CCs in Israel: November-December 2022: A Car? A Tractor? A Plane? It’s Everything!

Welcome to the first installment of this series written in 2023. This post, however, deals with captures and findings of the last months of 2022, so here’s one last glimpse on the passing year.

 

As per usual, starting with the video, underneath which I will add some words relating its contents:

I’ve featured SAABs before on this site, mostly 96s (very popular in Israel, up to a cult following) and some of the younger 9-5s, but I cannot remember ever posting a 900. Not surprising, as these were sold in minuscule numbers and never got the same cult following of other SAABs. This is a second gen. and a rather early one, from 1995. Essentially an Opel Vectra underneath, but with a much more expensive price-tag, no wonder they didn’t sell much (Vectras themselves weren’t doing that great either, mind). It’s still refreshing to see one being cared for, as these cars would turn into an expensive money pits once they got older.

Driving home one evening, I noticed the familiar resident El-Camino behind me; I was in the Honda Civic Tourer so rear-view dash cam present- very good. I’ve discussed the Israeli El-Camino and its singular tax exempt version here, so here I’ll just add this featured silver-over-blue 1978 car has changed color since that linked post- it used to look like this:

It seems the silver was retained but the rest was transformed to that lustrous blue. Better than before? You decide. By the way, this is a ten years old photo so by now, the Peugeot 306 and Citroen Berlingo in the background have gained genuine classic status of their own.

Next up in the video I encountered a nice red 1964 Volvo Amazon. As this was late on a weekend it was probably on its way back from a classic meeting of sorts. In the past I’ve written of Volvo’s significance in Israel, and posted another, very different Amazon here. So for now let me add few more Amazons for your pleasure:

That last one has a similar color scheme to the videoed Volvo, but more Burgundy than Red. Finally, here’s a photo of a racing Amazon from the event I posted here and here:

Next up was a 1996 GMC Sonoma, that you probably won’t remember appeared in this series before, but yeah, it was here. Isn’t it like meeting an old friend?… The Sonoma may not be all that special for US readers, but that was top dog back in its day in Israel, being much more refined than any rivals, yet still not as expensive as full-size US Pickup siblings. Not even Mitsubishi’s L200 or Isuzu’s Ippon could tickle it. But once the double-cabin diesel powered Toyota Hilux, with much better interior room (yet with smaller bed) took hold, the GMC got more and more redundant, until finally vanished. Still, few of these trucks remain, and serve their owners at work, as you can clearly see.

Frankly, I would be disappointed without at least one Subaru in a post concerning the final months of 2022- how nice it is to find two (another one below). So the next car in the video is a 1990 DL Pickup in a freshly painted dark-blue, which obviously is not its original color (they never sold this shade in Israel, and about 99% were white). What can I say about Subaru in Israel that I haven’t said before? Read here about the car that actually put Israel on wheels, so to speak. And here’s another post concerning the DL Pickup in particular. If there’s one thing I’m sure of, is that I’m going to continue bumping into these for years to come- and that’s a comforting thought.

Next up in the video is an unusual sight; not a car, not even a truck, but a (remainder of) a fighter plane. This, however, has some historical significance due to its place in the early IDF’s air force. I’m not going to go into a complete history of the Gloster Meteor in Israel (and you will be better served reading this anyway); just mention this was the first fighter to be purchased new in the early 1950s, rather than hand-me-downs Israel had to be satisfied with until then, and the first jet fighter at that. This appears to be an ex-display item headed off somewhere, hopefully not the crusher. Restoration perhaps? One can only hope.

The oval Ford Taurus never took off in Israel, and sold with small numbers to begin with, which makes this 1997 car very rare. It wasn’t the shape in particular that steered buyers off it, though- come to think of it, the previous, more successful generation wasn’t a hit either. I think the then-local importers hesitated selling Ford US products in Israel at the time, or maybe wouldn’t be wiled on by the manufacturer itself. Either which, the prospected clientele would rush (for lack of a better word) towards the rival Grand Prix or Lumina instead, which were much better represented in Israel at the time.

Another post, another Cadillac. I fail to decipher the license plate number, so this will have to be guessed as a 1969 Sedan DeVille, if I know my Cadillacs (and I’m not saying I do). It is yet another recent import, arriving in Israel in recent years, as Cadillacs would never get here when new, besides a handful of cars. Anyway, Caddies of all kinds and ages have now become a permanent feature in most classic meetings (such as this), so no surprise to come across a car such as this featured DeVille. Here’s another very similar Coupe DeVille I photographed some years ago, albeit it’s a 1970 model:

Up next is the unassuming Mitsubishi Lancer, as it was known in Israel (some of you might remember it as a “Colt” or “Mirage”, depending on the market). This would be one of those forgettable cars, had it not been for two reasons; Firstly, this is the car that demoted Subaru from its pedestal as the local market’s sales’ king (as shown in the link above), simply for offering better quality and all-included refinements (such as automatic gearbox, power windows and locks, power steering, and air-con) for not much more Shekels- thus changed the local market forever, because should all other manufacturers want a piece of the sales’ pie, they had to followed suit.

