2. 1921 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost touring with Vdash and windshield.Body by Park Ward.
3. 1925 Isotta-Fraschini. Open torpedo body by Sala.
4. 1925 Minerva town car landaulet. Body by Hibbard & Darrin.
5. 1925 Locomobile Sport/tourer.
6. 1926 Hispano-Suiza cabriolet. Body by Iteren d'Ferres. Driven byCussler in a race against Pitt in Dragon.
7. 1929 Duesenberg convertible sedan. Body by Murphy. Featured inFlood Tide.
8. 1930 Cord town car. Body by Brunn. Featured in Treasure.
9. 1930 Lincoln V-8 Brunn town car.
10. 1931 Chrysler Imperial limousine.
11. 1931 Marmon V-16 town car. Body by LeBaron.
12. 1932 Stutz DV32 town car. Rebodied to LeBaron design. Featured inDragon.
13. 1933 Pierce-Arrow V-12 LeBaron town car.
14. 1933 Lincoln DB V-12 Judkins Berline.
15. 1933 Cadillac V-12 town car landaulet. Body by Fleetwood.
16. 1936 Lincoln V-12 town car. Body by Brunn.
17. 1936 Avions Voisin C-28 sedan. Featured in Sahara.
18. 1936 Packard V-12 town car. Body by Brunn.
19. 1936 Pierce-Arrow V-12 Berline. Featured in Inca Gold.
20. 1936 Pierce-Arrow Travelodge trailer. Featured in Inca Gold.
21. 1936 Ford Convertible Hot Rod.
22. 1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom III town car (sedanca deville). Body byBarker.
23. 1937 Cord 812 Supercharged Berline.
24. 1938 Packard V-12 town car. Converted from a seven-passengerlimousine by Earle C. Anthony.
25. 1938 Bugatti 59 C coupe. Body by Gangloff.
26. 1938 Harley-Davidson motorcycle with sidecar.
27. 1939 Mercedes-Benz 540K salon. Body by Freestone & Webb.
28. 1939 Rolls-Royce Wraith sedan. Body by Gurney-Nutting.
29. 1940 Cadillac V-16 town car limousine. Body by Derham.
30. 1946 Ford Club Coupe. First car in the collection.
31. 1947 Delahaye cabriolet. Body by Henri Chapron.
32. 1948 Talbot-Lago Grand Sport coupe. Body by Saoutchik. Featuredin Deep Six.
33. 1948 Talbot-Lago sedan. Body by Ghia.
34. 1948 Tatra 87 with air-cooled V-8 engine.
35. 1948 Packard Custom Eight convertible.
36. 1951 Daimler Lady Docker DE-31 convertible.Body by Hooper. Featured in Cyclops.
37. 1951 Delahaye sport coupe. Carboneaux design.
38. 1951 Hudson Hornet convertible.
39. 1951 Kaiser Golden Dragon sedan.
40. 1952 Allard J2X roadster. Featured in Shock Wave.
41. 1952 Meteor sport convertible.
42. 1953 Studebaker Regal Starliner hardtop coupe.
43. 1953 Packard Caribbean convertible.
44. 1953 Buick Skylark convertible.
45. 1955 Studebaker speedster.
46. 1955 Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn sedan. Body by Hooper.
47. 1955 Packard Caribbean convertible.
48. 1956 DeSoto Adventurer hardtop.
49. 1956 Mercury Monterey station wagon.
50. 1956 Packard Caribbean hardtop.
51. 1956 Lincoln Continental Mark 11 hardtop.
52. 1958 Chrysler Imperial convertible.
53. 1956 Ford Fairlane Sunliner convertible. 69. 1958 Chrysler 300convertible.
54. 1956 Oldsmobile Ninety Ei-lit Starfire convertible.
55. 1959Austin-Healey roadster.
56. 1957 Ford Skyline retractable. 71. 1959 Lincoln Continental MarkIV convertible.
57. 1957 Mercury Turnpike Cruiser convertible.
58. 1959 PontiacBonneville tripower convertible.
59. 1957 Pontiac Safari station wagon. 73. 1959 Edsel Corsairconvertible.
60. 1957 Chrysler 300C hardtop. 74. 1959 Buick Electra 225convertible.
