Dead Brands

1972-75 De Tomaso Pantera

Posted November 15, 2015 by The Professor

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

1967 Plymouth Fury III

Posted May 30, 2015 by The Professor

Mar Vista, Los Angeles, CA

Photographed December 2012

1968-73 Datsun 510

Posted November 2, 2014 by The Professor

Often referred to as “the poor man’s BMW,” the 510’s rear-wheel-drive layout and BMW-inspired structure led it to become a popular target for enthusiasts and tuners alike. Rust seems to have gotten to many of them, however, making this clean example a rare find.

Portland, OR

Photographed August 2011

1972 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Convertible

Posted November 1, 2014 by The Professor

1972 was the last year for the classic second-generation Cutlass, and the last year of the Cutlass convertible until it was revived in 1990. Despite this, it was the best-selling convertible in America, with 11,571 sold out of 298,881 Cutlass Supremes total that year.

Cheviot Hills, Los Angeles, CA

Photographed March 2013

1985 Merkur XR4Ti

Posted October 27, 2014 by The Professor

Part of a failed venture by Ford to introduce some of its European-market Fords to the United States, Merkurs were targeted towards European luxury buyers. The brand lasted just five years and shifted fewer than 70,000 units, consigning it to the depths of the automotive doldrums. The clumsily-named XR4Ti was an attempt to market the award-winning European Ford Sierra XR4i to American buyers. However, the unfamiliar brand name and inflated price (over $36,000 adjusted to 2014 dollars) caused the car to be a massive flop, with just over 42,000 sold in five years. It’s quite rare to spot one on the road, and even rarer that someone notices its rarity, as its rather anonymous 80’s styling is easily forgettable.

Interlochen, MI

Photographed August 2011 by James Kennerly

1954 Packard Patrician

Posted October 26, 2014 by The Professor

The last real flagship of the famed Packard line, the 1954 model was the last to boast Packard’s straight eight engine before a new V8 was introduced with the 1955 restyle. Just 2,760 found buyers in 1954, showcasing the decline of the Packard marque, which would disappear after 1958.

El Segundo, CA

Photographed November 2013

1964-65 Austin-Healey 3000

Posted April 30, 2014 by The Professor

Paris, France

Photographed July 2013

1957-62 Messerschmitt KR200 Kabrio

Posted March 3, 2014 by The Professor

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

1973 Jensen-Healey

Posted February 8, 2014 by The Professor

A car that was a mess of different parts from different manufacturers: Lotus engine, Vauxhall suspension, Chrysler transmission…none of it worked very well. Most of these rusted out a long time ago; this one seems to have lived its whole life in Southern California and has fared considerably better.

This car, which marked the end for two fine British marques, was not so fine itself (I suppose that’s why it marked the end, then).

Santa Monica, CA

Photographed June 2011

1967 Plymouth Barracuda

Posted January 21, 2014 by The Professor

Not the early ’70s Barracuda that’s most familiar to people, and not the original ’64-’66 model either. This is the 2nd-generation Barracuda, made from ’67-’69. The 1st-gen was heavily based on the popular Plymouth Valiant, even using many common parts. However, while the 2nd-gen was still based on the Valiant, it was completely redesigned with a specific model range. The 3rd and final generation was a completely separate model.

To debunk a common assumption–the Mustang did not come before the Barracuda (the ‘Cuda came about two weeks earlier).

Westside Village, Los Angeles, CA

Photographed May 2013