#ford limousine

[flmboyz]

1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser

[masoncarr2244]

[queenlakecrossplay]

Zatanna: In Style

[thepastisalreadywritten]

The day Princess Anne was almost kidnapped on The Mall — 50 years on

On this day 50 years ago, 23-year-old Princess Anne found herself fighting off a gunman as her bodyguard and driver lay wounded beside her. Emma Loffhagen takes a deep dive into the disturbing day one of the most senior royals was almost kidnapped.

By Emma Loffhagen

20 March 2024

“Your daughter has been kidnapped. The following are conditions to be fulfilled for release.”

In March 1974, Ian Ball used a rented typewriter to haphazardly type a letter intended for the then-head of state, Queen Elizabeth II.

Ball, 26, a funeral home worker, demanded £3 million — to be paid in £5 notes — in exchange for the return of the Queen’s daughter, Princess Anne.

After becoming fixated with the 23-year-old princess, he spent two years hatching an elaborate plan to kidnap her.

Today, March 20, marks the 50th anniversary of Ball’s kidnap attempt — one of the most bizarre and disturbing episodes in British royal history.

A “loner,” Ball had been inspired to hatch his elaborate kidnap plot by the novel Day of the Jackal.

He wanted to follow in the footsteps of the book’s hero, the contracted assassin the Jackal.

“He was a very strange man,” Ball’s neighbour later said. “The only time he ever went out was when he went down to the launderette or went out for some food.”

It was thought that he had developed a “fixation” on the royal, whipped up by the widespread and lavish coverage of her wedding to Captain Mark Phillips the previous year.

As part of his plan, Ball had moved from his run-down flat in Bayswater to a lush rented house in Fleet, Hampshire.

It was only a few miles from Sandhurst, where Anne lived with her then-husband Phillips.

After a quick phone call to the Buckingham Palace press office, Ball knew which engagements and events Anne attended each week.

He rented a car under the alias John Williams, stocking the boot with Valium tranquilisers and two pairs of handcuffs.

On the evening of 20 March 1974, Anne was travelling back to Buckingham Palace in an Austin Princess limousine.

She had attended a screening of Riding Towards Freedom, a documentary by the charity Riding for the Disabled.

Captain Phillips, her bodyguard James Beaton, and her lady-in-waiting Rowena Jane Brassey, were also in the car driven by royal chauffeur Alexander Callender.

At around 8pm, as the group drove up The Mall, a white Ford Escort swerved in front of the limousine, forcing Callender to stop.

Then a 31-year-old inspector, Beaton, who had been Anne’s bodyguard for a year, got out to investigate.

“I thought it was somebody who wanted to be a pain in the neck,” he later said. “There was no hint of what was to happen.”

Suddenly, a bearded man with light red hair jumped out of the vehicle and pulled out two handguns, smashing the passenger window with the butt of one.

Beaton had not even had the chance to pull out his weapon when he was shot in the shoulder.

He then attempted to fire back at Ball — but missed. Upon a second attempt, his gun — a Walther PPK — jammed.

Ball turned to the passenger door behind the driver’s seat and started shaking it. Anne was sat on the other side. “Open, or I’ll shoot!” he shouted.

As the princess and Captain Phillips desperately tried to hold the door closed, Anne’s lady-in-waiting crawled out of the door on the passenger side.

Beaton got back in the car, placing himself between the couple and their assailant.

Ball shot into the car, and Beaton’s hand deflected the bullet.

He shot the bodyguard a third time, hitting Beaton in the abdomen and causing him to fall from the vehicle.

“I felt tired and very drunk, although I hadn’t been drinking,” Beaton later told police. “I just wanted to lie down.”

Callender stepped out to confront the gunman, but Ball shot him in the chest and he fell back into the car.

Pulling the door open, Ball grabbed Anne’s forearm as her husband held on to her waist.

“Please, come out,” Ball reportedly told the princess. “You’ve got to come.”

As the pair struggled over Anne, her dress ripped, splitting down the back, which she later recalled prompted her to “lose her rag.”

But, rather than panic, she had what she described as a “very irritating conversation” with her potential kidnapper.

Unbelievably calm despite the commotion, Anne famously replied: “Not bloody likely!”

In an interview with the late television presenter Michael Parkinson, she recalled:

“He [the gunman] opened the door and we had a discussion about where — or where not — we were going to go.

“I said I didn’t think I wanted to go. I was scrupulously polite because I thought it would be silly to be too rude at that stage.”

A nearby tabloid journalist, Brian McConnell, arrived on the scene.

Recognising the limo’s insignia, he realised the commotion must have involved a royal family member.

“Don’t be silly, old boy,” he told Ball. “Put the gun down.”

