On the Road 50 Years Later

The unstated aim of any good novel about travel is to change the way the reader sees the world.

Author Manil Suri called V. S. Naipaul’s 1961 Trinidad-set novel “A House for Mr. Biswas,” a “tantalizing new universe waiting to be explored.” Novelist Jennifer Belle said that, while she’s never travelled to Japan, “Kitchen” by Banana Yoshimoto made her “swear I've been there.”

Few books, however, capture that life-altering feeling of freedom and the endless possibilities of travel as beautifully as Jack Kerouac’s classic “On the Road.”

Published 65 years ago this year, the book is a fictional novel based on the real-life journey Kerouac took with friend Neal Cassady across America in the late 1940s. Their names were changed, the author became Sal Paradise while Cassidy was Dean Moriarty, but the events of the trip were meticulously chronicled in a series of notebooks Kerouac kept about their experience.

Influenced by the improvisational fluidity of jazz, Kerouac bent the language used in the novel, creating new words and ways of telling the story of how he found America. “Nothing behind me, everything ahead of me,” he wrote, “as is ever so on the road.”

“’On the Road’ is a love letter to America,” said Doug Brinkley, a professor of history at Rice University in Houston, Texas, and the authorized biographer for Kerouac.

He said Kerouac, who served in the United States Merchant Marines, benefitted from educational opportunities offered to veterans following the Second World War. It was during the period of post-war prosperity, Brinkley said, that gas and tires were no longer being rationed and more Americans were opting to go on road trips for vacations.

“There became a thinking that the automobile was a freedom mechanism, that you weren’t chained to the tick-tock shackles of a railroad depot, or the airport where you have to arrive at a certain time,” said Brinkley. “With an automobile you could turn right or left. You can go far or short. You could be anywhere at any time.

“Kerouac had a famous line, ‘Whither goest thou, America, in thy shiny car in the night?’ That idea of driving at night down a highway or a back road is both lonely and exhilarating, particularly when you get west of the Mississippi (River). The scenery is so dramatic in every direction. I think Kerouac kicked off this notion of going to discover the real America.”

“He tapped into the zeitgeist of the moment,” said Jim Benning, travel editor of “Westways,” a magazine produced by the Automobile Club of Southern California for AAA members. “He definitely was onto the idea that, suddenly, the country was there to be discovered and the cars were the perfect way to do it.”

The lure of the open road wasn’t just its newfound accessibility. Kerouac wove Beatnik romanticism into every phrase, creating a new kind of travel writing, loose and fresh, that sparked the reader’s imagination.

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“He was a poet at heart,” said Benning. “His prose is so infused with lyricism, a love of language and a love for life. He's just a brilliant writer. I'm a travel editor, so I read a lot of travel stories these days, and there just aren't a lot of amazing writers out there doing the kind of work that he was doing. He really made language fresh and found fresh ways to describe the expanses of the countryside or the road before him. He just had a gift.”

As a result, Benning said, Kerouac’s writing feels like you are on the road with the author rather than reliving a second-hand experience.

Brinkley said the novel not only inspired a new way of thinking about writing, but of contemplating the spiritual aspect of travel.

“‘On the Road’ is a book of liberation, of freedom, of discovery of what Kerouac called ‘it’ – that special moment when everything seems perfect,” said Brinkley. “Whether it’s Walt Whitman’s free verse poetry, or the prose of Langston Hughes, spontaneity is our American instinct. And, that book feels spontaneous, and that's the American tradition.

“You don't have to have to have a PhD to be a poet. If it’s a song about yourself, about finding your inner freedom, your inner poetic spirit, then what you write on a napkin at a truck stop is poetry,” he said. “You're creating your own visionary life. There’s a lot swirling around in ‘On the Road’ that points to (the idea that) freedom is yours to be had if you can shake off the square hang-ups of your mind and embrace the vitality of the open road.

65 years since its publication, Kerouac’s ‘On the Road’ still inspires with its ideas of freedom

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“People in their cars are so lazy, that they don’t want to get out of their cars to eat,” said Jessie G. Kirby in 1921. He was the co-owner of Kirby’s Pig Stand in Dallas, Texas, which became the first drive-thru restaurant to open in the United States.

Six years after making his proclamation, Kirby’s restaurant was an undisputed success, serving more than 5,000 chicken-fried steak and pork sandwiches, onion rings, milkshakes and slabs of Texas toast every night.

Kirby revolutionized the restaurant business with a new, quick way to serve customers in their cars, but he also misread its appeal. In the more than 100 years since he labelled car drivers “lazy,” a number of reasons have emerged as to why people love buying without leaving the vehicles.

“The real appeal is convenience,” said Phil de Luna, a research scientist and adjunct professor at the University of Toronto. “When we think about where drive-thrus are primarily used and where they are, in terms of demographics, it's towns that are built around vehicles and cars. It's towns that don't necessarily have access to public transportation or people able to walk to restaurants easily.

“So, drive-thrus are really about saving time and being able to perceive the convenience of not having to leave a car.”

While this may be the case, the existence of drive-thrus are being curbed in some areas of Canada. A 2018 University of Alberta study found that, at the time, more than 27 communities in six different provinces had banned them in some form.

De Luna said there are a few downsides when it comes to drive-thrus. “The first is the environmental impact, which is really around idling and emissions of your car while you wait in the drive thru,” he said, adding a study by the Department of Energy in the United States found that eliminating unnecessary idling of personal vehicles would be the same as taking five million vehicles off the roads annually.

“Drive-thrus are just a piece of that,” he said. “Every time you stop at a stop light, you're idling a little bit. Every time you are stopped by a train that’s going by on the tracks, you idle. So, there’s certainly the emissions impact which also lead to health outcomes and local air quality within that area region.

“There are also the impacts on the environment from the perspective of noise pollution, sound and traffic. If the drive-through is located near a residential community, it can really up-end and disrupt people's lives.”

De Luna also sites an economic impact. The more time we spend in our cars, the more gas we burn. With soaring gas prices, for many people that means less money to spend elsewhere. However, even with so many strikes against them, De Luna doesn’t necessarily think drive-thrus should be banned.

“The environmental impact, with respect to drive-thrus, is significant, but there are lots of other things in our society that emit more than drive-thrus and we're not banning those things,” he said. “From a public perception, who wants to be told that they can't do something? Who wants the government to control what they can or cannot have access to? From that perspective, I don't think it’s politically palatable.”

De Luna said that bans may not be necessary because the way we are using our cars as a society is also changing.

“In the post war boom, North America cities were built with interstate highways or provincial highways built around the car as the focal point of the economy,” he said. “That’s why so much city infrastructure, especially in a place like North America, where we have a relatively distributed population, made sense.”

That may no longer be the case, De Luna said. As more and more people worked from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, and some employees do not want to return to the office, the need to drive to work – and perhaps stop at the drive-thru on your way there or home – is no longer essential to the economy.