61. 1957 Austin-Healey 1000/6. 75. 1960 Pontiac Bonneville tripowerconvertible.
62. 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Brougham. 76. 1960 Chrysler 30OF hardtop.
63. 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz convertible.
64. 1960 ChryslerCrown Imperial convertible.
65. 1957 Studebaker Golden Hawk. 78. 1960 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritzconvertible.
66. 1957 Dodge Custom Royal Lancer D-500 convertible. 79. 1960Oldsmobile Starfire Ninety Eight convertible.
67. 1963 Studebaker Supercharged Avanti.
68. 1958 Plymouth Fury hardtop.
69. 1965 Chevrolet Corvette roadster.
70. 1958 Buick Limited convertible.
71. 1958 Buick Roadmaster convertible.
72. 1958 Pontiac Bonneville convertible.
73. 1958 Oldsmobile Ninety Eight convertible.
82 83
Advanced Pitt Trivia
For the se questions, you will need access to the complete set of DirkPitt novels. The answers are in the back of this book, directly afterthe concordance.
1. When talking to Sunnner in Pacific Vortex after she uses the wordgangster, Pitt mentions a famous organized crime figure. What name doeshe mention?
2. Before Pitt's date with Teri von Till in The Mediterranean Caper, hesplashes aftershave on his cheeks.What brand of aftershave does he use?
3. In The Mediterranean Caper, Pitt doesn't wear his Dora watch. Whatkind of watch is he wearing?
4. In Iceberg, Sam Cashman works on the blackLorelei jet that attacks Pitt. What is his Air Force serial number?
5. The band on the Titanic played an Irving Berlin song that ismentioned. What is the name of the song?
6. In Night Probe! Beasley has a secretary who helps him search at theSanctuary Building for records pertaining to the North American treaty.What is the secretary's name?
7. In Deep Six, Yaeger drinks a specific kind of tea.What kind is it?
8. In Cyclops, Hagen eats from a picnic basket as he trails Hudson, whohas just met the president. At what famous store did he buy the picnicbasket?
9. What song is Pitt singing when he leads the Cuban children to amakeshift hospital after the explosion in Cyclops?
10. In Treasure, name the condominium complex and unit number whereRothberg is staying in Breckenridge.
11. What is the inscription on the coin found by Sharp in Treasure?
12. The U.S. intelligence services operate a ryokan used as a safehouse in Dragon. What does Showalter call the safe house?
13. In Dragon, Cussler makes a mistake and gives Pitt's mother adifferent first name from usual. What is the incorrect name?
14. In Sahara, Yerli calls Massarde after Karnel ths 85closes a UNICRAT-F team will try to rescue Pitt, Giordino and Gunn.What is the name of the hotel he calls from?
15. In Sahara, it's mentioned that Pembroke-Smyth owns an expensiveluxury car. What brand of car is it?
16. In Inca Gold, at the concourse in Washington, D.C Giordino iswearing a T-shirt. What does the inscription on the T-shirt read?
17. In Shock Wave, Giordino is wearing a dive watch.What brand is it?
18. In Shock Wave, it is mentioned that Shannon Kelsey bought a carwith her grandfather's inheritance. What kind of car did she buy?
19. In Flood Tide, Sandecker mentions his cigars are hand-rolled by afamily he is close friends with. What city is the family from?
20. In Flood Tide, as the S.S. United States makes its way upriver, thedistance from the Head of Passes to New Orleans is listed. What is thedistance Cussler lists?
The Dedications Pacific Vortex: No dedication as such but a foreword byClive explaining the development of Pitt and the story behindpublication of the first Pitt book.
The Mediterranean Caper.- "To Amy and Eric, long may they wave," Amy andEric are the first names of Clive's parents.
Iceberg.- "This one is for Barbara, whose enduring patience somehow seesme through." Barbara is Clive's wife.
Raise the Titanic! "With gratitude to my wife, Barbara, ErrolBeauchamp, Janet and Randy Richter, and Dick Clark." Clive's wife andfriends.
Vixen 03: "To the Alhambra High School Class of '49, who
finally held areunion." Clive's high school class.