Ball responded by shooting him too and McConnell collapsed bleeding onto the road.

A man named Ronnie Russell drove past at this point.

He was on his way home to Strood, Kent, from working as an area manager for a cleaning company in London.

In a stroke of incredible luck, Russell happened to be a former boxer. He had cut his cloth at the Repton Club in east London, an infamous venue sponsored by the notorious Kray twins.

Jumping out of the car, Russell punched Ball twice in the head before leading Anne and her lady-in-waiting away from the attacker.

He later explained that he “did not like bullies,” which prompted his decision to intervene.

Despite being injured, Ball still shot the first police officer to arrive on the scene, Constable Michael Hills, 22, before running off.

Detective Constable Peter Edmonds, who answered Constable Hills’ radio request for backup, chased Ball down The Mall and through St James’s Park before tackling him on the ground.

At Ball’s Old Bailey trial in May 1974, more details came to light about the plot.

Ball kept his head lowered for most of the proceedings, only uttering the word “guilty” to confirm the charges of attempted murder and kidnapping.

In his pocket, detectives had discovered the kidnap note addressed to the Queen, which demanded the £3 million ransom (the equivalent of £26 million today), a free pardon, and a plane to fly him to Switzerland.

He had planned to take the princess to a central London property he had rented under an alias.

In a police interview, Ball also said he believed Anne would be an easy target after ascertaining her whereabouts by phoning the Buckingham Palace press office.

“I had thought about it for years,” he said. “She would have been the easiest. I have seen her riding with her husband.”

Ball also showed no remorse for having shot three men on the night of the attempted kidnap.

“They were getting in my way so I had to shoot them,” he said. “Well, the police, that's their job. They expect to be shot. I took a chance of getting shot so why shouldn't they?”

He added: “I suppose I’ll be locked up for the rest of my life. I am only sorry I frightened Princess Anne. There is one good thing coming out of this: you will have to improve on her protection.”

Ball was diagnosed with schizophrenia following the trial and sentenced to a mental health facility under the Mental Health Act, “without limit or time."

He remains in the Broadmoor Hospital in Berkshire to this day.

The facility has been home to a series of notorious criminals, including serial killer Peter Sutcliffe and London gangster Ronnie Kray.

Immediately after the attack, the royals ceased having only one protection officer.

When Anne visited Beaton in hospital, “she turned up with two policemen,” her bodyguard said. “From then on, that’s what it was.”

“I had nothing…There was no back-up vehicle,” Beaton told The Times separately.

“The training was non-existent; but then again, [we thought] nothing was going to happen. They are highly specialised now, highly trained.”

Beaton continued to work for Anne for another five years — before the Queen employed him.

After Beaton’s weapon jammed, the type of guns used by bodyguards were also changed: “The Walthers were got rid of overnight.”

Beaton was honoured for his bravery, receiving the George Cross — the UK’s highest civilian honour for gallantry.

Russell also received the honour. In a 2006 interview, Russell recalled what Queen Elizabeth said as she presented his George Medal:

“The medal is from the Queen of England, the thank you is from Anne’s mother.”

[deadpresidents]

Was Trump's assassination attempt the first time people other than the president were also killed or hurt?

No, it definitely was not the first time. There have been a number of additional victims during Presidential assassinations or assassination attempts throughout American history.

Here are the incidents where someone other than the President was wounded in an assassination attempt on Presidents or Presidential candidates:

•April 14, 1865, Washington, D.C. At the same time that John Wilkes Booth was shooting Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre, Booth's fellow conspirator, Lewis Powell, attacked Secretary of State William H. Seward at Seward's home in Washington. Seward had been injured earlier that month in a carriage accident and was bedridden from his injuries, and Powell viciously stabbed the Secretary of State after forcing his way into Seward's home by pretending to deliver medicine. Powell also attacked two of Seward's sons, a male nurse from the Army who was helping to care for Seward, and a messenger from the State Department. Another Booth conspirator, George Azterodt, was supposed to kill Vice President Andrew Johnson at the same time that Lincoln and Seward were being attacked in an attempt to decapitate the senior leadership of the Union government, but Azterodt lost his nerve and got drunk instead. A total of five people were wounded at the Seward home as part of the Booth conspiracy, but Lincoln was the only person who was killed.

•February 15, 1933, Miami, Florida Just 17 days before his first inauguration, President-elect Franklin D. Roosevelt was the target of an assassination attempt in Miami's Bayfront Park. Giuseppe Zangara fired five shots at Roosevelt as FDR was speaking from an open car. Roosevelt was not injured, but all five bullets hit people in the crowd, including Chicago Mayor Anton Cermak who was in the car with FDR. Roosevelt may have been saved by a woman in the crowd who hit Zangara's arm with her purse as she noticed he was aiming his gun at the President-elect and caused him to shoot wildly. Mayor Cermak was gravely wounded and immediately rushed to a Miami hospital where he died about two weeks later.

