It's, ummm....

[Richard Bartrop]

The original caption called it a customized E type, but the hood looks like it's from a T-Bird, and the proportions look like it might have started out as a Cadillac.  There a fins from a Chrysler, portholes from a Buick, and they tried to make the sides look like the Pontiac Club de Mer.  I suppose the kindest thing you can say about it is that it must have taken a lot of work to make it look this way.

[wrenchr]

Jagettedesoto 225? ?

Edited January 28, 2021 by wrenchr

[Classicgas]

Looks like a bullhead on wheels. 

[Paul Payne]

Might get a Klingon Kruizer award.

[Exotics_Builder]

[Oldcarfan27]

I like the nose. The rest - Meh.

Looks like it was done back in the later 60's, when all the parts for these cars were cheap!

"There's no accounting for taste".

[Mark]

I'd bet it started as a Buick, the wheel covers and grille emblem would point to that.  I believe the grille emblem on the Buick actually includes the model year and trim level, like "1956 Century".

Looks like it is somewhere in Europe...there, back then, when they rebodied a car they tended to keep things like wheels and grille pieces from the original car.  Putting a grille or radiator shell from one make of car onto another wasn't done there as it was done by customizers here.  There are exceptions of course.

[Snake45]

I'll say this: It's far from the worst looking "custom" I've ever seen. 

[Modelbuilder Mark]

It looks very French, or..."Continental" in nature. 

[Oldcarfan27]

4 hours ago, Snake45 said:

I'll say this: It's far from the worst looking "custom" I've ever seen. 

I'll 2nd that. I've seen some pretty wretched "backbirths" done in the name of styling improvements!

[Modlbldr]

18 hours ago, Classicgas said:

Looks like a bullhead on wheels. 

Thanks Lee! I was trying to figure out what type of fish it reminded me of. Reading your comment I think you nailed it. Took me back to fishing on the Yakima river in West Richland, WA while growing up.

Can't say I like the car much. I think I like the fish much better.....just watch out for the barbs!

Later-

[Casey]

"Jan. 17, 1956. "Raymond Loewy's Jaguar car. No. 8."  Gottscho-Schleisner photo": https://www.shorpy.com/node/16416

 

[slusher]

I have seen worst. People will be Scratching their heads wondering what it is.

[Snake45]

9 hours ago, Casey said:

"Jan. 17, 1956. "Raymond Loewy's Jaguar car. No. 8."  Gottscho-Schleisner photo": https://www.shorpy.com/node/16416

 

That could be cleaned up and make a pretty sharp looking car. 

[keyser]

1 hour ago, Snake45 said:

That could be cleaned up and make a pretty sharp looking car. 

Loewy didn’t put all that dreck on it, fortunately. Owner must have. It needed Snake-fu ?

Loewy designed a ton of things, 53 Stude Starliner and Avanti for examples. 
This car had an XK140 under it so pretty advanced. 
 

Edited February 1, 2021 by keyser
Spelchek

[espo]

This is what you get when a designer has an unlimited charge account with a new J.C. Whitney catalog in front of him. 

[keyser]

2 hours ago, espo said:

This is what you get when a designer has an unlimited charge account with a new J.C. Whitney catalog in front of him. 

He didn’t do all the dreck on it

1955. Look at other stuff from then. 
Here’s how it was meant to look. 

[Snake45]

3 hours ago, keyser said:

 It needed Snake-fu. ?

 

Sadly, looks like what it got was Barris-Fu. All that's missing is the fender-exit side pipes. 

[Casey]

11 minutes ago, Snake45 said:

Sadly, looks like what it got was Barris-Fu. All that's missing is the fender-exit side pipes. 

Exactly what I thought when I saw those fender mounted train horns. ?

At least it has potential. Love the Avanti-ish rear quarter panels.

 

[keyser]

1 hour ago, Snake45 said:

Sadly, looks like what it got was Barris-Fu. All that's missing is the fender-exit side pipes. 

Bwahahaha. Spit coffee on my phone. Spare tire somewhere too. 
 

For fun in the body buck pic in left background at Boano, there’s what looks like a 49-51 Ford with roof that looks like a gull wing SL. Pretty sure it’s a one off Lancia or Alfa, it’s fairly big car. 

Edited February 1, 2021 by keyser
Spel chek yet again. Why on gge does it do that.

[keyser]

Love this. Found it. Big Fiat. Pic when new  

Not an ugly car. Brief thread hijack for coincidence sake  

Edited February 1, 2021 by keyser

[Snake45]

52 minutes ago, keyser said:

Now that looks like the adorable love child of a Karman Ghia and a '49 Ford.  Pretty cool, though, especially for 1954.

[espo]

Looking at this picture I think I can actually see some styling Q's that would show up years later.

2 hours ago, keyser said:

He didn’t do all the dreck on it

1955. Look at other stuff from then. 
Here’s how it was meant to look. 

Looking at the rear 3/4 view I can see a couple of different lines that would show up on both Chrysler, Studebaker, Ford as well as Corvette. Chrysler: Notice the body line from the headlight area that runs almost to the rear of the door with a sharp downward turn. This would match the same line used on both the first Valiant and the Lancer. Corvette : The rear window shape looks a lot like a C2 Corvette's. In the next picture notice Ford: Does the body side character lines remind anyone else of a Mustang's ? Studebaker : Notice the shape of the wheel well openings and then look at an Avanti. The general shape of the front end has a lot in common with the GM Futuristic show cars from the early '50's, think the Pontiac Firebird show car with the cutaway front fenders . This original design is much cleaner looking than the original picture and you can't help but wonder how some of this design may have effected cars designed a few years later. 

[Richard Bartrop]

1 hour ago, keyser said:

Love this. Found it. Big Fiat. Pic when new  

Not an ugly car. Brief thread hijack for coincidence sake  

Feel free to hijack threads with nice Italian coachwork anytime.

I find the Leowy Jag more infuriating than anything because there are parts of it that work, parts that don't, and parts that I'm not sure whether they do or not..Love it or hate it, you sure can't ignore it.