Saturday, March 17, 2012

The huge St. Patrick's Day virtual green machine car show. 385 pictures!

This is the age of green cars. Hybrid, flex-fuel, hydrogen, and electric. Minimum comfort and space for maximum miles-per-gallon. Save the dinosaurs!

Blarney!

Around here, green cars are, well, green. They’re hot rods, lead sleds, muscle cars, and trucks. They’re what you drive when you love what you drive. Our hybrids burn gasoline … and rubber. And anyway, the old ones really are green, because they haven’t burned through any new resources or energy associated with their construction since they were new.

Today is St. Patrick’s Day, so we’re going to take a look at some of the best green cars in town. But lest you think I’ve lost sight of what this place is all about, these are COOL cars that are actually painted the color green. They’re all pictures that I’ve taken in the past few months, mostly at local car shows.

I can hear it now, “OK, red cars, black cars, even blue cars are cool, but green?” You’d be surprised. Looking through the archives, I was blown away with all the different kinds of cars and trucks that proudly wear their Leprechaun suits.

Controversial? Sometimes. I love that bright Synergy Green that is available on a new Camaro, but I know some people absolutely hate it. The iridescent green on the Hot Wheels version at the SEMA Show was especially radiant. On the other hand, did you know that green was considered so ordinary in the late 1940s/early ‘50s that it was the standard color on a Chevy pickup? Even black was an extra cost option.

Did you know that green race cars were once considered unlucky? In 1920, Gaston Chevrolet was involved in a racing accident that killed two other drivers. The color of Chevrolet’s car? Green. Of course, today it would be hard to turn down a $5-million sponsorship because you were scared to run AMP Energy Drink’s corporate colors. Then again, Dale, Jr. hasn’t had the best luck the past couple of years …

I should bring up that I ran a story similar to this last year. And while I’m not in the habit of repeating content here , I can tell you that it isn’t a complete rerun. This slideshow has been significantly updated, adding 167 green car pictures to the 204 that were already there. Sometimes when I go through all the pictures like this, I can’t believe how many I’ve taken in the past few years.

If you like cars, this is the best slideshow you’re going to look at this St. Patrick’s Day. From mossy to minty; from hunter to honey dew, every shade of green is covered in one way or another.

So sit back, have a green beer, and enjoy your incredible luck of the Irish, because these are the green machines of St. Patrick’s Day.


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