donutsweeper: (Default)
donutsweeper ([personal profile] donutsweeper) wrote2008-01-11 01:31 pm

What classic car would Jack drive?

Just wondering what you all think.  For a story set sometime in America in the 50's (or maybe early 60's I haven't quite decided yet) what car would Jack have rented/borrowed/etc?

eta- probably 50's instead of 60's come to think of it
One suggested is the Studebaker Starliner 


[identity profile] aeron-lanart.livejournal.com 2008-01-11 07:44 pm (UTC)(link)
If he was in the UK I could help, but I know nothing about American Classics. Plus, rental cars aren't necessarily what a person would drive by choice; they tend to be staid and reliable. I managed to get the exception to that last year; I'd ordered a basic small hire car and got one a size bigger in the sports model for no extra cost. I kept the car for 2 days instead of the 1 I'd originally planned cos it was so much fun to drive!

If it was going to be mid-60s I'd say go for a mustang.

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2008-01-11 07:45 pm (UTC)(link)
Jack is undercover, I'm not sure rentals were even available in the 50's and the only timeline I have set so far for the story is it's pre-UNIT so before 1968

[identity profile] aeron-lanart.livejournal.com 2008-01-11 08:05 pm (UTC)(link)
If he's undercover then a mustang probably wouldn't be best anyway! This is where I'd be making very good use of google and wiki (as I'm sure you are already!)...

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2008-01-11 08:07 pm (UTC)(link)
oh awesome Ace icon! I'm googling up a storm, just wondered if anyone else had opinions on what Jack would drive

[identity profile] matsujo9.livejournal.com 2008-01-11 08:01 pm (UTC)(link)
Hopefully this link will work, but it seems Hertz has been around forever:

https://www.hertz.com/rentacar/abouthertz/index.jsp?targetPage=aboutHertzHistoryView.jsp&leftNavUserSelection=globNav_7_1_5

"In 1953, the Hertz properties were bought from GMC by the Omnibus Corporation, which divested itself of its bus interests and concentrated solely on car and truck renting and leasing."

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2008-01-11 08:04 pm (UTC)(link)
oooh, excellent, thanks! wow, I never would have thought car rentals went that far back in history!

(This is sad though, because I've the last hour researching this and it's all for one little line in my bigbang fic)

[identity profile] aeron-lanart.livejournal.com 2008-01-11 08:06 pm (UTC)(link)
It makes a difference, though. Remember the whisky?

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2008-01-11 08:07 pm (UTC)(link)
ah true- whisky wound up being so perfect for that fic

[identity profile] matsujo9.livejournal.com 2008-01-11 08:08 pm (UTC)(link)
Me either! That's my factoid for the day!

And that's not a bad thing, your readers will appreciate your work!

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2008-01-11 08:10 pm (UTC)(link)
adding to your factoid "In 1916, a Nebraskan named Joe Saunders was supposedly the first person to start a rent-a-car business". WOW. who knew?

I seriously have gone off the deep end though, hunting down little facts to support the story is easier than writing it... (although, as of this morning, 3k down and only 17k to go!)

[identity profile] matsujo9.livejournal.com 2008-01-11 08:16 pm (UTC)(link)
Not me! LOL

I kind of love doing research like that.

If you want a sort-of quick visual reference:

1950s- http://www.allposters.com/-st/1950s-Cars-Posters_c79271_.htm
1960s- http://www.allposters.com/-st/1960s-Cars-Posters_c79294_.htm

Of course, there's no way of knowing which of these would have been available to rent, but at least you can get a general idea of what was out there.

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2008-01-11 08:20 pm (UTC)(link)
well, I suppose I could say Torchwood 'arranged' for Jack to have a car and not specify if it was rented or bought or whatever.

Which of those could you picture Jack in?

[identity profile] matsujo9.livejournal.com 2008-01-11 08:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, some of that depends what kind of undercover work he's doing.

In general, I'd think something not *too* flashy but still powerful.

1950s - I agree with the suggestion of the Studebaker Starliner. If you want something a little more sport the Chevorlet Corvettes were fantastic.

http://www.supanet.com/access/index/motoring/car_gallery/gallery/281/1/gallery.html

For the 1960s- I could see him in a muscle car like a '67 Shelby or the Corvette Coupe. Even a Camaro or a Mustang...

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2008-01-11 08:38 pm (UTC)(link)
I think you and [livejournal.com profile] airelin might be onto something here. a little flash, but no too 'in your face'

[identity profile] matsujo9.livejournal.com 2008-01-11 08:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Yep!

