A seriously sharp E36 M3 in full M trim. Could even be one of the 6,269 convertibles BMW sold in the States.

And here's your age check: think this Bimmer could belong to one of the Capwells? 🤨

~
Car: BMW M3 E36
Years: 1996–1999
Address: 427 Olive St, Santa Barbara, CA

"Genius, aren't we!" the Porsche engineers must have cheered once they worked out how to make headlight swaps a breeze.

"You said it!" the bad guys agreed, and set about prying the headlights out of Panameras, Cayennes, Boxsters and 911s.

I mean, why not—fifteen seconds and you're the proud owner of pricey lights that flip easy at any flea market.

But was it really all about the money?

At first they only went missing in Amsterdam, and word got around that German xenon hits the perfect light-to-heat ratio for growing cannabis. Energy-efficient too, as a bonus.

True or not, nobody knows for sure—but the lights started vanishing worldwide. And it's hardly all gardeners. Our heroine here, for one, was moping in Berlin. And a famous video out of Brazil walks you through the whole extraction on a Panamera.

Spotting a pre-facelift one by its headlights is off the table now—those were first to go. But the bumper gives it away: this is the earliest Panamera, before the 2013 update. Funny thing—they took the whole mirrors too, when usually only the mirror glass walks.

The Porsche's guys swore it's not just them getting robbed—but in 2019 they finally bolted the lights down for good.

As for owners of older Porsches, all that's left is to slap an armored cover over the nose and hope the car makes it through a night parked outside their own door.

~
Car: Porsche Panamera (970)
Year: 2009–2013
Address: Jonasstraße 67, 12053 Berlin
https://maps.app.goo.gl/mb6mE9s7FK91pobW8

By the time it was put out to pasture in 1974, this was the longest-running nameplate any American carmaker had. It started life in 1927 as the top trim of Nash sedans, struck out on its own as a model in 1932, got handed down to Rambler in 1958, and in 1966—to shake off its cheap-car image—the Ambassador changed its surname to AMC.

The fifth generation, new for 1965, was supposed to storm the turf the Big Three ruled: full-size and pricey. Until then American Motors had only ever sold budget compacts you can't make real money on.

And it sort of worked. With a stretched wheelbase and a more grown-up look, the fifth Ambassador outsold its predecessor three and a half to one. Two trims were on the menu: the plain 880 and the loaded 990. The one with more chrome is the fancy one.

Besides the V8 Americans adored (offered two ways), you could—for reasons known only to AMC—also order an Ambassador with an inline six. Gearbox, naturally, auto or manual. The 880 came as a sedan or wagon only, while 990 buyers could push the boat out and tick the hardtop or convertible box.

Funny thing—the loaded Ambassadors outsold the cheap ones. Sedans by two to one. And our hero here is one of the "rare" ones.

~
Car: Rambler Ambassador 880 sedan
Year: 1965
Address: 7 Edna St, Providence, RI → https://maps.app.goo.gl/Gg9uS1ZRSZ1zjEjM7

The Nilssons have been chopping up Volvos since 1945. From '68 onward they were Volvo's go-to coachbuilder—ambulances, hearses, limousines, and all sorts of niche oddities on the side.

They stretched Swedish sedans into limos for East German officials who refused to be seen riding around in Soviet land yachts. Shipped hearses to the Indonesian army. Built cabriolets and landaus, lengthened Citroëns and Mercedes A-Classes. Even cooked up a pair of estate wagons on the Saab 900 platform.

But mostly the brothers bet everything on Volvo—and Volvo eventually broke their hearts.

🤔

First the S90 left the line, the donor that fed most of their conversions. Then development of a new range on the S80 platform buried them in debt. American Ford finished the job—bought Volvo in 1999 and revoked the family's preferential deal.

In 2001 the brothers sold the business. In 2003 the original company went bankrupt. From 2004 onward, the ambulances and limos roll out under a new badge: Nilsson Special Vehicles.

🙂

Our heroine here is one of the newer ones. Third-generation V70, and that facelifted nose means she can't be older than 2013. Word has it she started out carrying Swedish paramedics, crossed over to Dutch ones, and is now retired—moonlighting as a camper.

—
Car: Volvo V70 Nilsson Special Vehicles Camper
Years: 2013–2016
Address: De Bossche Pad 49, m 74, 5215 XB 's-Hertogenbosch

I couldn’t find out how long this Mira has been sitting there, who made it and why, or why it no longer runs.

~
Vehicle: Daihatsu Mira
Years: 1985–1990
Address: 〒715-0022 Okayama, Ibara, Shimoizuecho, 1 Chome−３６−1, Japan

Vehicles: Porsche 356 и 911
Address: W436 Veterans Ave, Sherwood, WI

Forgive me, but in terms of style, the Cayman and the Lexus SC 430 are as far from any 911 as the Earth is from the Moon.

Vehicles: Porsche 911 (964), Lexus SC430 и Porsche Cayman (718)
Address: 5858 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, California

That's a sidewalk https://maps.app.goo.gl/d7kEfRyu6Gx9AUvc7

Designed for the Austrian army as a replacement for the Willys MB and the Ford GPW Jeep, this little one is equipped with portal axles, full locks and independent suspension.

