The Twilight Saga: The Official Illustrated Guide (70 page)

B
ELLA’S
C
HEVY PICKUP TRUCK

“I
T WAS A FADED RED COLOR, WITH BIG, ROUNDED FENDERS AND A BULBOUS CAB
. T
O MY INTENSE SURPRISE
, I
LOVED IT
. I
DIDN’T KNOW IF IT WOULD RUN, BUT
I
COULD SEE MYSELF IN IT
.”

—Bella (
Twilight
, Chapter 1)

The main automotive character in the Twilight Saga is the 1953 reddish Chevrolet pickup truck driven by Bella. As the highest-selling truck for its entire eight-year run (1947–1954), this post–World War II Advance Design Series truck is still common enough to be found in its original condition. With its stock engine churning out a robust 92 horsepower and a three-speed manual transmission powering just the rear wheels, it is easy to understand Jacob’s joy in his father’s sale of this truck. Not fast even by standards of its day, Bella’s ’53 did, however, boast state-of-the-art features for the time, such as a fresh-air heater system and a larger two-piece windshield for increased visibility.

As the most simplistic car with perhaps the most unique styling and driving character, this vehicle correctly identifies with the main character, serving as a vehicular analogy to give readers an increased understanding of Bella’s personality.

B
ELLA’S
M
ERCEDES
G
UARDIAN

“B
ECAUSE
I
WAS SO FRAGILELY HUMAN, SO ACCIDENT
-
PRONE, SO MUCH A VICTIM TO MY OWN DANGEROUS BAD LUCK, APPARENTLY
I
NEEDED A TANK
-
RESISTANT CAR TO KEEP ME SAFE
. H
ILARIOUS
.”

—Bella (
Breaking Dawn
, Chapter 1)

While some of its features are based on the actual Mercedes S600 Guard, the Mercedes Guardian does not exist in reality and is the only fictional car in the Twilight Saga. As its name suggests, the focus of Edward’s choice for Bella’s pre-vampiric conversion was entirely on safety. Built from the ground up with protection in mind, the car offers its occupants security
from everything that automotive engineers could dream up. Armor designed to resist military-standard small-arms projectiles, hand-grenade fragments, and various other explosive charges lies beneath the car’s skin, while run-flat tires, a self-sealing fuel tank, and a fire-extinguishing system allow the driver to get out of bad situations. Should assailants switch to a gaseous attack, the Guardian provides occupants with a fresh oxygen supply while completely sealing off the car from all outside air. No doubt understanding Bella’s limited human reflexes, Edward would also have welcomed the car’s driving aids, including everything from night vision to electronic brake distribution.

This car highlights the inherent differences in how Edward views Bella and how Bella views herself. Bella is content with her seat belt–lacking Chevy, while Edward puts her in a car generally reserved for land mine–avoiding oil sheiks, sparing no effort, or expense, to protect her in every way possible.

B
ELLA’S
F
ERRARI
F430

“I
HADN’T SEEN THE
‘
AFTER
’
CAR YET
. I
T WAS HIDDEN UNDER A SHEET IN THE DEEPEST CORNER OF THE
C
ULLENS
’
GARAGE
. I
KNEW MOST PEOPLE WOULD HAVE PEEKED BY NOW, BUT
I
REALLY DIDN’T WANT TO KNOW
.”

—Bella (
Breaking Dawn
, Chapter 1)

The Ferrari F430, hidden until after Bella transforms, is the most stand-out car of the series. This car choice was unencumbered by the normal compromises necessary in the characters’ car decisions. The Ferrari F430 is the pinnacle of sports-car engineering. Though many ultra exotics have a higher price tag, this car outperforms almost all. In addition, the car’s beautifully defined lines and curves remind the viewer more of classical Italian sculpture than anything related to transportation. Though it plays only a minor role in the books, it identifies Edward’s true feelings for Bella. The majority of the cars in the series show Edward as overly obsessed with her safety, but small moments, like revealing the identity of this car, show that his feelings for Bella are much more involved than just a need to protect her.

J
ACOB’S
V
OLKSWAGEN
R
ABBIT

“I
T’S AN OLD
R
ABBIT
—1986,
A CLASSIC
.”

—Jacob (
New Moon
, Chapter 5)