That's whacked: Expedition front and center of grisly Sopranos scene

Chris Shunk — Wed, 13 Jun 2007 11:01:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Marketing/Advertising, Ford

Automakers have been paying big bucks for product placement in movies like Transformers and Casino Royale. When Ford marketers first heard that their recently redesigned Expedition made a free, blue oval-laden appearance on the wildly popular Sopranos finale, they must have figured that a little luck went their way. When those same product placement-o-holics discovered that the Expedition's big scene was when Tony Soprano enemy Phil Leotardo's head got crushed by said SUV, they probably weren't as happy. We thought the scene was especially odd considering that it contained a sustained close-up of the blue oval followed by Leotardo getting quickly shot in the head. Then we see the historic oval again on the front wheel as the mob boss' head gets run over by the two and a half ton vehicle with a crunch that can only be described as horrific.

Ford spokeswoman Whitney Drake said the appearance was "not a product placement." No kidding? Leotardo may have deserved his fate though. What self-respecting mob boss doesn't get chauffeured in a Town Car?

[Source: Detroit News]

That's whacked: Expedition front and center of grisly Sopranos scene originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Jun 2007 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Forbes counts down top ten Sopranos car scenes

Frank Filipponio — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 11:28:00 EST

Filed under: Etc.

With the second half of the final season finally kicking off, it's time for another "Sopranos" post. Forbes Auto has covered what it thought was the most exotic cars from this award-winning HBO series in the past, but turns this time to the 10 best car scenes. Scenes that were set in or around Sopranos vehicles are highlighted, with a good mix of in-car, outside-car, and under-car action. The cars themselves are nothing too extraordinary, but because the show has such a devoted following, the vehicles tend to become characters themselves.

As a series about suburban New Jersey mafia life, the cars involved tend to be big enough for a couple of bodies in the trunk. Domestics tend to be the norm, although a memorable scene with a Lexus LS400 makes the cut. But mainly they're Buicks, Cadillacs, Suburbans and Crown Vics. Each car is listed with a brief recap of the scene and how it fits into the Sopranos overall. Forbes tried to focus on major characters with their choices, rather than just the most fantastic scenes, but one minor character's demise in a major-league way is also included.

You can see a slideshow of the whole Top Ten by clicking the image above or following the read link below. Feel free to add your favorite overlooked scenes as well.

[Source: Forbes Autos]

Forbes counts down top ten Sopranos car scenes originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Apr 2007 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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