A Real Diner…in West Palm Beach Florida!

We’d finished one sightseeing attraction in Palm Beach and we had one more to explore, this time in West Palm Beach.  But…it was time for lunch!  Where could we find a good meal without spending too much or ‘getting fancy’ in this wealthy upscale community?

We got lucky!  I drove south on South Dixie Highway (US Hwy. 1) and the ladies spotted this cute little restaurant… It’s the City Diner in West Palm Beach.

Laurie and I love finding local diners and dives…if the atmosphere is nice, the restaurant is clean and of course, if the food is good!  City Diner sure scored high on atmosphere with its cluttered and fun ambience.

The restaurant was busy…obviously a very popular spot, the place was clean and our waitress was both patient and friendly.

We all decided to have breakfast even though it was early afternoon.  Where we live in East Tennessee, finding a restaurant where we can order breakfast after 11 AM is a major challenge!  Dawn Marie ordered a 3-egg omelet which was accompanied by grits and toast. ($5.95 for a plain omelet)  She thought that her meal was pretty good…no complaints.

Omelets can be ordered with egg whites if desired.  Potatoes or oatmeal were other options if she hadn’t wanted the grits.  I don’t remember how she 'built' her omelet but there sure were a lot of choices.  For $1.00 each she could have added onion, tomato, roasted red pepper, spinach, mushrooms, carrots, salsa, potato, jalapeno, broccoli, avocado, American cheese, Swiss cheese, cheddar, bleu cheese, parmesan or provolone cheese.  For $1.50 each she could have also added chili, bacon, sausage, ham, corned beef or turkey…

Sorry for the blurry photo!  I was probably shaking because I was so excited at the prospect of having a great breakfast in a real diner!  I ordered 3 eggs easy-over with sausage links, rye toast and crispy hash browns. ($8.75) The eggs were done just right, the sausage links were flavorful and the hash browns were perfect!

The breakfast menu was extensive… It included pastries, Belgian waffles, pancakes, French toast, and Croissant sandwiches.  A plethora of egg based offerings were also available, including eggs benedict.

Laurie and I couldn’t resist this ‘little’ side dish to share… This is the City Diner’s Biscuits and Sausage Gravy plate. ($5.95) It was very good.  Of course I added Tabasco to my portion…

Laurie ordered 2 eggs easy-over with bacon, an English muffin and crispy hash brown potatoes. ($7.75) As with my breakfast, this was about as good as a basic breakfast could be…

We ordered from the breakfast menu but we did take a look at the lunch/dinner menu.  It offered salads, sandwiches, burgers, malts, milkshakes, ice cream, desserts, etc.  If we hadn’t wanted a good breakfast so badly, we probably would have ordered from the “Down Home Cookin” portion of the menu.  Choices with a vegetable and potato included: Open Face Roast Sirloin of Beef ($15.95); Homemade Meatloaf ($13.50); Famous Chicken Pot Pie ($13.50); Roast Turkey with Dressing ($14.95), and; Country Fried Steak with Pepper Gravy. ($12.95)

This little puppy was being cuddled in the booth behind ours.  Laurie and Dawn Marie had to stop by and give him some loving attention!

We would return to the City Diner anytime for breakfast!  Perhaps the next time we’re in south Florida, we’ll have a chance to sample the rest of the menu.  City Diner is located at 3400 South Dixie Highway, (US Hwy. 1), in West Palm Beach Florida.  Phone: 561-659-6776.  I couldn’t locate a website for this restaurant.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Next Stop in Florida…The Norton Museum of Art

Well, so far our trip to southeast Florida has resulted in lots of animals, beautiful scenery, ships and boats, expensive homes, plenty of restaurants and a plethora of cars and movie memorabilia.  It’s time to change direction with exposure to a bit of fine art!  

This is the Norton Museum of Art in West Palm Beach Florida.  The museum was established in 1941 by Ralph Hubbard Norton, an industrialist and art collector from Chicago Illinois. (1875 – 1953) He made his fortune via his ownership of the Acme Steel Company.  

Norton started collecting art in 1921.  When he retired in 1940, he permanently moved to Palm Beach.  Despite the fact that he’d served as a governing member of the Art Institute of Chicago, he decided that that museum didn’t need his collection and he decided to give it to his adoptive home in Florida.

