1966 Nissan Patrol

Like the Land Rover Series and the Land Cruiser, the Nissan Patrol was a go-anywhere utilitarian off-roader. The second-gen Patrol was produced relatively unchanged for 21 years, though it was only available for 7 in the U.S. This Patrol appears to be complete, stock, and in restorable condition. It's parked in a small town on the Oregon coast, not Seattle.

 

 

 

 

 

1962 Mercury Comet Custom Sedan

The Comet was Mercury's version of the Ford Falcon, and the name continued on as their version of the Fairlane, and later the Maverick. For the first generation (pictured here), the Comet was a slightly luxurious and upscale compact, and, similar to Chrysler's Valiant, wasn't badged as a Mercury until 1962. Styling was similar to that of other period Mercuries, but seemed cluttered compared to the clean Falcon. The Comet shown here, though it has some front end damage, looks great in dark blue with matching rims. Definitely a more interesting compact than any new one these days.

 

 

 

1976 Toyota Corolla

The new, 3rd gen Toyota Corolla was introduced in 1975, and affirmed Toyota's reputation for amazing build quality and good economy. It needed to, as it had many strong competitors at that time, both from Japanese manufacturers and domestic makers (though their compacts were hardly competitive.). Despite a higher price and fewer features than the competition, it was still a popular car during the gas shortages. This one stood out in a sea of modern, silver cars with its ultra-seventies mustard paint job with brown, orange, and white stripes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1974 Toyota Hilux

The Hilux was introduced in 1969, and is what became the basic Toyota Truck in later years. Famous for being extremely tough (Top Gear tried to kill a Hilux and couldn't), the Hilux/Truck became very popular in the U.S. It lives on today as the modern Tacoma. Because it's still badged a Hilux, this truck is a pretty early one, and has fantastic patina and character.

 

 

 

 

 

Seattle's Abandoned Cars: 1950 Ford Sedan

The new Ford came along in 1949, and was a huge departure from previous models. The car was brand new, and looked the part too; the design was very modern and up to date. Gone was the high hood and lower fenders, the new car had them all about the same height. It's a little hard to see these design elements on this one, but there's still enough there to identify the car.

 

 

1990 VW Vanagon Carat and 1986 VW AWD Transporter

Introduced as a replacement for the classic VW T2 Bus, the Transporter arrived in 1979. In the U.S., it was know as the Vanagon, and was said to combine the best of a van and a station wagon. The Transporter pickup was never officially imported to the U.S., but is a fairly popular truck to import. The Carat was a top trim level in 1990 and 91, with all options. Both Transporters shown here have custom 4 headlight grills, and the Carat stands out with its bodykit and sporty alloy rims.

 

 

 

 

 

1974 Plymouth Scamp

New blog format on Monday: More pictures, bigger pictures, and brief histories/other interesting facts.