The Cussler Collectionl

[Byteme]

Jguar Clubs of North America held their Annual General Meeting in Denver this year. One of the highlights was a tour of the Clive Cussler automobile collection.

Click on the below link. 

http://www.kodakgallery.com/ShareLanding.action?c=yro17mr.bwi87x17&x=0&y=-3wwzml&localeid=en_US&cm_mmc=site_email-_-site_share-_-core-_-view_photos_button

Click on the small image on the right (man on the bathtub is the first one) to view the next picture.

[the Teuton]

I sometimes wonder why hood ornaments have generally gone the way of the dodo bird.  They're so cool.

Thanks for sharing the album.

[J86]

Pedestrian safety laws?

[FoMoJo]

He's got a nice collection.  I've seen him a couple of times on the "Classic Car" show with a couple of his cars on the road.  His collection seems to reflect much of Dirk Pitt's.

[Galaxy]

Pedestrian safety laws?

Then how do you explain the Mercedes star and the Rolls Royce Emily?


I think most car companies don't use them because of theft. I've heard that the Mercedes star is one of the most stolen objects, to the point that Mercedes actually designs the thing to rip off without causing excessive damage and that is designed to be cheap and easy to repair.

[Byteme]

He's got a nice collection.  I've seen him a couple of times on the "Classic Car" show with a couple of his cars on the road.  His collection seems to reflect much of Dirk Pitt's.

I think Dirk Pitt is Cussler's alter ego.

Just about every Dirk Pitt novel I've read has Pitt driving one of the automobiles from Cussler's collection.  Typically the car featured in the story along with Cussler, and recently Clive's son Dirk Cussler, pose in a photograph on the back cover.

[FoMoJo]

Doesn't RR have theirs flip over when the car is turned off?

[Byteme]

Then how do you explain the Mercedes star and the Rolls Royce Emily?


I think most car companies don't use them because of theft. I've heard that the Mercedes star is one of the most stolen objects, to the point that Mercedes actually designs the thing to rip off without causing excessive damage and that is designed to be cheap and easy to repair.

Safety laws caused most of the hood ornements or "mascots" to be deleted.  I think this was the same law that caused cars like Jaguar to abandon eared knock offs on the wheels as a danger to pedestrians.  That's why Mercedes had a srping loaded star; when the driver ran down a jaywalker the poor guy wouldn't be felled by the star. 

[hotrodalex]

Safety laws caused most of the hood ornements or "mascots" to be deleted.  I think this was the same law that caused cars like Jaguar to abandon eared knock offs on the wheels as a danger to pedestrians.  That's why Mercedes had a srping loaded star; when the driver ran down a jaywalker the poor guy wouldn't be felled by the star. 

Wouldn't it just break off anyways?

[Galaxy]

Safety laws caused most of the hood ornements or "mascots" to be deleted.  I think this was the same law that caused cars like Jaguar to abandon eared knock offs on the wheels as a danger to pedestrians.  That's why Mercedes had a srping loaded star; when the driver ran down a jaywalker the poor guy wouldn't be felled by the star. 

The Mercedes star is the perfect example that you can have hood ornement with a bit of effort.

[NomisR]

Safety laws caused most of the hood ornements or "mascots" to be deleted.  I think this was the same law that caused cars like Jaguar to abandon eared knock offs on the wheels as a danger to pedestrians.  That's why Mercedes had a srping loaded star; when the driver ran down a jaywalker the poor guy wouldn't be felled by the star. 

Would be cool to have the Maserati Trident sticking straight up from the hood of a car though.  Impale pedestrians on them. 

[Byteme]

Wouldn't it just break off anyways?

Well yes, but it would do more damange before it did.  Personally I always thought this particular bit of safety legislation was going too far.  I mean, how many have died, impailed on a RR winged victory or were sliced up by the knockoffs on an E-type?

[hotrodalex]

Would be cool to have the Maserati Trident sticking straight up from the hood of a car though.  Impale pedestrians on them. 

#74 in the slideshow is kinda like that.

[Galaxy]

Would be cool to have the Maserati Trident sticking straight up from the hood of a car though.  Impale pedestrians on them. 

I see your Maserati Trident and raise you a  Piccard-Pictet hummingbird.






Edit: The forum is destroying my picture by adding stuff to the tag.
Edit: It was the host. Picture rehosted.

[cawimmer430]

I occasionally read a Cussler book, but most of them are a little "childish" for my tastes.

[sandertheshark]

[sandertheshark]

He's got a nice collection.  I've seen him a couple of times on the "Classic Car" show with a couple of his cars on the road.  His collection seems to reflect much of Dirk Pitt's.

Apparently almost all of Dirk Pitt's cars in the books were written in when they were recent additions to Cussler's garage.

[Byteme]

I occasionally read a Cussler book, but most of them are a little "childish" for my tastes.

It's good for what it is; Escapism fiction.  I recall reading somewhere an interview of Cussler in which it was stated that he didn't really do any rewrites.  What you read were essentially his first and only draft.

[FoMoJo]

It's good for what it is; Escapism fiction.  I recall reading somewhere an interview of Cussler in which it was stated that he didn't really do any rewrites.  What you read were essentially his first and only draft.

Judging by his output, he doesn't have time for rewrites.  I agree on the escapism fiction.  I'd avoided his novels for some time; until I'd been pressed to get something to read and picked up one of his novels at a used book store; "Treasure".  It was better than I thought regarding the literary aspect and I found the storyline to be quite intriguing.  I think it's quite clever how he relates a historical event to Pitt's most recent adventure.  However, much literary license must be given to enjoy his fiction.

[cawimmer430]

It's good for what it is; Escapism fiction.  I recall reading somewhere an interview of Cussler in which it was stated that he didn't really do any rewrites.  What you read were essentially his first and only draft.

Don't get me wrong, I occasionally enjoy a book of his but this style is a little "too positive". I prefer reality fiction writers like Lee Child or Barry Eisler for example with their respective Jack Reacher / John Rain characters. Do you know these authors and have you read their works?

[Byteme]

Don't get me wrong, I occasionally enjoy a book of his but this style is a little "too positive". I prefer reality fiction writers like Lee Child or Barry Eisler for example with their respective Jack Reacher / John Rain characters. Do you know these authors and have you read their works?

No, I pretty much concentrat on histories, biographies, technical-scientific-historical works (like "Off the Map" a history of cartography) and light fiction like Cussler's stuff.

[FoMoJo]

Don't get me wrong, I occasionally enjoy a book of his but this style is a little "too positive". I prefer reality fiction writers like Lee Child or Barry Eisler for example with their respective Jack Reacher / John Rain characters. Do you know these authors and have you read their works?

I think Cussler's fiction is a good antidote to what is happening these days.  You can always count on a positive ending.  Although I really enjoy the likes of John LaCarre, et al, where there is such murky and opaque feel to the characters and storyline, they are often (always) depressing. 

[Colin]

Thanks for bringing this collection to my attention....... I have vacation in June, and will be flying into Denver airport. Guess where I just added to the itinerary!