This painting entitled “Concert Stage” was completed in 1905 by American artist, Everett Shinn. (1875 – 1953) Shinn painted in the realist style and he was a member of the so-called ‘Ashcan’ school.  This group was best known for portraying scenes of daily life, often from the poorer neighborhoods of New York City.

To learn more and to see other paintings by Everett Shinn, just go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everett_Shinn.

John R. Grabach painted “Sidewalks of New York” in the 1920’s.  This New Jersey artist was best known for paintings that captured the pathos that millions of Americans experienced during the Great Depression.  In addition to his paintings, Grabach also taught art at the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts for many years, working with more than 8,000 students during his tenure. 

To learn more about John Grabach and his works, go to http://www.ettc.net/njarts/details.cfm?ID=172.

I really like impressionistic paintings… “Melting Snow” was painted in 1905 by American artist Childe Hassam. (1859 – 1935) Hassam was a prolific painter who was instrumental in promulgating impressionism to American art collectors.

 

For more about this artist, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Childe_Hassam.

The painting shown above is entitled “Hoboken Heights”.  I suspect that there aren’t too many goats wandering around Hoboken these days!  It was painted between 1900 and 1910 by Ernest Lawson, a Canadian-born American artist. (1873 – 1939) Lawson was a member of “The Eight”, a group of artists that formed a loose association in 1908 to protest the policies of the powerful National Academy of Design.

For more information about this artist, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Lawson.

British born American artist Thomas Moran (1837 – 1926) painted “Florida Scene” in 1878.  Moran was a painter and printmaker who was associated with the Hudson River School of artists.  Despite the theme of this particular painting, Moran’s works often featured Rocky Mountain themes.  One of his paintings, “The Three Tetons”, hangs in the Oval Office of our White House.

For more about Moran, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Moran.

Charles Marion Russell (1883 – 1935) is one of my favorite artists!  This work, entitled “In the Wake of the Hunters”, was completed in 1896.  At 16 years of age, Russell left his comfortable upper middle class home in St. Louis Missouri to work in the Montana Territory.  For 7 years he worked as a cowboy, miner, trapper and rancher.  As he worked, he sketched and created scenes from frontier life that he later translated into works of art. 

Russell created more than 2,000 paintings of cowboys, Indians, and landscapes…as well as bronze sculptures…all set in the Western United States and in Alberta, Canada.  His work is highly desirable.  Russell's 1918 painting “Piegans” sold for $5.6 million at a 2005 auction!  To learn more about this artist and to view several of his paintings, you can go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Marion_Russell.

“After All” was painted in 1933 by American artist Charles Demuth. (1882 – 1935) Demuth was born in Lancaster and he attended the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts.  Subsequently he traveled to Paris where he was part of the Avant grade art scene for a time.  Despite his Parisian sojourn, most of Demuth’s works were painted in his home in Lancaster. 

To learn more about Charles Demuth and the Lancaster museum named after him, just go to http://www.demuth.org/index.php?pID=7.

This painting is by another of my favorite artists!  “August in the City” was painted in 1945 by Edward Hopper. (1882 – 1967) Hopper painted both urban and rural scenes.  His works reflected his personal vision of modern American life. 

My favorite Hopper painting…and his most renown work…was painted in 1942 and it’s entitled “Nighthawks”.  It shows customers sitting at the counter of an all-night diner.  The viewpoint is from the sidewalk, as if the viewer were approaching the restaurant. The diner's harsh electric light sets it apart from the night, which enhances the impact of the painting.

 

To learn much more about Edward Hopper and to see some of his other works…including “Nighthawks”, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Hopper.

I included this photo Laurie took of a door in the Norton Museum just because we both really liked the effect.  Note: Laurie took all of the photos used for this blog.

Laurie took this photo of Dawn on her smart phone and me ‘chilling out’ or just resting… To think that I used to have a decent head of hair!

This painting is by renowned French artist, Paul Gauguin. (1848 – 1903) “Christ in the Garden of Olives” was painted in 1889.  The facial features are Gauguin’s while the bright red hair represents Vincent Van Gogh.  This painting was completed following a failed attempt by the 2 artists to work together in southern France.  They clashed and the results were apparently disastrous…

For more about Paul Gauguin, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Gauguin.

