Cars, Girls and Burlapp

Commentary from the Vince Burlapp Car Page:

These ladies are professionals.

The car makers spend A LOT of money trying to "buy" the press. And the most obvious way to witness this is to attend the press days of any major auto show (as I actually did).

These "press guys" (mostly aging car geeks) are treated like royalty! Lots of them just travel around the world ( all expenses paid), looking forward to the free stuff, especially the booze and food.

Almost each car manufacturer has a full bar by their displays. And the best catering. That, of course, quickly disappears when the show opens to the public.

All we, regular people, are left with, are the cars and the beautiful ladies pictured here.

You can read more of Vince Burlapp's unique views about the modern automobile at The Hollywood Extra.

[Special thanks to Phil Schwartzetti of The Hollywood Extra for photos.]

[Copyright ©2004 The Hollywood Extra]

Vespa Vixens Vol. I

Jayne Mansfield never took a bad picture, even in ads. This is an ad, you know, notice the Vespa tucked behind her.


Angie Dickinson before blond hair, 'Police Woman' and JFK. She looks positively stunning. The Vespa looks nice, too.


Stefania Sandrelli looks gorgeous, but you can tell from her expression that she's wondering how she ended up at a photo shoot in a smelly stable. Maybe, the photographer was going for a realistic approach - notice the horse crap in the background.


Sandra Milo has given the photographer a good reason for positioning the Vespa in the foreground - she's stark naked.

To view more Vespa calendar pinups go to Calendiers Piaggio.

Visit the official Vespa site.

[Photos: Copyright ©2001-2003 Piaggio USA, Inc. Vespa®]

Goodbye, Russ Meyer

[Copyright ©1999-2004  RM Films International, Inc.]

Sad news about the death of filmmaker Russ Meyer. Years ago, when I lived in the Beachwood Canyon area of Hollywood, I used to see him shopping at the Beachwood Market. I recognized him right away with his signature mustache, despite the fact that he looked more like a shoe salesman than a bon vivant, lecherous playboy and wild filmmaker! I never thought much of his work, until a Dutch filmmaker friend kept extolling his movies as a form of high art and commentary on the American scene. It took seeing through the eyes of these expatriate Europeans, to open my myopic eyes. Still, he is an acquired taste. If you've never seen his films, Faster Pussycat, Kill! Kill! is a great place to start - full of fast cars and fast girls!


[Copyright ©1999-2004  RM Films International, Inc.]

It's the dangerous women of Russ Meyer's epic "Faster Pussycat, Kill! Kill!" (1965) Predating "Thelma and Louise" by 20 years, this cinematic masterpiece lets everyone know what "girl power" is all about. A perfect post-modern fable filmed in glorious "black and blue."

[Copyright ©1999-2004 RM Films International, Inc.]

The three women featured (from left to right) are Haji, Lori Williams, and Tura Satana. Satana has become a cult idol with her leather tough attitude and karate chops.

Read the complete article and view more cool images from Faster Pussycat, Kill! Kill! at Java's Bachelor Pad.

Pioneer Adult Filmmaker Russ Meyer Dies

Los Angeles - Russ Meyer, producer-director who helped spawn the "skin flick" with such films as "Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!" and later gained a measure of critical respect, has died. He was 82.

Meyer died Saturday at his home in the Hollywood Hills, according to his company, RM Films International Inc. Spokeswoman Janice Cowart said Meyer had suffered from dementia and died of complications of pneumonia.

Meyer's films were considered pornographic in their time but are less shocking by today's standards, with their focus on violence and large-busted women but little graphic sex.

Altogether he produced, directed, financed, wrote, edited and shot at least 23 films, including his debut, "The Immoral Mr. Teas," in 1959 and the 1968 film "Vixen," whose success earned him notice from major studios. -- Associated Press

Read the complete obit.

Visit the Russ Meyer web site, and while you're there, check out his long-awaited biography A Clean Breast, you may want to buy it. (It's on my Christmas list!)

Car Crazy! Speed Crazy! Boy Crazy!

[American International Pictures]

Hot-Rod Girl is a classic 1950's rock 'n rod, drive-in movie. It stars the young and beautiful, Lori Nelson in the title role - which isn't saying much in that it's more of a supporting role. We get to see her hot-rodding a little in the title sequence. Her '55 T-Bird is very cool, as are are a lot of the cars in the movie, accompanied by equally cool foot-tapping, finger-snapping music - good enough reasons watch Hot-Rod Girl again and again! A couple of other reasons are to see a young Chuck Connors, of The Rifleman, and an equally young Frank Gorshin, 60's Batman's The Riddler, performing in some of their earliest work. The story is negligible: Connors plays a young cop trying to stop illegal street racing by setting up legalized racing at a local drag strip. The problem is that Connors is constantly getting hassled by his captain who wants to ban hot-rods completely - you get the picture. Don't expect Shakespeare, but it's a whole lotta fun!

