History Channel: History of the Car

[PGBCruiser]

Not really worthy of a full thread; but the PT got its 30 seconds of fame on the History Channel. They questioned the appeal but mentioned the huge sales numbers. We got more airtime than any other "retro's" other than the Mini and the VW bug.
Hey kids, we're famous!

[chuzz]

I recorded that series and am having a blast watching it. I never knew that the Dodge brothers were so responsible for the success of Ford. He seems like he was a very brilliant man, but a royal azzhole!

[rob302]

One also made the news
Man accused of hitting flagger tracked down by vanity plate, police say

And the link to the comments popped up on my phone screen
https://m.fark.com/comments/9699404/...-obvious-plate

[Handy_Cruiser]

I really like this new documentary. It makes Mr. Chrysler look like a saint and Henry Ford look like the devil.

What saddened me was when I learned about those wild and crazy Dodge brothers. First they were screwed by Henry Ford and then went on to build the first "muscle car" (Dodge Model 30). The Model 30 had a 207 cubic inch flat head that made 35 hp. It also had a three-speed sliding steel gear transmission and a big Star of David emblem on the grill. George Patton took a regiment of troops in Model 30's to Mexico to catch Poncho Via. At that time, the Ford only had 22 hp and two-speed belt driven transmission.

But then the Dodge brothers caught the Spanish flue and both died.

This is a very COOL TV show if you are a Mopar fan.






And because of this show, I'm now very proud that Fiat/Chrysler decided to put this in our new Charger R/T.

DB1.jpg

[Carnut]

Well, I watched the whole series and I thought it almost amateurish production.

Seems almost all the pictures were totally unrelated to the content being narrated.

Worst for me was DeLorean dragging woodward in a Buick while discussing the development of the Pontiac GTO.

Also Ed Cole talking up the performance concept of hot rodders while driving a 'performance' 55 Mercury which would have been after the release of his infamous SBC V8.

Also floored me to see images of a flathead I6 when discussing the venerable Ford Flathead V8.

Discussing the history of Model T's while showing scenes filmed in the late 30's were inexcusable

Showing a 1931 Ford Model A for the into of the 28 Model A was laughable.

So i wasn't exactly enamored of the series.

[Handy_Cruiser]

Originally Posted by Carnut

Well, I watched the whole series and I thought it almost amateurish production.

Seems almost all the pictures were totally unrelated to the content being narrated.

Worst for me was DeLorean dragging woodward in a Buick while discussing the development of the Pontiac GTO.

Also Ed Cole talking up the performance concept of hot rodders while driving a 'performance' 55 Mercury which would have been after the release of his infamous SBC V8.

Also floored me to see images of a flathead I6 when discussing the venerable Ford Flathead V8.

Discussing the history of Model T's while showing scenes filmed in the late 30's were inexcusable

Showing a 1931 Ford Model A for the into of the 28 Model A was laughable.

So i wasn't exactly enamored of the series.

Yeah, but the early Mopar stuff was COOL!

Seriously, I believe who ever put this together was a big Mopar fan and didn't care much for Ford or GM. And don't believe Henry Ford was the terrible abusive guy they made him out to be.

[LionPT]

Originally Posted by Handy_Cruiser

Yeah, but the early Mopar stuff was COOL!

Seriously, I believe who ever put this together was a big Mopar fan and didn't care much for Ford or GM. And don't believe Henry Ford was the terrible abusive guy they made him out to be.

There are many documentary's on Ford, and they all pretty much say he was a mean SOB...especially to family.

[Handy_Cruiser]

Originally Posted by LionPT

There are many documentary's on Ford, and they all pretty much say he was a mean SOB...especially to family.

That's pretty sad if true. In this History Channel show they really portrayed him as abusive to his son, Edsel.

But I know he started the 40-hour work week and made sure his employees made enough to own a Ford car. Since he hired lots of immigrants he also offered a deal where the employee would make even more money if they demonstrated a clean home and sent their children to school. He did lots of things like that for his employees. Many of them seem overly controlling for an employer today, but he really gave a lot of folks a good job and a leg up.

I've always figured that this over-controlling charge and Ford's open hostility toward unions caused lots of more liberal-learning writers to put a negative spin on his life. Like the rest of us, some of the negative stuff is likely deserved and some is not. But this particular TV show seems especially hard in him and on guy running GM in the 1920's. I haven't seen the later episodes yet, so I don't know what kind of spin the writers put on those.

What I really like about this show is that it's covering ground not covered in other documentaries. It may not be the best, but I've enjoyed what I've seen so far.

[NitroPT]

Originally Posted by Carnut

Well, I watched the whole series and I thought it almost amateurish production.

.

I think you posted most of my thoughts.

I truly believe that I was born at just the right time. Having owned in upwards of 150+ pre 1980 manufactured vehicles I constantly read and see things that were not exactly how the media and internet portrays them.

I am also amused at how high schoolish that some older member's team up a specific car manufacture as if they were the best on the industry. I don't know about most of you but in the early to late 70's all the US auto makers with few exception were all pretty egual for loyalists.

I think most all of us were in the Chevy, Ford, Buick, Oldsmobile Dodge ( we didn't really use the term Mopar then) groups and if you drove anything else you were mostly a loaner. Me I had several models in each group seemed what ever look like it was a Hot Rod satisfied me.

[cromagnondan]

Originally Posted by rob302

One also made the news
Man accused of hitting flagger tracked down by vanity plate, police say

And the link to the comments popped up on my phone screen
https://m.fark.com/comments/9699404/...-obvious-plate

I have his defense. Your honor, he asked me to turn around. I couldn't. I drive a PT cruiser. I needed twice the available space in which to turn around. I didn't mean to hit him, but he said 'turn around', and I wasn't being mean, just stating facts, I should have said 'If you make me turn around, I'll run you over." This car has the turning circle of your average school bus.