Laurie and I both liked this little painting… It’s entitled “Landscape with a Pond and Cottage”.  It was painted in 1863 by French artist Charles Francois Daubigny. (1817 – 1878) Daubigny is considered an important artist who helped bridge the movement to Impressionism.  

To learn more, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles-Fran%C3%A7ois_Daubigny.

 This painting was completed circa 1919 by French artist Henri Matisse. (1869 – 1954) It is entitled “Portrait of Marguerite Matisse”.   Henri-Émile-Benoît Matisse was known for his use of color and while he was a draftsman, printmaker, and sculptor, he is known primarily as a painter.  Matisse, along with Pablo Picasso and Marcel Duchamp, is regarded as one of the three artists who was responsible for significant developments in painting and sculpture in the opening decades of the twentieth century.  He is recognized as one of the leading figures in modern art.

To learn more about Matisse and to view many of this paintings, just go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Matisse.

Although I do appreciate some paintings by Spanish artist Pablo Picasso, (1881 – 1973), I prefer less abstract artworks.  This work from 1929 is entitled “The Red Foulard”. (FYI…In French, ‘foulard’ is the usual word for a scarf or neckerchief) 

Although Picasso was a ‘realist’ painter early in his career, he became one of the most influential artists of the 20th century.  He is known for co-founding the Cubist movement, the invention of constructed sculpture, the co-invention of collage and for the wide variety of artistic styles that he helped develop and explore.  See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pablo_Picasso.

Laurie and I are particularly familiar with one of Picasso’s sculptures.  He built a 50 foot tall abstract sculpture, referred to as the “Chicago Picasso” that resides in front of Chicago’s city hall.  He refused payment for this work, instead donating it to the people of Chicago.  To view this giant sculpture, go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:2004-09-07_1800x2400_chicago_picasso.jpg.

While I could visualize the concept behind Picasso’s ‘Red Foulard’, I must admit that I struggle a bit more with this 1949 painting by Spanish/Catalan artist Joan Miro. (1893 – 1983) It is entitled “Woman, Bird and Star”…

Miro went to Paris in the early 1920’s and he was drawn to artists and poets who would become the ‘Surrealists’…who focused on ‘subconscious imagery’.

Miro’s works…or Surrealism has been described or interpreted as a sandbox for the subconscious mind and a re-creation of the childlike.  On several occasions Miró expressed contempt for conventional painting methods as a way of supporting bourgeois society, and he famously declared an "assassination of painting" in favor of upsetting the visual elements of established painting. (Note: I still don’t get it!)

Laurie and I particularly enjoyed this nice abstract piece of art.  The artist superimposed a copy of a famous artist’s painting and then she added her own interpretation of the original work.  This painting was just completed by Bella Patterson who is in the Second Grade of a local southeast Florida school.

Unless you don’t like art, upscale botanical gardens or museums…or if you live under a rock…you have seen this artist’s works before.  This glass art was installed above the ceiling in one of the galleries.  The artist is Dale Chihuly and we’ve seen his work in 3 or 4 different places in the past year or so…

Dale Chihuly, (1941 - current), is an American glass sculptor and entrepreneur. His works are considered unique to the field of blown glass, as per the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, "moving it into the realm of large-scale sculpture".  While the technical difficulties of working with glass forms are very challenging, Chihuly uses it as his primary medium for his installations and environmental artwork.  

To learn more about Dale Chihuly and the many, many permanent installations of his work…(97 as per Wikipedia)…as well about his 2 retail locations, just go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dale_Chihuly.

That’s about it for now… Just click on any of the photos to see a larger view of the paintings and other art works. 

Thanks for stopping by to see where we’ve been and what we’ve been doing!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

A Bit of Greek Cuisine – Miami

A real plus for Dawn Marie’s condo in Miami is its location!  Her place is right in the middle of a number of restaurants, there is a big open green space, a number of retailers and it’s on the edge of the art district.

We sampled several restaurants in the area when we visited Miami, with both positive and mixed or negative results.

