For the ultimate collector experience, put a doll from the Barbie® movie collection behind the wheel! Dolls sold separately, subject to availability. The doors open as well! Even the steering wheel works -- spin it to watch the wheels turn in tandem. The car is able to do a complete barrel roll in the air—with Ken unbelted in the cargo space/rear bench seat behind the front bench seat—and land perfectly with no damage to either occupant. Amazing how they skirt NHTSA safety standards and survive. Seems like a no-brainer crossover, right? Barbie, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, comes to theaters on July 21, and the campy adaptation of Mattel’s fashion doll series has shown her signature Barbie Corvette in promotional stills.

Audience reactions to the movie’s existential scenes will likely be drawn along gender lines. When the Mattel employee played by America Ferrera is describing the difficulties thrust upon women by Barbie’s perfection, many in the audience cheered—there was one, “You go girl!” But others might be less enthusiastic about this teaching moment. The plot goes from the fun, happy Barbieland of the movie trailers into an inside view of the role gender inflicts on half the population. Robbie/Barbie’s head extends at least a foot above the wraparound glass windshield and yet her hair remains perfect. And at the turn of the Millennium, Ford got another slice of the pie when it sold Barbie a 2003 Mustang GT convertible. Officially speaking, Barbie drove an Austin-Healey when the line’s first toy car was introduced in 1962. Mattel switched that up to a Corvette in the 1970s (what some might recall as the “Malibu Barbie convertible”) under an agreement with Chevrolet, as both preferred the all-American icon drive in all-American style.I’ll get this right out of the way: I loved Barbie. It made for an incredibly fun moviegoing experience mixed with a really wonderful message. I won’t say too much else about the movie’s plot, since it was just released to theaters and many of you probably haven’t seen it yet!

From space to book festivals - SARAH HARTLEY looks at 20 hidden gems buried in the Autumn Statement Bank of England needs 'vital' reforms to stop another surge in inflation, says House of Lords reportAutoweek: How did you choose the Corvette to be Barbie's car? Were any other cars considered? She has been associated with many different models over the years, from an Austin-Healey to a Ferrari. AW: Does Barbie - Margot - actually drive it, as in step on an accelerator pedal and steer, or is it on a rail of some sort? THIS JUST IN: Warner Bros. just responded to a list of questions we sent in about the Barbie Corvette. We got answers from Nico Ferrari (great name!) who runs ‘Picture Vehicles,’ the company that worked on all the vehicles in the film. Who knew it was remote-controlled? Nico Ferrari: Truth is, a decision of this magnitude involves a huge element of product placement discussions with multiple manufacturers. Other vehicles were considered, but the relationship with Corvette was the most attractive from all angles. A perennial favourite, thanks to his gel-filled limbs, Stretch Armstrong has yet to translate to movies. God knows that Hollywood has tried, though, variously casting Tim Allen, Taylor Lautner and Danny DeVito in multiple failed adaptations. The issue, you suspect, is that they haven’t found the right Stretch yet. Stretch Armstrong is blond and rugged, kind but athletic. It takes a very special person to play him, which is why I suggest literally any Hollywood actor named Chris. Strawberry Shortcake

Government allows houses to be split into flats without planning permission: Who wins and who loses in controversial plan? Gerwig compels the audience to contemplate this question, weaving it throughout the fabric of the film. NF: A small electric motor, similar to the type found in a golf buggy. Direct drive to a rear differential to power the rear wheels! Very simple, very easy! Some hidden 12volt batteries from a fork lift hidden under the rear passenger seat! Radio 4 broadcaster Paul Lewis tells ME & MY MONEY: My whole pension is in CASH and not shares... after all I am Mr Money Box AA warns drivers to avoid puddles in case they're perilous potholes after a record month of related breakdownsIt was a Ferrari F1 machine that was exclusively offered for sale at the 2004 International Barbie Doll Collections Convention in Chicago. It started with her pink-on-white 1956 model - which is the car that will feature most prominently in the new movie starring Margot Robbie as Barbie and Ryan Gosling as Ken. The real 1958/59 C1 Corvette was 177.2 inches long. Estimates for what the real size of a human-sized Barbie would be range from 5-foot-9 to 7-foot-6. Who knows? The actress who plays Barbie, Margot Robbie, is 5-foot-6. In one screen-saver captured from the movie trailer, the height of Robbie the actress appears to take up about half the length of the car (138 in. divided by 177.2 = 78%), so let’s say it’s ¾ scale. When you go see the movie (when it comes out July 21) you can make your own estimate. There's little for Hagerty to put a real-world value on this unique Barbie car other than the closest equivalent that changed hands recently - a 2003 Scuderia Ferrari F1 chassis sold by RM Sotheby's last year. Escape to the country… for less! These are the areas where an idyllic rural retreat is cheaper than a house in town