•November 1, 1950, Blair House, Washington, D.C. From 1949-1952, the White House was being extensively renovated with the interior being almost completely gutted and reconstructed. President Harry S. Truman and his family moved into Blair House, a Presidential guest house across the street from the White House that is normally used for visiting VIPs, for 3 1/2 years. On November 1, 1950 two Puerto Rican nationalists, Griselio Torresola and Oscar Collazo, tried to shoot their way into Blair House and attempt to kill President Truman, who was upstairs (reportedly napping) at the time. A wild shootout ensued on Pennsylvania Avenue, leaving White House Police Officer Leslie Coffelt and Torresola dead, and Collazo and two other White House Police Officers wounded.

•November 22, 1963, Dallas, Texas Texas Governor John Connally was severely wounded after being shot while riding in the open limousine with President John F. Kennedy when JFK was assassinated.

•June 5, 1968, Ambassador Hotel, Los Angeles, California When he finished delivering a victory speech after winning California's Democratic Presidential primary, Senator Robert F. Kennedy of New York was shot several times while walking through the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel. While RFK was mortally wounded and would die a little over a day later, five other people were also wounded in the shooting.

•May 15, 1972, Laurel, Maryland Segregationist Alabama Governor George Wallace was paralyzed from the waist down after being shot by Arthur Bremer at a campaign rally when he was running for the Democratic Presidential nomination. Three bystanders were also wounded in the shooting, but survived.

•September 22, 1975, San Francisco, California A taxi driver in San Francisco was wounded when Sara Jane Moore attempted to shoot President Gerald Ford as he left the St. Francis Hotel. Moore's first shot missed the President by several inches and the second shot, which hit the taxi driver, was altered when a Vietnam veteran in the crowd named Oliver Sipple grabbed her arm as she was firing. Just 17 days earlier and 90 miles away, Lynette "Squeaky" Fromme, a member of the Charles Manson family, had tried to shoot President Ford as he walked through Capitol Park in Sacramento but nobody was injured.

•March 30, 1981, Washington, D.C. President Ronald Reagan was shot and seriously wounded by as he left the Washington Hilton after giving a speech. Three other people were wounded in the shooting, including White House Press Secretary James Brady who was shot in the head and partially paralyzed, Washington D.C. Police Office Thomas Delahanty, and Secret Service agent Tim McCarthy. Video of the assassination attempt shows that when the shots were fired, McCarthy turned and made himself a bigger target in order to shield the President with his own body. President Reagan was struck by a bullet that ricocheted off of the Presidential limousine.

[canonsinthehead]

What car would RGG/Yakuza/Judgement characters drive?

Kiryu (Your Grandfather’s Minivan):

pic: 1999 Dodge Caravan/ other ex: 1992 Toyota Previa, 1st generation Mazda MPV Even haruka is pleading with him to get rid of it since it almost exploded on the last orphanage trip. Regardless of what anyone says, Kiryu doesn’t want to get rid since he keep saying it’s a good format for the orphans (when they were younger maybe but not anymore) and how this dinosaur was the property of Kazama-San and we’re of good use when kashiwagi and him were watching over younger Kiryu and Nishiki. As always, another thing Kiryu remains hard headed on which doesn’t surprised his sworn brother since he see it as an extension of his lack of fashion sense. Majima keeps clowning him since seeing Kiryu walking out of this atrocity in burning anger is the most hilarious thing ever.

Akiyama (A Older model of a regular sedan):

pic: 1989 Honda Civic/ other ex: 2000 Toyota Corolla Regardless his pocket being stacked, he decided to get a regular car that common people get. Partly out of pure laziness, having to deal with expensive cars and their issues but he got it from a client who wanted to get rid of their old vehicle so he jump on the occasion. Hana doesn’t like it since it’s uncomfortable for her (for being so small and barely functioning right). She thinks he could’ve afford wayyyyyyy better than a (probably) discontinued second hand car with inexistent resale value.