  

On this occasion we decided to go Greek…a cuisine that just doesn’t exist where we live in East Tennessee.  This is the patio where we dined at Kouzina Bistro in Miami.  

While it’s quite attractive, a very busy 2^nd Avenue is immediately on the other side of those tall bushes.  For me at least, cars and trucks rushing by no more than 20 feet away doesn’t equal relaxed dining… 

The attractive and inviting décor continued inside Kouzina Bistro.  I thought that the look was very appealing…

We started out with slices of pita and some very nice crusty bread with oil for dipping.  I liked the little buckets…

Laurie and I love Tzatziki! ($6.00) I don’t care for yogurt but when it’s made into Tzatziki sauce, I really like it… Cucumber, garlic and Extra Virgin Olive Oil are blended into the yogurt and it’s great on bread or just about anything.  Kouzina Bistro’s Tzatziki was good but Laurie and I are used to the more pungent garlic laden version we used to get in Chicago.  Nevertheless, we didn’t leave a spot of Tzatziki on the plate!

Sorry for the blurry photo…but our server brought these cucumber sections out with the Tzatziki sauce.  I still prefer my Tzatziki on bread!

The other Greek appetizer that we both love and crave is Saganaki. ($9.00) Saganaki is fried Vlahotyri cheese that is flamed with Greek brandy.  It was very good although it seemed to be a bit pricy.  Also, we’re used to it being ‘flamed’ at tableside whereas our saganaki was delivered ‘post flame’.

Kouzina Bistro’s menu was heavy on shared plates or ‘meze’ and the number of main or larger entrees was limited.  Among the meze or small plates were such items as: Fried Keftedes ($10.00), fried meatballs stuffed with feta cheese and mint; Calamari Basil Pesto ($12.00), sautéed calamari with basil pesto and crunchy shredded kataifi phyllo, and; Pickled Octopus ($14.00), octopus pickled with Greek Vinegars and herbs, sundried tomatoes, capers and an olive salsa.  

Laurie started out with a Beet Salad. ($10.00) It consisted of mixed greens, frisee salad, beets, goat cheese mousse ‘ravioli’, walnut oil and pomegranate vinaigrette.  She enjoyed her salad very much… There are 4 other salads on the menu including of course, a traditional Greek Salad. ($12.00)

I ordered the slow roasted lamb special and it came with Greek potatoes. The lamb didn’t have a lot of flavor and the potatoes were just so so… A little 
gravy of some type would have made a big difference.  I don’t have the price as Dawn Marie paid for dinner.

Dawn Marie ordered one of the Meze plates as her entree.  This is the Fried Keftedes…the meatballs stuffed with feta cheese and mint. ($10.00)  They sure weren’t pretty on the plate and they were also a bit dry…

Laurie ordered the Santorini Chicken Breast. ($18.00) The breast was stuffed with arugula, goat cheese and red peppers, then topped with a sweet mustard herb sauce and served with a green house salad.  The salad was the best part of the meal…as the chicken was as dry as a bone…way overcooked!

Well this proves that even in the midst of a plethora of intriguing restaurant choices, one can miss the mark!  Dawn Marie had eaten here before with no complaints but we must admit that we wouldn’t be in a rush to return to Kouzina Bistro for another meal…

Kouzina Bistro is located at 3535 Northeast 2^nd Avenue in Miami Florida.  Phone: 305-392-1825.  Website/Twitter site: http://kouzinabistro.com/.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by and sharing another meal with us!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave

Wow! What a Collection! (Part II)

Continuing with our tour of the Dezer Collection of “Automobiles and More” at the Miami Auto Museum and Events Center…

As I mentioned previously, the Dezer Collection occupies 2 warehouse type structures.  They’re connected by the walkway shown above…

Real estate developer and collector Michael Dezer fulfilled a longtime dream when he opened his automobile and memorabilia collection to the public.  His passion for collecting began with his first vehicle.  It was a Vespa given to him by his father when he was 16… Today, Dezer owns the largest collection of Vespa’s in the world!

For this posting, I’m focusing on iconic movie and television automobiles…

This auto has some ‘bling’ doesn’t it?!  The Dezer collection features an entire collection of Batman related vehicles and related memorabilia. 

