Does it bug you when a writer makes a dumb car reference?

Number_35

Number_35

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Just finished rereading Point of Impact by Stephen Hunter. It's an incredible novel - first published c. 1993, and I first read it in 1997 when a friend passed a battered used copy on to me. I must have read it at least five times now, and more likely 10. But here's my one criticism - the protagonist at one point drives a 1986 Mercury Bobcat. Really?!! C'mon, man, do some basic research. I presume the Bobcat, sister car to the Pinto, was discontinued about eight years before that. And later on, he drives a 1988 Ford Fairlane.

Hunter is an excellent writer, as good as any as far as I'm concerned, but consistently sloppy in that way, with chronological errors and details that clash in his fictional universe. I would edit his books for free, given the chance.

Second instance - the great Garrison Keillor, of Lake Wobegon fame. C'mon, if Clarence Bunsen were selling a "1986 Pinto, puke green, straight stick, no air", it would be snapped up in a second, because it would be rare indeed. Like the Bobcat, I think the Pinto had been discontinued in the late '70s.

And finally, a men's devotional book from my wife was dedicated to "All those men of a certain age, who, like a '57 Impala, just keep getting better with age". Yeah, but I believe 1958 was the first model year for the Impala ...

Can you imagine that some people, even my beloved wife, sometimes think I'm too hung up on inconsequential details? 😁
 
It doesn't matter the subject matter; once we become familiar with it (or experts in it) we find countless mistakes in books and newspapers, on TV and in the movies.

Reminds me of the stock file footage one of the national networks used to illustrate each and every news story about General Motors (and maybe they still use it?).... It was a film of a brand-new '95 Chevy Lumina. An OK clip to use back in the 90s; not so relevant anymore in the 2020s.
 
It's pretty easy to come up with a year/make/model that exists. Clearly the type of car the character drives is relevant, so make sure it's something accurate!
 
Stephen King wrote an entire novel of dumb car references;

Christine3.jpg

 
MParr said:
The writer must have confused it for the Mercury Lynx. The Lynx was sister to the Ford Escort.
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That's quite possible. I remember the Lynx, the counterpart to the '80s European Escort. I think the sister car to the later ('90s) Mazda-based Escort was the Mercury Tracer.
 
Doesn't BUG me a bit!
Keep in mind that those Pinto/Bobcat may have still been sold in Mexico or South America just like the original VW BUG(no pun intended). :ROFLMAO:
Where is the setting of the story, Arkansas?

Just kidding,
CB
 
Passport1 said:
Stephen King wrote an entire novel of dumb car references;

Christine3.jpg
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I don’t remember if King screwed up his car facts in that book but knowing him I highly doubt it. Although he admits that he was on cocaine and booz half his life and barely remembers writing some of his novels. 🤣🤣
 
I like Stephen King. I won a trip to Maine about 3 years ago from the company I worked for and it was non business related. My wife and I had a rental car for a week and actually drove to Stephen King's house in Bangor Maine. It was a huge neat old house with some kind of weird and scary metal work on the gates etc. The rental was a VW wagon that was not very empressive but was almost new and delivered great gas mileage.
 
CharBaby said:
Doesn't BUG me a bit!
Keep in mind that those Pinto/Bobcat may have still been sold in Mexico or South America just like the original VW BUG(no pun intended). :ROFLMAO:
Where is the setting of the story, Arkansas?

Just kidding,
CB
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Yes, much of the book IS set in Arkansas - the Ouchitas, specifically. 😳
 
Passport1 said:
Stephen King wrote an entire novel of dumb car references;

Christine3.jpg
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I haven't read Christine. Do you recommend it?

I don't like the Horror genre, and so haven't read much King.

Did think Firestarter was very good - it's about the paranormal, but is very believable.
 
Number_35 said:
I haven't read Christine. Do you recommend it?

I don't like the Horror genre, and so haven't read much King.

Did think Firestarter was very good - it's about the paranormal, but is very believable.
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Honestly, probably half of Kings books aren’t what I’d call “horror”. I’d recommend Christine - although it‘s probably been 15 years or more since I’ve read it - but I don’t remember it being too scary or anything like that.

But some good ones from him that aren’t really in my opinion in the horror genre.

The Stand (a must read, very long)

The Dead Zone

The Green Mile

Hearts In Atlantis

Misery

Off the top of my head^^^. Each one of these books aren’t really horror, but they’re all VERY different from each other
 
I read The Green Mile in 2000, and Misery in 2003, and thought both were good, though not as good as Firestarter.

Thanks for the recommendations!

(Regarding King's horror novels, I read Pet Sematary back in the mid-'80s, and it scared the heck out of me. No horror since.)
 
I am the same way with details on guns in books and films. My favorite "yuch" is in Open Range where one of the two good guys fires at least nine consecutive shots from a six shot revolver. I doubt he was using a LeMat revolver.
 
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