Ghostbusters is a supernatural comedy multi-media franchise created in 1984. Its inception was for the movie Ghostbusters, released on June 8, 1984 by Columbia Pictures. It centered around a group of eccentric New York City parapsychologists who investigate and capture ghosts for a living.

ECTO-1 from the movie Ghostbusters

The Ectomobile, or Ecto–1 is a 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor limo-style endloader combination car (ambulance conversion) used in the 1984 film Ghostbusters and other Ghostbusters fiction.

In the original movie, this vehicle was purchased by Ray Stantz for the relatively high price of $4800 (over $9800 in 2009 dollars when scaled up for inflation) in a poor state of repair. In Stantz’ own words, it needed “suspension work and shocks, brakes, brake pads, lining, steering box, transmission, rear end…, new rings, mufflers, a little wiring….” It is assumed that Ray continues listing needed repairs after this scene cuts away.

After the necessary reconstruction, it was used to carry the team’s ghost-capturing equipment, as well as transporting the Ghostbusters through New York City. It has a distinctive siren wail. Its features include a special pull-out rack in the rear containing the staff’s proton packs, which facilitates a quick retrieval without the complication of having to reach into the vehicle’s rear. There are also various gadgets mounted on the top, whose function is never revealed in the movies. A cartoon episode featured the “proton cannon”, presumably a more powerful version of a proton pack, mounted on top for use against extra large or even giant sized paranormal entities. The book “Making Ghostbusters” by Don Shay describes a deleted scene where a police officer places a ticket on the Ectomobile only to have it instantly burn to ashes.

1929 Ford Model A Sedan Snow Bird conversion

Ford Model Ts and Model As were ubiquitous reliable strong and inexpensive. Any number of companies conceived specific applications for Fords to adapt them to specialized applications but the Snow Bird is certainly one of the strangest. The concept was originated by Virgil White of West Ossipee New Hampshire. Later taken on by B.P. Arps and Adolf Langenfelds Farm Specialty Manufacturing in Wisconsin a Model A-based Snow Bird built by Arps was part of Admiral Byrds 1931 Antarctic expedition. This 1929 Ford Model A Tudor Sedan with its Arps Snow Bird conversion was originally used by the New York Guard and later by a rural mail carrier.

Finished in Manila Brown accented in Black Yellow wire wheels with Taupe cloth upholstery it drives through caterpillar style treads encompassing the rear tire and two leaf sprung auxiliary bogies on each side. The front wheels have long skis mounted just an inch or so off the ground inside the front wheels. In addition to the Snow Bird package this Model A also has an exhaust manifold heater.

You can by this for about 60k…click HERE to see

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is the fictional vintage racing car which features in the book, musical film and stage production of the same name. Writer Ian Fleming took his inspiration for the car from a series of aero-engined racing cars built by Count Louis Zborowski in the early 1920s, christened “Chitty Bang Bang”. Six versions of the car were built for the film and a number of replicas have subsequently been produced. The version built for the stage production holds the record for the most expensive stage prop ever used

For the film version, six cars were created, including a fully functional road going car, GEN 11. This car was designed by the film’s production designer, Ken Adam and cartoonist and sculptor, Frederick Roland Emett, built by Alan Mann Racing in Hertfordshire in 1967, fitted with a Ford 3000 V6 engine and automatic transmission and allocated a genuine UK registration: GEN 11. This car has been in the private ownership of Pierre Picton of Stratford Upon Avon since the early 1970s. Five other car props were built by the studio: a second, smaller road-going version; a transforming car; a hover-car; a flying car; and an engineless version for trailer work. Most had engines added after filming was complete and were used to promote the film throughout the world.

chitty chitty bang bang car with Dick Van Dyke

The “Monkee Mobile” was a custom Pontiac GTO made special for the 1960′s TV Show “The Monkees”

Monkeemobile #1 used on TV Show

The Monkeemobile is a modified Pontiac GTO that was designed and built by designer Dean Jeffries for The Monkees, a pop-rock band and television program. The car features a tilted forward split two-piece windshield, a touring car T-bucket-type convertible top, modified rear quarter panels and front fenders, exaggerated tail lamps, set of four bucket seats with an extra third row bench where the rear deck should have been, and a parachute. The front grille sported the GTO emblem

Monkeemobile #2 used for promotion and car shows

Don Keefe has some great info on The Monkee Mobile that you will find HERE

The movie ‘Duel’ featured one the coolest ‘vehicle villains’ of all time.

