Merry Christmas from Hover Motor Company

Christmas and cars.  Now there are two things that really go together.  Well, they go together for me anyway.  I don’t think I’ve ever had a Christmas where I didn’t get at least something car-related.   And apparently, they go together for car manufacturers too.  I can prove that claim by looking back at all the Christmas-themed automotive advertisements that have graced the pages of magazines over the years.  Of course, most of them are from a time when it wasn’t forbidden to mention Christmas in a main-stream advertisement.  So that’s been awhile.  But it’s still fun to look back on some of the stuff they used to print.  Who wouldn’t want a new Packard under the tree?!

Wienermobile history for the Fourth of July

The Wienermobile. Just the name strikes fear in those that hear it. This 14,000-lb leviathan prowls the highways, back roads, and supermarket parking lots searching for innocent victims to torture with tiny Wienerwhistles.

Actually, it might be the parents of those who receive the Wienerwhistles who are tortured.

At any rate, the Wienermobile is easily the most recognized promotional vehicle ever hit America's highways. And since it's the Fourth of July, a holiday that revolves around the consumption of hot dogs, I thought it would be a good idea to look back at the history of this iconic rolling billboard. 

Hearse pictures for Halloween

Well, it's Halloween.  Not exactly the best time for car shows, but if you want a fun-sized bag of Whoppers, you're probably in luck.  Of course, if you're here, you probably like cars better than candy, so we need to do something about that.  But Halloween isn't about COPO Camaros or Deuce Coupes.  This is a creepy holiday, and you want to know about creepy cars.  That's why we're taking our annual look at the creepiest cars of them all.  Cars that are specifically built to haul dead bodies around.  You know them.  You love them.  Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the history of the hearse.

What do hidden headlights have to do with Groundhog's Day?

Well, it’s official. Punxsutawney Phil did not see his shadow!  That means we’re going to have an early spring.

In an effort to cover all the major holidays with a car-related story—Christmas, Thanksgiving, Groundhog’s Day—I’m once again stretching the bounds of logic to bring you a story about the history of hidden headlights.

Parkville Fourth of July Parade. My vote goes to the cars!

Small town Fourth of July parades.  Blech.  Basically you just sit in the heat with a bunch of other sweaty people, and watch an endless stream of politicians pass out their junk mail.  Why does anyone want to go to these?

But then, every once in awhile, something shows up that makes it worthwhile.  Usually it's some sort of Veterans' salute, or maybe a moving color guard display.  And, if you can make it through the trailers full of dance and karate students, a neat car or truck will usually appear to break up the monotony. 

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.

The world's most hellacious hue. More than 200 black cars in recognition of Black Friday

Black Friday. Just the name strikes fear into those that hear it. The traffic. The crowds. The lines. The misery. Is a 40-percent off really worth this?

Black is also an important matter for car freaks. The richest of all paint colors, it can be so shiny; so deep; so reflective; so beautiful.

It can also be a huge pain in the, uh, yeah. Swirl marks, scratches, and fingerprints are enough to drive anyone crazy. And it looks dirty before you even get it home from the car wash. Henry Ford can sit on a short stick—I say, any color BUT black!

In honor of Thanksgiving, let's look at the Mayflower. And the Pilgrims. Oh, and Plymouths from all over Kansas City!

Unfortunately, there weren’t any cars in Squanto's day, but a major component of Thanksgiving had an influence on what was once one of the top selling cars in America.

When you think of the Pilgrims, you probably have an image of a bunch of guys in big, dopey buckle hats eating cranberry sauce around a lavishly set picnic table and taking corn planting lessons from smiling Indians.

People enjoying a picnic isn’t all that big of a deal in and of itself, but, you know, they had to sail there in a stinky, wooden ship. It took 66 days. 45 of the 102 passengers died. Pretty much everybody got scurvy, which is way worse than H1N1. They earned that turkey dinner.