Collection Of Oddballs

Uncategorized

No, this is not a description of my family and close friends. Yes, I may be an oddball and that’s OK.

I was originally going to call this post something like “Idiosyncratic Automobiles.” Nine times out of ten, a title like that suppresses the number of views and visitors.

I have always considered myself not to be a part of the mainstream. As I have written before, while I was physically raised in the US, culturally I was not raised here. My mother had been in the US a little more than two years before I was born while my father had been here a little less than two years. They were not allowed to immigrate to the US at the same time. Think about that awhile.

I have always lived more inside my head than in the physical world. For many–maybe even most–car enthusiasts their interest includes “wrenchin'” on cars. While I did routine maintenance for my first car, a 1967 Pontiac GTO, my interests are not there, but are in design, performance specs, etc.

Since I am not the dullest knife in the drawer, my mind affords me the luxury of imagination, of exploration. By the way, I am not impugning the intelligence of those who like to work on cars. In fact, I have met many automobile technicians who are quite intelligent. I am just saying that my combination of nature and nurture has led me to be more cerebral and less hands-on, which is neither good nor bad.

Anyway…it was this car, offered at the recent Barrett-Jackson auction in Houston, that was the seed for this post:

 

1969 OPEL GT - Front 3/4 - 249909

 

This is a 1969 Opel GT and was one of two of these models to be sold at this auction. The red one sold for $27,500 all in.

I have always thought these cars just look awesome. They are often described as baby C3 Corvettes, but I think their proportions are superior to the Mako Shark Vettes. I strongly suspect most car aficionados would disagree and that’s OK, too.

Here are some more pictures of “oddballs.”

 

See the source image

See the source image

See the source image

See the source image

 

By the way, the picture of the Buick Reatta is from this Hagerty article titled, “Is the Buick Reatta a hidden gem of ’80s GM style?” Of course, some would remark that the phrase “’80s GM style” is an oxymoron.

I have noticed that all of these cars are on the small side. I also think that they have no doppelgangers. I mean, nothing else looks like an Alfa Romeo 4C or a Metropolitan.

I would very much like to read your opinions about these cars, about oddballs in general, etc.

 

#CollectionOfOddballs

#OpelGT

#somanycarsjustonelife

#disaffectedmusings

If you like this blog please tell your friends and share the blog URL (https://disaffectedmusings.com). Thanks.

 

 

Advertisement

Published by rulesoflogic

Empiricism over ideology!

Published

10 thoughts on “Collection Of Oddballs”

  1. I too am not the dullest knife in the drawer, but I have heard it said it is ok for kids to run while carrying me.

    Like

  2. I appreciate your “oddball” cars. Your definition of “oddball” and mine differs in that my picture file of oddball cars is mostly weird mashups constructed by people who have zero sense of style. Mine are mostly constructed (?) by idiots. I much prefer your oddballs to mine. Referring to the Nash Metropolitan, there was a 1960’s rock and roll humorous song which referenced the “little Nash Rambler.” I always loved the song as well as the car.

    There is one model within my “oddballs” files that was actually built and sold to the public, the 1958 Zundapp Janus. The name will give away its greatest flaw. Zundapp was an East German motorcycle manufacturer, and the time and location of the manufacturer will give you clues about this oddball car. I emailed you a copy of a photo of the car since I cannot post photos here. Suffice it to say that East German Communist economic control had serious flaws which eventually resulted in the demise of their political system, just not soon enough. This car is one example of why.

    Like

    1. Thanks, Philip.

      Although John Kraman and many others still call the post-1957 Metropolitans Nash Metropolitans, any of these cars model year 1958 or later are just Metropolitans as both Nash and Hudson were discontinued after the 1957 model year. Can anyone say OCD?

      Like

      1. I thought the condition was correctly termed CDO. One shall state the letters in the correct alphabetical order.

        Like

  3. I don’t dance to a different drum when it comes to my automotive tastes, I boogie to a whole different band.

    Currently the newest vehicle (actually 2) I own was made 20 years ago and neither of them are “normal” for today’s tastes. Those would be my “hot rod” diesel truck, and my “short bus” mini van. Yes both genres are mainstream, just not the vintage of them. As to the rest of the herd, business coupe Dodge gasser, long roof wagon hot rod, late sixties economy car hot rod, mid 80’s Shelbys. Mostly less common than hens’ teeth. The others, 60 Lark, 55 Dodge Coronet D-500 (still needing restoration), 78 Dodge Warlock 360 (also needing restoration) 69 Barracuda (in progress) 59 Biscayne (moving further down the restoration calendar), 66 AMC Ambassador (probably be sold next year because it’s lower than the Biscayne on the restoration schedule) are a bit more mainstream, but not by a lot. I like to have something that very very few others will have at any show, therefore no Camaro/Mustang/Challenger/Porsche 911, etc for me.

    Like

Comments are closed.