Roger Dodger, Speed Buggy article ready to go! Vroom-a-zoom-zoom! Ah Speed Buggy one of the most beloved cartoon tv cars of the late 70's. Even though I was born in the 80's doesn't mean I didn't enjoy re-runs of the show. Not to be confused Scooby Doo, the show Speed Buggy was about a teenage cartoon detective team created by Hanna Barbara. If you've seen the show you would know the car Speed Buggy came to life after Tinker and gang built him. The opening credits does a great job of explaining the origin of the crazy car. Some say Herbie the love bug was the inspiration for the car. But where did the voice come from? That was none other than Hanna Barbara's Mel Blanc, voice to famous characters such as Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and more. Check out the opening credits.
Final Thoughts
One of my favorite parts of Speed Buggy, is the opening credits where they create the car. You can see the team working on the engine. Which I think looks like a hybrid between a Volkswagen engine and a Ford Flat-Head design. Gotta love the big exhaust headers. Not to mention the spitting and sputtering sounds Speed Buggy makes as he talks. At the time of the show, fiberglass Volkswagen/Dune Buggy conversions were really popular. Especially the Manx body kits. I think that may be part of why I enjoyed the show so much. You can find out more about those designs at the Manx Club site. Die hard Speed Buggy fans need to check out Saturday Morning Cartoons: 1970s Vol. 1 That's a great collection of not only Speed Buggy cartoons, but also some of your other 70's cartoon favorites as well! We'll that's all for now folks! See ya next time here at OnScreenCars.com!
Not always, but in some cases where there are tv/movie cars, jumps are sure to follow. The Dukes of Hazzard show is no exception. We've decided to include a new segment on our blog about famous car jumps in tv and movies. We've entitled this feature "Famous Jumps." What better way to kick off this new series than the Dukes of Hazzard! Our first jump pays tribute to the famous flight of the General Lee, LEE 1. You may remember our "First Look" post on the General Lee, LEE 1. One of the first General Lees used in the production of the show.
This jump was made on November 11, 1978 on the college campus of Oxford College (now part of Emory University) in the town of Covington, GA. The building in the background this Seney Hall. If you look closely at the General Lee you can distinctly tell it's the LEE 1 by the chrome rocker panels. This is the only General Lee to have the chrome rockers. The same jump was part of the first episode and also part the show's opening credits.
Final Thoughts
The same jump was also repeated on the original site for the 2005 production of the Dukes of Hazzard movie. Near the end of the first clip you can see how that jump went. Could you imagine going to school there and getting to see it take place all over again? I would have skipped classes that day to see it! It's amazing how Hollywood does these jumps. It takes a team of skilled stunt people and engineers to pull this stuff off. But to you and I, it's looks like a bunch of rednecks just taking chances. Gotta love jumps! Be sure to jump in here another time for On Screen Cars!
Not long ago LeftLaneNews.com did an article about the new 2011 BMW Isetta Concept. You may remember our earlier article about Steve's infamous love affair with not only Laura Winslow, but his not-so attractive funny looking BMW Isetta. Never the less Steve had car love bigger than the Volkswagen Beatle. After seeing the new concept, I had to ask "Would Steve Urkel Approve?" Let's look at the differences shall we?
The first striking feature is the fact the car has two doors. There is no large single door on the front. Granted I can understand. The single door on the front may not be the safest thing in the world. The wheel base appears a little longer. Nothing wrong with a little extra nerdy leg room. Engine? The new Isetta will feature a full zero emissions electric motor setup. On a single charge the car will be able to go a 100 miles. Gas and diesel engines will be optional later in life cycle. I guess Steve and Laura would have a hard time making that trip to Cincinnati from Chicago huh?
So would Steve Urkel approve? Given the "nerdy/tech" appeal of the car, I would think so. He'd be grin'n with his spenders all the way to the BMW dealership. Another chance for him to own a Isetta. If you recall, Steve's went over a cliff as he nearly escaped with his life. I wish him well! Got a nerdy car story for us? Let us know on our forums! Did I do that?