  Haruka (A Regular Civilan Family Car):

pic: Red 2012 Toyota Corolla   Even if her uncles wanted to go all in and splurge for a ‘’luxury’’ or expensive a car for her , she refused and decided to go with something more simple. Also the simplicity of her also shows her current life as civilian and desiring a normal life like everybody else. While Kiryu is understanding of her choice, Nagumo and the crew (lowkey) expected her to take a larger (for more kids to come) but Kiryu shut down that idea and how its not happening before Mr.Yuta officially marries Haruka. BY THE WAY HER CAR IS RED just sayin…

80s Nishiki (Retro & Flashy):

pic: 1988 Mercedes 560SL/ other ex: 1988 Ford Mustang GT Convertible, 1988 Jaguar XJsAlong with the other car he had in Y0, he had another red convertible car he keeps for special occasions like showing off to his bosses, impress cabaret girls (remember image is everything) or for laid back road trip with his kyoudai. Slick Back Nishikiyama (Expensive & Conservative): ex: white porche or mercedes Changing his mentality, goals and outlook on life also affected his vehicle choice. Nishiki sold his all retro flashy car to separate vfrom his old image of being easy going and a (bitch) weak boss. By doing that he wants people to take him more seriously so he can climb the Yakuza ladder, so he goes for safe and conservative in many things including his fashion style. Yumi: doesn’t know how to drive.

Saejima (Thick car):

pic: 2005 Ford F-150/ other ex: 2005 Jeep Cherokee, 2021 Toyota Land Cruiser A big Heavy duty weather resistant car to fit his build (since he hates being uncomfortable). Also a big car to transport various things easily from camping equipment, drive well on dirt roads and snow and to carry Majima’s drunk body.

Daigo (what the chairman deserves)

pic: Rolls Royce Phantom VIII In all his Tojo-related activities, he usually get around by his driver in a limousine. He has a Black Rolls Royce that he almost never uses. Even though Mine and many of his subordinates encourage him to use it to match his boss/ex-boss status (or stature as man Mine would say). He doesn’t like too much the negative attention on him especially when he’s visiting Kiryu or doing personal things. All this goes with him being a shit driver (sorry daigo-chan) regardless owning a valid driving license. The brat side of his younger self remained since he prefers having a driver than doing it himself even after the disbandment of the Tojo Clan (which Mine and all his ‘’uncles’’ are glad to do so).

Majima: there are things he is actually cheap and lazy about. Taking after daigo, he doesn’t presently owns a valid driving licence, the one he previously owned (to destroy Shangri-La) got revoked and suspended ever since. He doesn’t want all the trouble and the paper work to get it back. since Saejima can’t drive his kyoudai around town on demand; he elected Minami and Nishida to be his personal drivers. Regardless he still sometimes takes some driving strolls by himself, we he does he takes Daigo’s Rolls Royce, which he himself gave to the fourth chairman as a birthday present. So that’s why he always tells him he has the right to use the car as he pleases. Daigo doesn’t mind and actually thinks his car finds Majima’s style better.

Ryuji (Ryuji being Ryuji):

car: HUMMER H2

motorcycle: Kawasaki VN2000 Class/ other ex: 2022 Indian scout bobberAt some he did own a HUMMER (before when it was still poppin) but Kaoru convince him to sell it because it was wayyyyy too big, waste of (gas) money and in all honestly looked RICICULOUS. He later converted to a motorcycle which he uses all the time.

Minami:

pic: Trap car Couldn’t wait to climb up the rank and earns enough funds to get rid of his trap to replace to his dream car to represent his status.

Nishitani (Wanna ride Majima-kun?)

pic: 1984 Cadillac Eldorado/ other ex: 1965 Pontiac GTO Mine (Bad and Boujee)

pic: 2021 Mercedes Mayback Class/ other ex: 2021 Porche 911Especially got a foreign model to make a statement as an accomplished Japanese businessman, that his pocket are stacked and he is not to be messed with. After surviving a suicide attempt (this is a headcanon remember mate). Now he volunteer to drive Daigo around to Kiryu’s opposition since he believes Daigo should drive for himself. He consider selling his fancy car (he already sold those he doesn’t use) because of Daigo’s desire of being discreet since the Tojo Clan’s collapse.

Tachibana (that car in Y0)

Oda:

pic: 2021 Chevy Express Van CargoWhite Creppy Van. Period. (and that’s canon)

Shimano & Sagawa (Work harder Majima-chan!):

pic: Japanese RickshawAlways used the cars provided by the clan and its drivers, if not he would make long hair Majima take him from point A to point B in a Traditinal Japanese rickshaw.

Kashiwagi (Fancy Refined)

pic: 1991 Lincoln ContinentalAt some point owned a expensive recent car model (Audi A4 2020), but after getting rid of it he dig out a older car who was sleeping in his garage (Lincoln Continental 1991). It is the car he owned while in the Tojo Clan, it would be natural for him to get rid of it but he seems to be satisfied with the older car (he can’t find another one who could as charming as this one). He does most of his travels by foot so its not like he can be seen in his car anyway. 

