Above is a picture of Bella's truck from the popular book/movie Twilight. Over the last few months, I've seen the same question pop-up all over the net. "What year is Bella's truck?" Well there are two responses to this question. If you've read the book, your answer will be a "1953 Chevrolet Truck." However if you've seen the movie and you know your vintage Chevrolet trucks like I do, your answer would be a "1963 Chevrolet Truck." Both answers are correct in their own right.
Stephanie's Description
I've not read the books. I know, shame on me for posting an article about Twilight without having read the books. But I have seen the first movie. However, I did manage to read a short passage where Stephanie Meyer describes Bella's truck. I think it's a very fitting description for both trucks featured in the book and the movie. Excerpt below.
"There, parked on the street in front of the house that never changed, was my new - well, new to me - truck. It was a faded red color, with big, rounded fenders and a bulbous cab. To my intense surprise, I loved it. I didn't know if it would run, but I could see myself in it. Plus, it was one of those solid iron affairs that never gets damaged - the kind you see at the scene of an accident, paint unscratched, surrounded by the pieces of the foreign car it had destroyed."
I love the part about "...pieces of the foreign car it had destroyed." Both of these trucks are built like a tank. A modern foreign car wouldn't have a chance against either of these monsters.
Can You Spot the Difference?
I know, everyone isn't a car nut like me. But I've seen pictures of the truck from the movie, posted several times by fans with the caption "1953 Chevrolet Truck." I don't expect everyone to know the differences. But side by side, it's easier to see the difference between a 1953 and a 1963 Chevrolet Truck. Do you agree? I could go on and on about the technical differences. But at glance you can see that these trucks are from different time periods.
For example starting with the fenders on the 1953 version. They're big, fat and round like bubble. The hood, grill and bumpers are oversize and over exaggerated with curves. The windshield is two piece glass. There is a wealth of chrome and flare. However on the 1963 truck, things are a little more down to earth and business like. There are more crisp and straight lines. The hood is flat and long. The overall shape is more rectangle like and has more of a wider stance. There is a lot less chrome too. I think both are works of art.
So, Twilight fans, next time someone asks "What year is Bella's truck?" What are you going to say? My advice is to say "It depends on if you're talking about the movie or the book." I'm sure you guys are excited about the next movie. I know I'll end up watching it, even if for nothing else but the On Screen Cars!
"The Homer" is a fictional car featured during an early episode of The Simpsons. The episode is from the show's second season, and is entitled "Oh Brother Where Art Thou." It features a number of personal add-ons requested by Homer Simpson. What an interesting piece of automotive fiction! Could you imagine something like this?
The Homer: Features
Large beverage holders
Little ball on top the aerial
Bowling mascot on the hood
Horns that play La Cucaracha
Sound-proof bubble for the kids
Huge motor
Big Fins
The Episode Plot
Homer is reunited with his long lost bother, Herbert Powell, the owner of "Powell Motors." After a brief phone conversation, Herbert invites Homer to visit his home in Detroit. Once in Detroit, Homer and Herb begin to get to know each other better. Herb quickly falls in love with the Simpsons. Uncle Herb spoils his the kids with vacations and gifts. He offers to help the family out with a new car. However, Homer is unable to find a suitable automobile from the Powell Motors line-up. Herb, already frustrated with his board of directors, commissions Homer to design a new car.
Herb's challenge to Homer is to build a car for the everyday person. However, as soon as Homer met with the engineers, his ideas were quickly pushed aside. Luckily though, Herb steps in and forces them to listen to Homer's ideas. They were pretty crazy, I might add. Homer takes over every aspect of the design. He comes up with large beverage holders, a little ball on the aerial, a separate sound-proof dome for the kids, etc.
"...power like a gorilla, yet soft and yielding like a nerf ball..."
At the unveiling, it was presented as "The Homer, The Car Built for Homer." They show a video of Homer driving down the winding road. Then the curtain is dropped, and the car is shown. The final cost of all the features totaled $82,000. Naturally, the car failed, the company went out of business, and Herb left his only brother, saying he wanted nothing to do with poor Homer. Sad story. But what a funny car!
Thoughts about "The Homer"
This is one of my favorite episodes for obvious reasons. But I admire the fact that, even though it's a cartoon, it isn't too far off from some of the concepts that international automakers have attempted. I did some research, and found Pontiac's failed concept car "The Stinger." I think this is a fairly good example of a real life version of "The Homer." Not to mention they're both green and have a ton of features that no one could ever fully utilize.
I think "The Homer", reminds me of a cross between a Rolls Royce, the Popemobile and an ice cream truck. I know that doesn't make a lot of sense. But look at it! The grill and front-end look like a Rolls Royce, the second bubble looks like the Popemobile, and the color and wackiness reminds me of an ice cream truck! What are your thoughts on the "The Homer?" Comment and let us know what you think! Stay tuned for more exciting On Screen Cars.
This is the first of many posts to come, here on On Screen Cars. I would like to take a minute to explain how the idea for this blog came about. Hi I'm Matt, the primary author of this blog and confirmed car nut. I've been around cars my whole life. My brother owned an automotive repair shop while I was in high school. I spent many weekends working at the shop and learning the tricks of the trade. When I was younger, I watched him restore a 1967 Chevelle Malibu.
All the while, I admired cars on television, in moves, and in video games. Not to mention some of the stars who drove those cars. I'm not sure how old I was when I saw my first car movie or television show. But I'm pretty sure I was drooling in front of the screen. To boot, I wouldn't be surprised if, while watching, I was assembling model kits or building LEGO machines.
As time goes on, you'll begin to understand my passion about these On Screen Cars. I hope my level of automotive enthusiasm inspires you in a positive way. Feel free to comment on any of our posts. I promise to be as opened minded as possible. Thanks for swinging by.
- Matt
