My moter the car Synopsis   In one of her more unusual roles, Ann Sothern played a talking car in this 1965 situation comedy.  Dave Crabtree was a small-town lawyer of modest means with a wife, Barbara, two children, Cindy and Randy, and a small dog. On a visit to a used-car lot in search of an inexpensive second-hand car, he found himself strangely attracted to a very old, 1928 Porter. When he got behind the wheel, the car talked to him though the car's radio - it informed him that it was the reincarnation of his mother. Against the advice of family and friends, he bought the car because he didn't want to lose his "Mother" again. Now whenever Dave has a problem he visits the garage and talks to his mom. The Porter still had its original brakes ("Stop-on-a-Dime" Brakes) and carburetor that contained sixteen nuts, fourteen screws and three bolts. When the car needed servicing Dave took it to Doc Benson's Auto Clinic. Dave was the only one to whom the car would talk to, or, for that matter, who could really hear what it was saying. The villain in the series was Capt. Mancini, an antique car collector who was constantly trying to find a way to get the Porter away from Dave.

My mother the car
 tv show
 

• Was shown on NBC on Tuesday nights at 7:30 pm
• First episode aired: September 14, 1965
• Last episode aired: September 6, 1966
• 30 B&W/Color Episodes

• In 2002, TV Guide named My Mother the Car the second worst show of all time. It was beat only by The Jerry Springer Show.

stars

• Dave Crabtree-Jerry Van Dyke
• His Mother's Voice-Ann Sothern
• Barbara Crabtree-Maggie Pierce
• Cindy Crabtree-Cindy Eilbacher
• Randy Crabtree-Randy Whipple
• Captain Mancini-Avery Schreiber
• Moon-Dog

lyrics
by Paul hampton

Everybody knows
 in a second life,

we all come back
 sooner or later.

As anything from a pussycat
to a man eating alligator.

Well you all may
 think my story,

is more fiction than it's fact.

But believe it or
not my mother
dear decided she'd come back.

 

As a car...

She's my very own
guiding star.

A 1928 Porter.
That's my mother dear.

'Cause she helps me through everything I do
And I'm so glad she's near.

 

My Mother the Car.
My Mother the Car.

 
My Mother the car
The Car(s)
 

• built by Barris Kustom Industries
• powered by a 283ci Chevrolet V-8 & a Powerglide automatic transmission.
• The car's body (finished in Metalflake carnation red with a white top) was made up from various vehicles including a Model T Ford, a Maxwell, a Hudson and pieces of a Chevrolet, including drive train. The car had a custom-made hood and radiator shell.
• 2 cars were used in the series
• To make it appear that the car was driverless (when the ghost in the machine drove it) the rear floorboard was removed so that a second driver could be placed out of sight of the viewing audience. He drove the car using mirrors.

Car 1

• currently on display at Star Cars Museum in Tennessee
• This car was used mainly for stunts.

car 2

• owned by private car collector, Dave Bodnar,  in Edmonton

mom's License Plate

PZR-317