Trivia Tuesday: January 20th

[balthazar]

We took a week off from Trivia Tuesday last week as it fell smack in the middle of the Detroit Auto Show. Can you answer the following trivia? The answers the last Trivia Tuesday are below.

1.) What singer needed a "Transfusion" after several musical car crashes?

2.) What make of car received its name from a famous American fighter pilot of World War 1?

3.) What name did Plymouth give to its new 1958 engine?

4.) What British firm was known for both sports cars and motorcycles?

5.) Buick's answer to the 4-passenger Ford Thunderbird was?

Bonus to #5 : What was what the GM styling concept that became the answer to number 5 originally dubbed?

Answers to the last Trivia Tuesday:

1.) Plymouth Duster

2.) Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Jeep

3.)Massachusetts

4.) 1950

5.) Dodge, Studebaker

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[hyperv6]

1 Nervous Norris My mom had the record when I was a kid. I loved this song back then.

 

2 Rickenbacker "Eddie Rickenbacker".

 

3 Golden Commando V8

 

4 Triumph

 

5 Riviera

 

Bonus Silver Arrow I  It was originally going to be a Cadillac or a LaSalle rebirth but was rejected by Cadillac.  This car is still around and in prime condition.

[balthazar]

There are no "OR"s in trivia, Hypes.  

[hyperv6]

Sorry I should have said 1963 Riviera for #5

[balthazar]

No; 'Riviera' was fine.

 

In the bonus answer tho, I count 3 different vehicle mentions.

[smk4565]

#2  Mustang

#4 Jaguar as they made motorcycle side cars before they made cars, but I guess they never made cars and bikes at the same time

#5 Riviera

 

I don't know the others.

[Drew Dowdell]

Not sure why this ended in the wrong forum. It has since been moved.

[hyperv6]

 The concepts name originally was the Silver Arrow I

 

Better?

Edited January 25, 2015 by hyperv6

[balthazar]

Hyper's answers for questions 1-5 in post #2 are correct.

Technically, the answer to #1 is Nervous Norvus, but the judges have deemed it 'close enough'.

 

- - - - -

With regards to the bonus question...

The Silver Arrow I was built off a production line example of a '63 Riviera. In other words, it came out after the production '63 Riv did, not before. Pretty unusual in that regard.

 

The 'concept that became the Riviera' was originally dubbed 'LaSalle'. It was badged that way in the original Ned Nickles sketch, and in the fiberglas concept that was 98% the production car. Here's those 2 designs, you can just make out the nameplates :

 

 

[hyperv6]

Well I just looked up the Silver Arrow to see what the experts say.

So here is the rest of the story as they used to say.

 

The car was drawn as Bill Mitchells idea of a personal luxury sedan. His concept was to bring back the LaSalle name as a lower priced Cadillac. Well that never materialized as it never became a Cadillac and Buick picked up on the design and it became the Riviera.

 

The Show Car got the name Silver Arrow as a Buick. There were two more Silver Arrows built later on In the early 70's

The Show car was a production line car that carried many mods like a chopped roof and enclosed headlamps that would not make production till 1965.

 

Nice story at Conceptcarz.com. Also Hemming's.  We both are pretty correct on this.

 

The one story relates what I remember reading before that Mitchell wanted to marry the luxury of a Rolls Royce with the lines and low cut styling of a 2+2 Ferrari. Mitchell loved Ferrari's also later putting in a V12 Ferrari in one of his later Firebird show cars. He was not allowed to show it so he took it home and drove it. Today it is in the Historic collection V12 and all.

 

Mitchell was brilliant flawed man. I hope that someday someone does a book on him. He did some great things but still had quirks. I love the story on how they sold him on the Trans AM with the Bird on the hood. Schinella told of how he has the prototype done in the Black with Gold pin stripe was used on his John Player Special Motorcycle Mitchell rode. After he saw the colors he approved the car and bird if I recall the story correctly. Bill was forceful but those around him know how to work him.

Edited January 26, 2015 by hyperv6

[balthazar]

Back to the bonus question though… chronologically it goes :

1. LaSalle proposal

2. production Riviera

3. Silver Arrow I concept

 

There is an excellent overview of the Riv's development here. 

 

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The Silver Arrow II is quite undocumented; it was built in '68, was never shown publicly, and no definitive photos of it have been released. I've seen one that reported was labeled 'Silver Arrow II' but it looks exactly like a production '70 Riv. The other two are in fine shape today

 

 

[balthazar]

Silver Arrow I was 'freshened up' over it's active time, basically twice (tho there were a few other minor changes). I prefer the initial version; blackwalls & wires, and the egg crate grile :

 

 

The WWWs actually 'push it back' in time a bit. Narrow WWs were already coming into vogue with the '57 Eldorado Brougham.

Edited January 26, 2015 by balthazar