“I don't necessarily think that (the drive-thru) is a disease or symptom of car culture. Rather, like every culture, it evolves, and I think the car culture is evolving, too,” he said.

<a href="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/shutterstock_38753656-scaled.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-169130" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/shutterstock_38753656-scaled.jpg" alt="drive thru window" width="2560" height="1704" /></a>

<strong>A closer look</strong>

The 2018 University of Alberta study on drive-thrus, which was published in the “BioMed Central Public Health Journal,” identified the types of bans and the reason for them.

It found full bans on drive-thrus existed in communities like Nelson, Central Saanich, Mission and  Ladysmith in British Columbia, as well as in Rosemont-La-Petite-Patrie, a borough in the city of Montreal.

Partial bans, which might limit where in a city a drive-thru can be built, exist in a 22 cities, including Toronto – and other municipalities in the GTA – Calgary, Vancouver, Fredericton and Halifax.

The study also found the reasons for the limits on drive-thrus ranged included public health, protecting the character of a community, traffic, safety concerns and air and noise pollution concerns.

Banned in some communities, the future of the drive-thru is far from clear

The Smithsonian Institution Holds Press Preview For New National Museum Of African American History And Culture

In music mythology, the Cadillac looms large. Consider the fact that the queen of soul, Aretha Franklin, was such a fan of the automobile that her family arranged to have 100 pink Cadillacs fill the streets outside the Greater Grace Temple in Detroit on the day of her funeral in 2018.

Franklin, like so many other musicians, saw the Cadillac brand not only as luxurious but also as a metaphor. Large and ornate, with sparkling chrome and flamboyant paint jobs, these vehicles echoed their larger-than-life owners – the musicians who rode around like modern-day royalty in their Fleetwoods and Coupe DeVilles.

Owning a Cadillac was an American symbol of success. Riding in one announced, by its sheer size and sometime outlandish accessories, that you had arrived. Just as importantly, the Cadillac emblemized the personal freedom of rock and roll – the spirit of adventure that musicians travelling from gig to gig embodied.

They have also sparked the imaginations of songwriters from Bruce Springsteen and Johnny Cash to Ariana Grande and Joni Mitchell. Here is a look at some of those pedal-to-the-metal Cadillac songs.

<strong>“Baby, Let’s Play House”</strong>

Perhaps no other rocker is as associated with the Cadillac name as Elvis Presley. From 1955 to his death in 1977, the singer purchased more than 200 of the iconic vehicles, keeping some for his private fleet, and giving others away to friends, family and, sometimes, perfect strangers.

His love affair with these opulent vehicles dates to the very beginning of his career, when the former Memphis truck driver bought a pink Fleetwood Series 60 with a powerful 6.0-liter V8 engine to drive his band from gig to gig. “Ambition is a dream with a V8 engine,” Presley famously said. “Ain’t nowhere else in the world where you can go from driving a truck to a Cadillac overnight.”

In his first nationally charting single, a 1955 cover of Arthur Gunter’s blues song “Baby, Let’s Play House,” Presley changed the lyrics to pay homage to his new car. Gunter’s original line, “You may get religion,” was swapped with, “You may have a pink Cadillac.”

The original pink Caddy he owned broke down shortly after the release of the single. Presley replaced it with a blue 1955 Fleetwood he had repainted in a colour that came to be known as “Elvis Rose.”

<a href="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/wh-CadillacSongs-Elvis-May14-scaled.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-168289" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/wh-CadillacSongs-Elvis-May14-scaled.jpg" alt="Cadillac Songs" width="1341" height="2560" /></a>

<strong>“Long White Cadillac”</strong>

Hank Williams was the first bona fide poet of country music. A master at writing simple songs about complex emotions, he earned the nickname The Hillbilly Shakespeare. The writer of “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” passed away at age 29 in the backseat of his 1952 Cadillac convertible as he shuttled between gigs on New Years Day in 1953. His car is now on display in the singer’s hometown of Montgomery, Ala., and has also been the subject of many songs, most notably “Long White Cadillac” by The Blasters.

Although he never mentions Williams by name, writer and guitarist Dave Alvin dedicated the 1983 song to the country singer, and its lyrics certainly capture the melancholy Williams was known for.

<em>Night wolves moan</em>

<em>Winter hills are black</em>

<em>I'm all alone</em>

<em>Sitting in the back</em>

<em>Of a long white Cadillac</em>

Country singer Dwight Yoakum, who later covered the song on his “Just Lookin’ for a Hit” album, called Alvin’s tribute to Williams, “One of the greatest songs ever written. A rock and roll homage to Hank Williams, who was essentially the first rock star.”

<strong>“Cadillac Walk”</strong>

Long before Mink DeVille became famous as the house band at New Yok City punk club CBGBs, it was just another group in search of a name. Its brand of music, a blend of rock, rhythm and blues and soul, demanded an evocative moniker that represented its eclectic mix of music. “One of the guys said, ‘How about Mink DeVille?’” recalled the band’s singer, Willy DeVille (real name Bill Borsey). “There can’t be anything cooler than a fur-lined Cadillac, can there?”

The Cadillac Coupe DeVille inspired the band’s name and one of its best-known tunes, the brooding “Cadillac Walk.” Written by Moon Martin, the rockabilly artist who also penned “Bad Case of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)” made famous by Robert Palmer, the tune is a story song that uses Cadillac metaphors to describe the singer’s girlfriend, a beautiful and seductive woman with “the Cadillac walk.” Others have recorded the song, but Mink DeVille’s sexy and propulsive version best captures the connection between the ideal of a Cadillac as the epitome of car culture cool and rock and roll.

<a href="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/wh-CadillacSongs-Franklin-May14-scaled.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-168288" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/wh-CadillacSongs-Franklin-May14-scaled.jpg" alt="Cadillac Songs" width="2560" height="1648" /></a>

<strong>“Maybellene” </strong>

Chuck Berry’s first single, 1955’s “Maybellene,” is a pioneering rock and roll song and an early example of the guitarist’s obsession with Cadillacs. The story of a hot-and-heavy drag race between a spurned boyfriend in a V8 Ford and his unfaithful girlfriend in a Cadillac Coupe DeVille, it practically invented the rock guitar sound and showed off Berry’s playful use of wordplay. In the first verse he sings, “As I was motorvatin’ over the hill, I saw Maybellene in a Coupe de Ville,” combining the words motoring and motivation to create a blend of words that paint a vivid picture of his V8 feverishly trying to catch up to the Cadillac.

Berry first fell in love with cars when he was seven years old, and always dreamed of owning a Cadillac. He would go on to buy a fleet of them, one of which, a candy-apple red 1973 Cadillac Eldorado is on display at the Smithsonian. The extravagant cars fuelled his writing imagination, turning up in numerous of his hits, including “Nadine” and “No Money Down,” which documents the purchase of his first Cadillac. “It was my fascination for the roads, for driving, motoring, which prompted me to write those songs,” Berry said.

