May 19: Mad Max - mad indeed!

Unless you have just returned from the grave or possibly some long forgotten planet without Wi-Fi, you are aware that a Mad Max redo (or sequel or prequel) was released in the theatres over the weekend. Hard to avoid all those ads, whether you are surfing the web, watching TV, reading the paper or just watching a bus go by. I don't think I ever watched the entire movie, but have picked up bits and pieces on TV over the years. The one thing that stood out though, was the crazy vehicular creations, like absolutely anything goes. Remember the original Mad Max's custom (hey, everything is/was custom in these films) Ford.......

This was an Australian movie, so all the cars were bastardized Aussie models. I think the plot was something about a quest for gasoline. Funny then, that all the cars/trucks/whatevers should feature big gas guzzling motors (no wonder they were looking for fuel). And besides, a tricked out Corolla wouldn't have been near as much fun.

Anyway, back to Max's ride. This Ford was almost tame compared to what the current movie is offering. Like, if you can dream it in your worst nightmare, they'll make it to terrorize the heros in this film. So let's browse thru a few that appeal to me........

Nothing like an old '30's monster truck pick-up to stir up those theatre goers and this one appeals to all ages, from kiddlings to geezers. Old body for nostalgia, huge tires to make it contemporary and guns to appeal to just about everyone.

Or this pic-up, a much more conservative take on a wild and crazy baddies ride.........

Whatever it is, the owner loves tire treads. And those skulls just make the thing a bit more cuddly.

But for real wretched excess.........

.......some kind of huge truck suited up like a porcupine. Ideal for snagging those innocent folks, who for some reason are falling from the heavens. The conservatively redone old Barracuda is parked beside it for a size comparison.

And of course, these Mad movies need a few big bruiser tractor trailers that, can mow thru anything in their path. Just check out that front end  -  watch out, I'm coming thru.........

But here is the one piece that, is going to get all the raves. The one creation that, will be featured in all the ads. You gotta wonder how these ideas come about, but here is a pic of how a modeler envisioned making Immortan Joe's crazy, scene stealing ride..........

.......and from this came the piece de resistance, the Gighorse.........

Don't ask about that name, but there must be some explanation (I will not be taking in this movie to find out). Hold on a minute, if the car(?) makes no sense, then why should its name? And if you have to ask, then you just don't get it. What a concept. Two 1959 Cadillacs mounted on top of one another, in a way that Harley Earl (Google the name) could never have imagined(would never have wanted to imagine). You have to admit, this is one scary looking ride.

So see the movie if you must. Relive the old days or create new memories and please, let me know if it was worth your time.

I can feel the blood lust from here!

Until next time.......

May 15: The Imperial Cat

A touch dramatic? I'll say, but oh so typical of the ads from the 1950's. Both the ads and the cars they showed were usually way over the top. I mean, just look at this pic. The elegant couple, sure, that's expected, but those columns? And that eagle insignia? A bit extreme? Yeah, no question it's a bit extreme, quite a bit. On the other hand, these were arguably more interesting than many of today's car ads. A matter for debate for another day and another blog? Stay tuned.

Anyway, these chrome laden boats from that era, are great subjects for the Car Modelling Cat and me to show off our skills(?). Putting our best paw forward, so to speak.

And so, this brings us to today's blog and another example of the model making of my famous(?) Car Modeling Cat.........

  

.......the 1959 Imperial two door hardtop. Modelled in the typical '50's colour of mauve. Can you imagine a new BMW 7 series rolling off the line in this shade? That being said, I've recently seen a new Bentley Flying Spur (gotta love those names) in a similar shade and also a Porsche Panamera in a very bright, 50's shade of green. And I'll tell ya, neither one was a shining example of how these cars should look (well, maybe we shouldn't get too far off discussion about the butt ugly Panamera?).

As usual, the CMC and I try to highlight every bit of chrome, which made these cars stand out so much. Detail the exterior and forget about what's under the hood. This was not a particularly good kit, but I think we did a good job of bringing it to life.

Another of those '50's ads, showing this boat in all its shining, pink, glory. Compare this to our rendition.......

No question, I'd take the mauve one.And by the way, if you think that this car was tasteless and over wrought, just check out its competition of the day, the huge finned Cadillac and the just plain big and sculpted Lincoln. This Imperial almost looks subdued by comparison.

