Autoblog

Poor Maxwell Smart. In the original series, Agent 86 started off pretty cool with a Sunbeam Tiger before the relative demotion to a Karmann Ghia convertible. This summer's retread of the Don Adams vehicle has Steve Carell fighting KAOS with an appropriately crime-fighterly Vespa LX150. With fuel prices pushing or past $4/gallon in a lot of places, things are tight at CONTROL, and the Vespa gets better mileage than pretty much any car. If you want to see what it's like to roll like Maxwell Smart, pay a visit to a Vespa dealer, they're offering free Subway gift cards in exchange for a test drive or product demonstration (hear that, Neff? Free lunch!). A Vespa did feature in the original series, so giving a role to the scooter in the new version isn't without precedent, though an Eos might have been more historically correct.

[Source: Inside Line]

There was a Robocop 3? Apparently so, it even had theatrical release, but it should have gone directly to video. The most memorable thing from the Robocop franchise, at least for us, were the Taurus police cars. They featured prominently in all of the installments, 3 included. Now for those of us who had the AMT/Ertl kit (I had the SHO cop car, not the Robo 1), you can pick up the real thing. This isn't just a hand-me-down Taurus that got a rattlecan paintjob, either, but the last surviving automotive cast member from the final installment.

A longing for the movie and TV icon cars of the 1980s seems to be a common dork affliction – witness the fact you can buy flux capacitors and KITT, uh, kits. It takes a special breed to consider spending more on this '88 Taurus than it likely cost new. If you have no problem dropping $20,000 of today's dollars on yesterday's prop, the Volo Auto Museum has your ride. The car is fully documented and carries a George Barris signature (George seems to have signed any and everything...) and several other prop items. There's even a Robocop suit for an extra three grand if you want to go all-out.

[Source: Hemmings]

We're willing to bet that more than a few Autoblog regulars have made use of The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) to keep tabs on their favorite star, or answer trivia questions like 'Who was the voice of Jazz in the Transformers Movie?' (A: Scatman Crothers).

But how many of you know about IMCDb - Internet Movie Car Data Base? The website chronicles the use of automobiles in movies of all ages and genres, and it's a fun and occasionally useful tool. Available in English, French and German, IMCDb boasts entries for a good number of vehicles used in films originating outside of Hollywood, as well as a large number of lesser-known marques like Hotchkiss and Innocenti. Well-organized with a powerful search utility that allows searches by manufacturer, vehicle type or film title, the massive database offers thousands of screen captures and allows users to participate by identifying 'mystery' vehicles.

'What Would Lindsay Lohan Drive?' Wonder no more.

[Sources: IMCDb; IMDB]

eBay seems to be the place for moving pictures to unload their four-wheeled props as of late. Currently on the virtual block are a pair of pickups, one that's an Oscar Best Picture nominee and one that's really liked by a guy named Oscar.

The first is the truck driven by Jack Twist (played by Jake Gyllenhal) in the movie Brokeback Mountain, a 1950 GMC half-ton with nearly 61,000 miles. It still has its original engine that is reportedly in superb working condition, and its interior has been restored as per the movie. See the eBay auction here.

The second truck is a true Blue-Light Special: Larry the Cable Guy's 1977 Chevy half-ton, as seen in the movie Health Inspector. Unfortunately, this hauler isn't in as good a shape as Mr. Gyllenhal's truck. Actually, it's not even street legal and wears its salvage title as a badge of honor. However, proceeds of this auction, go to diabetes research.


[Source: Calgary Sun and Car Buyer's Notebook]