The 'Green Hornet' radio program debuted in America in 1936. Thirty years later, inspired by the success of the Batman TV series, the characters were revived for TV by ABC in 1966-1967, starring Van Williams as the 'Green Hornet' and martial arts legend, Bruce Lee, as his companion 'Kato'.
The Green Hornet's 1966 Imperial 'Black Beauty' car
The 'Black Beauty' car was a specially modified 1966 Chrysler Crown Imperial sedan, customized by Dean Jeffries.
Van Williams as masked vigilante 'The Green Hornet'
and Bruce Lee as 'Kato'
The vehicle was driven by Bruce Lee in the show and served as the masked duo's on-screen transportation.
The 'Black Beauty' with its 'infra-green' headlights
The car fitted with advanced technology had many crime-fighting capabilities. It could fire explosive rockets, create a smoke screen or spread tacks on the road to puncture the tires of any pursuing cars, and it was fitted with a television camera that could see miles ahead.
The 'Black Beauty' driven by Bruce Lee as 'Kato'
in 'The Green Hornet' TV show
The car was photographed on display at The Petersen Automotive Museum in L.A. on July 28, 2009.
Buy the DVD in the USA: Green Hornet 4-DVD Ultimate Collection Digipak
