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Gratuitous wreckage of old cars in TV commercials...


stock_steve

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It's been on a lot lately (esp. during the baseball playoffs/world series, I think), and maybe my old-VW-enthusiasm is also showing a bit, but does anyone have any feelings about the nice-looking vintage Karmann Ghia that's driven into a swimming pool for an "artsy" commercial (apparently?) for some Sharp-brand television?

http://www.moretosee.com/index_flash.html (click on the English-UK link)

Kind of bums me out and makes me think that I don't want to buy anything from the Sharp company...

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Steve

I cannot confirm this one way or the other, but it would not surprise me to find out that some of these scenes use wooden mockups, Having had my Packard in 3 movies I would find it hard to imagine that anyone would let their old car be taken out and destroyed. It could also be a rusted out hulk with no drive train that they just threw some bondo and paint on to make it look good.

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That would be a comforting thought, Al. I did notice what appears to be a large crack in the dash pad in the very brief in-car shot--suggesting that it may not have been a "primo" specimen. I still think it sends a bad overall message though. I'll try to attach a (sad) related still shot I found after much searching of the previously mentioned very odd Sharp web site...

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Hey Doug, sorry I missed you at Hershey. Had a real nice chat with Jim at the car show on Saturday, though. He is looking and sounding great. Sounds like he's keeping real busy with the Museum.

P.S.: Did you see Diane's "new" '73 Pinto at the car show? I uploaded a few images of it to the AACA Photo Post area earlier this week, but apparently they haven't been approved yet, so you'll have to stay tuned. Meanwhile, I have one Hershey '04 shot posted at the CT Pinto Registry page: http://members.aol.com/cgearannex/CPR.html (click the "Misc. Pinto News" link).

P.P.S. Also see if you can find it in the attached image...

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In this digital deception age you can't trust anything you see on TV or film, for instance how about the Toyota pickup truck the jilted girl friend has run over a cliff and after bouncing end over end it lands on 4 wheels with out a scratch. All trick graphics. Stude8

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True. A lady that I worked with had her granddaughter in riding lessons and the little girl was in a horse show. Because her granddaughter was only four there were "spotters" on both sides of her in the photo that was taken.

My nephew, a graphic artist, took the photo and scanned it and removed the two spotters and filled it back in as if they were never there.

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Guest imported_Dwight V.

One of the other message boards I'm on has a fellow who works in Hollyweird. He was involved in the short-lived Fox show "Fast Lane" which crashed a bunch of muscle cars. He assured us that the Mustangs and Camaros they used were crusher fodder that ran just enough to perform their stunts, made pretty with a nice paint job. Most TV budgets won't spring for a 'real' car to be purchased, so junk is tarted up to look like the real thing. No need to worry, from what I've learned.

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Like the time that "Tim Taylor" dropped a beam on the red Nomad wagon that belonged to his wife "Jill" on "Home Improvement". The one they dropped the beam on looked like a soft plastic model at the end of the show. I would love to know just how they really did that one. Because the real one was still okay.

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<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Like the time that "Tim Taylor" dropped a beam on the red Nomad wagon that belonged to his wife "Jill" on "Home Improvement". The one they dropped the beam on looked like a soft plastic model at the end of the show. I would love to know just how they really did that one. Because the real one was still okay. </div></div>

They really did drop a heavy beam on a '55 Chevy for that show. However, like in the previous post, it was a tarted up rough 2 door wagon (not a Nomad) that was crushed. It wasn't on screen long enough to tell that it wasn't a real Nomad.

When the show first aired the epilog that ran during the credits featured Tim Allen showing the real Nomad and junk car that was crushed. I think it's cut for ad time in syndication now.

There are real examples of cars lost, though. The Morgan crushed in the movie <span style="font-style: italic">The War of the Roses</span> was the real thing. I was once told that the car was rebuilt after the movie, but judging by what's on the screen if that's true it was rebuilt around the original data plate and that's about it! ooo.gif

Also just trashing junk cars can be destructive as well when done in volume. Something like 75 '58 Plymouths were crushed to make <span style="font-style: italic">Christine</span>, and a similar number of '69 Chargers were totaled to make <span style="font-style: italic">The Dukes of Hazzard</span> (although they were only about 10-15 year old cars at the time). Have you ever wondered why it's so hard to find a straight bumper for either one of those?

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I recently saw the episode with the red Nomad and they had left the epilog at the end on it. Can't remember which station it was because that show is on more than one station.

I guess if a car is going to be crushed anyway at least it goes out with it's boots on and a nice paint job, grin.gif

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Another one that sticks in my mind is the black '55 Chevy that is rolled in "American Graffitti"--it can be pretty clearly seen to be not the really nice one that Harrison Ford drives for most of the movie.

Trying to understand why the Karmann Ghia destruction in this recent commercial bothers me so much. From the external shots it does look like a very straight, complete car. That, plus the fact that it's on so damn often lately, perhaps.

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I think that the ads need to post a "No automobiles where harmed in the making of this commercial." disclaimer if they really did not harm them.

With a VW photo by your name I think it has to do with that.

When the Karmann Ghia first came out I remember saying that they were the aardvark of the car world. Now I actually think they are cute. cool.gif

Now a Honda "Element"....they can wreck all of them they want to. Talk about ugly. There is a car that looks like some kid took a 'fridge box and a couple cans of paint and called it a car. And now some company is making little ones that look like they were made from dorm 'fridge boxes. tongue.gif

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I finally just saw part of the ad you are talking about. I turned around and there was the K.G. already flying through the air. It is an ad about something Sharp makes called and "Aquos" I think. Must be a water-proof something.

Will have to try to see the whole ad.

I wouldn't want to have a wreck in a 'fridge box. shocked.gif I understand they rated very poorly in crash tests. frown.gif

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Guest Skyking

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">

I also agree with you, Susan, about those darned "Elements"! BOR-RING! </div></div>

There is another one that is uglier than the Element.....(Wow!, I didn't think I would ever say that!!) It's squarer, much like a box. Never wanted to get to close to one to find out the name. I might catch something. grin.gifgrin.gif

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True, many of those vintage cars wrecked in shows are not the real thing. I remember seeing one episode of Home Improvement where he drove his wife's Classic Chevy to the contruction site only to drop a beam on top of it. It crushed like a beer can. One: those cars are worth serious money, Two: a real one would not have crushed so easily.

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Steve, the '55 used in AG was the same one used in Two Lane Blacktop with James Taylor, but with big block power. If you look real close as it rolls over in AG it turns into a four door. The '67 Corvette in the Jan and Dean movie turns into a '64 as it runs into the truck, too. still haven't caught the Common Gear one yet. Too much Speed Vision I guess.

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Thanks for the AG - Two Lane Blacktop Chevy info. I think I read somewhere that there were three '55's used in Two Lane. Anyone see "Fried Green Tomatoes"? A 1930-31 Model A Ford pickup drives into a river and sinks. Years later they pull it out, but by then it is an engineless 1934 Ford pickup. Low budget movie I guess.

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But it had one of the funniest lines in it. Something to the effect of, "Let's face it, I'm older than you and I have better insurance." Spoken by Kathy Bates's character to two very snotty girls that just took her parking space, right after she smashes into their car so hard she knock their car out of the space.

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