My Failing Memory - Old Sports Car? Found on Pg 2, I think. Now an Old & Rare European Car Thread. - Page 1

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - My Failing Memory - Old Sports Car? Found on Pg 2, I think. Now an Old & Rare European Car Thread. (Page 1 of 2)

Posted: 6/23/2018 6:44:10 PM EDT

Back in the mid/late 1980s, maybe 1987 or so, there was a car for sale in the yard of a house down the street from a friends place.

This was in Raleigh NC just north of Whitaker Mill Rd. between Old Wake Forest Rd. and Glenwood Ave. If, by some odd chance, this was your car or you know whose car it was.

I want to say it was an Italian car, produced probably no later than early 70s. It had the look of a Fiat X1/9, similar to the TR7 - very wedge shaped.

It was a mid-/rear-engine car and a convertible.

It was small. Tiny, even. 13" wheels or smaller. 4 cylinder.

The drivers seat was angled. It was not parallel to the center line of the car. Your toes pointed at the center of the hood.

I think it was the only example I ever saw - before or since.

It was not a Lancia Stratos or Porsche 914.

Thoughts? Ideas? Am I crazy?

Posted: 6/23/2018 6:46:31 PM EDT

[#1]

The shape of things that win

Red Barchetta

Posted: 6/23/2018 6:51:46 PM EDT

[#2]

Was it a De Tomaso Pantera?

Posted: 6/23/2018 6:53:03 PM EDT

[#3]

Quote History

Quoted:
Was it a De Tomaso Pantera?

https://d32c3oe4bky4k6.cloudfront.net/articles-videos/-/media/uscamediasite/images/story-images/2016/12/pantera4.ashx?modified=20170726011719&w=800&h=600&CenterCrop=1&useCustomFunctions=1&hash=84DE34AB28C97FFAC90BFE24272A49E7A1552B69

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My history teacher has one of those. He bought it new, and keeps it in his barn.

Posted: 6/23/2018 6:54:27 PM EDT

[#4]

Pontiac Fiero?

Posted: 6/23/2018 6:54:34 PM EDT

[#5]

Europa

Posted: 6/23/2018 6:57:54 PM EDT

[#6]

Lotus Esprit.

Posted: 6/23/2018 7:00:15 PM EDT

[#7]

Fiat x1/9?

Edit...oops you already mentioned that.

There was a Lancia mid/rear engine model after the Stratos. Monte Carlo or Delta maybe?

Posted: 6/23/2018 7:04:40 PM EDT

[#8]

Bertone originally designed the x1/9 and took over production in the 80s.

Posted: 6/23/2018 7:06:25 PM EDT

[#9]

Bricklin?

Posted: 6/23/2018 7:07:32 PM EDT

[#10]

Lancia Montecarlo?

Posted: 6/23/2018 7:10:03 PM EDT

[#11]

Attached File

Pontiac Fiero. They made a convertible too

Attached File

Toyota MR2

Posted: 6/23/2018 7:12:21 PM EDT

[#12]

Posted: 6/23/2018 7:13:19 PM EDT

[#13]

Quote History

Quoted:
https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--Y_5abx2z--/c_fill,f_auto,fl_progressive,g_center,h_675,q_80,w_1200/wsmplbxdssxeeudgkpzt.jpg

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got a name?

Posted: 6/23/2018 7:13:58 PM EDT

[#14]

TVR Tasmin

Posted: 6/23/2018 7:14:33 PM EDT

[#15]

Quote History

Quoted:
got a name?

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:
https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--Y_5abx2z--/c_fill,f_auto,fl_progressive,g_center,h_675,q_80,w_1200/wsmplbxdssxeeudgkpzt.jpg

got a name?

Lancia Stratos Zero

Posted: 6/23/2018 7:15:22 PM EDT

[#16]

Matra Murena

Posted: 6/23/2018 7:16:25 PM EDT

[#17]

Quote History

Quoted:
Bricklin?

https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/137980/61568312-770-0_2X-585320.jpg

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I dont know why but I detest those cars almost as much as a Delorean.

Posted: 6/23/2018 7:16:30 PM EDT

[#18]

Lotus Elan

Posted: 6/23/2018 7:21:47 PM EDT

[#19]

Lancia Bee

You're welcome.

Posted: 6/23/2018 7:26:30 PM EDT

[#20]

Quote History

Quoted:
Lancia Bee

You're welcome.

View Quote

LOL WTF is a "Lancia Bee"?

Posted: 6/23/2018 7:26:44 PM EDT

[#21]

Another vote for Lancia Scorpion.

Posted: 6/23/2018 7:45:10 PM EDT

[#22]

Saab Sonett. They came with a V4 of all things.

