Difference between revisions of "Cars mentioned in Inherent Vice"

Revision as of 12:36, 18 August 2009

There are so many, very specific, references to cars in Inherent Vice, so I think there's a strong case for collecting them here (not that I mean to replace the very good work already being done on the page-by-page annotations). Particularly for non-American readers, it's often very hard to know what a 1964 Dodge Dart or a 1949 Mercury Woodie looks like, etc. So this page is intended as a handy all-in-one reference. And I am of course hoping that someone else is going to do the spade work...

64 Dodge Dart

1949 Mercury Woodie

1949 Mercury Woodie © Ken Leonardused with permission

Morgan

"Morgans from the showroom up in Westwood with hoods held down by leather straps" (p. 298). This one is a '63.

289 Mustang

Sauncho's classic beach-town ride (page 117).

SS396

Luz drives it at page 143, though it belongs to her brother (or is it a boyfriend?). The reference isn't specific, as the "SS 396" label was applied to various models of Chevrolet that had the "Super Sport" option package and a 396 cubic-inch engine. The Camaro or Chevelle is the most likely, though I believe the Chevelle was the only instance where the SS396 was marketed (at least some years) as if it were a separate model.

1959 Cadillac Hearse

Photo courtesy Mark & Debbie Teague

Mercedes-Benz Sedan

1960 Mercedes-Benz W128 Sedan, image from Wikipedia ten-year-old Mercedes sedan with a roof panel

1969 Oldsmobile

Photo by Stripedtomato
Leo and Elmina Sportello's 1969 Oldsmobile

1962 Bonneville

photo by Jack Snell / Creative Commons
"a stolen '62 Bonneville parked in a cul-de-sac off Sunset"

1969 Camaro

© BrokenSphere / Wikimedia Commons
"a bright red '69 Camaro"

1968 El Camino

The Chevrolet El Camino is a coupe utility vehicle produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors from 1959 through 1960, with production resuming in 1964 and continuing through 1987. Wikipedia

1959 Cadillac Biarritz

1959 Cadillac Biarritz, Creative Commons licensed photo from here]]
a luxury version of the Eldorado. Wikipedia.

1965 Impala

Photo by The Brain Toad / Creative Commons

1956 DeSoto

1956 DeSoto Firedome driven by Scottie Ferguson (James Stewart) in the 1958 Alfred Hitchcock classic Vertigo. Photo from Wikipedia

Cobra 289

1964 Cobra 289. Photo from Geoff B / Creative Commons

1953 Buick Estate Wagon

Photo from Wikipedia