For example, I recognized, back in college, that I had been hopelessly influenced by years of Afterschool Specials and movies of the 80's when I discovered that a very specific type of girl appealed to me.
Yes, the influence is often detrimental, but sometimes it is relatively benign. With the benign in mind, I offer this week's five.
My Five Favorite Cars Directly Influenced by the Entertainment Industry
Car the First - The 1957 Ford Thunderbird from Vega$
They just don't get much prettier than that, do they? When I was a little kid, there was no one - and I mean, no one - as cool as Dan Tanna. Watching him drive around Las Vegas in this car made a major impression on me. 57 Chevy? Bah! Give me the Thunderbird!
Car the Second - The 1963 Volkswagen Beetle from The Love Bug
Ah, yes - Herbie, the little car that ignited my love of the Beetle. I've probably got about a dozen books about the Volkswagen Beetle, and it all started with The Love Bug. Even though it would make absolutely no sense for me to own one now, I still want one. And, I would love to paint it to match Herbie, because the racing stripe is just awesome.
Car the Third - The 1977 Firebird Esprit from The Rockford Files
Actually, on the show, they updated each year with the current year model of this car, but the 1977 is the one I found that had the best picture. I loved The Rockford Files, and this beautiful gold car certainly enhanced my enjoyment of the show. It also is the beginning of a wonderful trend...
Car the Fourth - The 1977 Pontiac Trans Am from Smokey and the Bandit
Major confession - I'm a huge Burt Reynolds fan. Not so much the current stuff, but the Bandit films (not the third - blech!) and Stroker Ace and Hooper... man, you could put those on a loop and I'd just watch them over and over. My love of the late, great Trans Am was cemented with the Bandit films. Totally impractical, too expensive to insure, and yet, I want one.
Car the Fifth - The 1982 Pontiac Firebird from Knight Rider
C'mon! You knew K.I.T.T. was going to be on this list! I watched this show with such devotion! I had all the toys, I had t-shirts... and, yeah, the thought of the new Knight Rider being a Shelby Mustang makes my heart hurt just a little. (Although, the recent announcement that Val Kilmer is going to be voicing the Knight Industries Three Thousand has me intrigued. The previous voice, Will Arnett, bowed out due to a conflict with his contracted voice-over work in GM commercials.) I'll probably still watch the new show, but I'll forever know that K.I.T.T. would never really be anything as boxy as a Mustang. He'll always be a sleek, black Trans Am.
Hmm... three Trans Ams out of five favorites. I guess the only thing left to say is, HEY, PONTIAC, BRING BACK THE TRANS AM!!!
Type at you later.
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