   David Mann (Dennis Weaver) sets out from Los Angeles on a business trip. His eastward path takes him from the crowded freeways to a long stretch of 2-lane interstate crossing the California high desert. Mann’s journey is going reasonably well until he encounters a slow-moving tanker truck. The truck is grimy and oil-stained, and constantly belching black smoke. Mann passes the slow-moving truck, but soon after, the truck roars past him, forcing him to steer sharply to avoid a collision, then returns to its slow-moving speed. Mann rolls his eyes and passes the truck a second time, eliciting a loud, startling blast on the truck’s air horn. That Big Rig sets out to destroy him.

1960 Peterbilt 281 from the movie Duel

 It was the first feature film directed by Steven Spielberg and was written by Richard Matheson based on his own short story.

Munsters 1923 Ford Model T "Munster Koach"

Built in less than 30 days from three fiberglass Model T Fords, the Koach also has a brass tombstone-shaped radiator, carriage lamps, landau bars, a 300-horsepower 289 Ford Cobra V-8, Anson Astro wheels with Mickey Thompson rear slicks, and a 133-inch wheelbase, nearly identical to the Maybach 57. Casket handles on the front, step bars, parlor curtains, and the family crest on the second of the three doors complete the comically creepy car’s character.

Fun Stats:

The Munster Koach was made from 3 Model T bodies and is 18 feet long.

The Koach was created by Barris Kustom City (George Barris) during 3 weeks in 1964.

It has a 4-speed manual transmission and power rear end.

The Engine is a 289 Cobra and was bored to 425 cubic inches.

In 1964, the cost to build the first one was $18,000.

It had “blood red” velvet interior and a Gloss Black Pearl exterior.

The Munster Koach

1956 DeSoto Firedome Seville

Here is a list of the Most Famous Cars in Film History:

• American Griffiti – 1956 DeSoto Firedome Seville
• Back to the Future – DeLorean
• Big Fish – 1967 Dodge Charger
• Bullitt – 1968 Dodge Charger 440 R/T and 1968 Ford Mustang
• Blues Brothers – 1974 Dodge Monaco
• Blade I and Blade II – 1968 Dodge Charger
• Big Fish – 1967 Dodge Charger
• “Christine” – 1957 Plymouth Sport Fury
• The Choppers (1961) – ’59 Buick convertible
• Cobra – 1950 Mercury
• Corvette Summers – Customized Corvette
• Duel – 1970 Plymouth Valiant
• Dirty Mary, ,Crazzy Larry – 1969 Charger R/T 440, 1966 Impala
• Dragstrip Riot – ’55, ’56, ’57 Corvettes
• The Car – 1969-1971 Lincoln Mark III
• Thunderbolt and Lightfoot – 1973 Plymouth Fury
• Fast and Furious – Mazda RX-7, Mitsubishi Eclipse
• Too Fast and Too Furious – Nissan Skyline GT-R 2
• Gone in 60 Seconds (1974) – 1971 Ford Mustang Bos 302
• Gone in 60 Seconds – Ford Shelby Mustang
• Fireball 500 (1966) – SSXR Barracuda (’66 Barracuda), 426-powered
• 66 Belvedere stock car
• Green Hornet – ’66 Chrysler Imperial
• The Love Bug – VW Beetle
• Two Lane Backtop – Hemi Cuda, Dodge Daytona
• LeMans – Gulf Porsche 917
• Smokey and Bandit – 1976 Pontiac Trans Am
• Grand Theft Auto (1977) – Rolls Royce
• Rebel Without a Cause – 1949 Mercury Coupe
• Matrix Reloaded – Cadillac Escalade EXT pickup, silver Cadillac CTS sedan
• Italian Job (2003) – Mini Cooper S
• The Wraith – 1986 Dodge Daytona turbos and Dodge M4S concept car
• Last Angry Man – 1947 Buick
• Little Ceasar – 1926 Cadillac
• Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life – Jeep Wrangler Rubicon
• Mad Max 2: Road Warrior (1981) – 1973 Ford XB Falcon coupe
• Vanishing Point (1971, 1997) – 1971 Dodge Challenger R/T
• White Lightening (1973) – Ford LTD
• X2: X-Men Unites – Mazda RX-8
• xXx – ’76 GTO

1971 Dodge Challenger R/T

1974 Dodge Monaco Bluesmobile

Chevrolet Volt

By Brent Snavely, Detroit Free Press

The Chevrolet Volt has won yet another major award: The North American Car of the Year.

The Volt beat out two other finalists, the Hyundai Sonata and the battery-powered Nissan Leaf.

