what kind of car was in the long long trailer
The Long, Long Trailer The trailer used in the film is the 1953 36-foot Redman "New Moon" model, which sold for $5,345 (equal to $48,889 today) at the time. The new car used to tow the trailer is a 1953 Mercury Monterey convertible with a 125 HP flathead V8 engine.
Jackknifing Jackknifing refers to the folding of an articulated vehicle i.e. one towing a trailer, such that it resembles the acute angle of a folding pocket knife. If a vehicle towing a trailer skids, the trailer can push the towing vehicle from behind until it spins the vehicle around and faces backwards. This may be caused by equipment failure, improper braking, or adverse road conditions such as an icy road surface. In extreme circumstances, a driver may attempt to jackknife the vehicle deliberately in order to halt it following brake failure. A jackknife event of a heavy vehicle can be fatal to the driver as the top of the cab can be crushed or sliced off as it swings round violently and tries to fold under the trailer.[citation needed]