn't they simply drive through the gate???

 

1940's Ann Arbor, Michigan

 

Slammed

 

When four blowers just aren't enough

 

Peugeot 203 Camionnette

The 203 was produced from 1948 until 1960. Power was provided by a 1290cc four cylinder engine and a manual four speed gearbox. Horsepower increased in 1954 from 41 to 15. Top speed was about 75mph.

 

Final ride in a vintage Volvo

 

Determined canine

 

A work in progress

 

Lost vehicle

 

1962 Toyota Publica Sports Concept

The car was introduced at the 1962 Tokyo Motor Show. The top slid back to enable entry and it was a lift off design for fair weather motoring. More information and photos at story-cars.com.

Facial recognition

I had the opportunity to spend the afternoon walking the streets of London in May. I came upon this van that indicated live facial recognition was in operation. There was a heavy concentration of police in the surrounding area.

DIY gas door repair

 

1960 Ford Dekalb Lumberjack

Street fighter

 

Happy July 4th

 

The Stanmobile

This well executed conglomeration used 32 different cars and trucks. Learn what vehicles were used at barnfinds.com

Toyota Classic

The late 90's had a number of retro vehicles being offered. Toyota got involved and rolled out their Classic. It was based on their Hilux pickup and styled to look like the Toyota AA from the 1930's. There were 100 made. Read more about the Classic here.

Hauling giraffe

 

New trucks

The Wallace Smith Red Eagle service station (Mason, Missouri) took delivery of these two new Chevrolet trucks in 1927.

Outta my way!

1965 Triumph Bonneville $1100

 

Rock and Roll

 

1970 Isuzu Bellett 1600 MXII

 

Until I read about their offerings at Drive.com I didn't know that Isuzu was involved in this segment of the industry.

A man and his animals

 

Pobeda Sport

 The GAZ-SG1 was an experimental racing car produced in the 1950's in the Soviet Union.

1959 Cadillac Coupe

 

Lanz Bulldog

The Lanz company began production in 1921 and was bought by John Deere in 1956. Various versions of the Bulldog were made until 1960. The engine was a single cylinder two stroke design. It was odd in that it did not utilize high compression or have a carburetor. It had a hot bulb that fuel was sprayed onto causing it to ignite. It was capable of burning gasoline, kerosine, diesel fuel or even waste oil. Initial startup of the engine required using a blowtorch to heat the ignition device to operating temperature and then using the steering wheel to hand crank the engine. Wikipedia offers more explanation. 

Available on Facebook Marketplace

This car started life as a 1998 Lincoln and someone decided it needed a transformation. That effort included adding a front clip from a 1955 Pontiac. Check it out on Marketplace

Dorothy "Dot" Smith

Dorothy is shown on her 1939 Harley Davidson knucklehead. During the 1930's and 40's she was a motorcycle stunt woman. She was co-founder of the San Francisco Motor Maids and served as the club's president for 25 years.

Ford Shelby GR-1

The GR-1 was shown as a clay model at the 2004 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance. In 2005 a prototype was shown at the North American International Auto Show. Ford had originally thought the GR-1 would follow in the footsteps of the Ford GT-40 but financial concerns prevented that. In 2019 Superformance reached a licensing agreement with Ford and American Shelby to build a limited number of the cars. Government regulations on limited production vehicles in the US changed shortly thereafter and the project was abandoned. Read a more complete story on the GR-1 on Hagerty.

Corvette possibilities 1954

General Motors displayed three Corvette prototypes in the 1954 Motorama in New York City. Only the convertible coupe went into production.

Thor ET-One

 Introduced in 2017 this Class 8 electric semi was poised to compete with the Tesla semi. They were sued for trademark infringement that required a name change (see xoxtrucks.com. While the over the road semi trucks failed for a variety of reasons they seem to be doing well supplying trucks to companies with dedicated local routes.

Homebuilt

 

Moe

Moe Howard was a member of the team The Three Stooges. This image is from 1952 and shows him and his wife Helen in their Cadillac.

I can't imagine why