Night Probe! "In gratitude to Jerry Brown, Teresa Burkett, CharlieDavis, Derek and Susan Goodwin, Clyde Jones, Don Mercier, ValeriePallai-Petty, Bill Shea and Ed Wardell, who kept me on track." Some ofClive's friends and acquaintances.
Deep Six: "To Tubby's Bar & Grill in Alhambra, Rand's Roundup onWilshire Boulevard, The Black Knight in Costa Mesa, and Shanners' Bar inDenver.
GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN." These are places Clive frequented.
Cyclops: "To the eight hundred American men who were lost with theLeopoldville Christmas Eve 1944 near Cherbourg, France. Forgotten bymany, remembered by few." For an account of the tragedy of theLeopoldville, check your history books or read the chapter in The SeaHunters.
Treasure: "In memory of Robert Esbenson. No man had a truer friend."
Bob Esbenson was Clive's partner in his classic car business who diedsuddenly from a heart attack in 1987.
Dragon: "To the men and women of our nation's intelligence services,whose dedication and loyalty are seldom recognized. And whose effortshave saved American citizens more tragedies than can be imagined."
Clive felt it was time to give credit to unsung heroes.
Sahara: "In deep appreciation to Hal Stuber, Ph.D. (environmentalchemist), of James P. Walsh & Associates, Boulder, Colorado, for sortingout the hazardouswaste and keeping me within acceptable limits." Clive wanted to thankthe scientist who gave him advice on the threat of pollutants.
Inca Gold: "In memory of Dr. Harold Edgerton, Bob Hesse, ErickSchonstedt and Peter Throckmorton, loved and respected by everyone whoselives they touched." These are people Clive had worked with in the pastlocating historic shipwrecks with NUMA.
Shock Wave. "With deep appreciation to Dr. Nicholas Nicholas, Dr.Jeffrey Taffet & Robert Fleming." People who have assisted Clive overthe years.
Ptood Tide.- Acknowledgment, not a dedication. "The author wishes toexpress his gratitude to the men and women of the Immigration andNaturalization Service for generously providing data and statistics onillegal immigration. Thanks also to the Army Corps of Engineers fortheir help in describing the capricious natures of the Mississippi andAtchafalaya Rivers. And to the dozens of people who kindly offeredideas and suggestions on obstacles for Dirk and Al to overcome."
The Sea Hunters: Acknowledgment. "The authors are indebted to JoaquinSaunders, author of The Night before Christmas; Ray Rodgers, author ofSurvivors of the Leopoldville Disaster; and those men of the 66thPanther Division who survived the terrible tragedy off Cherbourg,France, on the evening of December 24, 1944, for their stories of horrorand heroism. It is truly an event that should not be swept away in themist of time." Dedication: "To the men and women who havesupported the National Underwater and Marine Agency from its inception.
Through the tough times and the fun times, their loyalty has remainedsolid and enduring. This is merely a partial record of their remarkableachievements. Without their efforts, over sixty shipwrecks ofhistorical significance might still lie on the bottom of the sea,ignored and forgotten for all time. Some ships are gone, dredged out ofexistence or buried under modern construction. Some are still intact.Now that the way has been shown, we leave it to future generations torecover the knowledge and artifacts that remain of our maritime history.And to my wife, Barbara, for her enduring patience, and my children,Teri, Dirk and Dana, who grew up with a father who never grew up."
Brief Synopses of the Dirk Pitt NovelsPacific Vorte
XPacific Vortex truly should be considered the first Pitt novel. Thoughit was published in the time span between Night Probe! and Deep Six, itwas the first Pitt novel Clive wrote. As one of the two manuscriptsoriginally sent to Peter Lampack when Clive was seeking an agent, itlanguished on a shelf in Clive's closet until he casually mentioned itto his publisher, which at that time was Bantam Books.
Upon learning that there was an unpublished Pitt novel, it was decidedto introduce the book in a paperback-only edition. Clive dusted off themanuscript and did a quick rewrite. The name of the villain Delphi Eawas changed somewhere along the line to Delphi Moran, something Clivewas still unaware of when it was mentioned to him last year.