My dear little buddy, the Car Modelling Cat, and I will be taking a break from modelling, for what I think might be a few months. My wife and I have just bought a condo, which means that my basement car room, will be relocated to a new location. I'm excited about what the new place has to offer, but after finishing this build, we will be packing up all our treasures for the move. Unpacking and then off to France for two and a half weeks, so it will probably be September, until we get to work together on another project (I'm sure you'll survive, not hearing about one of our builds).

Until next time........

May 12: What's next? A sport ute from Aston Martin?

 Aston Martin. Just say the name and one immediately conjures up images of that super spy, James Bond, suavely driving up to a casino in Monte Carlo or using the skills of the very best race car drivers, to get away from the super bad guys. Without the JB connection, I even wonder if Aston would have survived the turbulent '70's and '80's, which were so unkind to a variety of British makes, sportscars and otherwise.

But there is another image that crosses my mind, when I think of this iconic brand. I can't think of another make that, has lent itself to so many versions of a station wagon, as has Aston Martin. From the '60's to the present day, design houses and Aston itself, have created wagons or more properly, shooting brakes, from these great looking rides.

These designs below are typical of what was produced in limited numbers by the coach builders. But why Aston Martin?

Why does this brand lend itself to this type of body work as opposed to say, Jaguar? Good question and I have no idea why, but what was a tradition in the early days, has continued for many years, as this more recent dark blue example below, from Britain's Roos Engineering clearly shows.

 Even the Italian design house Bertone created their own version of a more practical Aston Martin........

Their vision was crafted from the Rapide four door sedan. Looks great, but why Aston? Ever see a Porsche version like this? Neither have I.

But these days, the manufacturers are making their own variations of just about every conceivable body style. So why not cash in? The big craze (and maybe it's not a craze) is to have a sport ute in your line. Bentley is doing one. So is Lamborghini. And dare I say it, Ferrari has mentioned it as a possibility. Not to be left out, Aston trotted their own rendition out to the auto show crowds two or three years ago.......

Yes, you are correct, it was universally panned. How could something so ugly come from the folks, who have penned some of the most automobile beautiful designs? Another good question. But you can't keep a good(?) idea down, so it was recently announced that Aston was going ahead with a car based on their DBX concept. And just in case you were wondering about what car to buy four years down the road, AM has said it will produce this model in 2019.

Their suv will, of course, ride higher, but will have only two doors and, thank goodness, a design that is Aston-like. If you are going to join the crowd, might as well do it your way and do it quite well (and a little bit different).

But still that nagging question, why has Aston Martin traditionally been the darling of the long roof crowd? Any ideas?

May 8: Now, that's just plain weird

A couple of years ago, I blogged about "art cars". You know, those strange cars, over which some happy soul has attached a million pennies or 10,000 Barbie Dolls or just about anything else that one can imagine. Unusual to be sure. Tasteless or just tacky? Well, there is that old adage about beauty being in the eye, but what the hey, half the fun is in the comments made about these very individualistic rides. Time to take another look? Not really, but I ran across a bunch of cars that, go beyond the normal individual's eccentricities. Cars that are worth poking a bit or a lot of fun at.

Where to start? Where to start?

Ok, how about a PT Cruiser? This one isn't making so much of an arty statement, as it is getting the attention of 100% of the drivers, who come across its somewhat terrifying front end. Personally, I think it's funny, but last Halloween, a bunch of folks took exception to those fake(?) arms hanging out of a car's trunk. Each to his own, when macabre humour rears its ugly head.

Or what about this upside down creation? Look closely and you'll see a windshield, a steering wheel, and an extra set of tires, but until you do.......what the heck happened here? Really well done and very creative. My guess, based on that windshield, is that this was once a K car convertible, before it morphed into this topsy turvy  Ford F-150.

Time to get a little more bizarre.......

Tell me, who hasn't yearned for a Corvette? I see quite a few hands go up. And who hasn't thought that, putting an old car's front end on one would be a terrific idea? Not as many go up this time.........actually, I count only one. Love to know the thought process that, brought about this weird one, or maybe I'm better off not knowing. Whatever. Those steer horns add a nice down home touch, don't you think?

Ok, so let's jump into the really deep end of this cesspool and see what comes up........

 

What can I say? A car for those among us, who are undecided about whether they want a convertible or a hardtop. Should it be made out of metal or wood? Should it have an entirely different design on each side or not? I know these are questions that, I often ponder when planning my next ride.

But just how twisted can we go, with these weird creations?

Admit it. You never, ever figured that, someone else would have the same idea as you, about what interesting modifications could be made to your personal ride to make it more personal. Hard to wash and wax, but well worth the effort.

But, let's dig deeper, for what I think could well be the weirdest, most bizarre ride yet, assuming that this beast can even be driven.........

