Here on the sunny isles of Trinidad and Tobago, owning a motor car is as indispensable as food to survive, you need one to drive to the grocery store two walking blocks away. Not long ago, buying a car was a task, and the waiting period for costumers took several months. One of the popular car companies franchised here was and still is, the Japanese manufacturer, Datsun / Nissan. Cars were locally assembled and build to withstand our tropical climate, far in comparison with the quality of roll on roll off used Japanese cars sold on the market today.
There are a few classic Datsun 120Ys putting along the roads today. By observation, the weight of five passengers crammed in the backseat caused the bonnet to tilt upwards and the car looked as if would take off further down the road. The youth behind the wheel would have his Pioneer tape deck and equalizer stacked just beneath the dashboard, and his two large original Sharp stereo speaker boxes mounted at the back port. The bumpers would be lacquered over using two aerosol cans of black paint and a pin coloured strip would run along the sides of the car.
To promote the cars, the company had an array of memorabilia; From key chains, envelope openers and a golden cast replica of the model in production. The Nissan Motors marketing team came up with a multi-functional object, a musical box astray as a Cedric 280E, known in Trinidad as a 260c and a Datsun Bluebird.
The future of transport may be integrated with magnetic compulsion powered by solar energy. Cars may simply skim along a particular route guided by tracking devices.
Nothing beats Scalelectric As a child, thebookmann remembers one of his fondest Christmas Eves. It was a time when shops had their toys displayed in their show windows and also when families went out to drop off gifts and to window shop. One of the popular toys back then was the Scalelectric car set.
The following day, the Christmas stocking was full with sweets and a plastic toy car designed like the Ford Escort. It had a motor but no battery compartment but rather a strange slot to the front of it. The slot had two copper brushes attached. There was more to come but unaware to the thebookmann, he dragged the powerless car around anyway. The racing tracks, power transformer and a pair of yellow hand throttles completed the entire set. Scalelectric was so popular in Trinidad and Tobago that they had televised competitions.
Continuing the series on vintage cars in Trinidad and Tobago, this is a mint Ford Escort like the scalelectric car so many years ago.
What makes a great artist? What attributes must he or she possess? To the left of you is a fine sample. Yes, it is an old dilapidated van but if you look in a little further, its much more.
The owner has rendered a tribute to Trinidad and Tobago's national sportsmen starting with Brian Lara's record of 400 not-out during a cricket test match in 2004. The artist has also hailed the swimmer, George Bovell in his painting as well. For his Bronze medal feat at the 2004 Olympics, a lion and warrior are etched from paint on the side panel of the British Ford van. It may not be the incomplete stadium or the proposed swimming pool site that is overgrowned with bush, what really matters is the passion and respect of a good deed from an individual from this small nation, Trinidad and Tobago. - thebookmann
The rusty van refused to give up its pride. Wrought on its sides in house paint stand a testimony to past great days for Trinidad and Tobago. The hasty text of Lara not out and the Jamaican aphorism, yuh done know, are scrawled on the vehicle, along with valiant attempts to capture other elements of Rastafarian art, like the lion of Judah and what looks like a dreadlocks warrior. Because this van is so decrepit, the images are especially poignant. - Adele
Prehmnath Dookhoo stands proudly next to his Hillman Hunter Minx. The 1967 model has passed hands from five previous owners, and Mr. Dookhoo the last, has owned the light green car for over twenty years.
Under the hood, the modified Minx operates with a Nassan 180b engine with a chain belt. And knowing the ins and out of his baby, Prehmnath has machine shop parts for it and he says with great confidence, if the car stalled on the highway it would most lightly be the points, or gas. A problem he can solved and be quickly on his way. Other newer cars use computers, you can't fix it.
The hunter does not have the perks of an modern vehicle, and inside it has taken a beating. But the owner loves it anyway, just bounce him and you'll see why. You may have to replace your entire car while Mr. Dookhoo may polish his bumper with a bit of Slivo. And with a few taillight spares at home, he can fit one in just in case a mishap occurs. -thebookmann
This gang of easy riders are in front of the Harley-Davidson store in St.James, Trinidad and Tobago.The riders are dressed in Santa Claus suits preparing to leave on a convoy across the country. One very hefty Santa Claus had a bit of trouble stabilizing his motorcycle as he ventured out on to the streets to join his club of Harley-Davidson enthusiasts.
The legend behind Santa is that he lives in the far north, but for some reason, Santa Claus has decided to take a Caribbean vacation to show off on his new brand Harley-Davidson motorbike among many admirers.
Get the Lion to share your driving fun.....take the saucy, import Anglia full of fire, fancy free and no heating problems ....Go ahead - Challange anything in the Anglia class...quoted from a British 1960 Ford print Ad
. A two tone British Ford 1960 Anglia two door sedan on the streets of Port of Spain
This is an untarnished blue and white tone British Ford 1960 Anglia two door sedan with an unusual contour that looks like a boat with a cabin incorporating fins as taillights. It shows the pride the owner has taken to restore it and in classical terms it would out do any new Mersedes-Benz on the road.
On the outskirts of San Fernando, Trinidad, a series of Japanese cars are painted in a tyre shop as if the were molded from plasticine.