Yakuza 7/Like A Dragon Ichiban & The Crew:

pic: Redesigned Volkswagen The VW Van Type 2 It’s the first car Ichiban and Nanba got coming out of homelessness as soon as Ichi got his driving license from the vocational school. They got it from a scrap (a place where they stock old car they think are no good anymore) in almost perfect condition from one of Nanba’s homeless plugs. They got it fixed and upgraded by Sumire Sawa (the repairs chick). While Adachi was not the type to roll around in such flashy car, it officially became the LAD Crew’s official car. Saeko did some touchs up and decoration (with Seonghui funds) and VOILAAA! It’s now a place where they can both drive long distance and sleep (not all 7 but at least a few). Ichiban and Nanba like it the most since it’s reminiscent of their upgrade from the homeless life and can always be an option instead of bothering Kashiwagi at the bar (at least when Adachi does, he pissed him off so many times).

Zhao is less hyped about it. He keeps emphasizing on how he prefers hotels and a warm bed. He keeps repeating how he never been in a vehicle ‘’this cheap’’. He always find excuses to not go in it, deep down he’s just covering the fact that he is very uncomfortable sharing small spaces with many other people. Those scenarios brings up his uneasiness with everything outside the realm of lavishness or the comfort of the Liumang Headquarters. As for Joon-gi, while he constantly complains about not having enough space to breathe or the car being unconventionally ‘’tacky’’ and has never seen anyone in neither Japan or Korea driving a car like this. He low key likes it since it reinforces the family-like bond all the members of the party have. It also feeds into one of the deepest fantasies he had during his younger years which was to have siblings to quench his childhood loneliness.

They use this car especially for road trip and doing camping which ichiban succeeded to being everyone on their last camping trip.

Eri (Common Japanese Box Car)

pic: 2018 Nissan Dayz/ other ex: 2018 Honda n Box It’s the cheapest car, her and her grandmother could afford keeping their whole situation with the business. Since the success of Ichiban Confections, her grandmother moved on to better transportations method, she got a small (but expensive) car for herself, she even offers herself boat rides. On her side, Eri is satisfied with their old car and kept it.   Zhao

pic: Pink Lamborgini Aventador it's not that i needed it or even use it, it’s because I wanted it. AND I COULD AFFORD IT. Matter of fact i use the Liumang's limousine and its drivers for transportation.

Saeko:

pic: Fiat 500 She loves the car she shares with all her friends but for some reason would like to have a small cute car for herself.

Judgement/Lost Judgement/Judge Eyes Yagami (That Skateboard…):

Kaito:

pic: interior of 2019 Subaru ForesterI don’t know the model, but the insides are brown.

Tsukumo (Does he even go out?): mmhhh… just the few times he had to take public transportation since he started college (when he was attending, he then switched to do literally everything remotely, #Unaffected-by-Quarantine), it told him all he had to know about any forms of transportation. If it has to be necessary, then Sugiura will drive him around and is glad to do so.

Tesso (The Finest Electric Bike you can find):

pic: VanMoof X3 Intelligent Electric Bike/ other ex: Cowboy 4He prefers bikes because he thinks they are faster and more versatile.

Akutsu Daimu (I Made It):

pic: Lamborghini Aventador LP 720-4 / other ex: Orange 2015 Ford Mustang GT Finally realized one of his dreams by buying foreign sports cars to establish his image as a “feared” & accomplished gang leader. As flashy as it comes, Akutsu mostly use them to show off and imitates the rich and famous of the world (fake it till you make it). While his unique extravagance is showcased trough his vehicle choices, they are mostly reserved for a spectacular entry at parties and for the grams. It helps Akutsu since he always fantasized about being a rapper *play Zico’s VENI VEDI VICI* (especially the American ones he sees on TV/online) at least living the hip hop lifestyle (money, power & bitches) and being the face of RK helps him accomplish that goal.

Soma thinks all of this is completely foolish since his cars spend most of their time biting the dust in his garage and most of them are OBVIOUSLY too small for his 6’ 5’’ gigantic frame. WHAT ELSE TO EXPECT FROM A FLASHY IGNORANT FOOL ANYWAY?

[offender42085]

Post 1003

Before trial, the Judge said he would accept a plea bargain and impose a term of 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison--but after loosing at trial the Judge gave a longer sentence.....

Nauman A Hussain, New York inmate 23B2641, born 1990, incarceration intake 06/13/2023 at age 33, parole eligible 05/14/2028, scheduled conditional release 05/14/2033, Full Release 05/14/2038

Manslaughter

Nauman Hussain, the limousine operator convicted earlier of 20 counts of manslaughter for his role in the deadly Oct. 6, 2018 crash, was sentenced to 5 to 15 years in state prison.

The Schoharie County Courthouse is just a few miles from the scene of the wreck. State Supreme Court Justice Peter Lynch handed down the sentence — the maximum allowed under state law.

“I’m familiar with all the facts of this case, and I’m going to render a verdict accordingly,” said Lynch, who last year rejected a plea deal that would have seen Hussain complete community service and receive probation in lieu of prison time for his role in the crash.

Hussain, the operator of Prestige Limousine & Chauffeur Service — the Wilton-based company, owned by his father, which rented the stretched 2001 Ford Excursion SUV, that would later crash after suffering catastrophic brake failure, to a group of 17 friends from the Amsterdam area to attend a birthday celebration in Cooperstown — did not speak during the proceedings.

He sat silently with his head down, handcuffed, wearing bright orange prison garb, as family members spoke for more than an hour.

All 17 passengers, the vehicle’s driver and two bystanders were killed after the vehicle’s brakes failed as it descended a steep hill on state Route 30, before crossing the intersection of Route 30A at speeds in excess of 100 mph, striking a vehicle in the parking lot of the Apple Barrel Country Store and coming to rest in a culvert.

Some raised questions about what role Hussain’s father, Shahed, played in the crash and whether his past ties to the FBI as an informant allowed the family to circumvent state and federal vehicle registration and inspection laws that could have prevented the wreck. Shahed Hussain was not in the country at the time of the crash and has never been charged in connection to the incident.

The FBI provided families of those killed in the crash a briefing about their handling of Shahed Hussain a few days before sengencing, but several have said questions remain about whether he used his connections with the agency to avoid persecution.

The sentencing comes two weeks after a jury convicted Hussain of second-degree manslaughter following a seven-day trial that was initially expected to last up to six weeks, but almost never happened at all.

Hussain, in 2021, accepted a plea deal to 20 counts of criminally negligent homicide that would have seen him escape jail time and instead serve probation and community service.

But Judge Lynch rejected to deal at a sentencing hearing, offering Hussain the option to serve 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison or go to trial.

Lynch, who called the deal “completely disingenuous and unacceptable to this court,” began overseeing the trial after Schoharie County Court Judge George Bartlett III, who approved the plea deal, retired.

The crash was caused by a ruptured rear brake line that rendered the vehicle’s back brakes inoperable and caused the front brakes to overheat and melt. The master brake cylinder was determined to be working at the time of the wreck.

3l

[tf-animated-out-of-context]

Trivia time again:

After the Autobots returned to Cybertron, Powell somehow got his hands on an Allspark fragment (which had presumably been outside Prowl and Jazz' range during "Endgame"). Of course, he ended up with more than he bargained for; the fragment brought his limousine to life, turning it into a 'bot named Stretch, who turned out to have expensive tastes and access to Powell's bank accounts. Powell was forced to make a deal with Professor Sumdac to send him away - all the way to another dimension via the space-bridge. Moral of the story: don't mess around with the Allspark, especially when you don't entirely know what it's capable of.

Speaking of Powell, he was initially meant to be a one-off character in "Total Meltdown", but the staff liked his design so much he was brought back as a recurring villain (and an unusually successful one at that).

Had Season Four been produced, Bulkhead would have stayed behind on Cybertron with Sari, protecting the Energon farms from the 'Cons, while Ironhide took on his role on Earth.

Confusingly, Bulkhead is called Ironhide in the Japanese dub of Animated, to maintain consistency with the live-action films; Ironhide himself was renamed "Armorhide". In Russian, meanwhile, Bulk's name, Tverdoboly, translates to "hard head".

The "Bulkhead" SUV's concept and most glaring flaws resemble those of various real-world cars - it's a converted military vehicle with a sky-high fuel consumption, like a Hummer, it rolls over as easily as a badly balanced Reliant Robin, and it seems to have inherited its fuel tank placement and general flammability from the Ford Pinto.

The Angry Archer was named for design director Aaron Archer (who wasn't originally consulted, but didn't object either when he found out); his aesthetic seems to come from the twelfth- and thirteenth-century legendary hero Robin Hood, but he mostly speaks sixteenth-century-ish Middle English (badly), with the odd bit of (usually incorrect) Latin and forays into the eighteenth and twentieth centuries, all in Jeff Bennett's best impression of also-legendary English comedian John Cleese. (He also has a cybernetic arm, though, because this is the future.)

[hellojeanclaudequaghebeur]

Patrick Magaud 🇫🇷Guylène Brun 🇫🇷#6.Ford Puma S1600. 10ème classement final. Rallye du Limousin 🇫🇷2002

[sunhavenkitten]

Random car headcanons I had on my way to work, if cars existed in Sun Haven...

Lucia: Drives a flashy, cherry red convertible.

Nathaniel: Decently knowledgeable car guy. If you need help fixing a flat or troubleshooting some odd problem he's your guy.

Jun: Drives like a mini van or something with space enough to take the kids on trips. Definitely has a coexist sticker on the back.

Liam: Also drives a mini van, but it's a little run down and is a mess full of toys, notebooks, etc... One of the girls spilled beads in the back seat once and he still randomly finds little rainbow beads around years later. He knows he needs to clean it but just hasn't gotten around to it.

Kitty: Doesn't like to drive, but has a pickup for her ranch related needs. Mostly for hauling hay bails and trailers.

Claude: Has a garage of expensive, vintage cars no one has ever seen him drive.

Anne: Definitely drives some type of fancy sports car. It's sleek and flashy. Something that would turn heads.

Lynn: Drives a really big truck full of tools and ore. She literally has to climb to get into it but makes it look so easy.

Catherine: I see her also driving a pickup truck, but something very simple. It fits plant pots and other gardening tools better than other vehicles would. (Yeah a lot of people have pickups but it is a rural area so that only makes sense right?)

Wornhardt: Drives a very practical four door sedan. It's a new model but nothing fancy. Either white or black.

Vaan: Why does he need a car? He can fly. He thinks they're fascinating, though. He loves hanging around somewhere and watching them drive by like fish in a stream.

Iris: Doesn't see a need for one since she doesn't leave her village. She kind of hates all the pollution they cause but understands they're important to the people outside of Nel'Vari.

Wesley: Hates them. Gets really car sick. (Whatever you do, don't pop a joke about him looking a little green).

Xyla: Drives a black 1959 Ford Thunderbird à la Elvira.

Darius: Would never deign to something such as driving himself somewhere. He is driven in the back of a hearse-shaped limousine anywhere he goes.

Donovan: Has a beat up clunker that is falling apart. I mean, how is that thing even still running?

Sorry I don't have headcanons for the other new romanceables. Kai has no legs and I haven't even met the little assassin girl yet.

[flmboyz]

1955 Lincoln Convertible

[peakwealth]

Beasts of Burden

Parked on a street in Chinatown, Bangkok. Vintage unknown. It has been there for decades, has licence plates and is in driveable condition as far as I can tell.

. . . .

It is easy to get nostalgic about old Land Rovers. Everything about them contradicts the 21st century. They are or were basic machines with heavy steel frames and aluminium bodies that were riveted together. The passing of time did not seem to affect them.

Introduced in 1948 and made in what was then the heartland of English car manufacturing (Coventry, Solihull), they stood for a less complicated time when everything was mechanical and nothing was virtual.

Eventually economic reasoning caught up and production was halted in 2016. I remember wistfully looking at some of the last remaining models sitting in dealers' showrooms in such remote places as Ponta Delgado (in the Azores) or Suva (in Fiji). By then Land Rover was no longer very British. Ownership of the brand had shifted to BMW in 1994, then to Ford before being sold to the Indian Tata conglomerate in 2008.

. . . .

The real thing, Santanas, in Andalusia.

Classic Land Rovers are in essence farm vehicles. As such they have remained a common sight in the countryside of southern Spain, their colour the same as the dry Andaluz soil at the height of summer. Wherever olives grow you will find Land Rovers, especially the Spanish variant which was built for many years under license by Santana.

Long before production ended, Land Rovers had also become yuppie toys, often in gleaming black. Worse, the new owners of the brand decided that even if the vehicle no longer made commercial sense, the name and the outdoorsy mystique were worth preserving.

Imagine my irritation when I was confronted, some weeks ago, with this reality, the ultimate in urban sophistication on wheels, parked on a street in Nagoya, Japan (above). Notice the subtle pastel paint job which actually refers to the early production models, painted the same green as commercial aircraft before delivery. It was the only paint they could find in postwar Britain, the legend goes.

I suppose it was inevitable that Land Rovers would go the way of the Range Rover. It started off more than fifty years ago as a country squire's all terrain vehicle, designed to take the bumps. Although it was a definite step up from the Land Rover, it still had solid axles front and rear, and a manual gearbox. But over the years it evolved to its current status as the rich person's SUV-limousine of choice with price tags exceeding a quarter of a million euros. But the old ones are still around, farm vehicles once more, popular with sheep farmers and wine growers.

Object of enduring fantasy. Vintage Land Rover Defender with all the trimmings on a street in Turin, Italy, June 2024.

