Johnny Dark Movie Book

107 Also in production, by Chevrolet, is another sports model, the Corvette. Cars intended for the sports mar- ket, but not meant for competition in racing, include the Buick Skylark, the Cadillac El Dorado, the Oldsmo- bile Fiesta and the Packard Caribbean. Among aficionados a sports car is differentiated from the ordinary passenger car in that it is equipped with a high - performance engine, has correct weight distribution, a low center of gravity, high power - to - weight ratio, and possesses a steering mechanism which makes it unnecessary to turn the wheel too many times to make a sharp bend in the road. Contrasted numerically with America ’ s annual passenger car production — 4,320,788 in 1952 — the total number of sports cars in the United States does not seem too impressive. But each sports vehicle, be- cause of its distinctive lines, generally gets special attention, and the cult of enthusiasts is growing apace. Matching the development of popular interest has been the mushrooming of magazines slanted for this special field. There are currently more than a dozen such publications on the stands, with one of the leading magazines, Motor Trend, guaranteeing a circulation of 400,000 copies a month. Numerous organizations have sprung into being for sports car owners. Biggest is the Sports Car Club of America, with headquarters in Westport, Conn. It boasts some 4000 members in 37 regions, covering the United States and Canada. Leading American road races now include the annual tests at Watkins Glen, N.Y.; Bridgehampton, Long Island; Sebring, Fla.: Elkart Lake, Wisc.; and Pebble Beach and Golden Gate Park in California. For his starring role in the picture, Tony Curtis trained for many weeks with veteran race pilot Louis Tomei, famed for his many runs on the grueling Indianapolis Speedway. Curtis became so expert that Tomei finally awarded the actor a “ diploma ” by permitting him to handle the wheel on a 125 - mile - an - hour run around a test race, with Tomei as co - driver. Curtis became the envy of all his friends, and of other sports car enthusiasts, when the studio permitted him to use the sleek, streamlined movie car for private purposes, just to make sure that he became thoroughly familiar with its operation. He plays the title character in the picture, a brilliant young design engineer at an old - line automobile plant. His leading lady, lovely Piper Laurie, is seen as Liz Fielding, daughter of the plant owner, who is a design consultant. This assignment marks the fourth teaming of the popular couple, their previous pictures having been the highly successful “ The Prince Who Was a Thief, ” “ No Room for the Groom, ” and “ Son of Ali Ba- ba. ”