Where was this Mopar Brochure/Ad Photo shot?

This was a building I had seen, iconic, dad was an architect so I saw a lot. I just didn't know where it was. Used my tools and got it. I tend to work from the picture till I'm stuck, then I might look at the clues.


Alan
 
#472.

source: Dulles International Airport


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1. Washinton DC, opened in 1962, IATA code "IAD"
2. Dulles International Airport Terminal. To my knowledge, its only called the "main terminal, tho it appears to have areas associated with major airlines who may be using it as a "hub".
3. As such, of course it is still there and in use today.

The building was designed, aside, by Eero_Saarinen.

His distinctive work is all over this thread as his designs resonate with "modern", "futuristic", "bold", "elegant", etc., -- thematic elements product/service advertisers want to associate with THEIR stuff.

You really cant park this way today (post 9/11, renovation, etd), or maybe not ever, like this illustration suggests. No way any airport in the world would let you park perpendicular to the departure terminal.

I am not giving out "dudes" as these folks are multiple "winners". It was reported solved in this order:. @MrMoparCHP, @ayilar, @300rag, @Mopars & Missiles, and @D Cluley. Thank you guys for your participation as always.

I think another game is coming, a repeat from 8 years ago. It was before we consolidated in one thread, and frankly we may have been less "good" at solving. Stay tuned and we'll see what fresh eyes make of it.
 
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Where is this?

This one is pretty difficult, as it was when we tried it eight years ago, and should give quite a challenging game.

There have been games that took us YEARS to solve .. but in over 100 tries, somebody always gets it.

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We did this game in 2016 and came up with a location. New information has come to my attention (I was kinda sure I knew where it was), that the evidence says we (I was) were probably wrong.

Stated another way, if you were a player back then, which was before we tried to consolidate into one thread, our concensus guess I for one believe was incorrect.

Requirements.

1. West Coast of United States, City and State (major city, over 500K people)?
2. Approximately where in this City are these cars parked?
3. Picture of this approximate location? (This is gonna take some really good "pegman" or similar mapping software package navigation skills to get topographical elevation and "line-of-sight" angles to match up).

Because SO many years (50 years the skyline has changed, vegetation between cars and skyline has changed, access roads are gone, etc.,) have passed, it is sufficient to say in words where the LIKELY position of the cars was vs. the skyline.

Also, an OLDER photo of this skyline could also be useful/likely necessary to confirm the location .. such photos are out there, but you gotta find the city first (see new hint at #486) :poke:.

As always, at the END, you DISAGREE, please offer up any location you think is better. :)

Good Luck. Answer later in the week
 
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WOW major buildup. Lets just say I've been there many time, most recent for a graduation, we're not talking Parris Island.


Alan
 
#484.

Update 1.


This game was confirmed solved by two players yesterday 3/24 via PM.

Update 2.

confine your search to California.

This is because 50 years later skyline has changed significantly. This clue narrows the search.

In addition, this also leads to your search being more focused on vintage 50-70 year old photos (they surely exist) as this was and still is a MAJOR city (population greater than 500K people, then and now).

In other words, UNLESS you recognize ENOUGH of this city skyline TODAY, looking at those OLDER pics will likely yield positive results FASTER than trying find a MODERN photo that does NOT look ENOUGH like the brochure photo in 1973.

A few landmark buildings (i.e., the 5 tallest are STILL there, but new construction obscures the view TODAY from 50 years ago allowed) remain to ESTIMATE where the cars were.

This remains a challenging game. (@SPF Required where ya been, chief?:))

good luck.
 
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This remains a challenging game.
Well, the exact location of the shoot is tricky. AFAICT, hard to check the exact elevation with the changes since then. Looking forward to the answer.
 
Well, the exact location of the shoot is tricky. AFAICT, hard to check the exact elevation with the changes since then. Looking forward to the answer.
i assume you tried to "line-of-sight" the thing (i am sure you did).

that may, if one's software has a "terrain" feature, show what elevation TODAY might work as a proxy FOR 1973.

in turn, that narrows the vehicles' parking location to a few that give the l-o-s that approximates 50 years ago. I suspect we'll debate that exact "position'.. but will agree on a general position vs. the skyline.

i have a suggestion to offer up to have that debate:).

seems like there will only be two solvers. answer on friday anyway.
 
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Here’s the link you gave me, to the previous discussion before you started the present consolidated thread. @Carmine @65 500 @Polara-Star @300rag @tallhair participated in that 3016 discussion, and @commando1 was called but did not make guesses. Maybe they’ll all take another run.
Ugh .. wish I could take all that back. But hey, I am a midwestern cat. Ground moves too much on the left coast. :poke:.

I was WAY wrong on that one. Some of the others were "lukewarm" on it back then, but nothing better was coming up.

Kinda like now maybe cuz if one is NOT from here, this one is tough given the changes half-century ago vs. now, as you note at #487.

and yup, as you said, even if one gets the CA city, positioning the cars as they were back then is tricky.

:thumbsup:
 
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#484 Two solvers: @ayilar, @MrMoparCHP. "Honorable mention" (he got pretty close) @Mopars & Missiles

1. San Diego, CA
2. The cars were somewhere in the southern end of Balboa Park.
3. My estimate is below - President's Way Lawn. The other two guys may see it a little different.

