September 14: Holland to Switzerland - the oddities

Oddities. When this car guy is roaming around other countries, as I've said before, I'm always on the lookout for different cars. Cars we don't get over here or maybe just unusual wheeled wonders. Never a dull moment. Show me, you say? Ok, let's start with this strange little whatever seen in Delft (you know, the pottery place), Holland.......

Stumped? Of course you are. This old car was made by Nissan from 1989 to 1991 as part of their retro design line. Almost adorable? They also made a tiny coupe, which I see from time to time here in Toronto.

Moving right along.........

Europe is known for its odd little one or two person city runabouts. Cars that you wouldn't take on the highway, unless you had a huge life insurance policy and your will was up to date.These three easy on the wallet mini's were seen in Amsterdam. The owner of the bottom one must be ashamed of their ride, since they have tried to camouflage it (didn't work). These mini mini's are not restricted to cars, as there are many mini (say ten times fast) trucklettes roaming around the narrow streets of these old cities.

Enough room for a few very small deliveries?

American cars have limited appeal to Europeans, but on this trip I saw more old and new American iron than I've seen before. For instance, this classic Corvette spotted in the mountain village of Appenzell, Switzerland...........

......or this unique fade paint job new Corvette Z06 seen in Zurich, parked behind a Ferrari and across the street from a Bentley suv and a couple of Porsches. Good company and just as pricey.

Is it a classic or something else?

Any self respecting car person, knows that this is something else. That something is a Brook Stevens designed, ersatz classic Excalibur spotted in a town along the Rhine in Germany. A car Stevens started making stateside in the 1970's. I believe it was the first of the so (and badly) called neo-classics, which proliferated for awhile thru the '70's and '80's.

We love our pick-ups and they proliferate in North America like fleas on a Mexican street dog, but in Europe what few you see are small. This is what makes an F-150 a rare sight and the limited production Raptor version even rarer. The canal-side streets in Amsterdam are very narrow, so navigating this beast around must be a treat.

And lastly, how often do you get to see a Lotus Evora?

This one was spotted in Madurodam, Holland (sorry, but I couldn't get closer).

Apart from the scenery, the bakeries, the chocolate shops and all the other experiences that I love in Europe, there are the cars. While others see metal on streets, I see something else entirely and I've shared some of those pictures with you. By the way, in all the pictures above there is one that is not what it seems. I've given you a hint. Any guesses?

Until next time.......