The North American Truck of the Year is the Ford Explorer, which beat out the Jeep Grand Cherokee and the Dodge Durango. It was Ford’s third consecutive year to win Truck of the Year.

Read the rest of Brent’s article HERE

Ford Explorer

Road & Track’s Illustrated Automotive Dictionary by John Dinkel

The Road & Track Illustrated Automotive Dictionary is a handy reference that will answer your automotive questions. Whether decoding a sales brochure, making sense of information downloaded from the internet, or unraveling the latest technology detailed in a road test, The Road & Track Illustrated Automotive Dictionary has the answer.

Two decades ago, John Dinkel provided tens of thousands of auto journalists, enthusiasts, and car owners with the most comprehensive, indispensable automotive reference of its time. Now, the author has revised and updated that work, including current advances in technology, to create the new standard in automotive references.

With over twice the number of definitions and three times the illustrations of the original Auto Dictionary, this book will be the first source you turn to when answering an automotive-related question. If you need to know the difference between RON and MON octane ratings, or how a “coupe” differs from a two-door sedan, or want to know just what “bump steer” really is, turn to The Automotive Dictionary.

Written in a clear, concise style, The Road & Track Illustrated Automotive Dictionary offers explanation of all things automotive, from basic items like shock absorbers and backfires, to the complex functioning of fuel injection and antilock braking systems. Whether you’re a hard-core enthusiast or you just want to know what your mechanic is doing to your car, The Road & Track Illustrated Automotive Dictionary is the key automotive reference for your bookshelf.

Auto Repair for Dummies by Deanna Sclar

The top-selling auto repair guide–400,000 copies sold–now extensively reorganized and updated

Forty-eight percent of U.S. households perform at least some automobile maintenance on their own, with women now accounting for one third of this $34 billion automotive do-it-yourself market. For new or would-be do-it-yourself mechanics, this illustrated how-to guide has long been a must and now it’s even better. A complete reorganization now puts relevant repair and maintenance information directly after each automotive system overview, making it much easier to find hands-on fix-it instructions. Author Deanna Sclar has updated systems and repair information throughout, eliminating discussions of carburetors and adding coverage of hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles. She’s also revised schedules for tune-ups and oil changes, included driving tips that can save on maintenance and repair costs, and added new advice on troubleshooting problems and determining when to call in a professional mechanic. For anyone who wants to save money on car repairs and maintenance, this book is the place to start.

Deanna Sclar (Long Beach, CA), an acclaimed auto repair expert and consumer advocate, has contributed to the Los Angeles Times and has been interviewed on the Today show, NBC Nightly News, and other television programs.

The Car: A History of the Automobile by Jonathan Glancey

The Big Book of Car Culture: The Armchair Guide to Automotive Americana by James Hinckley

If you love cars and the American road, here’s a fun and comprehensive armchair guide to everything automotive. The Big Book of Car Culture is a photo- and memorabilia-rich look at everything that is automobilia: drive-in restaurants, gas stations, breathalyzers, tail fins, the Wienermobile, Route 66, and even Earl Scheib, who built an empire of $99 car-painting franchises.

Written by Jon Robinson and Jim Hinckley, masters of books on road-going Americana, this book features poignant essays and a collection of nearly 400 images of incredible period photography and memorabilia.

Motor City Muscle: The High Powered History of the Amercan Muscle Car by Mike Mueller

This is the high-performance tale of what was undoubtedly the fastest, loosest era in automotive history. Through the 1960s and into the 1970s, America’s carmakers fought an unbridled war for street supremacy. The warriors ranged from light and agile Z/28 Camaros and Boss 302 Mustangs to big-block brutes like the 440 Road Runner and Stage I 455 Buick GS. A few of these boulevard brawlers were closing on 500 horsepower before the insurance lobby, Ralph Nader, OPEC, and various governmental agencies conspired to stop the madness.

Muscle cars all but disappeared by 1974, with only a few anemic models soldiering through the 1980s. But by the 1990s, thanks to vastly improved engine technology, muscle cars were back with a vengeance. Motor City Muscle traces the full history right up to today’s new Mustang, Camaro, and Challenger.

About the Author

Automotive writer and photographer Mike Mueller has held staff positions with Automobile Quarterly, Corvette Fever, Muscle Car Review, and Mustang Monthly, among others. He has worked as a freelance motor journalist since 1991. A lifetime car enthusiast, Mueller has written and contributed to more than 50 automotive books, including Motorbooks’ The Complete Book of Corvette and The Complete Book of Mustang. He resides in Kennesaw, Georgia.Ultimate Encyclopedia of American Cars by Peter Henshaw