This Batmobile is from Tim Burton’s 1992 ‘Batman Returns’ movie starring Michael Keaton and Michelle Pheiffer.  That movie cost $80,000,000 to make but it grossed $266,830,000 worldwide…

This is another ‘Batmobile’… This one was built in 1966 by George Barris for the Batman TV show starring Adam West.  It’s based on a Ford Motor concept car, the Lincoln Futura, which was built by hand in Italy for $250,000.  The car had never gone into production and Barris picked it up for next to nothing.

When asked to develop his 3^rd Batmobile practically overnight, he modified his ‘batlike’ concept car for the task.

 

Somewhat confusingly, a second Barris Batmobile that appears to be just like this one is on display at the Hollywood Star Cars Museum in Gatlinburg, Tennessee…

The first appearance of the ‘Batboat’ was in the 1966 film ‘Batman’.  The boat was also used in the second and third seasons of the 1960s Batman television series.  The Batboat was created by Glastron Industries in Austin, Texas.  It took 31 days to build.  Eventually, a replica was built of the Batboat.

  

When the Batman television show was cancelled, Glastron used the two Batboats for promotions on tours.  After much touring, the boats were sold.  One boat went to a Glastron dealer who was a Shriner and he used it in Shriner parades.  That Batboat was then moved to the Car Stars museum in Gatlinburg, Tennessee.  Apparently, this Batboat is the “other boat”…but I don’t know how it was acquired or if it’s the original craft…

This ‘Batcycle’ is also from the 1966 television series, “Batman”, and it was used in the original movie.  Built in 6 days, using a Yamaha Catalina (YDS-3) 250 as the base unit, the Batcycle features a side car with a portable go-cart resting on it for Robin’s use.  As Batman slows down or stops the Batcycle, Robin is propelled off in the side car and he becomes mobile in his own right!  Robin's ‘sidecar’, (or go cart), is powered by a 55cc, electric start, Yamaha three speed engine. 

   

I didn’t recognize this beautiful 1948 Dodge taxicab!  That’s probably because I didn’t see the movie.  This cab was featured in the 2008 movie, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button”.  The movie starred Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett.  It cost $150,000,000 to make the film and it took in about $334,000,000.

This great looking taxicab is for sale…and you can purchase it for the on-line sale price of $24,995.

Yikes…!  It’s yet another spooky manikin that is supposed to represent Olivia Newton John for the movie “Grease”.  This 1948 Ford Deluxe, called “Greased Lightning” in the movie, has overhead lifters, 4-barrel quads, fuel injection, chrome plated rods and a 4-speed on the floor.  This car is also for sale…with a price tag of only $179,995!

This 1937 Rolls Royce Phantom III 20/25 was previously owned by Dodie Smith, (1896 – 1990), the English author of the children’s novel, “101 Dalmations”. 

Dodie did fairly well in her career and her estate is probably still doing well!  The 1961 animated movie “One Hundred and One Dalmations” cost $4,000,000 to make and it grossed almost $216,000,000.  The 1996 live action production starring Glenn Close cost $75,000,000 but it brought in about $321,000,000…

Guys of a certain age…and perhaps the girlfriends they dragged to the movie… should recognize this automobile.  It’s the Green Hornet and Kato’s car, the “Black Beauty” from the 2011 movie that was ‘imaginatively’ named “The Green Hornet”.  This superhero action comedy, starring Seth Rogen and Cameron Diaz, cost $120,000,000 to make but it did manage to pull in box office receipts totaling about $228,000,000!

Part of the high cost of this movie can be linked to the car.  The production team modified 29 Chrysler Imperial Crown sedans from model years 1964 to 1966 in order to portray the Green Hornet's supercar.  Twenty-six of those cars were wrecked during production and 3 survived. 

I want this car!  Talk about an attention getter…  I know that raspberry with a tan interior may not be your favorites, but this auto sure does grab the eye doesn’t it!?  This car, with Madonna at the wheel, was featured in the 1990 movie, “Dick Tracy”.  It starred Warren Beatty as Dick Tracy.  Madonna played ‘Breathless Mahoney’, one of the many comic book characters featured in the movie… 

The automobile shown above is a 1936 Auburn Speedster.  It’s equipped with a 351 cubic inch engine but the original model had a 280 cubic inch engine that developed 150 horsepower.  Auburn ceased operations in 1937 so this was one of the last cars the company built.  Good News!  This beauty is for sale.  Check it out at http://inventory.dezercollection.com/1936-auburn-speedster-driven-by-madonna-in-movie-dick-tracy-c-494.htm. They are only asking $999,995!

