Whether it be for movies, TV or business promotion, specialty wheeled vehicles have been with us almost since Henry Ford’s first factory. What we are going to focus on here are STREET LEGAL vehicles. Not fantastical assemblages of mismatched pieces like the Batmobile from The Dark Knight. We are talking vehicles that with little or no special permissions can drive down your street tomorrow.
(Not our street of course. We do not have one. No, up here in the ice it is treaded vehicles or nothing. That is unless you can fly… but we digress…)
Number 10: Captain America’s motorcycle –from the 1979 made for TV film starring Reb Brown.
Are rivets really necessary on those hubs? Using a 1970's plexiglass shield as a windshield was a good idea. Probably will not even slow a bullet down however.
Ahh the 1970′s. For starters we do not know if Cap forgot that bleach fades colors. His dark blue outfit here looks… er, powder blue. But the vehicle was cool and gave cap an excuse to wear that AMAZINGLY intimidating helmet.
Number 9: The Monkee-mobile from the 1966 TV show.
It is too bad they could not fit the whole engine in the vehicle.
Did you try reading that first sentence on the box? Not well constructed. And yes, the GTO ruled. But do you need to tell us? Does that not kind of take away some of the "in" factor?
Ah, the vagaries of fashion and trends.
Whether it was the Beatles, the Monkees or even Chekov from Star Trek, what is old can be new again!
Hey Justin Bieber, we found out when your outrageous hairstyle was first “in”.
Beiber… What will he think of this hair a decade from now?
Number 8: The Weinermobile
Hollywood is not the only place that constructs impractical vehicles around outrageous themes. Oscar Meyer came up with this design after the Bologna-mobile was a public relations failure.
"Stay to the left of the cones for the giant mustard dispenser."
Can you find the Weinermobile in this parking lot?
Number 7: The 1966 Batman TV show Batmobile.
This picture was so amazingly cool. Just look at that shine. Drive around in this and chicks WILL dig it.
Keep relaxing Adam West. Your Batmobile will forever be more street legal than that goofball version from Batman III. You know, the Val Kilmer one with the 12 foot vertical fin sticking up in the back? Yeah, the one that flopped back and forth on turns...
Number 6: Green Hornet’s Black Beauty
Whether the 1960′s original or the new movie version, it is one intimidating sedan.
Okay, the car itself is street legal. However this version is festooned with more weapons than the 50 ton M1 Abrams tank!
What was with the 1960′s and all the cool custom vehicles that came out of that era?
Was it a singular time of character for comic book heroes?
What can be said to have come out of 2010?
- Dumb comments from Hollywood actors?
- Teen idol hair doos?
- Vampire Obsession?
What incredible ideas will our heroes come up with next?
What amazing wheeled conveyance will they fight crime with in the future?
Number 5: The Ark II RV from the 1976 show of the same name.
The premise for this gem? "A group of ethnically and er, species diverse scientists roam the pollution ravaged 25th century in their RV teaching surviving people valuable life lessons..." Its true!
Yes, they are accompanied by a super intelligent chimp! This could only have flown on Saturday mornings. Only those under 10 have skulls full of enough mush to swallow this premise without realizing they are being brainwashed.
Okay, there may not be any “streets” left in this Woodsey Owl nightmare of a future. However if some were unearthed those nice big wheels would not chew up any pavement. (What are you picking up with that dish? Echoes of Justin Beiber songs bouncing back from space?)
Number 4: Cars from the 1970 show, UFO.
Is it futuristic? Sort of. Is it street legal? Yeah sure. Is it practical? Well, one trip to your local supermarket in this baby will reveal some flaws. Can you imagine what rogue shopping carts will do to that edge?
Do not forget those far out futuristic fashions. This guy is trying so hard to be manly... in front of his lavender car?!
(Yes, UFO was that sometimes strange show where all the girls on the moonbase wore metal mesh, -and purple widow's peak wigs...)
Number 3: The Landmaster from the 1977 film Damnation Alley.
The film may not be a classic, but the vehicle has lived on in many other TV shows, commercials and what have you. Can you resist a movie starring both Jan-Michael Vincent (a guy with not one but THREE first names) and George (A-Team) Peppard?
Oh, we can hear some of you now, "But is that thing really street legal?" Look, its got wheels. Hey, if that Weinermobile is street legal, this thing is too! (We have seen it in person, it is impressive.)
Number 2: The Nightshade-mobile from the 1990 TV show The Flash.
The Nightshade was a 1950′s masked hero. His car was this heavy 1950′s boat of a car. It probably weighs as much as a modern truck. It was made of a material we do not use anymore in cars, METAL.
Here's to you Nightshade. By putting flourescent lights in your grill and wheel wells you turned the ordinary into something heroic. (And started a trend that would take root in future movies like The Fast and the Furious.)
Number 1: The EM-50 Urban Assault Vehicle from the 1981 film Stripes.
Sure, it looks all normal and happy pre-transformation. Just another RV.
But the thing can transform like er, a Transformer into an armor plated behemoth festooned with an anti-tank gun and flame throwers.
Oh did we mention it also has a missile turret? For the ability to travel in inconspicuous touring style AND hold off the Soviet army, the EM-50 is our number one street legal theme vehicle.
