More Than One Time Traveler

I don't watch a lot of television but I've become hooked on an ABC network show called Life on Mars. The premise is a New York City police detective, alive and well in 2009, is hit by a car and wakes up in 1973! Now 1973 is a subject with which I have intimate knowledge so the series pushes most of the right buttons for me. And it was inspired by a British TV series of the same name.

The detective (living and working in 1973) has to make do without cell phones, DNA analysis and personal computers - generally all things we take for granted. To further add to the mystery, our hero sees snippets of his former life in places like TV screens, store windows, etc. And there's cars, too. Wouldn't you know.

This weeks episode contained two that caught my eye: an absolutely pristine Triumph TR3 and a rubber bumper MGB.

The last TR3A was built in 1962. Now I know I'd keep my TR3 buffed to a high gloss if I had it from new, but what's the chances of a New York City street-dwelling TR3 looking like it just rolled off the boat? The TR3s I remember from my youth (yes, 1973) were pretty much beaters.

And a rubber bumper MGB appearing in 1973? C'mon, ABC hire me as an advisor - I'll keep you straight automotive-wise!