This is one of several cars used in the 1996 movie, “Evita”, which starred Madonna and Antonio Banderas.  It’s a 1928 Hudson Super Six.  The 6-cylinder engine produced 29.4 horsepower and the various models produced originally cost between $1,250 and $1,795. 

To learn more about the Hudson Motor Car Company, (1909 – 1954), go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson_Motor_Car_Company.

Factoid: With 85 costume changes in Evita, Madonna eclipsed the Guiness World Record for movie costume changes.  The record had been previously held by Elizabeth Taylor with 65 different costumes in the movie “Cleopatra”.

 

I suspect that most readers will recognize this vehicle!  It’s the famous 1959 Cadillac “Ecto 1” from the 1984 blockbuster movie, “Ghostbusters”.  This movie car was built using a Cadillac Miller-Meteor ambulance as its base.  Miller-Meteor was part of the Wayne Corporation in Richmond Indiana, which was best known for manufacturing school buses.  Wayne went out of business in 1992. 

Less than 100 of the Cadillac MM ambulances were ever built and yes, the Ecto 1 is for sale!  Check it out at http://inventory.dezercollection.com/1959-cadillac-ecto-1-who-ya-gonna-call--ghostbusters!-c-492.htm.  

This car is a Ferrari 308 GTB.  You may not recognize it but Laurie did!  It was driven by one of her heartthrobs, Tom Selleck, in the Hawaii based TV series, “Magnum, P.I.”  The show ran for 8 seasons and I doubt that we missed any of the shows unless we were on vacation… 

This model Ferrari was actually at the lower end of the company’s offerings.  To learn more about the Ferrari 308 GTB and related models, just go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrari_308_GTS. 

Yet another scary pair of manikins!  This is the 1976 Ford Gran Torino from the 2004 movie, “Starsky and Hutch”.  Gran Torino’s were built from 1972 through 1976.  This crime action comedy starred Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson…and it was subtitled “Good Cops. Bad Hair”.  The movie cost $60,000,000 to make and it brought in $170,000,000.

 

The 1974 – 1976 Gran Torino is the most valuable type of this automobile.  While this one isn’t for sale from the Dezer Collection, an almost identical one is available.  You can pick it up for only $39,995!  Check it out at http://inventory.dezercollection.com/1976-ford-torino--c-1036.htm.

Recognize this ‘car’?  It’s the “Johnny cab” or taxi that took Arnold Schwarzenegger for a ride in the 1990 movie “Total Recall”.  The ‘dummy’ in the driver’s seat is another of the museum’s manikins…not the original homicidal dummy/taxi driver from the movie.  To view the original in action, go to http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x10bfo9_total-recall-homicidal-johnny-cab_fun.  Laurie and I both enjoyed this movie… It was a fun action flick!

Total Recall's visuals demonstrated how technologies that are still being worked today should integrate into normal life.  The Johnny Cab is a completely self-sufficient, Artificial Intelligence controlled taxi cab.  As demonstrated in the film, it is equipped with sensor bars on the front and back.  This allows it to monitor the road around it and react in real-time to changing conditions.  The American Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and auto makers have  been working an AI vehicle for many years and, based on news reports, we are nearing a possible operational version of a ‘driverless’ car.

  

This isn’t really a movie or television automobile…although it was driven by a well-known personality and race car driver.  Jeff Gordon crashed this car when its brakes failed on a critical turn at the Pocono 500 race in New York.  The car is/was a 2006 Chevrolet Monte Carlo and Jeff reported that it was the hardest hit he ever took!  To view the crash, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgsWAN7Fo4I.

