It it is a MGB. I got the TV show right away, but because it started in 1978 I guessed cars from that era and my first (very uncertain) guess was a Fiat Spyder. Then, after exchanging e-mails with Jesse, I started thinking that maybe the car was a lot older than the series. I went straight to British Leyland and thought any Triumph (including the Spitfire) from the TR4 to the TR6 because I knew that they came with a wooden dash. I even suggested a Midget or Sprite, but frankly I have never seen an MGB with a wooden dash so I discounted it. I was wrong. There are plenty of MGBs with such dashes on the net. Jesse was, I think jokingly, peeved when I got the show. He said he made the clue too easy, but I don’t know how many others came up with the answer. MWindham
It's an MGB dash, but no idea on the show.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, Fred, that it is an inexpensive European sports car. I am not an expert on MGBs, though I drove one for a while. It was very fun to drive, but nearly shook my fillings out on the highway. I have found photos of dashes that are very, very close to this configuration that were MGBs and since they came equipped with the BMC radio that would explain what appears to be a large B on the dial. However, I can't find anything that matches totally, not even a BMC with that kind of script. Can you steer me toward a year for the MGB you are thinking of in your comment.
ReplyDeleteEarly to mid 60's, might have a homemade wood dash overlay, but I would know those toggles anywhere. Radio could be aftermarket, mine had an Alpine back when they were cool.
ReplyDeleteThanks
ReplyDeleteI applaud your expertise and concur that it is a MGB. I got the TV show right away, but because it started in 1978 I guessed cars from that era and my first (very uncertain) guess was a Fiat Spyder. Then, after exchanging e-mails with Jesse, I started thinking that maybe the car was a lot older than the series. I went straight to British Leyland and thought any Triumph (including the Spitfire) from the TR4 to the TR6 because I knew that they came with a wooden dash. I even suggested a Midget or Sprite, but frankly I have never seen an MGB with a wooden dash so I discounted it. I was wrong. There are plenty of MGBs with such dashes on the net.
Jesse was, I think jokingly, peeved when I got the show. He said he made the clue too easy, but I don’t know how many others came up with the answer.
MWindham
Mark, your investigative abilities are remarkable... I thought I'd stump people when I didn't give the show... how in the world anyone recognized it is beyond me.
ReplyDeleteWell, since you asked, here is how I did it, but first you need to know I am a professional artist and an amateur riddle solver. My method:
ReplyDeleteWhen I looked at it I knew it was an inexpensive car and the toggle switches told me it was probably European. This took out a ton of shows where the car was a character, such as Magnum PI, Starsky & Hutch, The Rockford Files…etal. The only show I could think of with an inexpensive import in the intro was The Courtship of Eddie’s Father, but that was a MG TD and this dash looks nothing like that.
So I eliminated the car as a clue and went back to my riddle strategy and my art training. The riddle strategy is when you have eliminated everything you can what is left and the art training is to determine what is the emphasis of the picture. That led to the radio and there were only two shows I could remember about radio stations – News Radio and WKRP – it seemed too old to be News Radio so I guess WKRP then confirmed it on Youtube. So, I guessed or at least deduce the answer. Without my process I wouldn’t have gotten it in a billion years.
MWindham