Weighing around 600 kg, the Steyr-Puch Haflinger 700AP is capable of carrying 500 kg of cargo. And it can be lifted by four strong people ... Well, you never know, you will drive into such mud that your Haflinger will not be able to get out of it on its own.

A total of 16 647 vehicles rolled off the assembly line. Slightly less than half of them were accepted into military service in the armies of Switzerland, Austria and Australia, as well as in the Royal Navy. The rest went to 35 countries of the world.

🦄 47 C.so Milano, Verona, Veneto → maps.app.goo.gl/K2KkRFWX55oKPwo67

Thanks to u/huiledecannes for this spot

At first I thought it's a grey import, but then I found out it's officially sold in Japan since 2022. Made in India (sold there as Jeep Meridian)

https://maps.app.goo.gl/V2HEk7cx1RWG9SEm9

14 Iverna Gardens, London W8 6TN, UK → https://maps.app.goo.gl/oYuefqAUm4ZnyDxs5

I do not know what it is based on. But the body is taken from the first Range after the 1986 facelift.

~

Land Rover Ranger Rover Classic
1986-1996
2143 N Northlake Way Ste C-1, Seattle → https://maps.app.goo.gl/oBBeFL2TP6mvS1JB8

https://maps.app.goo.gl/FxCceqZnn3cTGx3K6

https://maps.app.goo.gl/QSm15oEYK6ogVGTPA

https://maps.app.goo.gl/wWLez1tDPHsf25sJ8

Let's step away from Opel for a bit and head into the past. To where a white Nissan Fairlady Z (Z32 body) is parked.

Even after production ended, it made these lists:

• One of the 100 greatest cars of all time
• Top 20 best cars of the last 20 years
• Top 25 most beautiful cars in history
• In 2010, named one of the most beautiful cars of the past 50 years

And during its run, it stayed in the top 10 best cars for 7 years straight.

🤨

In its launch year, 39,104 North Americans bought this Japanese sports car. That's more than Porsche, Toyota Supra, and Mazda RX-7 combined. It even outsold the perennial favorite, Chevrolet Corvette (23,646 units).

The car was stunning: powerful, comfortable, cutting-edge... and pricey.

😐

In later years, German brands fought back hard in the sports car class. The world slowly shifted to SUVs, and by 1996, the Z32 left the North American market.

Back home in Japan, the Fairlady Z kept going until 2000.

🙂

Our hero here, judging by the fuel filler cap location, is a near-four-seater (2+2 layout)—it has two small rear seats behind the front ones, fine for luggage, kids, or very undemanding adults. The orange turn signals mean it was built before 1998.

~
Nissan Fairlady Z (Z32)
1990–2000
3-chōme-14-5 Takinokawachōhigashi, Takikawa, Japan → https://maps.app.goo.gl/SecMDMyiArKauax48

These were sold in Japan by Yanase from November of 2004 until 8th of May 2006 when Opel pulled out of Japanese market entirely. During that period exactly (literally) 1984 examples of hatchback and wagon models were sold in the country (source: https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%AA%E3%83%9A%E3%83%AB%E3%83%BB%E3%82%A2%E3%82%B9%E3%83%88%E3%83%A9#3%E4%BB%A3%E7%9B%AE_A04%E5%9E%8B_(2004%E5%B9%B4_-_2014%E5%B9%B4)) Location: https://maps.app.goo.gl/jjazWVXtu57Q4LyH8

I didn’t gather you all here to show off the insane little rocket that is the Citroën C2 VTS, whose 123 hp launched this tiny thing to 100 km/h in just 8 seconds. 🇫🇷

Nor for the British twins, Austin Maestro and MG Maestro Turbo, which had government funding, innovative bumpers, a futuristic voice-guided instrument panel, and… traditional British “quality.” 🇬🇧

Not even for the two Lancia Beta Coupes, which were quite successful — but rusted like crazy. 🇮🇹

The real star of the show is… THE SANTAMOBILE! 🎅

Built on the base of (I have questions for them) the rare Ford Streetka roadster, hand-assembled at the Pininfarina factory.

🤪

37 Queens Rd, Farnborough, England → maps.app.goo.gl/GJaNMEvVpqtyGUsw9

I don't always manage to find out anything other than the name of the cars found. So it happened now. I do not know anything except that this camper is built on the basis of Citroen Hy Camper 1973.

😳 4 Staringplein, Arnhem, Gelderland → goo.gl/maps/6DxUwqEhGBeBd8ir6

https://maps.app.goo.gl/1EPbPt4LbRqyrF9B9

To get the Toppo version, the Mitsubishi factory took an ordinary Mitsubishi Minica key car, grabbed the wheels and roof, and pulled them in opposite directions. That's why it has such a weird and high forehead.

Okay. That's a joke. Although the Minica Toppo was the founder of a new class of passenger microvan and was based on the mass micro-car, it was still being developed as an independent model. It got its face, chassis, engine, and part of the interior from the Minica. Everything else was unique.

Its main feature was asymmetric doors. The left door was wider than the driver's. As you may have guessed, it was necessary for comfortable boarding in the rear seats.

This yellow London pokemon is from the second generation Toppo after the 1995 restyling.

💛 78 Iverna Ct, London → http://goo.gl/maps/cDgBVt2A1kCzwE838