Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, CA
Photographed February 2021
Pacific Palisades
1972-78 Mercedes-Benz Unimog 406 DoKa
Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, CA
Photographed June 2015
1969 Datsun Sports 1600
Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, CA
Photographed January 2013
1991 Nissan Figaro
Imported from the UK, I assume.
Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, CA
Photographed August 2017
2001 Audi S8
Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, CA
Photographed February 2012
1967-75 Toyota Land Cruiser (FJ55)
Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, CA
Photographed March 2018
1965-67 Mercedes-Benz 250SE
Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, CA
Photographed December 2019
1990 Bentley Turbo R
Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, CA
Photographed December 2016
1968-72 Mercedes-Benz 300SEL 6.3
At the time of its release, this was the fastest four-door car in the world, with a 0-60 time of 6 seconds and a top speed of 142 mph. Just 6,500 were built from 1968 to 1972.
Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, CA
Photographed June 2014
1972-75 De Tomaso Pantera
Designed by Tom Tjaarda, the Pantera featured exotic Italian styling coupled with a 5.8L Ford V8 engine. Ford imported around 5,500 Panteras between 1971 and 1975, selling them through their Lincoln-Mercury dealers. Early Panteras were notorious for their unreliability; Elvis Presley once shot a gun at his when it would not start.
Though Ford ceased importing Panteras after 1975, they were imported via the grey market through the 1980s. A total of 7,260 were sold between 1971 and 1992.
Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, CA
Photographed February 2012
1976 Cadillac Eldorado
1976 Eldorados were promoted by Cadillac as the “last American convertible;” selling over 14,000 in total. However, Cadillac re-introduced the Eldorado convertible for the 1984 model year.
1976 was also the last year for the massive 8.2L V8 engine; the next year, a downsized 7.0L engine was introduced.
Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, CA
Photographed June 2014
1957-62 Messerschmitt KR200 Kabrio
Made by the company far more famous for producing fighter jets for the German Luftwaffe during World War II, the KR200 “bubble car” was originally conceived as a result of temporary sanctions against aircraft manufacturing in the Messerschmitt factories. When the sanctions were lifted in 1956, the rights to the car were sold to a man named Fritz Fend, who established a company called Fahrzeug-und Maschinenbau GmbH Regensburg (FMR); hence the “FMR” logo on the hood of this microcar.
It produced all of 9.9 horsepower and was shorter than the wheelbase of a new Chevrolet Impala. The last picture shows a stark juxtaposition between the hulking Bronco and the diminutive Messerschmitt–it looks like a diecast model. Definitely a model for those with a secure self-image as their head sticks out a few feet above the top of the car.
Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, CA
Photographed January 2013