Behold, the Finnjet. This beauty (and I use the term extremely loosely) is crafted(?) from a couple of Mercedes wagons and an early '60's Chrysler Imperial. And what creator wouldn't want to stand behind a wondrous vehicle like this? No need to hold a garage sale, just blend those cast offs into the Finnjett's design (again, a term used quite loosely). Hard to look at? You bet! Ah, the Finnjet, high tech or high tack?

What a great way to leave you for the weekend, pondering these individual rides that, stand apart from the crowd and cause you to exclaim, "Now, that's just plain weird."

Until next time.......

May 5: VW - hey, what about us?

So what the heck is a "sirocco"? If you are a car person, the first thing that comes to mind is the VW sports coupe that, first came to our shores way back in 1974. If you are a meteorologist or someone familiar with winds, then you think of the one that blows sand off of North Africa into the Mediterranean Sea. Funny thing with VW, but they have often named their cars after African climate conditions or nomadic tribes. Oh well, that's their thing apparently. But what about the Sirocco car?

The first one was a cool looking coupe that, might have been considered a poor man's Bimmer or a Mustang/Camaro alternative for those looking for something a little more exotic. Just a neat little coupe......

......and one that would out handle most cars in its class. The Sirocco stayed with us until 1992, with one resign, but still keeping the look and feel of the original......

......a little smoother, as per the styling of this era. This car was a mainstay in VW's line up, but as with any fashion accessory and coupes tend to be just that, they gradually wither and die, unless their designs are constantly updated. This is often hard to justify based on the smaller numbers, in which these type of cars typically sell.

In 1988, VW chose to do a complete redo of the Sirocco, including for some unknown reason, its name........

Behold the Corrado, which was introduced in '88 and run until 1995. Not sure why VW overlapped the Sirocco for four years, since these cars were basically the same type, appealing to the same type of person. Greater minds than mine?

So flash forward to the past few years and VW decided to reintroduce the Sirocco in 2009.

 

Better looking than ever, this great looking coupe has never found it way to North America. Why you ask? Good question and that is exactly what I wonder. VW is a growing brand, it gets lots of respect (even with questionable quality) and its Golf GTI versions are fervently sought after, not to mention the worshipped R version.

So hey, VW, what about us? Couldn't you spare a few thousand to send our way? Any German coupe that is this good looking deserves to be seen at your local VW dealership.It's not that there are so many sold in Europe, as I think I've only seen a handful (if that) in my travels.

So, everything that's old is new again? And once again, VW, what about us?

Until next time.......

May 1: Happy May Day!

That has got to hurt.........but what better way to celebrate the first of May, than to have a parade. Not just any parade, but a really big one, where the country's biggest and baddest hardware can be brought out to show the citizenry, where all their hard earned tax money has gone. Who wouldn't want to know that kind of information? And if you are really lucky, maybe you'll see something quite interesting.

I mean, who wouldn't want to see a few of these mobile missile launchers? Oh, and as an aside, why is it usually the militaristic dictatorships that, feel this need to display their latest hardware? When I was in Rome, happy folks crowded the streets (and I do mean crowded) with not a cambo painted vehicle in sight.

And this display of "mine is bigger than yours" has been going on for years and years, as you can see from this pic from the '50's..........

.......and as you can also see from the pic below, nothing has changed much, apart from the photo now being in colour. I must admit though, the black/white gives a certain feel to these parade photos. As an aside, this humugous parade in Red Square, on what looks like a big wide road that might go on for miles, in reality is only a little bigger than what is shown in this photo. When I walked onto this square a couple of years ago, I was amazed at how small it really is.

Anyway, back to the parade. Just maybe tucked in amongst all the big guns, one might see something that, is probably only brought out once a year for this very special occasion, like this exceptionally rare Zil laudau........

This alone would make your mandatory parade viewing well worth the trip. Or one might see the also very rare, white wall tired military vehicle......

I mean, really, on the battlefield is there one new recruit assigned to "clean the whitewalls" duty? Maybe, as one never knows in a dictatorship.

Rain or shine, the wait is worth it, if your life might depend on your showing up at this event. I know that, if I know someone might be taking names,all six foot five of me would be standing front and centre, waving my little flag like a fool.

And not just a display of your biggest guns, these parades are also a display of the people power that, are behind your militaristic might, like these dedicated folks......

Now what leader wouldn't be thrilled to know that he or she had all these assets at their beck and call?

"Nuff said. Happy May 1st.

Until next time......