This 1973 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 ‘Daytona’ Spider was used in another of my wife’s (and my) favorite TV series…”Miami Vice”.  Don Johnson drove this car during the first 2 seasons of the show.  Only 122 Spiders were built out of a total production run of 1,284 Ferrari 365 GTB/4’s.  Surprisingly, at least to me, is the price for this automobile… I could pick it up from the Dezer Collection for only $79,995.  You can check it out at http://inventory.dezercollection.com/1973-ferrari-daytona-miami-vice-car-c-507.htm.

Did I mention that the museum features a huge James Bond collection and display?  It includes many ‘Bond’ cars and other related items of interest.  For example, there is this scale model Lockheed Martin VC-140B Jetstar that was used in the 1964 Bond movie “Goldfinger”, which starred Sean Connery.  Four of these models were built for the movie.  This one was returned to Lockheed and, after 2 or 3 owners, it was purchased by the Ian Fleming Foundation.

Only 204 ‘real’ Jetstars were built.  The Jetstar is notable for its 4 tail mounted engines and the fact that it was the first dedicated business jet to enter service.  Former President Lyndon Johnson’s Jetstar is on display at his former ranch in Texas.  Elvis Presley owned one too…and it’s on display at Graceland in Memphis.  Elvis named his “Hound Dog II”.

This is one of the 3 Aston Martin DB5s used in the 1995 movie “GoldenEye”. This is Dawn's favorite car! (Note: This was the 17^th movie for the Bond franchise!) One Aston Martin was kept in pristine condition for close-ups and the other 2 were used for the stunt driving scenes in the hills above Monte Carlo (Monaco).  Pierce Brosnan stared as Bond in this movie.  This is the first and most recognized of all James Bond automobiles.  The Aston Martin DB series was used in several Bond movies.

This is an Alfa Romeo 159.  Two of them were used in a car chase in “Quantum of Solace”, the 22^nd Bond film, which featured Daniel Craig as James Bond. (Note: Bond was driving his usual Aston Martin DB5) The Alfa Romeo 159 was built between 2005 and 2011.  I found it hard to believe that 240,000 of these cars were built!  I was also surprised to find a 2008 model for sale on the Internet for only $17,950.  We need a new car but this car just doesn’t have enough trunk space…  

  

This 1937 Rolls Royce Phantom was also featured in the 1965 movie “Goldfinger”.  This was the villain’s car… Goldfinger’s driver was ‘Oddjob’, his Korean ‘enforcer’ and bodyguard who killed people by throwing his steel hat. (See the manikin above) In the movie, the body of the car was made out of 2 tons of gold.  Goldfinger’s plot was to attack the USA’s gold depository at Ft. Knox Kentucky.

 

This is Jill St. John’s, (aka ‘Tiffany Case’s), beautiful 1971 Mustang Mach 1 muscle car from the 1971 Bond movie, “Diamonds Are Forever”.  Sean Connery made his 6^th and last appearance in a Bond movie and this car was used by Bond in a lengthy car chase.  The movie cost $7,200,000 to make and it grossed $116,000,000!  Country singer, TV host, actor and businessman, Jimmy Dean, was featured as a reclusive Howard Hughes billionaire character. (Jimmy Dean Sausage is now owned by the Sara Lee Corporation)

    

This is the 1998 Jaguar XKR that was driven by the villain ‘Zao’ in the 2002 Bond movie “Die Another Day”.  This movie stared Pierce Brosnan in his 4^th and final appearance as James Bond.  It was the 20^th film in the Bond franchise!  Of course, Bond drove an Aston Martin in this movie…this time an Aston Martin Vanquish.

I do have great news for the well-heeled filthy rich James Bond collector and aficionado… The Dezer Collection including the autos and all of the other James Bond memorabilia is up for sale!  It could be yours for only $33,400,000!  You can check out the story at: http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2014/03/18/worlds-largest-james-bond-car-collection-on-sale-for-33-million/. 

I’ve only shown a tiny fraction of the Bond collection in this posting… Michael Dezer began buying these cars in 2011, when he snatched up dozens of the super spy's on-screen rides from the James Bond Museum in Keswick, England.  Since then, Dezer has amassed 59 Bond related cars.  The collection also includes boats, tanks, jet skis, motorcycles and thousands of other pieces of memorabilia. The buyer would even get the yacht used in the 2^nd Bond movie, 1963’s “From Russia With Love”.

That’s about it for now.  Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave