October 3: So long, playboy

So long playboy and unless you haven't come out from that rock you are living under, you'll know that I'm referring to that ultimate of all playboys, Hugh Heffner. Passing away last week with a smile on his face at 91. Did his lifestyle prolong his life or shorten it? Only chatting with Hugh in the afterlife will give you the answer. Great being surrounded by beautiful young and nubile lasses until you die, but the idea of a guy in his late eighties marrying a twenty five year old, just makes me ill. Envy? Jealousy? Reality?

Legacy? Sure, but being a car blog let's focus on the one that gets our hearts racing. Yep, you got it, that sensuous and lithe, smooth body. The one that we long to lovingly run our hands over. The one that we could drive to heights of ecstasy. Yes sir, I'm talking about that Playboy Pink 1964 Mustang. The girl? I'm sure she's very nice as well.

That Mustang was one of the prizes given to the 1964 Playmate of the Year and it started a tradition, that the playmate winning that year's Miss Congeniality (you imagine what that means) award would get a new set of wheels. And it would be Playboy Pink. Want to see a few? Thought you'd never ask........

All tasty rides. Maybe the colour wouldn't thrill some camo wearing macho types, but heck, I could see past that pastel pink shade, if I was given one of these. Is this where Mary Kaye got her idea to give away pink cars?

Even the car manufacturers let everyone know, that they were that year's chosen one.......

Nice rides, but nothing most folks wouldn't have been able to walk into their local dealer and buy for modest coin. So Playboy upped its game.......

Nice Pantera. Nice Mercedes. And I'm sure each of those lovelies deserved her award, but what did (or didn't) this young lady do.........

.........so all she got was an el cheapo Mercury Capri? What was Hugh thinking? And no, the plane didn't come with it. Ponder this one later, as time is short and we have to move on.

Over the years, the cliche'd Playboy Pink shade was ditched in favour of any colour and on any type of great ride........

But once again, every so often, that year's playmate got a less than discerning ride dumped on them......

A Toyota? No wonder she's not smiling, heck, her last boyfriend gave her one. Magazine sales must have been down that year. Every so often, that poor ol' Playmate gets a turd in her prize package and here is the latest........

A Fiat 124? Well, you can see what I think of this Mazda clone. I mean, even this Mini would have been better. Cute trumps cost.

Or how about this lucky lady, whose prize for being lusted after, was a Lamborghini Countach........

Things aren't always as they appear though. Look closely fellow car people, those stunning Countach lines are a little bit off and seem just a bit stubby. You got it! This is a kit car, probably based on a Pontiac Fiero. Do you think she knew the difference? What was Hugh thinking?

Maybe the same thing he was thinking, when he wrapped up a four door sedan to put in the prize package for that year's chosen lovely.......

At least she looks happy about it. Probably her latest squeeze told her it had a HEMI.

Ah, Hugh, you created a magazine filled with great articles joined together by a few pics of winsome lasses. Dropped on an unsuspecting public, at a time when what was on our local newsstand was a trifle more conservative. Heck, these ladies deserved those extravagant prizes for showing their all. But this begs the destined to be unanswered question, would this have been the playmate's prize if Hugh had started Playboy a few years earlier?

Until next time.......