MSN_071317

28 | July 13, 2017 | Malibu surfside news Life & Arts
malibusurfsidenews.com
Ride of the Week
Mark Truman’s sinister Black Beauty
Fireball Tim Lawrence
Contributing Columnist
Malibu resident
Yes, another cool car
has miraculously
appeared on my
radar once again. Although
you’d never see this one in
a dealership, the nostalgic
memories of some of you
from the ’60s will be well
served.
For the last year, I’ve
conversed with my friend
Mark Truman about his
current build that has
lasted over 11 years. Why
11 years? Well, because
this is not the kind of build
that you rush. It requires
TV research, and close
inspection of details that
pop up over time.
What is the car? Green
Hornet’s Black Beauty.
Or what was originally a
1966 Chrysler Imperial
four-door Crown Hardtop.
Whoosh!
As a retired telecom
special services employee
with GTE/Verizon for 35
years, Mark finally has the
time to tinker, blinker and
build what he loves. His
brother, Nate, shares the
same passion for movie
cars, so Mark decided to
build the Black Beauty at
his home. But this build
needed major research.
He found a Chrysler that
was 20.3 feet long, 5480
Mark Truman poses with his car, which was built to be a replica of the Black Beauty from “The Green Hornet.” Fireball Tim Lawrence/22nd Century Media
pounds and with a 440w
Edelbrock 4Barrel Motor
that would be perfect. The
body and interior were
good, but would need to be
heavily modified to match
the TV series’ night cruiser
Black Beauty.
“I bought it in 2004,”
began Mark. “From a band
and drove it home from
Monterey, California. The
Black Beauty conversion
began in my driveway and
has lasted for an astounding
11 years.”
But why was this the car
for Mark? I’m glad you
asked.
“This is the type [of]
car used in the 1966 series
‘The Green Hornet,’” he
explained. “[The] original
build was by Dean Jeffries
in Hollywood, and there
were two cars created
for the show. Both have
survived and are in private
hands. So if I wanted one, I
had to build it myself.”
Mark and I got together
several times to shoot the
car for my Vlog Show, but
every time, the Beauty was
stubborn and temperamental.
But eventually, Mark
got her into Malibu and we
cruised from Point Mugu
Rock and had a blast. I
couldn’t believe I was
driving the Green Hornet’s
car donning a Kato mask.
Yes, I actually wore the
mask, although my fighting
skills weren’t really what
they used to be, so I just
smiled a lot instead.
Mark’s favorite part was
actually mine, too: the
overall length and sinister
look of the car. Anyone
around would look at it
and wonder if their safety
was at risk.
I say we build 100 of
these and send them to
drive in our enemies’
cities. Just their presence
would calm things down.
And if it didn’t, at least
they would think they’re
cool long enough to stop
causing trouble.
Mark uses the car
primarily for shows that
support youth and police
activities, so although the
car is black and sinister,
it’s got a good heart just
like Mark.
And finally, I asked
Mark for his best short
story with the car and
he gave it to me as we
wrapped driving.
“I have a high school
age grandson who really
enjoys when I pick him
up in the Beauty,” Mark
said. “All his friends think
he is really cool that his
grandfather has ‘that cool
car.’ When he was questioning
why he was going
to school, I reminded him
that I wouldn’t be able to
pick him up in front of his
friends if he left. I hope
that helped his decision to
stay.
“But I also really like
watching people spot the
car as I pass them. At first,
they look confused, then
break out into ‘10-yearold’
grins when they recognize
it. It’s just cool.”
And what about driving
in Malibu?
“Malibu is a unique
subculture in SoCal,” he
said. “It’s really amazing to
drive along the beach and
see a high-end car parked
alongside the road with a
surfboard strapped to it. It
is just the same when folks
come across my car stopped
alongside the road and try
to figure out what it is.”
And that was just what
they did the whole time
we drove for the show. I’d
like to offer a big thanks to
Mark and his passion for
the Beauty. It’s people like
him who make me do what
I do, and his giving nature
made our drive a solid
memory.
Want to be featured in Ride
of the Week? Send Fireball
an email at askfireball@
fireballtim.com.