Where was this Mopar Brochure/Ad Photo shot?

[D Cluley]

Got it.

I feel like there should be a joke here about wide track Pontiacs and narrow track monorails, but its not coming together.

 

[amazinblue82]

#839 Inspiration is the Trailblazer, first monotrail in United States. It opened in 1956 at the Texas State Fair in Dallas (near Cotton Bowl stadium). Ran to 1964.

second source: Trailblazer Monorail History

The inventor (guy named Goodell), nor the idea of "monorails", ever got much traction in the US (buses/cars/subways won the public transportation "wars" in most American cities).

Disney (as in Disneyland, in 1959) put an updated (on a rail vs. suspended from a rail) version of this inventor's system in, lotta people rode it in THAT context, but again public transportation, it never caught on.

Pontiac, in the middle of changing its position in the GM constellation of brands and the industry in general, was doing all it could to redefine itself .. performance , style, futuristic, etc. and associating itself with such things became an advertising goal

this actual photo below of Trailblazer at the Texas State Fair circa 1957 shows a likely source of inspiration for the illustrator. Other contemporary examples follow:

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So as to question 3. What became of the Trailblazer? in 1964, it was torn down at the Fairgrounds in Dallas, and the cars (two of them) were supposed to be scrapped.

THe monorail cars DID go to a Houston junkyard (i THINK?), where they sat for years until a local Dallas guy bought one, hauled it up to Wills Point (near Dallas) and turned it into a private residence.

I dunno IF its still a house .. it was as late as 2012, however. I also do NOT have the exact address of the house.

 

[300rag]

...

The inventor (named Goodell), nor the idea of "monotrails" got much traction in the US (buses/cars/subways won the pulic transportation "wars" in most American citiies).

Disney (as in Disneyland, in 1959) put an updated (on a rail vs. suspended from a rail) version of this inventor's system in, lotta people rode it in THAT context, but again pulic transportation, it never caught on...

Vegas uses a monorail, only 4 miles long though, but it looks like it's future may be questionable...

 

[amazinblue82]

Monorails, as widespread (i.e., eclipsing buses, trains, Uber, subways, on foot, bikes, etc.,) , PRIMARY public/private transportation, will NEVER, EVER happen, absent a Jetson-like propulsion/elevated line construction breakthrough, on this planet for another ten thousand years .. IMHO.

One nerdly (not necessarily the gospel, but interesting) take on it: Why cities rarely build monorails explained


1959 Wash. DC proposal

Vegas system today

 

[MrMoparCHP]

I'm surprised this lasted as long as it did, it didn't go anywhere, 1700 foot long

Alan

 

[amazinblue82]

Where is this 1971 Pontiac Grand Safari Wagon?

1. In the United States. What City and State?
2. Exact address in that City?
3. Can this illustration be duplicated today with a photograph? Yes? No? (no need to specify all that may have happened at this location in the 54 years since this was drawn).

Obviously, some modicum of digiital skill and sleuthing/interest needed. Also, be assured any new solvers that there is more than enough data in this illustration to successfully solve this one.

To answer any of the quetions, especially #3, one has to of course find it. That's where the digital skill comes in. Unless one knows this location from back in the day, you need digital skills to solve this one.

Otherwise, its likely too difficult.

Answer Friday eve EDT. Good luck

 

[amazinblue82]

#846 is 100% correctly solved by two folks as of 4/17. thanks & good luck if others give it a try.

answer tomorrow, Friday eve, EDT.

 

[D Cluley]

Ok, the Pontiac Wagon took a while, but I got there eventually.

As a follow up to the recent Detroit pictures, I ran across this the other day. Don't have an exact date, but it should be between 1960-66 which roughly matches the time periods for those pictures.

The Red arrow is at the corner of Jefferson & 3rd and shows where pic 793 was taken. The former Michigan Central RR freight station at that corner was torn down in 1966, and I suspect that 793 was taken from the empty lot left behind.

The Blue arrow shows the rooftop parking at the Cobo Center from pic 836

 

[amazinblue82]

Ok, the Pontiac Wagon took a while, but I got there eventually.

As a follow up to the recent Detroit pictures, I ran across this the other day. Don't have an exact date, but it should be between 1960-66 which roughly matches the time periods for those pictures.

View attachment 715914

The Red arrow is at the corner of Jefferson & 3rd and shows where pic 793 was taken. The former Michigan Central RR freight station at that corner was torn down in 1966, and I suspect that 793 was taken from the empty lot left behind.

The Blue arrow shows the rooftop parking at the Cobo Center from pic 836

sometime between late 1961 (Mich Con bldg is fully up) and early 1964 (Pontchartrain is not even started).

red arrow has right "sight lines" but this pic was not one i have ever seen. always wondered what was back there (west side of Cobo, south of Jefferson) in old days.

cool pic.

 

[amazinblue82]

#846. 181 Main Street, Westport CT.

It is still there, repainted, part of it is gone (perpendicular attached structure), and traffic patterns around it re-routed.

