Looking for something fun to do today? Something a little out of the ordinary, even for Bradford? Join L.L. Bean as they celebrate the Bootmobile’s 10th birthday from 9:30 to 11 a.m. at the Zippo Case Museum & Flagship Store.
The Zippo Car will be in attendance as well to spark a little joy before the Bootmobile continues on its journey to surprise and delight, while inspiring more people to find joy in the outdoors.
This special visit to the area will bring two iconic product-mobiles together for the first time. Bradford is well aware of the history and spectacle of the famous Zippo Car. Our beloved product vehicle sports the recognizable flame atop an antique car. The lighter of the Zippo Car consists of twin 5-foot removable fiberglass flames, a 17-inch flint wheel, and a 5-foot by 6-foot custom-made steel cab with 24 karat gold-plated “ZIPPO” on the side. So far, it has had only 11 drivers since it was purchased in 1996 and delivered in 1998 with 180,000 miles already on it. The 1947 Chrysler New Yorker with a 250 horsepower, 350 cubic inch Chevrolet small block V8 engine, has traveled all over the country, participating in parades, corporate sponsored events, trade shows, and much more. Oh, the places the Zippo Car has been — so far, it has visited famous landmarks including: Mount Rushmore, St. Louis Arch, The Alamo, The Grand Canyon, Hoover Dam, Las Vegas Strip, Niagara Falls, the Hollywood Sign, and Bourbon Street in New Orleans. Wonder where the Zippo Car will head next?
But how about the L.L. Bean Bootmobile? What is a Bootmobile? Or, a Duck Boot?
Visualize a GMC Sierra made to look just like the Duck Boot that the company is known for. This particular boot is one that is the original L.L.Bean Boot, made in Maine since 1912. Just like Bradford’s Zippo, L.L. Bean’s boots are made by craftspeople with a passion for the work they do. And, on the Bootmobile, every detail of the technical skill is obvious.
The shoelaces are made from 12-strand mooring rope and, reportedly, able to tow 106,000 pounds – that is 21.5 Zippo Cars, each weighing 4,920 pounds. If shoes came in the size of this boot, it would be a size 708 — according to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest shoe size recorded in history belonged to Robert Wadlow, of the U.S. (1918-1940), who wore 37AA size shoes. Shaquile O’Neal only wears a size 23. And, a final interesting tidbit, if the Bootmobile were a real boot, the person wearing it would be approximately 143-feet tall — that is 32-feet taller than the Statue of Liberty in New York City. The Zippo Car is going to seem tiny next to this vehicle.
Zippo and L.L. Bean, hope the area can come out and celebrate today.
If, for some reason, today is not a day to make it out, the driver of the Bootmobile has a pretty popular TikTok account where she details her product-mobile adventures — this isn’t the first product-mobile she’s driven. Check her out here: www.tiktok.com/@mswizzle1105
