BETTER PARTSPlayboy was named after car manufacturer
Los Angeles (USA), 2. October 2017
The legendary founder and editor-in-chief of Playboy magazine Hugh Hefner died last week at the age of 91 years. While Hef was not necessarily as an automotive enthusiast, also known as the Boliden his life of Dream and fancy sleigh shaped. And what is the least know The Name of his famous Empire, was inspired by a rather short-lived car manufacturer.
Playboy as a car brand
The Playboy Automobile Company was founded in 1947 in Buffalo, New York. Although not nearly as successful as other American car manufacturer that came before or after him, built the reputable, small manufacturer, at least a handful of cars before he retired in 1951 from the business. In total, between 1947 and 1951 97 Automobiles were produced. The only model of the Playboy A48. Under the hood is a four-cylinder engine with 38 HP, the speed of accelerated the car to 121 km/h maximum tried. With a wheelbase of only 2.29 metres and a total length of only 3.94 meters of the Continental American standards, was downright tiny. The magazine, which soon followed, was anything other than that.
An unexpected tip
The Playboy Magazine was launched in 1953 from the baptism. The Name comes allegedly by a member of the Playboy Automobile Company, the the friend of her son suggested that he should be the new magazine "Playboy". This friend Hugh Hefner. As the automotive manufacturer, after which it is named, had the magazine for a strong, masculine embossed the audience in the sights. The Lifestyle brand for men was one of the first of its kind but it was by no means the only beautiful women. Cars were an integral part of the Playboy personality, in particular in connection with the Playmate-of-the-Year Award, which was awarded annually from the mid-60s.
Oblique Car Prices
The first Playmate of the year Lisa Winters anno 1953. But it was not until 1964, when the company began to award in addition to the award, a vehicle price. Donna Michelle was the first to be rewarded in 1964 as a Playmate of the Year with a car. It was a cheesy bright pink Ford Mustang with a 289-cubic-Inch V8. From this time on, each and every Playmate of the year was a new car to look forward to. These products Excel in terms of quirkiness can sometimes be difficult. In 1988, about India, received All a rather strange Lamborghini Countach Roadster Kit Car. In 1995 Julie Lynn Cialini was rewarded with a Eagle Talon"". The recent winner of the Playmate-of-the-Year Award, Eugena Washington was allowed to take in 2016, after all, a brand-new Fiat 124 Spider home. For more "unique" gains were a Mazda 6 in 2009, a Shelby Series 1 in 1998, a pink Volvo P1800 in 1973, or a pop of pink Plymouth Barracuda in the year 1967.
Influence on the car's history
However, even Hugh Hefner himself was for its impressive selection of vehicles is known. The Playboy Mansion was often photographed with a 1969 Mercedes-Benz 600 Pullman in the driveway, typically together with a Maserati Ghibli, first-Generation or a Mercedes 300 SL Roadster. In addition to the Playmate-of-the-Year Award and the annual Car-of-the-Year Award (with winners such as the Porsche 911 Carrera GTS in the year 2015 or the Jaguar F-Type in the previous year) strengthened the strong commitment to Motorsport, the Standing of the magazine and Hefner's as influential in the history of the automobile.(sw)