Personally I was always a big fan of the Saturday Night Live skit where Chris Farley portrayed pudgy motivational speaker Matt Foley. It always made me wonder what would happen if I didn’t get my life on track and actually ended up “Living in a van down by the river.”

Luckily, I always stuck to the straight and narrow path and the closest I ever came to misfortune was living in a camper down by the river just outside of good ol’ Iola, WI. (it wasn’t nearly as bad as Matt Foley had warned!).

However, never once did I consider trying to capitalize on my misfortune like Aaron Heideman of Oregon. I guess I maybe I missed out on a prime opportunity to cash in.

Heideman is now living in his 1989 Dodge van (I’m sure it is parked near a river whenever possible) and is encouraging folks to write their hard-luck tales on the side of his van. His goal: to win an art competition worth a cool $250K.

Oh well, I guess that I never really understood “fine art” anyway.

You can check out Aaron’s touching tale by clicking here.

Unfortunately, like way too many people over the years, Tom Burden's life was put into a tail-spin earlier this month when he opened his garage and found that the classic he had devoted 13 years of his life to was missing.

"I haven't felt this bad since the day my mother died. I hadn't realized that car had gotten to me so much," Tom told the Dallas News recently.

You can read the whole sad story HERE.

Anyone with information is asked to call Garland police at 972-272-8477.

I was saddened to read just moments ago that actor Dom DeLuise had passed away following a long illness.

DeLuise had played crucial roles in many great movies including the classics Cannonball Run and Smokey and the Bandit II.

Who can ever forget Captain Chaos

You can check out the Washington Post article on DeLuise by clicking HERE.

(The image above is not the AeroCar being sold...Please Click on the link below to see actual photos of the AeroCar...and let me know if you find a photo of a real flying Edsel!)

Yep, you heard me correctly...a flying car, and it can be yours for the mere price of a small Lear Jet!

According to published reports, back in her earlier years, Marilyn Felling would wait intently for the aerocar to cruise into Burbank Airport on the 1961 television hit “The Bob ****s Show.” And every week, she wished she had an aerocar of her very own.

Her dream came true years later when she and husband Carl Felling purchased an aerocar from a tobacco farmer in Kansas City, Mo.

Fastforward 25 years, and as the result of a recent divorce settlement, the car/airplane is now for sale...for a mere $3.5 million dollars!

“The asking price defines a serious buyer, so you’re not going to take it home and blow it up,” Marilyn Felling told the Grand Junction Free Press, (as if a lower sticker price might lead to the recreation of the "Big Bang Theory" on a slightly smaller scale).

The former couple is not disclosing how much they paid for the car when they purchased it back in the early 80s, but from what I can tell this model cost around $11,000 when they were introduced back in the late 50s.

While I am not sure what real impact this car's history will have on its final selling price, the car does have appear to have had a rather storied past.

According to its owner, this car once served as a plane for KISN radio traffic out in Portland and later carried Raul Castro (Fidel's brother) around Cuba before hitting a horse on the runway while landing.

While the current owner hopes that her car/aeroplane/one-of-five-ever-built-gold-plated-trailer-queens will eventually land in a museum, serious private buyers are still welcome to make an offer.

If you are interested in parking an Aerocar in your garage/hanger, you can click here to learn more about this extremely unique car...and just in case I failed to mention it, if you are a more "thrifty-minded" buyer, the car can apparently fly up to 300 miles on a single tank of gas at speeds of up to 110 miles per hour in the air, and a more sedate 62 miles of hour while safely on the ground.

Happy Flying/Driving!

Ever since this very car flew out of the Ford production plant back in late 1954, America has had a long-running love affair with the Thunderbird.

No one can deny that the flight of the Ford Thunderbird has taken several twists, turns, and a couple of nose-dives during the past 50, or so, years while maintaining its path in the forefront of American automobile legends. However, I am excited to see what path the very first production Thunderbird will take when it is offered at the Barrett-Jackson sale come January.

Valued at more than $66k in #1 condition according to the 2009 Collector Car Price Guide, the history surrounding this unique offering is sure to drive the bidding through the roof.

If my count is correct, no fewer than eleven generations of Thunderbird have produced treasured collectors’ items in a variety of models, including the design which in 1989 earned Thunderbird its third award as Motor Trend’s "Car of the Year."

With all this great history behind it, I know that I will be glued to the TV when the first production Ford Thunderbird is sold at No Reserve at the 38th Annual Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event out in Scottsdale, AZ., Jan. 11-18, 2009.

What other "First Production" cars would you be interested in seeing cross the auction block?

Click Here to view a brief history of the Thunderbird.

Read on to view the press release from Barrett-Jackson:

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--One of the most significant American sports cars ever built, the first production Ford Thunderbird, will be sold at No Reserve during the 38th Annual Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event in Scottsdale, Ariz., Jan. 11-18, 2009. The Raven Black 1955 T-Bird was produced by Ford Motor Company on Sept. 9, 1954, and represents the birth of Ford’s sports car program. Hailed as “The World’s Greatest Collector Car Auctions™,” the Scottsdale auction and lavish lifestyle events will feature a diverse mix of the world’s most desirable collector vehicles. As always, SPEED will broadcast nearly 40 hours of live, high-definition coverage of all six auction days.

“We’re extremely proud to offer this incredible vehicle that I’ve followed closely over the years,” said Steve Davis, president of Barrett-Jackson. “For Thunderbird enthusiasts and general collectors alike, this is a rare chance to own the first production Ford T-Bird – an American icon. It’s been meticulously restored to original specifications and comes with plenty of documentation to tell its amazing story.”

Penned by Ford designer Frank Hershey, the Thunderbird was a hit among sports car fans across America and became an instant competitor for the Chevrolet Corvette. The first T-Bird is equipped with a 292 Y-block engine, Fordomatic (automatic) transmission, power steering, power windows and power seats. The creature comforts incorporated into the build gave the debut of the first T-Bird even more sizzle.

Ford’s new star was tested and featured in numerous articles upon its release, including “Testing the Thunderbird” in the Oct. 4, 1954 issue of “Sports Illustrated.” The first Thunderbird has also been displayed at venues across the United States, from Ford’s headquarters in Dearborn, Mich., to the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

“After Ford authenticated this 1955 T-Bird as number one, it became a superstar in the automotive world and was paraded across the country for years,” added Davis. “First production vehicles have an appeal that no other car in their lineage can compete with, especially when they represent the beginning of one of the most legendary marques of the 1950s. As a result, this first production Thunderbird will be extremely valuable to collectors.”

The 1955 Thunderbird will be joined by approximately 1,000 collector vehicles and automobilia to be sold at the historic Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction. Lifestyle attractions will also return to Barrett-Jackson in January in the form of luxury vendors, galas and fashion shows. Barrett-Jackson’s trendy night-spot, “The Garage,” will be the site of exclusive gatherings throughout the event.