Tuesday 28 March 2017

1971, Car Spotting: Ford Amsterdam Assembly

Still from the 1971 Italian-French Jacques Tati film "Trafic" (end scene), filmed at the parking lot of the Amsterdam Ford factory (Amsterdam Assembly, 1932-1981). In 1971 Amsterdam Assembly produced only the English Ford Cortina MkIII (TC1) for the European market. The German Fords Taunus TC1, 17M/20M/26M (Taunus) P7b and Capri MkI were build in Genk (Belgium) or Cologne (Germany). The American Fords (Mustang and LTD) were imports.

Left to right
First row: Ford LTD, Ford 17M/20M/26M (Taunus) P7b, Ford Capri MkI
Second row: Ford 17M/20M/26M (Taunus) P7b, Ford Capri MkI, Ford Capri MkI, Ford Taunus GXL (TC1), four Ford Cortina's MkIII (TC1) L or XL
Third row: Ford 17M/20M (Taunus) P7b, Ford Mustang, Ford Capri MkI, Ford Taunus GXL (TC1), two Ford Cortina's MkIII (TC1) L or XL
Fourth row: Ford 17M/20M (Taunus) P7b, Ford LTD, Ford Taunus XL (TC1), all the other cars are Ford Cortina's MkIII (TC1) L or XL
Fifth row: The first car is a Ford 17M/20M (Taunus) P7b all other cars are Ford Cortina's MkIII (TC1) L or XL

Monday 20 March 2017

1970, Cars: Toyota Carina (A10)

In December 1970 Japanese carmaker Toyota introduced the Toyota Carina on the home market. Its European release took place in October 1971. The new car shared its platform with the Toyota Celica. The Carina filled the size gap between the smaller Corolla and the larger Corona.

Toyota Carina 4-door (EU, 1970)
Toyota Carina 4-door (EU, 1970)
Toyota Carina 4-door (EU, 1972)
Toyota Carina 4-door (UK, 1974)
The Carina A10 was offered with two engine choices: a 1407 cc or 1588 cc engine. Available body styles were a 2 or 4-door sedan (A12 or A14) and a 2-door hardtop coupé (A15 or A17). The car had very distinctive taillights and was offered with the inclusion in the price of reclining seats with built-in head restraints, radio, clock, reversing lights and servo-assistance on the brakes, these features tended to be options at extra cost by other manufacturers.
Toyota Carina 2-door (US, 1972)
Toyota Carina 2-door (US, 1972)
Toyota Carina 2-door (EU, 1974)
In 1972 the Carina was revised with a restyled body, new rear light cluster, filler cap repositioned in the rear quarter panel and a restyled front grille. Another facelift followed in 1974 including a sealed cooling system, improved brakes, restyled wheels with flared wheel arches and restyled interior fittings. In December 1975 a break version (called Van) was available in Japan. Production ended in 1977 with the introduction of Toyota Carina A40.
Toyota Carina coupé (EU, 1972)
Toyota Carina Van (Japan, 1975)
Successor: Toyota Carina A40 (EU, 1977)

Toyota Carina Advert (Japan, 1972)
Brochures:
Toyota Carina (Japan, 1972)
Toyota Carina Hardtop Coupé (Japan, 1973)

Monday 13 March 2017

1969, Television: "Department S"

9 March 1969 "Six Days", the first episode of the British spy-fi television series "Department S", is broadcast on ATV (Associated Television) part of ITV. The series, created by Dennis Spooner and Monty Berman, starred Peter Wyngarde, Joel Fabiani, Rosemary Nicols, and Dennis Alaba Peters. The musical theme was written Edwin Astley. From 1969 to 1970 a total of 28 episodes were produced by ITC (Incorporated Television Company).


Plot
A S"pecial department within Interpol, Department S has the task to solve cases which other organisations failed to solve. The head of Department S, with headquarters in Paris, is Sir Curtis Seretse (Dennis Alaba Peters). The ideas man of the group is adventure novelist Jason King (Peter Wyngarde). He uses details of their cases in his Mark Caine novels. Most of the time he is in company of beautiful women. His wife died in a plane crash some years ago. American and former FBI agent Stewart Sullivan (Joel Fabiani) is the leader and the pragmatist of the group, he takes his orders directly from Sir Curtis Seretse. Annabelle Hurst (Rosemary Nicols) is the groups scientist and computer specialist.
Peter Wyngarde as Jason King, Joel Fabiani as Stewart Sullivan
and Rosemary Nicols as Annabelle Hurst
Joel Fabiani as Stewart Sullivan and Dennis Alaba Peters as Sir Curtis Seretse
Joel Fabiani as Stewart Sullivan, Rosemary Nicols as Annabelle Hurst
and Peter Wyngarde as Jason King
Peter Wyngarde as Jason King
Synopsis "Six Days"
A commercial airliner arrives at London airport six days late, although the pilot believes his plane is half an hour early due to a tailwind. There seems nothing wrong with the aircraft and only the normal amount of fuel has been used. Where has the plane been for the last six days?