Can you remember the names of any of the 50 ladies from Gone In Sixty Seconds (2000)? I'm sure you can remember at least Eleanor. Not to mention Sway played by Angelina Jolie. But she's not on the list. But ya get my point. I found a copy of the list that was once on the promo site. If you remember from the movie they gave the cars, girls names to help cover their conversation on the 2 way radios. Another interesting trick was the use of Invisible UV Marking Ink Pensto help hide the list. It was very effective until Detective Castlebeck finds the pieces of the black light left behind. Guys and girls have often named their cars girl's names. What do you call your ride? Let us know in the forums or comment. Till next time, don't use aerosol cans in unapproved ways. Castlebeck's watching ya Memphis Rains!
1999 Aston Martin DB7 - Mary
1962 Aston Martin DB1 - Barbara
1999 Bentley Arnage - Lindsey
1999 Bentley Azure - Laura
1964 Bentley Continental - Alma
1959 Cadillac El Dorado - Madeline
1958 Cadillac El Dorado Brougham - Patricia
1999 Cadillac Escalade - Carol
2000 Cadillac El Dorado STS - Daniela
1957 Chevrolet Bel Air Convertible - Stefanie
1969 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 - Erin
1953 Chevrolet Corvette - Pamela
1967 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Big Block - Stacey
The rare or not so rare 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California from Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Bueller... Bueller... Bueller...
Cameron: [Ferris slowly pulls the Ferrari out of the garage] No, Ferris. I'm putting my foot down. You're just gonna have to think of something else.
[Ferris keeps driving]
Cameron: How bout we rent a nice Cadillac? My treat! We could call a limo! A nice stretch jobs with the TV and the bar. How about that?
Ferris: [Ferris pulls the car back slightly] Come on. Live a little!
[Cameron crosses himself, walks to the car]
Yea, I can't blame Cameron for trying to stop Ferris Bueller from taking his dad's rare 1961 Ferrari 250 for a joyride. Especially knowing that only 55 of these cars were ever built. But hey, ya only live once right? As Ferris Bueller says: "Life moves pretty fast, If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." Solid words, I might add. But seriously how rare is this car?
The real thing.
At the time of the film, said car would have been worth around $350,000. If you think that's chump change. How about the same car on the auction block today? The highest recorded auction sale of a Ferrari 250 GT California was $10,894,900. That car once belonged to actor James Coburn and was won by British national radio DJ celebrity Chris Evans. The original cars of course were all hand built with steel and aluminum body panels. The engines were the same V12 engines Ferrari used in their Tour de France race car at the time. Very classy and very rare automobiles.
Well the one on screen, not so rare.
Due to the rarity of the car, three replicas were used in the film. The fiberglass replicas were built by Modena Design and Research for Paramount Pictures. Modena used MG convertibles as a base car. Under the hood, Ford's beloved 302 V8 was crammed in. Overall these replicas were very well crafted. To an untrained eye it's fairly hard to tell if they're the real or not (fooled me for years). Matter of fact, Ferrari ended up suing Modena for use of trademark design and emblems. Not soon after the suit the company went out of business.
Interesting Facts
Have you ever noticed the license plate numbers/names on different cars in the film? For example the license plate on the Ferrari says "NRVOUS." Other cars appear with special vanity license plates as well. Some examples include the text VCTN (National Lampoon’s Vacation), TBC (The Breakfast Club), MMOM (Mr. Mom), and 4FBDO (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off). This little Easter egg plays tribute to the director's (John Hughes) earlier works. Another interesting fact is Ferris and Cameron attempt to row back the mileage by running the car in reverse. This trick would work with most cable driven speedos. If the movie Matilda had been around prior to Ferris Bueller, I'm sure the guys would have tried using the electric drill to reset the mileage.
Final Thoughts
As with all good things, they must come to an end. If you've seen the movie, you've seen the horror a classic car crashing through a window and dropping off into a creek. If I were Cameron's father it's hard to say what I would have done. But again, it's just a car. In this case it was a replica of a classic rare car. Not all is lost. Kids, learn a lesson from Ferris Bueller's Day Off. If you're thinking about taking your parent's rare car out on a joy ride (without them knowing), don't do it. There are plenty of ways to "live" life and have fun. Happy skip day(s) to all the seniors of the class of 2010! Till then have fun and don't get caught.
