[Keith Seymore]

Some additional thoughts:


Q: True or False? The 1953 Corvette was offered in white, red and black.
A: False. The 1953 'Vett's were available in one color - Polo White.

Actually - upon further review by the off ice officials - this could be considered true. All '53 Corvettes were white exterior, red interior and black tops. Not only were they all white but (as I'm sure you all know) they were all Blue Flame Six cylinders. The entire production run of 300 cars were assembled in Flint Michigan at the GM Assembly Research Center. This was a separate building located on the north east corner of the property were Chevrolet Flint Assembly still resides.

Q: Where was the World's first three-color traffic lights installed?
A: Detroit, Michigan, in 1919. Two years later they experimented with synchronized lights.

In the early 1900's Detroit was thought of as the "Paris of the West". In 1920 the intersection of Michigan Ave and Woodward Ave was noted as the busiest intersection in the world. They missed the other standard Detroit trivia question, which is "where was the first use of concrete for a roadway?" The answer: Woodward Avenue, near McNichols, was the first paved section of road ever done.

Q: What car was the first to place the horn button in the center of the steering wheel?
A: The 1915 Scripps-Booth Model C. The car also was the first with electric door latches.

The Scripps-Booth was a marvel of invention and innovation. Groucho Marx owned one and commented that it was "like magic" the way the doors presented themselves to you when opening, indicating that was the primary reason behind his purchase. The Scripps family owned the Detroit News newspaper and was also very involved in early aviation, using gyrocopters for news reporting and access to remote sites (one of which is on display in Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn). The Scripps mansion is still standing and, although not open to the public, is a beautiful example of tudor architecture.

Q: Who wrote to Henry Ford, "I have drove fords exclusively when I could get away with one. It has got every other car skinned, and even if my business hasn't been strictly legal it don't hurt anything to tell you what a fine car you got in the V-8"?
A: Clyde Barrow (of Bonnie and Clyde ) in 1934.

This letter still exists and is on display in the Henry Ford Museum.

Q: What car was reportedly designed on the back of a Northwest Airlines airsickness bag and released on April Fool's Day, 1970?
A: 1970 Gremlin, (AMC)

Seems appropriate, eh?

Re: Ford pickup trucks: Ford made the first pickup trucks, shipped them to dealers in crates that the new owners had to assemble using the crates as the beds of the trucks. The new owners had to go to the dealers to get them, thus, they had to "pick-up" the trucks.

Ford stole the idea for a pickup truck from early Model T owners, who would remove the turtle-deck portion of the car and replace it with a cargo platform or box.

Never underestimate the influence of "street rodders!"...

K