[boysplanetrecaps]

On How Styling Can Change Outcomes

This post is about how styling choices affected the outcome of the Dual Position battle on Boys Planet -- click read more for my thoughts on how sex appeal matters.

So, in my final analysis of the Dual Position battles, I came to the conclusion that Zoom was one of my two favorite performances of the night (along with Limousine), and I was left to wonder why they didn't win the audience vote that night.

I came to the conclusion that they were seriously hampered by the fact that their outfits weren’t remotely sexy. Seriously, people vote with their genitals, a lot of the time, whether they know it or not. If someone gives you that sparkly feeling in your pants, it makes you want to vote for them. But the Zoom team, in their giant basketball shorts and unflattering athletic socks and gross lollipops and big, childish hats -- they were not sexy at all. 

They’re not elegant, they’re barely cute. If you met them for a date and they were dressed like that, you'd be disappointed. ::Shakes fist:: STYLIST NOONAAAAAASSSS!!!:::

Meanwhile, look at who won: Love Killa, Tomboy, and Law. 

Obviously, Love Killa is sexy. They’ve got Mr. Sexy himself as their center. They look like they’d smell like Noir de Noir by Tom Ford. 

For Tomboy, they were dressed in form fitting outfits, and General Gunwook had the gun show on display. They also wiggled around suggestively. They look like they’d smell like whiskey and Armani Code.

Law’s team were also dressed in form fitting outfits, they were grabbing their thighs, they were rapping in deep voices, and plus, they had Park Hanbin there to remind everyone that his abs are still there, right under his shirt. They look like they’d smell like new sweat and Old Spice. 

Sparkles in everyone’s pants for these teams!

But maybe not so much for Zoom. Based on their styling, they look like they’d smell like dirty laundry and Doritos.

Look at it. Keita looks like a SQUARE. Like his body is a SQUARE. Ollie, too.

Please understand -- I'm not making fun of the trainees, not at all. This is not a commentary on their appearance or bodies. I'm only talking about how they've been styled. I’m sure any of these guys could be sexy, or at least, appealing looking. Ollie and Hyunbeen might be a bit too young to be sexy-sexy-sexay, but they could do the cute kind of sexy that boy groups do. You know, like NCT doing Touch. 

Imagine Zoom, but they’re in jeans and colorful t-shirts. Like a little bit of a Gee by SNSD vibe, but more masculine. The outlines of their bodies would be clear -- no squares. Make them look like they smell like clean laundry and cookies. The vibe is that they're saying that you want to zoom in on them and take P-I-Cs of them because they're so good looking. Then they’re taking first place. Easy peasy. 

I think it’s a shame, because their performance is so much more fun than Law and so much better suited for MNET Countdown than I think any of the other performances were. 

Ok, thanks for reading!

[evrensadwrn]

I think Akira drives either a Lexus or a Mazda (stylish and has a certain amount of luxury attached to the brand).

Koji used to own a Honda in his younger days before switching to Toyota. (He sees no point in showing off his status, so he acts humble when selecting cars.)

Caine would be into Subaru or Kia if he wasn't blind. (He's always into sporty cars, and a Subaru is a nice balance of sportiness and utility. Kia is a nice alternative.)

Tracker actually drives a Subaru.

Sofia is a loyal Mitsubishi user.

John only uses either a Honda or a Chevrolet before he got interested in vintage cars. (Reliable and gets the fucking job done.)

Santino and Gianna definitely own BMWs.

Viggo bought Iosef a Ford before and Iosef obviously threw a tantrum, so he bought a Cadillac for his son and the Ford went to the Tarasov mob's use. (There are already many Ferraris and Lamborghinis in Iosef's garage.)

The Marquis de Gramont has every French car brand at his disposal (Renault, Citröen, Peugeot, Buggati, etc.)

Winston had tried a Tesla once and said "nope!" almost instantly.

If the Adjudicator is not riding on a limousine, their favourite rides are on a Mazda, a Hyundai or a Lincoln.

I havent really got a single clue on cars but idgaf anyways yeah canon definitely

[cesaray]

Strong's devotion to his craft occasionally has led to personal injury. In the first season of Succession, Kendall had to run a considerable distance to be present at an important corporate board meeting after his limousine gets stuck in traffic. Because Strong wanted to be genuinely sweaty and breathless in every take, he ran as fast and far as he could in Tom Ford dress shoes and fractured his foot. Two seasons later, he jumped off a 5-foot-high (1.5 m) platform, wearing Gucci shoes while filming "Too Much Birthday", impacting his tibia and femur and requiring a leg brace. The take ultimately was not used.

0/10 them tom ford shoes 

[its-a-wicked-twisted-road]

1965 Ford Galaxie 500 Limousine (one of six built for US government)