My Daily Driver



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by Mike Furtado
Copyright (c), 2003, My Daily Driver -- All Rights Reserved

Hollywood has glorified car culture as long as I can remember and before. In 1963 Walt Disney gave us Herbie the Love Bug, a 1963 VW Beetle complete with a sunroof and a mischievous but lovable personality. I saw Herbie on 16mm film projected onto a folding screen set up outside by the campfire at summer camp when I was about 8 years old. I loved that movie. Now I love that classic Beetle! When I find one with the same personality, including volition, I'm buying it!

In 1964 Universal Studios introduced us to a television family that would go down in history, The Munsters. A "frankenstein" named Herman, his wife Lily, her Grandfather "Grandpa" and their son Eddy, all vampires, Lilys perfectly normal human niece Marilyn and their pet dragon, Spot were an instant hit. A little car culture was thrown in for good measure via the family car "The Munstercoach" built by famed custom car creator George Barris from a 1927 Model T Ford. After the show gained popularity another car was added. Another George Barris custom creation dubbed "Drag-U-La". This was Grandpa Munsters hot rod and themed around a real casket!

1:24 Scale Classic Volkswagen Beetle

Back to the big screen in 1964 Sean Connery played the debonaire James Bond, a.k.a. 007 in Goldfinger. One of the stars of this film is a 1964 Aston Martin DB5. Complete with smoke screens to elude the ever-present enemy, it punctures the tires of vehicles on the chase, and boasts a handy ejector seat. What kid saw that movie and didn't want a car with all those goodies? Not to mention the gorgeous Shirley Eaton (as Jill Masterson) covered in gold and deposited into Bonds bed! I still think Sean Connery is the ONLY real "Bond, James Bond."

1:18 Scale Munster's Koach

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Price: $21.98

On our TV screens across from the Munsters was another instant smash-hit "Batman". Also starring what was to become a permanent piece of car culture, The Batmobile. Another creation of George Barris "The Kustom King". This man was hot! His car creations are simply unforgettable. Barris created the Batmobile based on a 1955 Lincoln concept car called a Futura. There really isn't much I can say about this show or the car that anyone reading this doesn't already know. It's jet-fire propulsion system raced the caped-crusader and his "Boy Wonder" Robin to and fro with a little help from the film speed control on the editing machine.
The Batmobile

We got my favorite cartoon car from Japan, The Mach V, driven by Speed Racer. 52 english-dubbed episodes started airing on American television in the fall of 1967 and can still be seen today. Like many classified ads state "Too much to list" it wasn't a car, it was everything! A boat, a plane and at times even a motorcycle. Actually two motorcycles when it was split down the middle and each half continued to function as a separate vehicle. But I digress. The Mach V wasn't a car at all, it was a cartoon! But believe it or not, a full-scale Mach V based on a corvette frame can be purchased from "Mach V Motorworks". Yep they're actually building them!

Batman Collected

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Price: $20.97

The list of hot cars on television and in film goes on and on. I couldn't possibly get them all in here. In fact, it seems the longer I think about it, the more Hollywood Hotrods I can remember. In 1979 a '69 Dodge Charger R/T was made famous on television in "The Dukes of Hazzard". The General Lee could jump 30 feet in the air, land nose-down and still outrun any lawman. In 1982 it was an '82 Pontiac Trans-Am named K.I.T.T. in Knight Rider that had more computing power than exists today. And don't forget the 1975 AMC Pacer driven by Wayne in "Wayne's World". I'm not sure I will ever hear Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" the same way ever again. How about the 1981 Stainless Steel DeLorean that starred in Back to the Future in 1985? "When this thing hits 88 miles per hour, look out!"

There are so many more, you can be sure to read about them here in the future. Do we like cars? Yep, we sure do. Just go to the theater or flip on the TV.

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