What is that?? Enjoy these automotive oddities

One of Old Cars Weekly staffers' many tasks while attending car shows is to seek out original photographs that can be used to illustrate upcoming stories. Occasionally, the photos we obtain are too unique or pose a mystery that the staff cannot solve. These photos then get relegated to the "deal with it later" file.

This file has become rather large, so we offer several of the more unique images on this page to see if some of the remaining mystery can be resolved by our savvy readers. Do you know if there is more to the story? If not, just enjoy these automotive-related oddities that showcase the ingenuity and innovation of days gone by.

Philadelphia's Department of Public Safety Medical Division employed this expensive 1930-'31 Cadillac V-16-based funeral car with Fleetwood front styling and coachwork by an unknown firm aft the cowl. The Public Safety Officer (second from left) is joined by three adult leaders at a Boy Scout outing.

What at first glance appears to be a home-built world land speed record car at the Bonneville Salt Flats prepping for a run in the Family On Board category is deceiving. It's actually, according to writing on the back of the photo, a four-person pedal car in Heyel, Belgium. There is a railing and post behind the pedal car.

Arnold W. Jennings and Frank L. Munn used the first letter from each of their
first names to create their business, A-F (Always Fair) Used Cars, in Nebraska.
The 1939 Ford Standard five-window coupe sports a rare sunvisor "awning"
over its passenger-side window. The Ford's uprights on the rear bumper and some
rope also work well to support a shovel and ladder.

Despite the darkened nature of this vintage photograph, the Bevo Boat parked
curbside in front of the Fischer & Palace Theaters stands out. One of eight
promotional vehicles created by Anheuser-Busch to promote its adult beverages
(including its non-alcoholic beer "Bevo"), the faux boat on wheels roamed the
country from the 1920s through early '40s.

A couple pose with their 1937 Hudson five-window coupe parked next to an
unidentified structure shaped like a distillery barrel. The gravel drive surrounding
the barrel appears to be a parking area for photo opportunities. Not sure if there
were free samples involved.

It's difficult to see the car with the veterans parading in front of it, but the 1960
Mercury with the boy sitting on its decklid appears to be a rare six-door airport
limousine. The Merc has a wide "C" pillar and wraparound rear window. Lettering
on the flag points out this parade's location as being Abercrombie, N.D.