Posted: 6/23/2018 7:48:51 PM EDT

[#23]

Landis Monte Carlo I’d wager

It was in a herbie movie

Posted: 6/23/2018 7:50:37 PM EDT

[#24]

should would be nice if the OP was here to let us know if we're close.

Posted: 6/23/2018 7:51:09 PM EDT

[#25]

DAY 1

Posted: 6/23/2018 7:56:28 PM EDT

[#26]

Toyota MR2

Posted: 6/23/2018 7:58:32 PM EDT

[#27]

Posted: 6/23/2018 8:06:53 PM EDT

[#28]

Posted: 6/23/2018 8:09:33 PM EDT

[#29]

Quote History

Quoted:
Europa

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yep

Posted: 6/23/2018 8:44:20 PM EDT

[#30]

Quote History

Quoted:
Europa

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I know there were several in NC. I went to college with a guy who owned 3 of them. A white one run over by a snow plow in the dorm parking lot. Another white one run over by a carload of drunks screwing around in the dorm parking lot after a snowfall. He graduated owning a purple one.

Posted: 6/23/2018 8:53:58 PM EDT

[#31]

Quote History

Quoted:
Lotus Esprit.

https://cdn.silodrome.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Lotus-Esprit-Turbo-1600x1062.jpg

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My dream car - but in lime green.

Posted: 6/23/2018 8:54:22 PM EDT

[#32]

Quote History

Quoted:
Saab Sonett. They came with a V4 of all things.

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my brother had one. seats weren't angled.
we replaced the engine; I could deadlift it.
it was a crate motor; I could sear it was an industrial engine used on generators and compressors.

Posted: 6/23/2018 8:57:03 PM EDT

[#33]

Quote History

Quoted:
Lancia Bee

~~You're welcome.~~

View Quote

Lancia Beta

You are welcome only if you get it right.

Posted: 6/23/2018 9:00:17 PM EDT

[#34]

Pinewood derby ?

Posted: 6/23/2018 9:01:18 PM EDT

[#35]

Quote History

Quoted:

I know there were several in NC. I went to college with a guy who owned 3 of them. A white one run over by a snow plow in the dorm parking lot. Another white one run over by a carload of drunks screwing around in the dorm parking lot after a snowfall. He graduated owning a purple one.

http://www.swva.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Lotus-Europa-006.jpg

View Quote

John Player Special

Attached File

Posted: 6/23/2018 9:02:01 PM EDT

[#36]

Quote History

Quoted:

my brother had one. seats weren't angled.
we replaced the engine; I could deadlift it.
it was a crate motor; I could sear it was an industrial engine used on generators and compressors.

View Quote

LOL, it was

Posted: 6/23/2018 9:08:33 PM EDT

[#37]

Attached File

Posted: 6/23/2018 10:57:12 PM EDT

[#38]

My sister and I were old school kids who didn’t have tv’s, video games and every other modern day convenience to keep us occupied during road trips. So after the game of slug bugs turned bloody, we would have a competition to see who could get the longest answer out of dear ole dad.

See, Dad was a genius (still is) who knows how everything works. So we’d ask him a question about how something works and check out while he answered.

This thread is the OP doing the same thing as we did to my dad. No intention of answering or validating/shooting down any answers. OP should be ashamed!

Posted: 6/23/2018 11:54:53 PM EDT

[#39]

Quote History

Quoted:
John Player Special

https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/128929/JPS-585423.JPG

View Quote View All Quotes

View All Quotes

Quote History

Quoted:

Quoted:

I know there were several in NC. I went to college with a guy who owned 3 of them. A white one run over by a snow plow in the dorm parking lot. Another white one run over by a carload of drunks screwing around in the dorm parking lot after a snowfall. He graduated owning a purple one.

http://www.swva.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Lotus-Europa-006.jpg

John Player Special

https://www.AR15.Com/media/mediaFiles/128929/JPS-585423.JPG

They had a Renault Gordini engine

Posted: 6/24/2018 12:03:38 AM EDT

[#40]

Obviously an Isetta...

Posted: 6/24/2018 12:10:35 AM EDT

[#41]

Alfonso di Credenza

Posted: 6/24/2018 12:19:19 AM EDT

[#42]

Triumph TR7?

Posted: 6/24/2018 12:30:04 AM EDT

[#43]

what I was thinking..

Posted: 6/24/2018 8:35:05 PM EDT

[#44]

Sorry guys, didn't mean to leave you hanging.

This is close - Fiat 800 Spider - but I think my memory must be faulty because I've been struggling with this off and on for years.

Think this thing with a TR7-ish nose including pop-up headlights:

It was TINY. Really small. I am beginning to think it must have been something so rare that I'll never track it down - or that my memory is so flawed I wouldn't recognize it if I saw it.