Because it lacks the complex plotting and detailed writing of the laterPitt efforts, Clive wrote a disclaimer of sorts as the foreword,explaining that the novel was not up to his usual standards.
An interesting side note to Pacific Vortex is that Peter Lampack,Clive's agent, was adamantly opposed to the novel being published.
Telling Clive that the novel would be his ruin, he scheduled a vacationin Jamaica to coincide with the introduction. When the novel almostimmediately reached number two on the New York Times paperbackbest-seller list, Clive called Western Union and sent an I-told-you-sotelegram to Lampack in Jamaica.
The plot of Pacific Vortex is straightforward enough.
The United States Navy submarine Starbuck is lost in the Pacific Oceannorth of Hawaii, and though an exhaustive search is mounted, no trace ofthe wreckage is located.
Pitt is sunning on a beach on Oahu. Noticing a bright yellow capsule inthe water, he swims out into the ocean and brings it ashore. Inside hefinds pages from the log book of the Starbuck, which he then takes tothe U.S. Navy base at Pearl Harbor. He hands the capsule and itscontents to Admiral Leigh Hunt.
As we examine the Pitt novels, we will see the name of Leigh Hunter (orin this case, Hunt) frequently. In real life, Leigh Hunt is a closefriend of Clive's. The mischief the two have created together couldfill an entire book of its own.
The story progresses as Pitt and the Navy attempt to locate the missingships and the cause of their disappearance. We learn there is anunderwater lair built by a mad scientist. This leads to a climacticscene where the underground city is attacked. Interestinglyenough, while saving Pitt, Giordino jams his finger down the barrel of agun, and it is blown off.
The book is also interesting because it introduces Pitt's one true love,Summer, who is killed in the collapse of the underground city.
She is mentioned in later books as an explanation of why Pitt can neveragain love one woman. In addition, it casts the future direction of theseries-as Pitt drives an exotic car and much of the action is under ornear water.
Pacific Vortex, while lacking the more complex plot and deeper characterdevelopment of the future Pitt novels, is nonetheless an enjoyable read.For the time it was written, the middle 1960s, it has held up reasonablywell. It introduces Pitt, Giordino, and Sandecker and mentions Gunn, aswell as starting to explore the Pitt formula that will later make Clivefamous.
The Mediterranean CaperThe Mediterranean Caper was the first Pitt novel to be published, thoughit was written second, after Pacific Vortex. It was published in 1973by Pyramid Books and the firm of Sphere Books in London, where it wastitled Mayday! Reintroduced by Sphere and simultaneously by BantamBooks in 1977 after the success of Raise the Titanic! the novel is nowpublished by the Pocket Books division of Simon & Schuster. TheMediterranean Caper is interesting from a business standpoint. Afterthe book went out of print the first time, Clive made an unusual movefor a writer. Hoping he would have a long and successful career, Clivehad Peter call the publisher and asked for the rights back to the novel.The publisher agreed because The Mediterranean Caper was then out ofprint.
The novel, the first of Clive's to be published, was nominated for aMystery Writers of America award as one of the five best novels of 1973.
The Mediterranean Caper truly starts to show the writing style for whichClive would later become famous. Unlike later books, in which theprologue is in the past, the book starts the tradition of narration atthe beginning, rather than dialogue, to allow the reader to settle intothe scene being played out.
The novel starts with an attack on Brady Field, a United States AirForce base in Greece, by a World War I fighter plane. NUMA isimmediately featured, and by the first chapter, the reader has beenintroduced to both Pitt and Giordino. Pitt's past is explained. Hisphysical appearance and Giordino's are described. Even
Sandecker andhis position with NUMA are explored. Clive's tradition of describingplanes, cars and other mechanical devices in detail is used to goodeffect.
The novel is the story of a former Nazi who uses an underwater cavernfor smuggling. Pitt, with the help of U.S. and Greek customs officials,solves the mystery and apprehends the villains. Pitt, of course, has alove interest, Teri von Till, who we first believe is the villain'sdaughter but later find out is in fact on the payroll of the Greekcustoms inspector. The original purpose for NUMA and Pitt to be on anexpedition in Greece was to locate an ancient prehistoric fish calledthe Teaser. At the end of the story, one is located and later captured.