It's Time to Play "WHO AM I"?

Mr_Shiftright

Amilcar, that's right. It wasn't a Bugatti. Broke her neck.

Mr_Shiftright

I was also a woman who died in a car
And Like Isodore I was quite a star
I really couldn't dance and I couldn't sing
But being a blonde, I had that "thing".

Who am I AND what kind of car did I die in?

stever

Jayne Mansfield cruising from Biloxi to NO.

Wiki says the car was a 1966 Buick Electra 225.

A 1957 Chevrolet Bel-Air with rubber-tipped Dagmars would have been more appropriate I suppose. :P

Mr_Shiftright

Nobody but nobody sang the blues like me
And I also died on a road in Mississippi
For 33 long years my grave was unmarked still
Until Janis Joplin paid the bill.

Who Am I and What was the make of car? (year not necessary).

stever

Had to look that one up. But I grew up in the hills of Mississippi (Elvis country) and didn't know much about the Delta Blues.

Shoot, I lived in Chattanooga too, and never knew she was born there.

Bit before my time though. :shades:

ateixeira

I'm thinking Mercedes-Benz of some sort given the Joplin reference.

Mr_Shiftright

Nope, might have thrown you off. Joplin had nothing to do with the accident, which took place probably before she was born.

stephen987

Billie Holliday.

Mr_Shiftright

nope nope nope but closer. Billie Holliday would have been starting her singing career when this Blues Lady checked out.

This woman's funeral was attended by 10,000 people but her boyfriend ran off with the gravestone money, so the story goes.

rockshocka1

The Empress of the Blues, in a Packard (had to cheat on the car).

Mr_Shiftright

that's her----Ms. Bessie Smith. Very sad story actually. The original rumor, which has undergone some investigation and is probably not true, is that after the wreck, she lay critically injured for some time on the road. Then, she was finally taken by ambulance to a "white only" hospital, where she was refused treatment and died; however, the doctor who stopped at the scene and initially treated her, testified that no ambulance in 1937 in Mississippi would have take a black person to a "whites only" hospital in the first place. So the story remains shrouded in some mystery. Sounds like from the doctor's testimony that she was a goner, with severe injuries. The old Packard hit a truck and it tore its roof off. It had to be an older Packard because witnesses spoke of a "wooden roof"---so pre 1934 or so I'd guess.

I hope this isn't bumming people out :shades:

stever

I drew vines
that gave you laugh lines.
But his will be done
Driving to Memphis

rockshocka1

Vines, nice.

Kudzu's Doug Marlette (driving from Memphis IIRC).

rockshocka1

In my too brief career I was considered a wall.
Once even chosen the best of them all.
Only one not to lose to the Miracle team.
Drove into a school with a full head of steam.
Name should be easy to be recognized.
But what was my car that was customized?

stever

Very good. :-)

But you forgot the vehicle.

rockshocka1

I am the Edmunds 2002 editors & consumers most wanted small pickup.

stever

lol, perfect.

Mr_Shiftright

I am the first American car, and perhaps the first car in the world, to use chrome instead of nickel for my significant exterior trim.

HINT: pre-war

HINT2: You know it's not from Henry Ford

Who Am I?

210delray

Just taking a wild guess here -- 1929 Cord L-29?

Mr_Shiftright

No but that was DAMN close for a first guess!

Think a little older and a bit more humble, but not TOO TOO humble.

210delray

Hmm, maybe Harley Earl's first creation, the 1927 LaSalle?

Mr_Shiftright

Damn, even CLOSER. :surprise: You're closing in on the year AND the automaker.

Okay one more guess and I'll tell the group. Any other takers?

210delray

Well, it must be Cadillac, earlier than 1927, but I'm not familiar enough with design changes that far back!

Mr_Shiftright

Close enough. 1926 Oldsmobile sported a chrome grille for the first time; prior to that, it was nickel, which is somewhat dull and can tarnish easily.

bhill2

I really enjoy it, but had given it up for dead and so didn't see it for a couple of days after you posted anew.

In honor of it's resurrection, I will throw out a soft ball: In the mid-70s, I was the model for someone who wanted to drive a Cadillac but thought the Fleetwood Brougham was just too bare bones. Who am I?

210delray

Fleetwood Brougham d'Elegance

oregonboy

I would be to embarrassed to own a car with such a name.

ateixeira

You gotta say it like this: Bro-HAMM! :shades:

fintail

Or to go all the way, a "Talisman"

Mr_Shiftright

But it was so American back then to roll around in faux luxury. I mean, look at Graceland. If it was poofy, busy and had a French name---THAT was livin' the good life.

Mercedes had a hard time selling unadorned classic stying to the Americans in the 1970s.

lemko

Embarrassed? Heck, I wish I still could buy a car with such an awesome name instead of today's meaningless pablum like "Camry" or "Accord" or some alphanumeric gobbledy-[non-permissible content removed]!

Mr_Shiftright

So what's the diff between a Brougham and a Brougham D'Elegance? Isn't this like the Department of Redundancy Department?

bhill2

You got the one I was thinking of, Fin, although Fleetwood Brougham d'Elegance would also be right. The Talisman was the real thing, however; special 4-place seating in velour (or optionally leather), lighted mirrors for all 4 places, padded console front and rear. I believe that in the first year ('74 I think) the leather Talisman option cost almost as much as a Pinto.

boomchek

Yankee sheet metal on top I don
But my parts underneath from Europe they come
My hood had lines that looked out of place
I was quite sporty and kept a good pace
In large numbers I never sold
After few years I was let go

qbrozen

crossfire?

boomchek

Yes Q, correct!

boomchek

Used to have 2 doors, and boy I was bad
Then my name got thrown around in the mud
But I came back with some muscle again
But now have 4 doors for the kids, dad, and mom

stephen987

Charger

boomchek

Yes it's a Charger indeed!

boomchek

I was conceived in a great time
Was supposed to be a successful line
I was named after the son of a great car tycoon
But now most of my wrecks are home to racoons
Millions were spent, so much money back then
My horrible style, I can't even begin
My name went down in history books
As the worst flop ever because of my looks

texases

Coulda stopped at line 2 - Edsel?

ateixeira

Edsel

lemko

Are you the Edsel?

boomchek

Well that didn't take very long. Yes, the Edsel indeed. Although I'm hearing they are becoming more collectible these days than ever before.

Here's an toned down Edsel we dined with in a downtown San Francisco eatery during our trip there last year.

See more Car Pictures at CarSpace.com

Mr_Shiftright

They called me the "poor's man BMW", which turned out to be ironic, because my 1968--1973 coupe version is probably worth today as much as a non-Tii BMW 2002 anyway.

WHO AM I?

fezo

Aw! It's a 59! To be truly hideous with an Edsel it needs to be a 58.

I came very close to buying a 59 in the late 70s. HAd it been a 58 I'd have done it.

bhill2

They called me the "poor's man BMW"

Well, my bid would be the Datsun (Nissan) 510.

Mr_Shiftright

Bingo! The 510 coupe is probably the only Japanese sedan to ever become even remotely collectible---by that I mean worth considerably more NOW than when new---so that would leave out the Supra TT and the Subaru SVX, which also have a following of sorts.

One reason the 510 has this unique status is that people still race 'em.

boomchek

What about the original Toyota 2000GT? Aren't those worth a firtune nowadays? But then those weren't ever built in huge numbers.

Mr_Shiftright

Well those are so obscure and rare they hardly count. I mean, have you ever seen a LIVE one? I think they only made 371 total worldwide.