2024 - Cars were somewhere in the green oval, green arrows crudely approximating line-of-sight, red arrows are the five structures I used for reference, and the pink line is the I-5

95B_big.jpg


1973 - The El Cortez Hotel, now condominiums by the same name, had a neon sign atop the building. It looks like, because of a TALLER building behind it, the sign is ON the taller building.

You can also see, on the right of the skyline, the NORTH end of San Diego Bay.
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Where are the cars? T

The southern end of Balboa Park. This is an acceptable answer. Anywhere(with an UN-obstructed view) in the green ovals below is in the same general spot as FIRST photo above.

This area in Balboa Park is north easterly of downtown San, and the southernmost TIP of Balboa Park. It is a bit elevated topographically vs. downtown.

The vegetation (trees) doesnt seem to allow the same CLEAR view as the brochure photo. Plus, there's a ton of NEW buildings downtown now. The others guys likely did a much better job at that than me. They may have better, modern pics.

Where there WAS grass in 1973, it may be ASPHALT now. The parking lots are newer, and looking south westerly toward downton and Pacific (actually you get to the Coronado Peninsula on San Diego Bay, then the Ocean

The Air & Space Museum has been there (it was a Ford Motor Building in the mid-1930's) for decades. There were always parking lots around this building since it was built. Obviously, IF cars were here, they would have to have been on the I-5 side of Museum.

The Comic Con Museum is there and newer (like 2020). I don't know what was there before. The Municipal Gym is newer. This means, the cars COULD have been where these buildings are now (though I think A&S would have been in the wya

A bit southwest of ALL that, is the President's Way Lawn, It always had grassy areas, many even a parking lot, that MAY have had good downtown views. TO ME, it gives me sight lines I like - I imagined a spot there, using the El Cortez sign and the building behind it, as a VECTOR reference..

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Courtesy of @ayilar, below are vintage photos (mid-1950's and thru 1960's) of downtown FROM Balboa Park that help confirm this location IS San Diego.

The elevations are too high (the cars were ON the ground obviously), again, still a very strong confirmation nonetheless.
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Here's my take
San Diego, Balboa Park at the rear of the San Diego Air & Space Museum

SanDiego 07.jpg


SanDiego 00.jpg


In the 1966 aerial there is no parking lot and no trees. In the 1972 Aerial there is now a parking lot and some new trees. It is possible the trees were there at the time but just outside frame, but I suspect the picture was taken early 1972 before the trees were planted.

San Diego 1966.jpg


San Diego 1972.jpg


More recently (early 2022) one of the trees was removed. In July 2021 you can see it was there.

San Diego 2021-07.jpg


Later that year it wasn’t looking good.

San Diego 2021-12.jpg


And by July 2022 it was gone

San Diego 2022-07.jpg


All just points of reference to this area and the trees that were not there in 1972.

Alan

San Diego 2023-06.jpg
 
Back to the picture.

From left to right the distinctive buildings and the approximate alignment, all still there. Here looking around the newer buildings blocking the view.
SanDiego 01.jpg


SanDiego 02.jpg


SanDiego 03.jpg


SanDiego 04.jpg


SanDiego 05.jpg


SanDiego 06.jpg



Alan
 
This looks like the one at the far right. I was distracted by comments in the previous thread about a stadium/hanger...
SanDiego 10.jpg



Alan
 
Here's my take
San Diego, Balboa Park at the rear of the San Diego Air & Space Museum

View attachment 652879

View attachment 652878

In the 1966 aerial there is no parking lot and no trees. In the 1972 Aerial there is now a parking lot and some new trees. It is possible the trees were there at the time but just outside frame, but I suspect the picture was taken early 1972 before the trees were planted.

View attachment 652872

View attachment 652873

More recently (early 2022) one of the trees was removed. In July 2021 you can see it was there.

View attachment 652874

Later that year it wasn’t looking good.

View attachment 652875

And by July 2022 it was gone

View attachment 652876

All just points of reference to this area and the trees that were not there in 1972.

Alan

View attachment 652877
you outdid yourself chief. your sight lines much better than mine.

:thumbsup:
 
This one is as "easy", or as "hard", as this game gets.

One of the world's most recognizable buildings (literally in millions of media - pics, movies, etc., - for nearly 75 years: - that's painfully easy, even if one is NOT from this country.

Limited verbal clues. That could be hard - but i hope not :)

Where is the 1969 Ambassador?

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1. City, State, Country?
2. Exact Name of this building?
3. Current (approximate) pic (past, or present photos, OR just plain ol' words, where the car is relative the THIS building) of location of the Ambassador in the illustration. I recognize your search tools may not allow you "go there".

Heck, clues (puns if you will) are even in the ad copy/illustrate itself, let alone the name of the car.

Answer Monday 4/1
 
Well isn't it fUNny that an Ambassador should be parked in front of that specific building.
 
Really? where's the challenge in this one?
I'd say right in front of the visitors entrance.


Alan
 
too hard, nobody plays (it seems) -- except the "die-hards". :)

never fear, i end this run in a couple weeks with the ONE game, NOBODY reported they solved. maybe i was sandbagged, maybe not y clues were for sh*t). cuz pic WON'T tell you a doggone thing about where car was.

we'll see.

i'll give better clues, but i still intend it to be hardest of these games yet. only reason i knew it, was because i was physically there when we (i.e., Campbell Ewald, the ad agency) shot it at this place in early summer 1991.
 
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