Topic: GTC #68 Rollerskate Ninja Special! SOLVED: Zoe Zipper

[DHoffmann]

Yes time for a truly special edition of GTC ladies and gentlemen (mostly gentlemen I would assume, although some not as gentle as others), as I present you with one of the most amazing cinematographic, action-filled, heart-pumping, boot thumping pieces of celluloid history. This film has received more Oscars than any other movie ever made, so much so that it's won best picture TWO years in a row, it was just simply THAT good! This film has the highest rate of cameos EVER, with some of the BIGGEST names in Hollywood, Bollywood and even Gollywood. Alec Baldwin and Sarah Jessica Parker are two of the ninjas featured in this short outtake! The movie had the biggest budget of it's time, $1.3 US billion dollars, but grossed even more, $50 billion dollars! That means that every person in the world paying an average ticket price of $10 has seen this movie. EVERYONE IN THE WORLD!!!

One of the most striking exhibits in this feature film is this short clip where a fabulously quick and exotic vehicle is chased by what is possibly the most feared sight in the world - Ninjas on rollerskates. The aim of this particular puzzle is two-fold, firstly I would like the manufacturer/model of the vehicle, as is standard and I think everyone might have guessed by now. What I would also like, is the ROLLERSKATE brand, which is where the two of the two-fold bit comes in. Which I guess means that the first part would be fold... I'd like the fold answer to this puzzle? Nah that doesn't sound right. Hmm, something to ponder about..
Anywhoo! 1 point if up for grabs for the chosen escaper's vehicle in the clip, with - if I'm feeling nice and the information is actually accurate... - another point up for grabs for the make/model of the rollerskates. (I didn't think far ahead so I don't actually have the make/model of the skates, so I'd need conclusive proof that they are actually the featured performance footwear in the video!)





*DISCLAIMER* Above post may contain traces of nuts. And may not be true. Believe what you will. Don't quote me as a source, you WILL be wrong! Lather twice daily and rinse with fresh mountain spring water!

[gbitas]

The car in video is Zoe Zipper.

"Zoe Motors' best-known product was its Zoe Zipper vehicle, a very small three-wheeled single-seat car (or "microcar") based on a 50 cc Honda motorcycle engine. It was manufactured by Mitsuoka Motors of Japan, introduced there in 1982 and made its American debut the following year in 1983, where Zoe had distribution and branding rights to the vehicle. In the US, the Zipper could be considered a motorcycle for registration and insurance purposes, making it somewhat simpler to own than a full-sized car. The Zipper was sold in both a convertible and a hardtop model.

The Zipper had angular styling inspired by Giorgetto Giugiaro's "folded paper" automotive designs seen on other early-1980s cars such as the De Lorean DMC-12 and the Lotus Esprit. In terms of performance, the Zipper had 5 hp (4 kW) of power and reached speeds of 45 mph (72 km/h), with considerable fuel economy of 112 miles per gallon. It ran on regular gasoline.

Perhaps the single best remembered part of the Zipper outside auto-enthusiast circles was its appearance as a prize on the TV game show The Price Is Right. Neither host Bob Barker nor announcer Johnny Olson could keep from giggling when the incredulous contestant asked "What is that?" and later "It's a car?!" She did win it, and after enthusiastically hugging and kissing Barker, Barker quipped "If you want some affection, just give a lady a three-wheeled vehicle!" According to the show, the Zipper (the hardtop model) cost $3785.

The Zipper was not successful in the United States. Numerous factors contributed to its lack of success. The name and design were perceived as too "cutesy" by the general public. Also problematic was the one-seat design common to microcars, which severely limited its usefulness as a general-purpose vehicle: even most motorcycles are able to accept a second person as a passenger. The price, while certainly low for a car, was not so extremely low that consumers were willing to give up the convenience of a second seat. A four-seat Yugo, for example, boasted a $3990 price in the mid-80s, just slightly more than the Zipper. Mitsuoka does still manufacture microcars in Japan, currently with four wheels and very different styling."

source: <<< link removed >>>

[DHoffmann]

I was afraid this one would go quickly... It's damned hard finding cars in movies that noone knows about!


No guesses as to the manufacture of the rollerskates?