By all means, this painting of a car has the owner of the tyre shop shop very proud. It is part of a series of cars and auto parts which are painted along the entire length of a garage. Customers should feel confident that their repairs are being undertaken by the best professionals and the wall paintings show a sample of what to expect.
Although the artist finds his blue sports car to be wicked, something is rather out of whack. The side panel looks bent. Perhaps his reference was a matchbox car made from plasticine.
These cars are part of the Mini Club in Trinidad, which restores original Mini cars to their mint condition
A light blue Mini which took two years to restore The owner of Mini says his car took two years to overhaul the body shell and engine parts were taken from two other cars he had purchased. Earlier that day, he was part of a convoy of forty Mini cars that traveled across the country to Grande Riviere as part of the Mini Club.
Two classic British Mini in the process of being restored at Aranguez, Eastern Main Road, Trinidad
The Bookman is documenting vintage cars in Trinidad and Tobago and this is a classic by all means. The Morris Mini Cooper was designed by Alec Issigonis as a affordable car which could seat four adults. Originally, the first cars were powered by 850cc 34bhp engine making the Mini in its purest form, simple, clean and agile.
Is four allyuh holding up meh car? A local Playboy pinup as part of a Jack in the coil, airbrushed on a gate of a garage, Trinidad What would possessed this artist to render a wall painting like this? And where did this idea originate from. Perhaps the answers comes from a confused garage owner whose perception of women and cars are interpreted as one.
A car shock painting in Princess Town, Trinidad West Indies. ................................................................................................................. Terms and meaning Gas brain - a woman who like to be driven about
The portrait of Mona Lisa airbrushed a Thomas chartered bus, Trinidad, West Indies. Excursions in Trinidad and Tobago are an adventure in itself. On these old chartered buses, a rhythm section of musicians gather towards the back and jammed against the exit door as they entertain the excursionists who wining, blabbering or waving at cars from their window.
At night, the cabin lamps makes this picture more visible, and you have to scurry along to overtake one of these noisy buses because if you are caught behind one, it is no treat. The exhaust fumes can block your vision and the pollution can cause you to cough, gag and choke.
In most cases, these excursions are religious outing to the country’s scenic beaches or to the lush Botanical Gardens in Port of Spain where the buses are occasional parked off on to the grass. But today, at the Fire Station in Port of Spain, an airbrush artist has the knack for the Renaissance by rendering the world’s most priceless painting, the Mona Lisa.
Panel of Art work on a hip psychedelic Bus ................................................................................................................. Excursions - Ah going to a drowning (Generally, excursions are free of incidents, but on many occasions, people have lost their lives drowing.)
Tucked in every crevice were business cards, Barely Legal, Car Craft or Vinyl Ninja. In Trinidad and Tobago, when we see something we like, we says to ourselves, I can do dat,
Concept cars? Two Datsun pickups, one Honda and few Korean models
The winner of the day, a Datsun pickup with no engine Fabio concealed on the bonnet of a car
An airbrushed roll on roll off car which took three days to complete
A good contender for the competition
My Daddy is Lower Than Your Daddy. A Datsun pickup with its bay motorized by hydraulics.
At the Center of Excellence, Trinidad and Tobago, an automotive show on concepts cars draws a small crowd to a vast and empty space.
On deck of the starship Vulcan Mufflers Look at these tinted oval windows against the square architectural masterpiece mounted above the streets off the Eastern Main Road, Trinidad, West Indies. With Captain Kirk at his deck, and mechanic Spock at his side, they both are overseeing a shop called Vulcan Mufflers. A Formula-one Mersedes-Benz painted by a piper
According to the owners of this establishment, the Formula-one Mersedes-Benz and Camaro painted on these wall were rendered by a piper in 1989. While both vehicles are recognizable, the question is, are they convincing enough to be driven? A Camaro's painted with an odd perspective
Drawing three dimensional cars on a two dimensional surfaces can be tricky, The accuracy and perspective should be visually appealing or realistically enough to recognisable. But check out those tyres on the red Camaro. It has a wobble, a misaligned hub and broken axle that makes the car permanently stationary. ..........................................................................................................................................................................
Views expressed on thebookmann are not affiliated with any Art Organizations and an “Art Review” may be open to interpretation as it is an observation at face value.
Amendments to such articles if misleading or with grammatical errors shall be corrected accordingly.
Richard Bolai lives and works from Trinidad, West Indies. He is a bookbinder,Graphic designer and the author of thebookmann, which from 2004, has written and photographed independently aspects of Trinidad and Tobago's art culture.
In 2008, he began a series of self studies called Feinin which incorporated digital superpositions of artists who have left a mark in art history by using the internet as the core of reference. He also produced parodies relating to anthropological studies of Trinidad and Tobago, for example, folklore or observations of the society via class and stereotypes
The work then expanded by actually creating dimensional replicas, capturing a map over the subjects to explore the underling subconscious in the form of art. This aided the ability to analyze art by producing art parodies to understand the meaning behind it. No money was spent or assistance in producing these compositions from common items found in his home, a chair, a mirror, or old tyre.
