The iconic Vista Cruiser which made appearances in nearly every episode of That 70s show has found a permanent home at the Automobile Gallery and Event Center in downtown Green Bay.
“It’s going on for four years now. It was a project that we didn’t know was coming to fruition,” said Darrel Burnett, curator at the Automobile Gallery and Event Center downtown Green Bay.
The re-launch of its new iteration of “That’s 70s Show”, some production problems around the arrival of COVID-19 or the idea of Hollywood coming to Green Bay, Burnett said, were some of the factors that delayed the eventual arrival of the iconic show’s 1969 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser station wagon to arrive to the Automobile Gallery and Event Center in downtown Green Bay.
Burnett said the one thing his group and partners had as a common denominator was a commitment to making this happen.
“When that day came in August and the vehicle rolled into town, it was as much of a relief as it was of euphoria on my part,” Burnett said, indicating he is and will be “eternally thankful” to the main pillar on the other end of the line — longtime TV sitcom producers, Carsey Werner Television, namely their current Chair, Paul Schreiber, and their Senior VP, Janet Bonifer, as his “key contacts” to make this happen.
“When they had a myriad of other projects going as one of the top syndication companies in history, to devote their time to make this happen, I can’t thank them enough,” Burnett said.
“This is one of the top 10 vehicles in TV shows in history,” Burnett said.
The tan station wagon in That ‘70s Show, now a permanent lifelong resident downtown Green Bay with the exception of occasional nationwide tours, played a pivotal role in the show’s storyline.
The car was used as the main form of transportation and featured at length in the show’s opening credits, driving home the nostalgic, retro feel that was a staple of the series.
It was more than just a prop. The car was treated as a character, often featured in the background as the group of friends’ main way to get around.
The original Vista Cruiser used for the show appeared in 198 of the 200 episodes of the eight-year television saga.
Burnett highlighted the show’s original Vista Cruiser (which was a rolling body) was sold to lead actor, Wilmer Valderrama for $500 after the show concluded.
Burnett said Carsey Werner eventually searched for and found an identical 1969 model, which they had fully restored in Toronto, to be exactly like the one on the show.
“Only better, one that could go out and tour,” Burnett said, highlighting that at San Diego’s Comic Con last year the line was a quarter of a mile long to interact with the Cruiser.
Burnett said several hundred people attended the unveiling ceremony on Aug. 9 at Lambeau Field.
“A father and son drove up from Milwaukee who years ago purchased the closest thing they could find to the Oldsmobile, same color, and parked it at our lot that day. They were very touched.”
Burnett also highlighted that over 30 million hits on social media have taken place since the unveiling on Aug. 9 — an event that also brought one of the show’s main actors to Titletown. Kurtwood Smith (Robocop, Dead Poets Society), Wisconsinite — New Lisbon — and lead actor who incarnated Reginald ‘Red’ Forman in the show, drove up and was part of the ceremony during Packers’ Family Night.
Burnett said he witnessed the crowd at Lambeau Field give him a standing ovation which “shows how beloved his character in the show was”.
Burnett said one of the most memorable moments of the unveiling of the Cruiser is when Kurtwood Smith admitted, upon making eye contact with the Vista Cruiser, feeling like he was “reuniting with a member of the family,” adding that the last time he had seen the Cruiser was in 2006.
“A small town will fit in” Burnett said giggling to describe how spacious the show’s Vista Cruiser was.
Burnett said it took eight months to source the luggage rack to make the car identical to the one on the show.
“The finest vinyl available in 1969”, Burnett said, upholsters every corner inside.
Burnett said Carsey Werner spent over $10,000 to ship the set where the Cruiser permanently lives to the Automobile Gallery.
Burnett highlighted, “Only 33,387 [models of the] 1969 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser were produced. Only one is famous, and it’s here at the Automobile Gallery and Event Center”
For more information, visit https://theautomobilegallery.org.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here