Do you remember the 2 Mobile?
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The 2 Mobile
Looking at some of the photos on this site reminded me of many great things that I participated in at ‘GBH. One in particular stands out.
I was asked by John O’Brien and David Ives to help out with a problem they had. They needed a driver to drive in an event.
Well, I ended up driving the 2 Mobile, if anyone remembers it. The individual I drove around was Arthur Fiedler. Wonderful time and great conversations.
One of my first assignments when I started working at GBH in 1975 for Chris Pullman was to find a garage to store the 2-Mobile.
I remember saying to Chris – “what exactly is a 2-Mobile?”. He said come with me and I followed him out to the 125 parking. lot. He pointed to the 2-Mobile.
My first thought was I’m out of here. Somehow I managed to find a garage in Allston and the 2-Mobile found a home.
It was right up there with Oscar Mayer wiener mobile in its ability to make people smile, but I always did wonder about its aerodynamics. Even without a cross wind, the gas mileage and acceleration must have been pretty bad.
Thanks for this, John. I remember video — or was it still film back then? — of the 2-Mobile crossing the Bourne Bridge from the Cape to the mainland and Jeanne Brodeur’s voice from inside, rising in intensity from concern to near-panic as the video showed the top-heavy vehicle swaying in the wind all the way across.
It was a plywood structure mounted on a Volkswagen frame with the VW bug’s innards propelling it, with all its electrical issues. I was in a small group who took it to a fair somewhere around Boston one time. Great attraction, but we worried the whole time that it wouldn’t start when it was time to leave…and what kind of message would it be to have it towed away?
Ah, yes. The Two Mobile was driven from the Cape to the station as a fund-raising/publicity gimmick. Chris Pullman, Design Manager, had a hand in it, as did the indomitable Sylvia Davis, and many others.
It was fun and stunning to see, but wobbled in the slightest crosswind and was risky to drive. We did a fund-raising shot of it crossing the reservoir between Waltham and Lincoln — a fun adventure.
We did whacky stuff back then to call attention to our need for contributions. Viewers would walk up to the Two Mobile and give the driver a dollar or two and cheer it along. Wild.
I wish there were more online about the two-mobile and you experience driving it (and everyone else who did!)