No, you cannot exactly duplicate the 1971 illustration because the roadway/parking is difference, and yes, ignoring changes to the building, you could pose a car across several parking spaces.

Today

Early 1960's

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[amazinblue82]

Where is the 1973(?) Opel Kadett?

1. Continent?
2. Exact city?
3. What is this structure?

This is a photograph.

Brand of car is a clue to help you confirm where solution will be found.

Straightforward digital search will also work as no artistic liberties appear to have been taken as can be the case in illustrations.

This one is on the easier side as these games go. Answer Tuesday am, next week, EDT.

 

[amazinblue82]

#851 Pilgrimage Church of Weis (Bavaria, Germany)

Constructed in about 1750, interior in the rococo style (love it or hate it, what these people could do with stone and stucco and paint, 300 years ago, was stunning and this a prime example). Car is on an access road (not a main street) for the church complex - still unpaved even today.

This one was a straight digital search of the pic, and it comes right up. Dunno what Opel was trying to accomplish with this ad. Beautiful structure, historical significance, pretty girls (really not sure where they are going .. nothing really in from of them) ... for the Kadett. Not exactly a flagship model for them, actually one of the smallest/cheapest car they made.

nyway, pretty easy. Area largely unchaged for decades (building has been painted several times).

 

[amazinblue82]

New Game.

Where's the 1961 Pontiac illustrated to be?

This game seems to be winding down ... evern the the easier games going unsolved. A few more then i willl retire as OP till late summer.

1. Where is sthe inspiration for this illustration?
2, Can you approximate it with an actual photgraph today (I could not to my satisfaction (having trouble with signlines/elevation. so thigs implies a photograph MAY be posssible)?nt. Also, I have never been to this location, so I lack perspective

Question 1 is quite easy. Question 2 ... I believe its a little tougher.

Answer in a few days.

 

[amazinblue82]

#853, one solver correct i'd this one. his exact location placement was better than mine. we'll run it till end of week.

 

[ayilar]

No no no no NO! I like this game. It’s not going away. Please

 

[amazinblue82]

No no no no NO! I like this game. It’s not going away. Please

naw chief ... just retiring as OP for a few months. anybody can pick up/be OP but folks seem to tire of any thread here, and "curating" a thread like this necessitates an extra time committment (i have to solve them first, to test if solvable/interesting, ryc,.

anyway, lotta views, fraction of that report being players. it picks up one of two new players if it lapses a few months.

 

[amazinblue82]

#853 Percé Rock, Quebec, Canada.

The landmark in the upper left background is Percé Rock, Quebec, Canada. The body of water is the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and a bit further east would be the Atlantic Ocean.

The exact location of the car, I estimate, would be a bit further to the southwest down the coast in Quebec.

Now here's where a "debate" could be had. I offer the following solution for discussion.

Percé Rock Island

The rock is in the red square. I selected the screen shots below from Rte 132 inside the green circle.

It could easily be a bit further NORTH on Rte 132, and/or WEST into Quebec, but I didn't spend a lotta time looking in those areas .. the sight lines (where they existed) looked a little too askance to me. The elevation, and the number of obstructions, increases as you move west from the gulf.

Still, my sightlines are not quite right ... I think it could be because (1) I am wrong with my of estimate of vehicle placement, and/or (2) the area has changed (e.g., trees, construction, etc.,) in 60+ years and there may now something right where all the illustration sightlines/elevations would work.

Did you come up with a potential location that is NOT southwest of Percé Rock? Love to see it.

Surely, with enough digital playing around, better map photos that more closely match the illustration are possible. It is also possible the illustrator took a little artistic license, which is common, meaning you'll never quite get the sightlines to work out.

Following is (red square pic area is rock and greater Percé area) a larger perspective of the entire area.

 

[amazinblue82]

New Game:

Where is this 1976 Oldsmobile 98?

1. United States City and State?
2. Exact location in that City?
3. Can you digitally (minus the car and the people of course) recreate where the 98 was posed?

Answers Tuesday next week.

 

[amazinblue82]

#858 Pasadena, California,v Pasadena_City_Halll. I had to post tonight because I have a plane to catch in the morning. Two reported solvers.

A beautiful old building. Distinctive architecture .. Mediterranean/Spanish Revival, built 1927.

Car would have been parked approximately here, on the Garfield Avenue side of the building. Car would have been about where the red rectangle is.

I thought this was harder, until a solver pointed out the car was kinda parked on the sidewalk, and Garfield street doesn't actually start at the foot of the stairs (I thought the brickwork (a sidewalk) was NOT there modern day . .. somewhere since 1976 it was replaced with concrete - that is just plain wrong).

The building is nevertheless so distinctive it was relatively easy to find this spot. I will make the next one a bit more challenging.

 

[MrMoparCHP]

The car is on the sidewalk. The brickwork dates back to the original 1927 construction, the traffic calming devices (parking bump-outs) were added around 2011

1936,

Alan