The second reason is all too simple- Dad had one… This was actually his first new car, purchased in 1989 (and one of the first Lancers to arrive in Israel), this after years of buying used, usually one-owner cars. It replaced a Peugeot 505 1.8 Automatic, quite an opposite car to the Lancer. Dad was mostly into US iron but strayed away throughout the years. You can understand the 505’s appeal for him, but the Lancer was way off-base; small, crammed and slow (to be honest that was never a problem with Dad). I don’t know what or who convinced him to buy it, but it stayed with us some two years and was replaced with a new Peugeot 405 1.9 SR, which was then the highest spec’ed model in Israel. Dad was very happy with it and until the day he died, claimed this was the most comfortable car he’d ever owned.

I even have a photo of the Lancer alongside the 405, just after Dad received it. Yes, you may notice another car between them, and me trying to mend the crumbling trim with bathroom sealant… but that’s a story for another post. Lets just say that black cat sees the future :

Last car to be captured on video in 2022 is (fittingly?) yet another Cadillac, because we have to end in style. After some digging, I recognize this as a 1978 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham, and another recent import. Of course, when I say “recent” this is very relative- I found and photographed it some ten years ago, so it has been in Israel for quite a while. Still, good to bump into returnees for time to time:

Now that I’ve dealt with the video captures, here are few still image CCs to end the year proper:

Yet ANOTHER Hymer-Mobil in Israel? OK, this is becoming a pandemic, and I’m not referring to COVID. But hold on, I guess I should explain- read on.

In 2018 I posted a Type 550 Hymer-Mobil, which was a classic European camper built on Mercedes-Benz TN series’ underpinnings. I thought this was an interesting idea to tackle someone’s needs for a large camper-van, but on the cheap; get it as a classic, thus taxes would be greatly reduced (even if it’s a thirty years’ old classic, with expected ramifications as a result). In the recent classic meeting I attended and posted here, there was yet another Hymer-Mobil, which I later realized was a 1985 Type 660- definitely not the same as the earlier 550.

And now we come to number three, and a different Hymer yet again; still from 1985, this is Type 540 DS, and is smallest of the three. Because of that, those Mercedes van origins stick out best, I think, as the original proportions are not lost altogether.

I cannot say anything about the condition of its mechanicals, of course, but tools on the parcel shelf might be a clue. I must say the interior looks the most preserved of all three Hymers- you even get a modern Hi/Wi-Fi multimedia and an obligatory plant.

One last look from the back before we leave, reveals a new household air-con unit, so it’s ready to move into immediately, should you wish. The “for sale” sign, along with its parking spot (where other cars looking to be sold usually park), has me thinking this business of importing classic campers to be used regularly might actually be a real business; maybe someone is on to something and started importing and selling these after installing various modern mod-cons (such as AC and Multimedia). Soon Israel will be ridden with Hymer-Mobiles in every corner… Help!

One day I had to drive to a client at Israel’s main airport, parking in the logistics’ area. Usually there’s not much to see, but this time I got to walk past two old airport service trucks. These are no longer operative, as you can see, and I suspect are used mainly for storage, considering those big boxes and the fact they’re neatly parked backwards towards the warehouse platform. Although no entry is present in the DMV’s registrar, the license plate reveals these Mercedes-Benz 1213s go back to 1984, so genuine classics. I like how the cab, obviously built for purpose, is completely different to a “civilian” 1213. It’s such a good idea so why change it? Here’s the current sibling (photo off Google):

Now on to more agricultural settings:

My wife’s brothers and their families, who live abroad, visited on December and we all went for a weekend in the north. We stayed at one of the Kibbutzim in the area, so in the morning, whilst on the way to breakfast, I found this parked next to what used to be the old bakery (as per the signs).

Hands down, this is the oldest CC of this post; a 1963 Massey-Ferguson 65, which is even still registered with the DMV. The oil stains tell you it’s a fully operable vehicle, and it has to be in order to be able to drive to and pass MOT tests. Many such tractors survived and continue to serve their owners, but usually no-one bothers with MOTs since they stay within the confines of small villages so away from public roads (or the eyes of the law). This is a first for me, to find a road-legal classic tractor. More on these agricultural vehicles can be read in a post I did about a tractor museum some years back.

Perhaps fitting that the last car to be captured in 2022 should be another Subaru, and the most successful model in Israel at that. As I linked above a post that tells all you need to know of the mark in Israel, all that’s left is to say is this is a 1991 DL (as these were sold in Israel- not Leone or Loyale), so quite towards the end of production.

Inside the very much expected old seat covers (and steering wheel cover at that), there is an abundance of fragrance accessories hanging from various points, so I’d bet this is a smoker’s car. Hard to see, but just ahead of the shifter there’s an anti-theft padlock arraignment, very popular with DLs in their day; you’d simply lock the car in gear and head off. Granddad had one in his 1983 DL sedan, of course…

One last look on that squared-off front, and indeed, 2022 itself. Here’s hoping for numerous captures in 2023.