Clown car
Encyclopedia
A clown car is a prop in a circus clown
routine. A common example of such a routine involves an implausibly large number of clown
s emerging from a very small car, to humorous effect. The first performance of this routine was in the Cole Brothers Circus during the 1950s.
The clown car is a frequently used as a comedic gag in film. One is featured prominently in Mel Brooks
' remake of To Be or Not To Be
.
The clown car is also found in the auto industry as a bait and switch car. It is a term used to describe a car that a dealer advertises at an extremely low price, but whose roof has deliberately been painted in a multi-colored pattern. The intent is to make the car so unattractive that the buyer will be forced to choose a "normal" looking car at the full market price.
Circus clown
Clowns have always been an integral part of the circus, offering a source of amusement for patrons and providing relief from the array of animal acts and performances by acrobats and novelty artistes....
routine. A common example of such a routine involves an implausibly large number of clown
Clown
Clowns are comic performers stereotypically characterized by the grotesque image of the circus clown's colored wigs, stylistic makeup, outlandish costumes, unusually large footwear, and red nose, which evolved to project their actions to large audiences. Other less grotesque styles have also...
s emerging from a very small car, to humorous effect. The first performance of this routine was in the Cole Brothers Circus during the 1950s.
The clown car is a frequently used as a comedic gag in film. One is featured prominently in Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks
Mel Brooks is an American film director, screenwriter, composer, lyricist, comedian, actor and producer. He is best known as a creator of broad film farces and comic parodies. He began his career as a stand-up comic and as a writer for the early TV variety show Your Show of Shows...
' remake of To Be or Not To Be
To Be or Not to Be (1983 film)
To Be or Not to Be is a 1983 20th Century Fox comedy-drama film directed by Alan Johnson, produced by Mel Brooks with Howard Jeffrey as executive producer and Irene Walzer as associate producer. The screenplay was written by Ronny Graham and Thomas Meehan, based on the original story by Melchior...
.
The clown car is also found in the auto industry as a bait and switch car. It is a term used to describe a car that a dealer advertises at an extremely low price, but whose roof has deliberately been painted in a multi-colored pattern. The intent is to make the car so unattractive that the buyer will be forced to choose a "normal" looking car at the full market price.