Steve, one of the admins over at internet movie cars database sent me some images of the Green Hornets Lincoln Zephyr used in the original series from 1940. The photos are screenshots and kind of blurry, but the car looks like a cool superhero car from early superhero comics. Does anyone have more info on this car? Who built it, where is it now. More photos would also be cool. Below are some photos from imcdb. More info can be found on imcdb here: http://www.imcdb.org/movie_31394-The-Green-Hornet.html?PHPSESSID=eda800aef3aaf31d4c16ced87589ec36
WOW I have never seen these ! I have some shots of the first Batmobile 51 merc ragtop. the car rings a bell with the front skirts
the ONE guy that might know the history is v194 here on the HAMB,he owns one of the tv series black beautys and has alotta history on the cars,he might have something on this,My question is who/what studio shot the 40s series that studio might have some archives on the car..........
Just watched the first episode of the Green Hornet and the 'Tunnel of terror'. The car looks like a bone stock '37 Zepher coupe with chrome-like trim added to the rear skirt and fender, and fabricated skirts with trim added to the front fender that stick out about 3 or 4 inches from the fender. In the movie, 'Kato', the Green Hornets valet, tests out the special Green Hornet horn. The 'Green Hornet' asks his valet, 'Kato', "How fast will she go?" Kato responds, "faster than 200"
I hadn't either. We did the carburetors for the cars being used in the new Green Hornet movie coming out and I knew about the older 60's cars used in the series but hadn't seen those ones.
Here is the '37 Lincoln Zephyr Here are some other shots of the Zephyr Black Beauty from the 1940 Green Hornet serial The first "batmobile" was a 1939 Cadillac Series 75 Convertible which was in the 1943 Batman Serial. It was the "batmobile" when the top was up, Bruce Wayne's car was top down. I found this. Was there a custom car earlier in print than this called the "Batmobile"?
My understanding that car is lost or gone?? The skirts stick out in the front because they turn with the wheels at least thats what I was told??? My guess they were bolted to the spindles like a floating hubcap. I did a post over on another site AACA about that car a long time ago. Dave Hitch
I've had this on the skirts of my '37 Zephyr for eight years. NO ONE has ever picked up on the connection. Although probably 1000 people have asked if it is a Hudson.
After the Zephyr was done in the Green Hornet series, it probably simply had the skirts front and rear removed and returned to the studio garage as a background vehicle until being sold or scrapped.
Yeah, you are probably right. It was hard to see from the first pictures if the car was modified any more than just the skirts, but seeing those photos you guys have posted it looks like the car only received some skirts with lightnings on. Thanks for all the input!
The skirts do Not turn with the wheels. They are fixed. The only reason the they stick out is to give clearance for the wheels to turn behind them.
Yeah yer probably right looking at those pics Like I said I was told! These pics are better than the ones I previously saw. So much for the experts in the zephyr club. What do they know? Dave Hitch
Not being that familiar with the original serial, did that version of the Black Beauty have any on-board weaponry, or just incredible speed? Also...I believe The Green Hornet (Britt Reid?) was related to the Lone Ranger.
kato on the radio series Keye Luke as Kato, who is Korean in this serial rather than the original Japanese nationality of the character due to anti-Japanese sentiment rising at the time. This was two years prior to the December 7, 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor and the USA's entry into the war (all thirteen episodes are copyrighted 1939). The radio version dropped the nationality from the introductory sequence, included passing references to him being Filipino in dialogue, and only years later added that to the standard intro.<sup id="cite_ref-0" class="reference">[1]</sup>
If a super hero had to drive a car it would be a zephyr for sure....well at least thats what i would drive.
The 'Green Hornet' 1937 Lincoln Zephyr, with skirts, shows up in a 1944 serial titled Mystery of the River Boat. Watch at 02:42:27 -
No, but I saw the preview for the 1966 Green Hornet, along with my YMCA 'Indian Guides 'tribe' (of which Jim Doohan, Star Trek's 'Scotty' was one of the dads), at the Preview House on Sunset. When Lee appeared onscreen doing flying kicks and other karate moves we (normally well behaved) kids went absolutely nuts, having never seen such a thing before. Executives in the back rows, taking notes, became concerned and the 'action scenes' were reshot in a toned down manner before TV release.
Hi new guy with the off topic Jeep and no introduction. You've just dug up a thread from 12 years ago and responded to a guy who has not been here since 2014, which would be 9 years ago.
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