Rosemary Nicols as Annabelle Hurst
Joel Fabiani as Stewart Sullivan
Peter Wyngarde as Jason King
Trivia
  • The series was followed by the spin-off "Jason King" (1971 – 1972, 26 episodes).
  • The cars in the series were: a Bentley S2 Continental Sports Saloon with Swiss number plates (Jason King), a Vauxhall Ventora (FD) 3.3 (Stewart Sullivan), and a Lancia Fulvia Coupé (Annabelle Hurst).
  • The Bentley S2 Continental Sports Saloon used by Jason King was Peter Wyngarde's own car.
  • Most of the clothes worn by Jason King were created Peter Wyngarde himself. 

Department S, opeing and closing credits ("Six Days")

Thursday 2 March 2017

1968, Belgian Comics: Suske en Wiske “De zeven snaren”

In 1968 a new "Suske en Wiske" (UK: "Bob & Bobette" or "Spike and Suzy", US: "Willy and Wanda") album is published: "De zeven snaren" (translation: "The seven strings"). The series "Suske en Wiske" was created by Willy Vandersteen in 1945.

No 79: "De zeven snaren"
  • four colour (CMYK)
  • never published in English
  • story and drawings by Willy Vandersteen
  • published in French ("Bob et Bobette") as "La Harpe perdue"
  • published in Finnish ("Anu & Antti") as "Kadonnut harppu"
  • published in Norwegian ("Finn & Fiffi") as "Den forheksede harpen"
  • published in Swedish ("Finn och Fiffi") as "Den förhäxade harpan"
No 79: "De zeven snaren"
The story was pre-published in the newspapers "De Standaard" and "Het Nieuwsblad" from 5 August 1967 until 15 December 1967. The main characters are Suske (Spike), Wiske (Suzy), aunt Sidonia, Lambik (Ambrose), Jerom (Jethro), Professor Barabas, Antanneke (the witch), Mac Monocel (the wizard), The Grand Master of the Order of Wizards and Blacksoul. The locations for this story are a village in Belgium or The Netherlands struck by a tornado and Ireland.
Antanneke and Professor Barabas
Blacksoul
The Grand Master of the Order of Wizards
Jerom (Jethro) and Lambik (Ambrose)
Synopsis
Suske (Spike), Wiske (Suzy) and Aunt Sidonia visit a village hit by a tornado. On the way home lightning strikes an old oak tree just before their car. Under the oak tree Wiske discovers a secret pit but she can't open the cover. On a placard she reads that Antanneke, a witch from the sixteenth century, was locked away in the secret pit...
Jerom (Jethro) and Wiske (Suzy)
Mac Monocel
Suske (Spike), Wiske (Suzy) and aunt Sidonia
Wiske (Suzy) and Antanneke
Trivia
  • Central theme in the story are "The Seven Works of Mercy" (1.To feed the hungry, 2.To give water to the thirsty, 3.To clothe the naked, 4.To shelter the homeless, 5.To visit the sick, 6.To visit the imprisoned, 7.To bury the dead).
  • The village hit by a tornado could be Oostmalle (Belgium), Cham (The Netherlands) or Tricht (The Netherlands). All three were partly destroyed by a tornado on June 25, 1967.
  • The first man Lambik (Ambrose) asks to enumerate "The seven works of Mercy" is a caricature of Willy Vandersteen.
  • Lambik clothes the statue "Het Meisje met het Geitje" (translation: "The girl with the little goat") by the French sculptor Marcel Courbier (1898-1976). This real statue can be seen since 1932 at the Louise-Marielei in Antwerp.
  • At the beginning of the story the message about the tornado on the TV is followed by the cheerful news that the government bought Zeropardtanks for several millions. This is a reference to the fact that the Belgian authorities placed a large order for Leopard tanks in 1967.
Tornado: Oostmalle, Cham or Tricht
Lambik (Ambrose) and a caricature of Willy Vandersteen
Lambik (Ambrose) and the statue "Het Meisje met het Geitje"
The real statue "Het Meisje met het Geitje" in Antwerp
Zeropardtanks reference to large order for Leopard tanks
Cars
  • Ford Fairlane 500 (1967)
Ford Fairlane 500