With more than 125 years worth of history behind it, there’s no shock that the automotive industry has more than its share of compelling, audacious and outrageous stories, many of which would make great films. As a matter of fact, it’s shocking how few films have been made about the industry and its adherents.
Sure, we’ve had Tucker, and that movie about the guy who had his intermittent wiper invention stolen, both of which were great. But there’s still so much more! What about Liz Carmichael and the scam of the century, the Dale? Who wouldn’t be interested in a story about a grifter who disguised himself as a woman—and a pretty manly woman at that—and proceeded to fool a country?
That’s just one great story ripped from the headlines, as the say. And there’s plenty more where that came from. There’s the Edsel and the Mustang, the story of the Model T… Hell, Ford alone could pack theaters! What do you think, are there some untold stories from the auto age that YOU would like to see on the silver screen?
Image: American Digest
Hooniverse Asks: What Amazing Auto Age Story Needs a Movie Treatment?
By Robert Emslie
Mar 17, 2016
Jeff Glucker
http://images.thetruthaboutcars.com/2009/11/rollover2.jpg
Having once owned a 1970 Opel Kadette Rallye I cringe whenever I see this photo.
Fixed it.
http://i66.tinypic.com/o9kd2w.jpg
There used to be a documentary series on The History Channel that would be a great starting point. I can’t find any information about it but it was narrated by Edward Herrmann and every week it went through the history of a particular make, model or important figure. I suspect at least half the episodes could be made into feature films.
Yeah, the memories are fuzzy, but that was way back when they had shows about actual history on The History Channel. I think the name was simply “Automobiles”
I remember him mostly for Gilmore Girls and ’90s Dodge commercials.
He was a car guy.
https://www.hagerty.com/articles-videos/articles/2015/01/16/edward-herrmann
http://static01.nyt.com/images/2010/03/07/automobiles/07ED-inline1/07ED-inline1-popup.jpg
Just don’t invite him into your house.
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/0c/77/ba/0c77ba6943fbb6a3ad0fdf3f7df66dd6.jpg
The DeLorean saga. To keep Hollywood interested include the legend of Colin Chapman faking his death.
It already has the magic ingredient to make Hollywood care: cocaine.
Ford vs. Ferrari 1960s.
At least someone is trying…
The life story of Smokey Yunick story. Already organized into a Hollywood friendly trilogy. http://prodimage.images-bn.com/pimages/9780971146938_p0_v2_s399x595.jpg
I’d like to see that. Also, one on this guy:
http://universityofracing.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Junior-Johnson-3.jpg
Almost all of my reading is biographies (and not just car related) – and this might be one of the very best. So absolutely fascinating, that when my wife and I took a vacation drive on the Blue Ridge Parkway, I made her take a detour to Wilkes County.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51T0TYNPS7L._SX258_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg
May be as close as we’ll get.
http://fffmp.fffmoviepostersc.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/3065.jpg
Liz Carmichael? Yikes. I remember hearing interviews of “her” on a local radio talk show here in Dallas, when “she” was trying to get “her”
company off the groundscam up and running.The first thing that comes to mind is Carroll Shelby, especially the legend of his LeMans win where he was constantly popping nitro pills just to keep his heart under control.
But then I don’t know how well you could tell a Hollywood friendly story without some manufactured drama. On the other hand, any good Canadian remembers our Heritage Minute commercials from the 90s, little vignettes of important or iconic people and events. Shelby’s life was full of stuff perfectly suited for that.
I think everyone would agree that Carroll Shelby had no difficulties when it came to manufacturing drama.
If I were a Hollywood producer this would have already been made. It would have been titled “If In Doubt Flat Out”
http://scalr-9465-us-east-1.s3.amazonaws.com/images/PHOTO_18262466.jpg
Couldn’t Liz Carmichael’s story also be called Tucker?
I’ll show myself out.
The Man and His Dream, indeed.
It’s already a book. Time to make it a movie.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5168qTcLHNL._SX331_BO1,204,203,200_.jpg
The Tuesday Answer:
There is drama here on so many levels: historical, personal, technical, financial, political.
http://www.workerscontrol.net/system/files/imagecache/story/1363884409485.jpg
I suggest the story of Ferdinand Porsche’s relationship with Adolf Hitler. Plenty of history and drama there.
A profile of Bill Mitchell could be good. Also the story of the suspicious death in a French prison of Louis Renault, accused of collaborating with the Nazis.
Maybe not “untold,” but waiting desperately for the Alex Roy film to come to light
The story of the Citroen 2CV. You’ve got Nazis, subterfuge, the French Resistance, hiding things in barns, a hero in Pierre-Jules Boulanger. It could be pretty fantastic.
The story of Bruce McLaren. Currently being filmed as a documentary by Roger Donaldson of ‘World’s Fastest Indian’ fame.
And why the company logo isn’t a squidgy Nike tick but a stylised Kiwi.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/74/McLaren_logo.png/250px-McLaren_logo.png
Ahh. Jerry Geraldine Dean Carmichael Micheals…
I’ve heard talk of an unofficial sea to sea race across America….