One of Us


You know you’re officially one of The Petrolettes when you barely make it through the first three minutes of The Love Bug (1969), your stomach in knots and your mouth agape in horror. Pixar is known for character deaths early on, but Disney surprised me with this one.

The opening scene is footage lifted from Fireball 500, a 1966 American International Pictures film which stars Frankie Avalon (of Grease “Beauty School Dropout” fame) and former Mouseketeer Annette Funicello.

It depicts figure-8 racing, popular in the US and Canada, and known for its inherent danger - the track intersects itself in the middle, exponentially increasing the likelihood of collisions. A 1956 Chevy Bel Air and a Jaguar XK are among the fray.

To think of the places we could take these cars had they not been in demolition derby…

Jo is a buxom redhead looking for adventure. She loves her motor children equally, and if you ask really nicely, she might let you take them for a spin. Easily distractible, but also easily obsessed, she is our Editor-in-Chief, resident proof-reader, and zany ideas lady. Caffeine is her fuel of choice.