Read about and see more images of Hot-Rod Girl. A very cool page.


[American International Pictures]

Dragstrip Girl is yet another drive-in movie. (I miss drive-ins!) If you liked Hot-Rod Girl, you'll love this movie, too - it's full of old cars, 50's bad girls and bad boys, with a plot-line designed to be visited occasionally when coming up for air from the back seat of your car at the drive-in. The movie will transport you back to a simpler time, a when boys still met their date's parents, wore pompadours, skinny ties, pegged pants and a cigarette behind their ear. Strictly PG, it's full of hip, jive talk, no cussing or naked body parts you don't care to look at - unless you're in the back seat of your car at the drive-in. (Did I mention that I missed drive-ins?)

Here's another very cool page about Dragstrip Girl.

Buy both movie posters and DVDs at Hot Rod Movie Posters

The SL as Aphrodisiac

[20th Century Fox/Everett Collection]

The Mercedes-Benz SL, still a head-turner, is set to make a big comeback.

"There are a number of mechanical devices which increase sexual arousal, particularly in women. Chief among these is the Mercedes-Benz 380SL convertible." -- P.J. O'Rourke

From Steve McQueen to Tom Cruise and Jim Carrey, Tinseltown's leading men have been drawn to the car's graceful lines and leathery confines, while over the years directors have been so enamored of the two-seater that they've given it starring roles in films like ''Two for the Road,'' ''Shampoo'' and ''American Gigolo... ''

The new Mercedes-Benz 2005 SLK

The famed roadster, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, shows no signs of running out of gas. This fall the company unveils a new model: the 2005 SLK. This low-slung version, with a 268-horsepower engine, is meant for ''the affluent enthusiast,'' says Mercedes-Benz's product manager, Doug Worrell. ''It's for the guy that wants something more aggressive.'' -- 'Topless Club' by Steve Kurut, 9.19.04

Read the full New York Times article.

Visit the Mercedes-Benz U.S.A. web site for more information.

[Copyright ©2004 The New York Times]
[Mercedes® and Mercedes-Benz® are trademarks of Mercedes-Benz AG,
a company within DaimlerChrysler.]

Stuck on girls stuck in the road

Stuck in the sand.

Women as sex objects when they're stuck in the road? I just figured out what AAA really stands for: "ass, ass, ass!" Maybe tow truck drivers are on to something.

I'll never view being stuck in the road the same way ever again.


Stuck in the snow.


Stuck in the mud.

See what else girls can get their cars stuck in. Check out this unusual 2004 Webby Award nominee site at carstuckgirls.com. And if you like it, be sure to register and vote for them.

[Photos: Copyright ©2003-2004 carstuckgirls.com]

Illegal Street Racing: The Legal Solution

Legal street racers under the auspices of Race Legal.

In recent years, with the return of high-performance cars and the rise of the souped-up rice burners, street racing has reached epidemic proportions across the country, resulting in many deaths - of drivers, onlookers and innocent bystanders. Consider the stats below, compiled by the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) from a variety of national and state transportation agencies, and it becomes obvious that a legal street racing solution is not just the best way, but the only way to solve this serious problem.

Race Legal is a community-based, legally-organized track racing alternative to illegal street racing. Based in San Diego, it has helped reduce organized illegal street racing activity in the San Diego area by an astounding 99%; and has also improved illegal street racing involved crash mortality/morbidity by 79%. Read more about Race Legal and their mission statement.


Kristen Goodman, a San Diego-based cashier, proudly holds her trophy, won racing her father's 5-speed 2003 Ford Focus ZX3, in a legal and safe race, sponsored by Race Legal. Read more about Kristen in her racer profile.


Another street legal racer proudly displays her winning trophy.

Visit the Race Legal web site for more information.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The NHRA Illegal Racing Stats

In 2001, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported that police listed street racing as a factor in 135 fatal crashes. The total was up from 72 street-racing-related fatalities reported in 2000.

According to the California Office of Traffic Safety, more than 800 citations for illegal street racing were issued in 2001.

In San Diego, where the street racing problem has been termed "epidemic," 16 deaths and 31 injuries were directly related to illegal street racing in 2001. The city's attorney's office prosecuted 147 illegal street racing cases in 1999, 161 in 2000, and 290 in 2001.

In Florida in 2001, 7,216 citations were issued for racing on the highway.

According to the NHTSA, motor vehicle accidents are the leading cause of death for people between the ages of 16 and 20.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety says 5,749 teens died in the United States from motor vehicle crash injuries in 1999.

Read the complete statistics at the NHRA web site.

[© Copyright 2003, NHRA]
[Photos: ©2004 Jess Van Wickle, from RaceLegal.com]