[identity profile] aeron-lanart.livejournal.com 2008-01-11 08:17 pm (UTC)(link)
My grandad ran the equivalent of a rent-a-car business between WWI and WWII in Liverpool, only he drove the cars as many people didn't know how, as well as fixing them! My dad was 8 at the outbreak of WWII and was basically growing up inside car engines!

My grandad was lucky to be invalided out of WWI at the Ist Ypres, it saved his life. Being in the army had given him the training to deal with broken down engines so the garage was the best thing he could think of. Up until about 3 years ago, the site of my grandad's garage was still car related, being a petrol station.

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2008-01-11 08:21 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm amazed by people who understand the workings of what goes on under the hood/bonnet of a car. I can put gas/petrol in. That's it.

[identity profile] leeson.livejournal.com 2008-01-11 08:10 pm (UTC)(link)
It really depends. Studebakers were well popular, but so were. Something like a Studebaker Starliner, but Jack might favour something more along the lines of a Citroën.

Chevy's, in general, were popular rental cars, too. Hell, Chevy's were just flooring the market in the 50s. From the period, I'd say the One-Fifty or the Two-Ten. The 'Vette is a sportier - for the time - alternative, but also a little less common and so a bit pricier. The Bel-Air I would avoid altogether. It appeals more to a driver mentality.

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2008-01-11 08:11 pm (UTC)(link)
thanks! I'll hunt down photos of each and see which I could picture Jack in (if that makes sense)

[identity profile] leeson.livejournal.com 2008-01-11 08:30 pm (UTC)(link)
Makes perfect sense. :)

[identity profile] smithy161.livejournal.com 2008-01-11 08:34 pm (UTC)(link)
I have no idea about cars, but now I'm interested in this story...

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2008-01-11 08:39 pm (UTC)(link)
this is for the flashback section. The 'case that got away' that he never solved is back, rearing it's ugly head so he's relating to Tosh and Ianto what happened back when

[identity profile] aeron-lanart.livejournal.com 2008-01-11 08:42 pm (UTC)(link)
I hope you finish it, I want to read it already!

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2008-01-11 08:43 pm (UTC)(link)
you guys are great motivators!

[identity profile] smithy161.livejournal.com 2008-01-11 09:34 pm (UTC)(link)
*Gets out pom-poms*

[identity profile] aeron-lanart.livejournal.com 2008-01-11 10:20 pm (UTC)(link)
Passes over chocolate. And chocolate donuts. This is encouragement, not bribery!

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2008-01-11 10:21 pm (UTC)(link)
lol- with 17k more words to go I'll certainly be needing all the chocolate-like food items I can get my hands on!

[identity profile] smithy161.livejournal.com 2008-01-11 09:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Oooh. Sounds interesting!

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2008-01-11 09:06 pm (UTC)(link)
IF it works and IF I can tie all the pieces together and IF....

[identity profile] the-dark-side.livejournal.com 2008-01-11 10:58 pm (UTC)(link)
see, now I'm trying to imagine Jack driving something other than the SUV, and, honestly, the only thing I can see him driving is some kind of old Ford pick-up. then again, I'm sure a younger Jack would've loved some kind of sports car.

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2008-01-11 10:59 pm (UTC)(link)
lol- I know what you mean. He can't be wearing is period military for this scene either and it's really messing with my head

[identity profile] the-dark-side.livejournal.com 2008-01-11 11:06 pm (UTC)(link)
I just have to keep thinking back to the first season of Doctor Who to remember he wasn't always in the period military (at which point I remember the leather pants and suddenly get the urge to go watch that first season again).

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2008-01-11 11:06 pm (UTC)(link)
leather pants... and there was also those tight, tight jeans....

[identity profile] the-dark-side.livejournal.com 2008-01-11 11:10 pm (UTC)(link)
and the defabricator...

well, I know what I'm doing today.

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2008-01-11 11:11 pm (UTC)(link)
yell at the TV because the BBC cut the last bit off the defrabicator scene?

[identity profile] donutsweeper.livejournal.com 2008-01-11 11:13 pm (UTC)(link)
evil stupid BBC. Enjoy!

[identity profile] the-dark-side.livejournal.com 2008-01-11 11:15 pm (UTC)(link)
damn straight! although, I suppose they do get something for all the kissing. I will definitely enjoy.