Here’s a look at some pedal-to-the-metal Cadillac songs

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From the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile to the No Frills Hauler Cart, corporate mascot cars have earned miles of smiles over the decades – and turned heads. “They can be a very powerful visual tool,” said Toronto-based sports and marketing consultant Tim McLaughlin. “They’re like rolling billboards.”

For their brands, mascot cars offer an economical way to stage an event on wheels and get their products in front of as many eyes as possible. “If you’re working with a mascot car, your transportation is built in,” said McLaughlin. “You just set out, park the thing and you’re good to go. It’s, ‘We will bring the party with us, wherever we are.’”

For the general public, he said, there can be a deeper connection. “When done right, mascot cars have a unique way of creating an emotive response. For a lot of people, the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, for instance, takes them back to their childhood.”

Here’s a look at four mascot cars that conjure up good feelings and brand awareness.

<strong>Oscar Mayer’s Wienermobile</strong>

One of the most distinctive vehicles ever built, mascot or otherwise, the Wienermobile has been “delivering unlimited joy to thousands of people” since 1936, said Ed Roland, manager of the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile program. Shaped like a hot dog on a bun, its basic design has been refined over the years, but has always remained eye-catching.

“The original Wienermobile was a 13-foot metal hot dog on wheels that had the driver stick his head out of the top of the (weiner),” said Roland. “Today’s Wienermobile is 27-feet long and made of fiberglass. It includes all of the modern conveniences.”

Those consist of a state-of-the-art audio-video system that can play 21 different versions of the company’s famous wiener jingle, a public address system, back-up camera, built-in GPS, a removable “bunroof” and separate climate control systems for the front and rear of the vehicle.

Driven by a “Hotdogger,” who is always recent college graduates, Roland said its fleet of six Wienermobiles travel to new cities each week, where they run events and add content to the company’s social media channels. In addition to the Wienermobile, the company also operates a Mini Wienermobile, Wiener Rover, Wiener Drone and Wiener Cycle.

<strong>Steam Whistle’s Retro Electro </strong>

Greg Taylor, the co-founder and CEO of Steam Whistle Brewing, calls the Retro Electro, its modified 1958 Chevy Apache half-ton pickup with a short box, a “one car parade.” The vehicle has a vintage feel and is painted to match the Pantone 2423 C green shade used for its Pilsner bottles.

<a href="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/wh-MascotCars-Steam-April16.tif"><img class="alignnone size-medium wp-image-167424" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/wh-MascotCars-Steam-April16.tif" alt="" /></a> <a href="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/wh_mascotcars_steam_april16j.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-167431" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/wh_mascotcars_steam_april16j.jpg" alt="steamwhistle mascot" width="480" height="719" /></a>

While it might appear old, the vehicle has a few modern touches that reflect the company’s environmental commitment, Taylor said. The truck has been retrofitted with an emissions-free, high-efficiency motor. “One of the problems with these older vehicles, from a maintenance perspective, is that they are a bit of a nightmare, and they pollute quite a bit,” said Taylor. “We were heading in the direction of taking care of the environment, so we thought, ‘What if we could resolve the issues with these vintage vehicles by replacing the drive system with something that was green.’ That’s when we came up with the idea of converting it into an electric vehicle.”

<strong>Planters Peanuts’ Nutmobile</strong>

At nearly 6,000 kilograms, or the equivalent weight of three million peanuts, the Planters’ Nutmobile is one of the largest, oldest and – pardon the pun – nuttiest mascot vehicles on the road. “The first peanut car was built and was used by a peanut salesman starting in 1935,” said Jaynee Dykes, senior brand manager for Planters. “We have a legume on wheels. It started a year before the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, so we might be the oldest.”

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Featuring a peanut-shaped dashboard and front grill, and a “dry roasted, lightly salted fiberglass shell,” the Nutmobile appears annually at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, has driven on NASCAR racetracks and makes regular stops at parades, festivals and retail outlets across the United States.

The vehicle’s design has remained consistent for the last decade, but it is now equipped with a biodiesel generator that provides energy for events during its tour stops.

“Anywhere the Nutmobile is, you will definitely find Mr. Peanut along with three amazing ‘Peanutters’ who are helping Mr. Peanut give out samples,” said Dykes, who adds there are plenty of “shellfies” photo opportunities. “Mr. Peanut and the Nutmobile go hand in hand. They go everywhere together because, technically, that is his home, right?”

<strong>No Frills’ Hauler Cart</strong>

During its Haulerverse marketing campaign, No Frills, the budget grocery chain with the distinctive yellow and black painted stores, found a catchy way to celebrate its customers, the “everyday haulers,” on their quest to get more for less.

The company’s campaign included the release of the “Hauler: Aisles of Glory” video game, a grocery-themed hip-hop album called “Haulin’ State of Mind” and a branded vehicle, the Hauler Cart.

<a href="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/wh-MascotCars-Cart-April16-scaled.jpeg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-167425" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/wh-MascotCars-Cart-April16-scaled.jpeg" alt="Mascot Cars" width="2560" height="1920" /></a>

David Becker, senior brand manager for No Frills, said the three-metre-high shopping cart, powered by a small-block V8 engine, was “inspired by our experiential marketing agency that first discovered this unique spectacle in Pennsylvania. We rented this inspirational giant shopping cart, and it was such a hit with our customers that we commissioned a local company to build a one-of-a-kind No Frills-inspired Hauler Cart.”

The vehicle first appeared in 2018 and Becker said it plays music – the company’s “Hauler Anthem” – sprays bubbles and provides a unique photo opportunity. “The Hauler Cart is such a spectacle and hit with our customers,” he said. “We have not considered any design changes.”

Rolling billboards conjure up good feelings and brand awareness

The Italian Job

From “Bad Boys” and “Transformers” to “The Rock” and “Pain and Gain,” director Michal Bay has made a career of staging wild chase scenes featuring a wide range of getaway cars. His latest movie, “Ambulance,” starring Jake Gyllenhaal and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, sees two fugitives hijack an ambulance – a vehicle no seasoned criminal would ever use in real life – to outrun the law.

A former homicide detective and a crime expert for Bell Media, Mark Mendelson said an ambulance, given its sirens and size, is a bad choice if you want to escape a foe or the police. His getaway car dos and don’ts are all about being inconspicuous.

“Common sedans are what works best. No SUV’s. Smaller is better. In short, low key is the magic component. I’m thinking Honda, Subaru or Hyundai,” Mendelson said. “Pick a car that isn’t flashy. Boring is good. Don’t squeal on the way out. Nice and easy does it. You don’t want to attract attention.”

Of course, directors like Bay want to attract audience attention with unusual getaway cars, like the ones listed below. Here are a few of the interesting cinematic choices that have appeared in past movies.

<strong>The Mini Cooper in “The Italian Job” </strong>

Matthew Field, author of “The Self Preservation Society: 50 years of The Italian Job,” said the multiple Mini Cooper getaway cars used in the 1969 British heist flick “The Italian Job” were the main attraction. “The Minis were the stars,” he said, “even outshining (actor) Michael Caine.”

While they might not have the horsepower of other getaway vehicles, the Minis compact size made them the perfect choice to manoeuvre the narrow, clogged streets of Turin during the movie’s epic closing car chase – which Screen Rant called the second-best in screen history.

“It was the perfect car for the movie because it was full of character, and it represented the optimistic new Britain of the 1960s,” said Field. “They were egalitarian, a prince or a student could drive one.”

From careening down flights of stairs, to driving through buildings and squeezing into sewage pipes, the vehicles got the cinematic job done in ways larger cars could not. “Being front wheel drive, the Minis were perfect for escaping the Italian police through the palazzos and gallerias and over the rooftops of Turin,” said Field.

<strong>The flying Winnebago in “Spaceballs”</strong>

A great getaway car should be discreet and fast, but one of the most memorable movie escape vehicles is neither. When Mel Brooks was planning “Spaceballs,” his 1987 “Star Wars” satire, he needed a spoof Millennium Falcon-style spacecraft for his mercenaries, Lone Starr and Barf.

Instead of mimicking George Lucas’ vision of the future, Brooks went for what he called a “strange but wonderful salute to what you’d see on any highway in America.” He transformed a 6500-kilogram 1986 Winnebago Chieftain 33 into the Eagle 5 spaceship. Equipped with wings, space engines, a periscope, secret hyper jets and a "I Love Uranus" bumper sticker, the motorhome successfully delivered Princess Vespa out of the clutches of the evil Dark Helmet.

<a href="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/wh-AmbulanceMovie-Spaceballs-April9.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-167269" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/wh-AmbulanceMovie-Spaceballs-April9.jpg" alt="Abulance Movies" width="1600" height="900" /></a>

Brooks is on record as sayings the use of the Winnebago led to one of the best lines in “Spaceballs.” After the Eagle 5 crashes on a desert planet, Canadian comedian John Candy, playing the half-man, half-dog Barf, adlibbed, “Well, that’s going to leave a mark.”

“It’s one of the big laughs in the movie,” Brooks recounted in an essay he wrote for Literary Hub.

<strong>The split Honda Z in “Malcom”</strong>

Getaway cars must be adaptable, and few are more so than the two-door hatchback Honda Z in the 1986 Australian cult comedy “Malcolm.” Actor Colin Friels plays a socially awkward inventor who creates a getaway car that splits down the middle so that one half can go right, while the other veers left, to evade the police.

<a href="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/wh-AmbulanceMovie-Malcolm-April9.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-167270" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/wh-AmbulanceMovie-Malcolm-April9.jpg" alt="Abulance Movies" width="1280" height="720" /></a>

Producer David Parker knew the quirky car would be a selling point for the film, so, even before he had financing or a final script, he adopted an “If you build it, they will come” ethos. He had a 1970 Honda Z cut in half and two minibikes were welded to each side to allow the vehicle to separate and still be driveable. In the 36 years since the film’s release, the whimsical getaway car has become so beloved that it is now enshrined at the Australian National Film and Sound Archive.

<strong>James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5</strong>

“When you think James Bond, you automatically think the Aston Martin DB5,” said Murray Gillespie, Canada's James Bond Expert. The car, which has saved 007’s bacon more than any other vehicle, was first seen in 1964’s “Goldfinger.”

Tricked out with a series of gadgets – including two Browning machine guns, extendable bumpers for use as batteringrams, a smoke dispenser and a bullet-proof screen to protect the rear window – it was the perfect vehicle to elude S.P.E.C.T.R.E. agents and other bad guys. “We always know that when Bond is in trouble, the car is going to save him,” said Gillespie.

<a href="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/wh-AmbulanceMovie-Bond-April9.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-167272" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/wh-AmbulanceMovie-Bond-April9.jpg" alt="Ambulance Movies" width="886" height="656" /></a>

The auto’s technology was created by movie production designer Ken Adam, who took inspiration from his experiences serving in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War, when he flew a heavily armed Hawker Typhoon. One of the car’s most popular additions, however, was its revolving licence plate numbers, which was the brainchild of director Guy Hamilton. He suggested the modification after he received a parking ticket while shooting the movie.

<strong>The 1974 Dodge Monaco in “The Blues Brothers”</strong>

The 1974 Dodge Monaco featured in “The Blues Brothers,” the 1980 comedy starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as blues singers fighting to reunite their old R&amp;B band and save the orphanage where they were raised, isn’t just a decommissioned police cruiser. It is also an ideal getaway car.

Nicknamed the Bluesmobile and equipped with “a cop motor, cop tires, cop suspension and cop shocks,” it outruns not only the police but also a group of neo-Nazis in Ford station wagons. It even jumps over the 95th Street Bridge in Chicago to evade its pursuers.

<a href="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/wh-AmbulanceMovie-Blues-April9.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-167273" src="https://wordpress.wheels.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/wh-AmbulanceMovie-Blues-April9.jpg" alt="Blues Brothers" width="1156" height="771" /></a>

Aykroyd, who cowrote the movie with director John Landis, said they “cast” the 1974 Dodge Monaco because it was the hottest of all the 1970s vintage police vehicles they saw. To keep up with production demands, the film crew tracked down 13 Monacos that were former California Highway Patrol vehicles and modified them to look like Mount Prospect, Ill., patrol cars.

These 5 getaway vehicles stole the show

FILM-FOURSTARS

“To the Batmobile!” is one of the most famous lines from the “Batman” TV show. It was a clarion call that meant the Caped Crusader was off to fight crime. He doesn’t tool around Gotham doing errands or taking leisurely drives in the country in his armoured car. His Batmobile is all business.

But what about when superheroes are not battling their supervillain foes? What vehicles would they use to get from Point A to Point B or to drop off their kids at daycare? We asked some comic book fans to give their opinion.
<h3><strong>THOR ODINSON</strong></h3>
Comedian and actor Sean Cullen imagines Thor – Marvel’s Asgardian God of Thunder – behind the wheel of a Hummer.

“I would say if he had a hammer, he’d buy a Hummer,” said Cullen. “He might even have a specialty licence plate that reads ‘HAMMER.’ I think it would be a hybrid because he could charge his car very easily using his hammer. There’d be some kind of charging cradle there and, ‘boom,’ he can completely charge the car. No time at all.

[caption id="attachment_165925" align="alignnone" width="2560"]<a href="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/wh-SuperheroCars-Manic-March12-4-scaled.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-165925" src="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/wh-SuperheroCars-Manic-March12-4-scaled.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1714" /></a> On 23-jun-10, at 8:09 pm, richardson, mark wrote: three cars at the in search of the canadian car exhibition. Handout photos courtesy of the canada science and technology museum. 1867 steam buggy 1961 montcalm 1971 manic mark richardson editor, wheels the toronto star (416) 869-4819 direct[/caption]

“He doesn't need airbags because he just puts his arm out and holds himself in the seat. He probably doesn't even need a seatbelt, although he’d probably would wear one to avoid getting tickets,” he said.
<h3><strong>SUSAN STORM</strong></h3>
New York Times bestselling graphic novelist Johnnie Christmas thinks Sue Storm, a.k.a. the Fantastic Four’s Invisible Woman, would drive a car that echoes her powers.

“She can make these force fields for protection and safety, and the car she would drive is the 2021 Toyota Corolla, in white, because it is a bestselling car of all time, so it's completely ubiquitous,” said Christmas. “She’d be completely invisible in the thing.

“No one is going to notice you if you’re in that car. The 2019 was the 2021 safety pick by the highway safety rating agency, so it's right in line with her safety force fields,” said Christmas, who co-created the series “Angel Catbird” with Margaret Atwood.
<h3><strong>SPIDER-MAN</strong></h3>
Peter Parker’s choice of auto, according to Jim Zub – who has written for Marvel and DC Comics among many others – would be due to his circumstances.

“The classic Spider-Man, and inadvertently the Spider-Man who's at the end of ‘No Way Home,’ is experiencing the Parker Luck. He’s down on his luck, struggling and not in a financially great spot,” said Zub. “He might have a Corolla, but he's probably got a really old one, and it's probably not in the best kind of shape. In the glove box, of course, he's going to have extra web fluid and his web shooters ready to go if he needs a refresh.

<a href="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/wh-SuperheroCars-Canuck2-March12-5-scaled.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-165927" src="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/wh-SuperheroCars-Canuck2-March12-5-scaled.jpg" alt="Superhero Cars" width="2560" height="1920" /></a>

“Airbags are not a big deal to Spider-Man because he's got spider sense, so he would be able to sense the danger before the impact,” Zub said. “The good thing is, he has super strength so if he ever gets the boot (wheel clamp) on a tire, he can always just tear it off and go.

“The one thing that Peter would definitely buy is winter tires,” he said. “He doesn't want to lose tension or grip while he's driving. He's used to having a nice solid traction wherever he goes.”
<h3><strong>CAPTAIN CANUCK</strong></h3>
The original issues of Captain Canuck, the story of the costumed agent of the Canadian International Security Organization, were published in the 1970s, but set in the early 1990s. Fadi Hakim, owner of Comic House and Captain Canuck, said creator Richard Comely, “had a vision of the future. He had these cool geometrically shaped cars. They’re super interesting. The closest I can kind of find by comparison is sort of like what Tesla's doing with the Cybertruck.

[caption id="attachment_165926" align="alignnone" width="1920"]<a href="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/wh-SuperheroCars-Hummer-March12-2.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-165926" src="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/wh-SuperheroCars-Hummer-March12-2.jpg" alt="Superhero Cars" width="1920" height="993" /></a> 2022 GMC Hummer EV The 2022 GMC HUMMER EV is a first-of-its kind supertruck developed to forge new paths with zero emissions.<br />Uploaded external by: Patrick, Kyle[/caption]

“Then I started to do research on Canadian cars, and I found this gem. I came across this thing called the Manic GT. It was built in the 1970s and is geometrically shaped like Comely’s vision. This car is unbelievable. It was a product of Les Automobiles Manic Inc. of Granby, Que. Only 180 were made in production, and I think Captain Canuck would love its look and speed. It also has a sunroof so he could get out of it pretty quick.”
<h3><strong>DOCTOR STRANGE</strong></h3>
Teddy Wilson knows transportation and superheroes. The host of “Mighty Trains” on Discovery Canada, and a self-described “superhero superfan,” paired Marvel’s Doctor Stephen Strange with the 2021 Subaru Forester. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s top safety pick, he said, is the perfect vehicle for the caped super-sorcerer.

“Doctor Strange’s entire superhero arc was put in motion by a near-fatal crash while he was speeding and distracted by a brain X-ray (the neurosurgeon equivalent of driving while texting?) in his Lamborghini Huracán Coupe,” said Wilson. “This dude needs some vehicular safety.

“I’m aware the Doctor now has near-omnipotent powers that could protect him from future crashes. But what if those powers were temporarily disabled, like in the ‘Doctor Strange’ No. 381 storyline? In that case, he’d need the safest ride possible. And while there are certainly safe cars that are more <em>luxurious</em>, I’d advise him to keep a low profile in a less attention-grabbing whip,” he said.

<a href="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/wh-SuperheroCars-Canuck1-March12-3-scaled.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-165928" src="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/wh-SuperheroCars-Canuck1-March12-3-scaled.jpg" alt="Superhero Cars" width="2560" height="1920" /></a>

“(As a) bonus, The Subaru Forester’s compact SUV design includes great storage and a surprisingly roomy trunk, perfect for transporting his enchanted Cloak of Levitation to the dry cleaners. Strange days, indeed.”

What would Superheroes drive if they had a car?

from BBS upload

It was like walking into the “Twilight Zone.” Turning the corner at Toronto’s Yonge and Richmond streets in summer 2004, you would have been transported back to New York City in the 1930s.

One side of the Hudson Bay building featured a large vintage sign that read Madison Square Garden. On the street men wore fedoras, double-breasted overcoats and women donned stylish wool dresses with lace cuffs. The road was jammed with vehicles built when Franklin D. Roosevelt was president.

It was “like stepping back in time,” said car co-ordinator Scott Magee.

Magee’s job was to help create the illusion of New York City’s Eighth Avenue when the film “Cinderella Man” – a 2005 biopic starring Russell Crowe as boxer James J. Braddock – filmed in Toronto.

“I had over 150 cars, all vintage,” he said.

A large-scale movie scene like that is made possible by a picture car co-ordinator, a film professional responsible for sourcing vehicles, transporting them to set and, in many cases, modifying the cars to meet the needs of the production.

“A co-ordinator has to bring alive what is in the script,” said car co-ordinator Mark-Angel Polanco. “We could be filming something in the 1980s or the 1920s (and) I have to come up with ideas for vehicles and provide them to the producers and the writers.

“As well as doing a budget prior to shooting the scenes, I have to arrange to get those vehicles there. A lot of these vehicles could be very far out of town, so I have to arrange the tows to drop them off and to pick them up. I have to arrange the picture vehicle wranglers, the people that are going to be moving them around.”

Movie cars are sourced from a variety of places. There are one-stop shopping companies –including Pixture Cars Canada, Picture Vehicles Specialties and MK Picture Cars – that carry large inventories of vehicles. These can range from Model Ts to modern day New York City cabs

“I generally like to rent cars from the people of Ontario, or any province that I'm shooting in, because it makes it a little more special for them to be part of the show,” said Magee. “I take care of it all: trains, planes and automobiles.”

Magee said one buying trip that saw him purchase five New York City buses, 35 cabs, 10 town cars and 20 police cars.

“I brought them all back to Toronto and we travelled to every location with those vehicles,” he said.

Polanco, whose motto is, “You ring, we bring,” has tracked down Model Ts and Mercury Capris. “I have been involved in shows with very old vehicles from the 1920s, ’30s and ’40s, but interestingly enough the ’72 or ’73 Pinto, are close to impossible to find,” he said.

The secret of finding exactly the perfect car for the right scene is to be resourceful, and always keep your eyes open, Polanco said.

<a href="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/wh-FilmCars-Brokeback-March5-2.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-165806" src="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/wh-FilmCars-Brokeback-March5-2.jpg" alt="Film Cars" width="1769" height="1191" /></a>

“I have numerous vendors and contacts. You could see somebody with a fabulous classic car at a gas station, and, boom, he's in your contact list,” he said.
<h3><strong>The perfect car</strong></h3>
Glenn Hughes is another car co-ordinator working in Ontario who finds vehicles for movies and TV shows. He has sourced vehicles from private owners to the United States Coast Guard.

“Most cars have egos,” said Hughes, “Because of that, the owners listen to their cars. So, it’s kind of like a bragging right. Like my car was in ‘Hollywoodland.’ My car was in the new season of ‘Fargo.’”

Being a star car in a movie also comes with other benefits, he said. “If you get the right car in the right movie and the right script, that could put the value of a car up considerably.” For example, the black pickup truck driven by Jake Gyllenhaal’s character on “Brokeback Mountain” sold for more than $60,000 (U.S.) after the movie was released.

The work of a car co-ordinators doesn’t stop when the vehicle is delivered to the set. They often work with the movie’s special effects department to rig the cars for specialized shots. “If we are going to throw a car in the river, we have to completely detox it,” said Magee. “Take all the oils out, drain all the fluids. There are different things we must do for different shots. If we’re going to burn it, we have to take all the plastics out.”

They help solve all manner of problems. “Let’s say the lead actor is a child,” said Polanco. “He will sit in the vehicle but it's really somebody driving on top. That’s called a top rider.”

Hughes described how they make that movie magic happen. “We disconnect everything and put the steering wheel on top of the car with the gas, brake and everything else. We can drive the car from the roof, so it looks like the actor is actually driving,” he said.

Surprisingly, solving things likes this isn’t the biggest challenge car co-ordinators face. Many times, it is just trying to find a specific car.

“There’s always a car you can’t find,” said Hughes. “Sometimes it’s the simplest car that makes it difficult.”

Whether it is one car on a lonely highway, or a 300-vehicle traffic jam, the picture car co-ordinator is there to serve the movie, and authenticity is paramount. The wrong year or model of car can ruin a scene.

“That stuff annoys the hell out of picture car guys,” said Magee. “It’s painful to watch.”

Where do film cars come from?

Imagen de The Batman

As a wealthy undercover crimefighter, Bruce Wayne, a.k.a. Batman, has his choice of inventive ways to get around Gotham City. There’s the Batplane, Batcopter and its cousin, the Whirly-Bat. The LEGO Batman even had a Segway to save wear and tear on his battle-weary legs and knees.

As cool as all those vehicles are, they pale in comparison to the Dark Knight’s main ride, the Batmobile.

Unlike the tricked-out cars the crimefighter has driven in movies and on TV, the first Batmobile – seen in the May 1939 issue of Detective Comics No. 27 – was a no-frills red coupe. Dubbed the Batmobile in 1941, the design has evolved over the years, but always reflected Batman’s personality.

Bob Greenberger, writer and editor of more than 100 books and anthologies – many within the DC and Marvel comic universes – said Batman’s car must be a “role model vehicle for a role model hero.”

On March 4, when the character returns to theatres in “The Batman,” fans can count on seeing Robert Pattinson, who takes over the role from Ben Affleck, in a new Batsuit featuring nifty gadgets. They can also expect a new Batmobile.

The latest version reflects the gritty vision of director Matt Reeves’s film. Unlike the futuristic designs of recent Batmobiles, this vehicle is a muscle car, inspired by the Dodge Challenger, Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Camaro. It will also feature wider fenders, a battering ram, and, in a nod to Batmobiles of the past, a jet propulsion system that shoots flames. The dark design is said to reflect the brooding personality of Pattinson’s Batman.

With so many Batmobiles to choose from over the decades, we asked several Batman experts to choose their favourite version of the vehicle.
<h3><strong>George Barris’ Batmobile</strong></h3>
Greenberger chose the classic 1966 Batmobile. Equipped with all the latest crime-fighting gadgets, it was featured in the live action TV show, which aired from 1966 and 1968, and a film adaptation.

“Imagine seven-year-old me seeing the George Barris-designed vehicle screeching out of the Batcave on Jan. 12, 1966,” said Greenberger. “I was astonished and instantly fell in love. It was sleek, fast and had all sorts of gadgets, as witnessed in the very first episodes.

“It was a real car, that was obvious, but it was unlike any car I had ever seen back then,” he said. “It had rockets, a bat-beam, parachutes, a phone, more. It needed atomic batteries and a nuclear charging station, which seemed amazing to my young mind.”

<a href="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/wh-Batmobile-Barris-Feb26-2.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-165630" src="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/wh-Batmobile-Barris-Feb26-2.jpg" alt="Batmobile" width="2000" height="1460" /></a>

Londyn Jackson, from the website History of the Batman, said this Batmobile represented Batman’s leap into popular culture. “Before the series in the early 1960s, Batman comics sales were declining, almost threatening to make the Dark Knight more obscure within DC Comics, which seems unfathomable in retrospect today,” said Jackson.

“George Barris' car truly brought this common piece of Caped Crusader’s comic book iconography to life and, more importantly, into households around the globe. Adam West’s Batmobile, with all its bat features and emblems, was just as colourfully fascinating as the Pop Art era of the time, which makes it one of the most perfect Batmobiles to hit the big screen.”
<h3><strong>The 1989 Batmobile</strong></h3>
Pedro Vargas-Zamora, known on social media as @BatmanCanada, said the 1989 Batmobile from the movies “Batman” and “Batman Returns” is his favourite. This is the car Batman used to rescue Vicki Vale from the clutches of the Joker. It’s one of Batman’s crime fighting tools that prompted the Joker to ask, “Where does he get those wonderful toys?”

“It screams Batman all over,” said Vargas-Zamora. “It’s one of those vehicles where it doesn’t matter if you only get to see a corner, the front or the rear, you will recognize it right away. It also integrates that elegant, sophisticated-yet-intimidating look to the body’s lines. The accents used are full of aircraft-like parts, such as the jet turbine engine, the exhaust after-burner and the instrumentation of the cockpit, giving the car that ahead-of-its-time look that I enjoy so much.

<a href="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/wh-Batmobile-Jet-Feb26-3.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-165628" src="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/wh-Batmobile-Jet-Feb26-3.jpg" alt="Batmobile" width="891" height="586" /></a>

“It captures the very meaning of what Batman means to me: preparation, resourcefulness, adaptation and resilience.”
<h3><strong>The Tumbler Batmobile</strong></h3>
Mark Askwith, writer, producer and creator of the “Prisoners of Gravity” TV series, said choosing a favourite Batmobile is like asking, “What’s your favourite Elvis Costello song? You're going have 40 of them.” He settled on the off-road tank tumbler from “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight.”

[caption id="attachment_165629" align="alignnone" width="2100"]<a href="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/wh-Batmobile-Begins-Feb26-4.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-165629" src="https://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/wh-Batmobile-Begins-Feb26-4.jpg" alt="Batmobile" width="2100" height="1396" /></a> <span style="font-size: 16px;">“The reason I like it so much is that it's a great military design,” he said. “It makes sense in terms of those first two Christopher Nolan Batman movies. I love that it suits that character. The key to the Batmobile is that each Batmobile fits the personality of the Bruce Wayne (and) Batman. The tumbler is for the grimmer, more serious, more realistic Batman. If you are going to be Batman in a Gotham City that was going toxic, what that Batmobiles says is, ‘This is a very grim world. This is a very grim Gotham.’”</span>[/caption]

What's your favourite Batmobile?

wh-CarBattle-Miami-Feb12 (3)

Popular culture in the 1980s was filled with memorable vehicles. On TV and in movies, these rides were integral to the storylines, turned heads because of how cool they were, and, in some cases, even terrified us. But which was the greatest?

In this battle of the 1980s rides, we match two vehicles against each other and had our experts decide which one represented the decade the best. It’s a fun, speculative game. We asked Robert Thompson, Syracuse University professor of TV, radio and film, and Benjamin Hunting, a Montreal-based writer and host of the “Unnamed Automotive Podcast,” to argue for their favourite vehicles from the 1980s.
<h3><strong>MATCH NO. 1</strong></h3>
<h3><strong>The Ferrari 308 GTS on “Magnum P.I.” vs. the 1979 Dodge Power Wagon on “Simon &amp; Simon”</strong></h3>
Aired back-to-back for most of the 1980s, detective shows “Magnum P.I.” and “Simon &amp; Simon” had distinctly different approaches when it came to the treatment of their vehicles. While Thomas Magnum roamed Hawaii in a Ferrari 308 GTS, Rick and A.J. Simon travelled from crime to crime in a 1979 Dodge Power Wagon.

“You have to give it to the Power Wagon,” said Hunting. “Rick and A.J. Simon clearly really didn't care what happened to that truck. It did everything. It smashed into crowds. It rolled into stuff. Whereas that Ferrari, it didn’t even belong to Magnum. It was kind of a baby he had to look after (for his boss), and he couldn't be too hard on it.

“I think Magnum is just a little too worried about scratching the paint.”

<a href="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Magnum-1.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-165353" src="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Magnum-1.jpg" alt="Magnum PI" width="2000" height="1556" /></a>
<h3><strong>MATCH NO. 2</strong></h3>
<h3><strong>The GMC Vandura on “The A-Team” vs. the Dodge Charger on “Dukes of Hazzard”</strong></h3>
Two popular shows of the 1980s, action-packed “The A-Team” and “Dukes of Hazzard” featured vehicles that were more like characters than just modes of transport. But, Thompson said, neither vehicle has aged well.

“This is one where I think both are compromised,” said Thompson. “’The A-Team’ vehicle is a van, so it carries with it the idea that either it's going to be filled with hippies, like the van on ‘Scooby-Doo,’ or it's going to be used to pick people up for soccer practice. So, it's already got a couple of notches against, even though it was a very cool van that did cool things.”

Thompson said the Dodge Charger on the “Dukes of Hazzard” – called the General Lee – could probably out race “The A-Team” van, but the car has an insurmountable mark against it.

“The General Lee has a Confederate flag plastered all over it, and it wasn't as though we are retroactively judging that in 2022. That was inappropriate in 1978 when that show came out. By that time, the Confederate flag already had decades of being used in pro-segregation protests and all that kind of stuff. The Confederate flag had really been established to mean something and it should have seemed very strange that it was (used on) ‘Dukes of Hazzard.’ And, not just by today's standards.

“In this one, I give it to the van whose stigma is less bad than the General Lee,” Thompson said.

<a href="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/wh-CarBattle-Dukes-Feb12-2.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-165350" src="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/wh-CarBattle-Dukes-Feb12-2.jpg" alt="Dukes of Hazards" width="2000" height="1986" /></a>
<h3><strong>MATCH NO. 3</strong></h3>
<h3><strong>The semi-truck with a Green Goblin face from “Maximum Overdrive” vs. the Transcon Medi-Vac from “The Cannonball Run” </strong></h3>
These movies – one a comedy-horror directed by Stephen King and the other an action-comedy starring Burt Reynolds and his comedic sidekick, Dom DeLuise – both feature interesting vehicles. “Maximum Overdrive” introduced viewers to a homicidal Western Star 4800 semi-truck with a large grinning Green Goblin mask on the front of it, while “The Cannonball Run” included a souped-up ambulance built for speed and taking part in a cross-country car race. Hunting said this match is “an interesting face off.”

“I’m going to give it to the sentient murder truck. There's no way DeLuise escapes that. He’s too goofy. He’s going to be distracted by something. There’s going to be a plate of food nearby, or someone's going make a terrible joke, or Burt Reynolds is going to need help,” he said. “That truck was out for blood, and it was in control of a lot of other trucks. So, the murder truck definitely wins.”

<a href="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Cannonball.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-165355" src="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Cannonball.jpg" alt="Cannonball" width="950" height="500" /></a> <a href="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Maximum.png"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-165352" src="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Maximum.png" alt="Maximum" width="1366" height="606" /></a>

<strong>MATCH NO. 4</strong>

<strong>Optimus Prime from “Transformers” vs. Ecto-1 from “Ghostbusters” </strong>

At first glance, Hunting admits this battle is lopsided. “It’s not really fair,” he said, “considering one is a giant robot with a laser gun.” It would seem obvious that the transforming robot that turned into a semi truck from the original 1980s cartoon would reign supreme against a refurbished 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor Sentinel used to help bust ghosts, but it boils down to killer instincts.

“No one ever died in the in the original ‘Transformers,’” Hunting said. “They were either stunned or knocked out or they jumped out of the way at the last minute. So, it’s really hard to assess just how lethal Optimus Prime would be.”

When it comes to the Ecto-1, Hunting said a feature seen in the recent “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” film and included in the 1980s cartoon series does change things for him — a gunner seat that slides out of the side of the vehicle.

“I feel like that leveled the playing field between these two opponents,” Hunting said. “I'm going to give it to Ecto-1 because clearly the ‘Ghostbusters’ characters did kill things – even if they were already dead. So, in my mind, that gives it the advantage in this competition.”

<a href="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Ghostbusters-scaled.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-165354" src="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Ghostbusters-scaled.jpg" alt="Ghostbusters" width="2560" height="1703" /></a>

<a href="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/wh-CarBattle-Optimus-Feb12.jpg"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-165348" src="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/wh-CarBattle-Optimus-Feb12.jpg" alt="Optimus Prime" width="1440" height="1080" /></a>

<strong>MATCH NO. 5</strong>

<strong>The Ferrari Testarossa from “Miami Vice” vs. all other 1980s cars</strong>

“If I had to choose the ultimate winner of the 1980s car battle,” said Thompson, “it would be the Ferrari Testarossa from ‘Miami Vice.’” The highly stylized drama starred Don Johnson as police detective James (Sonny) Crockett.

“I can think of very few things that represent American popular culture in the 1980s more than Miami Vice. That was about as ’80s as it gets,” said Thompson. “If Optimus Prime goes against the ‘Miami Vice’ Ferrari, it’s going to be able to crush it and fold it into pieces. If you're trying to escape federal agents, probably ‘The A-Team’ van can do it better. But if you simply want to look cool, you can't do better than that Ferrari.

“In TV we know they’re going to escape. We know it is all going work out no matter what car you're driving. In the end, it's all about the surface, and that car had one cool surface.”

Pop culture...Battle of the 1980s rides

Royal Windsor Horse Show - Day Three

The four-wheel drive, off-road Land Rover was once advertised as the “go anywhere” option “for the farmer, the countryman and general industrial use.”

While that description doesn’t exactly conjure up visions of majesty, Queen Elizabeth II has a long connection to these vehicles. In fact, it has been a favorite of the Royal Family since her father, King George VI, was presented with the 100th Land Rover to come off the assembly line in 1948.

“I don't know how many people know that all the Windsors are car fanatics,” said Giles Chapman, author of “The Jaguar Century.” Jaguar Land Rover has owned the car manufacturer since 2008, and produces its family of vehicles, which includes the Range Rover line.

Seventy years ago, just before her coronation on Feb. 6, 1952, the Queen received her first Land Rover and has since amassed a fleet of more than 30 for use at ceremonial events and on her private estates. Her eldest granddaughter, Zara Tindall, is the brand’s official ambassador. Even Prince Phillip was a fan, and, after his death in April 2021, had his coffin transported in a Land Rover Defender TD5 130. The customized vehicle was painted in a dark, military bronze green.

“Prince Philip pimped out a Land Rover as his hearse for his funeral, which is odd, let’s be honest,” said Daily Telegraph columnist Stephen Armstrong. “The idea that you would choose to make your own hearse out of a Land Rover suggests you have a particularly intense relationship with that kind of vehicle.”

In part, that relationship stems from the practicality the Land Rover offers. “The Royal Family are sort of country folk,” said Armstrong. “They own, essentially, the United Kingdom. Almost every single piece of land is owned by the Queen, and she's got to get about it somehow. They don’t spend all their time with the crowns. They do spend a lot of time with their farm managers, so it's a very useful vehicle.”

“When the Land Rover was launched in 1948, there was literally nothing else like it,” said Chapman. “The fact that the royal household would acquire a couple for their several country estates in the U.K. is not a surprise. Land Rover first got a warrant from the royal household in 1951. That’s a little badge of honor to say that you supply the Royal Family, and it can be on a bottle of HP Sauce or a pair of wellington boots or a car.”

[caption id="attachment_165154" align="alignnone" width="2560"]<a href="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/wh-QueenRover-Funeral-Feb5-1-scaled.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-165154" src="http://d3odfdcwc42kff.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/wh-QueenRover-Funeral-Feb5-1-scaled.jpg" alt="Jubilee" width="2560" height="1706" /></a> WINDSOR, ENGLAND - APRIL 17: Princess Anne, Princess Royal, Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Prince Andrew, Duke of York, Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex, Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, Peter Phillips, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, Earl of Snowdon David Armstrong-Jones and Vice-Admiral Sir Timothy Laurence follow Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh's coffin during the Ceremonial Procession during the funeral of Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh at Windsor Castle on April 17, 2021 in Windsor, England. Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark was born 10 June 1921, in Greece. He served in the British Royal Navy and fought in WWII. He married the then Princess Elizabeth on 20 November 1947 and was created Duke of Edinburgh, Earl of Merioneth, and Baron Greenwich by King VI. He served as Prince Consort to Queen Elizabeth II until his death on April 9 2021, months short of his 100th birthday. His funeral takes place today at Windsor Castle with only 30 guests invited due to Coronavirus pandemic restrictions. (Photo by Leon Neal/WPA Pool/Getty Images )[/caption]

Today the Land Rover brand has gone upmarket, but it debuted as a utilitarian, four-wheel-drive off-road vehicle.

“A sort of hybrid between a pickup truck and tractor,” said Chapman. That design was not only practical, but also made sense for the Royal Family from a public relations standpoint in the years following the Second World War.

“Very, very left-wing movements in the country swept the Labour Party to power on a very radical democratic socialist agenda,” said Armstrong about the party’s landslide win in the 1945 general election. “The idea that you would have a royal family that rubbed their wealth into the British people's face in the 1950s and 1960s would not have gone down well.”

The modest vehicle also appealed to the aristocratic class’s long held way of thinking. “There used to be a slur that the aristocrats used to use to talk about someone who was lower class by saying, ‘Well, they bought all their own furniture.’ (It) is an indication of how (much they liked) hard wearing, long-lasting sorts of clothing and vehicles,” said Armstrong.

“If you look at the British labels associated with aristocracy, the shoes and clothing, they are all the kinds of things that just don't fall apart. Land Rover fits very much into that. It is starting to get a bit overly fancy as it appeals more and more to the West London set, but it was, essentially, part of the hard-wearing tradition of the aristocratic and Royal family approach to the land and approach to life.”

There may be another reason the Queen likes the vehicles. Despite being the only person in Britain who doesn’t need a driver’s licence, Queen Elizabeth did have a licence while she was still a princess. She also trained as a driver and mechanic during the Second World War with the women’s branch of the British Army, called the Auxiliary Territorial Service.

“She drove ambulances as part of the war effort,” said Chapman. “She was also able to open the bonnet of a vehicle, open her toolkit and do repairs. So, she’s a surprisingly practical person. I think if you or I were to drive a Land Rover from the 1950s or 1960s now, we’d find it heavy, uncomfortable and bouncy. The opposite of a sophisticated modern car. I think she’s grown up with vehicles like that. So, if there are any shortcomings in in the sort of ancientness of the Land Rover design, I don't think she minds at all.”

Chapman said that a sturdy Land Rover, “Seems to sum up Queen Elizabeth II. It’s very capable. It’s quite sophisticated, but it’s also got a sort of austerity about it.”

Richard Crouse

Articles by Richard Crouse