The Sloppy Jalopy

The Sloppy Jalopy is the name of the car Oscar the Grouch uses for his taxi service. It was first introduced on Sesame Street in Episode 1252 (1979). In the episode, he christens the vehicle the nickname "Josephine."
Multiple signs have been used to identify the commercial vehicle, one of which carries the subtitle, "Ride At Your Own Risk." Another sign on the oversized exhaust outtake reads, "We Don't Go Anywhere." Resembling — and probably cobbled together from — an old Volkswagen bug, the car's roof retracts like a convertible. At least one of its license plates carries the designation, PHO-OEY. The car itself is loud, frequently breaks down and is always belching out huge clouds of smoke and exhaust fumes. Due to its age and Oscar seemingly never performing maintenance on it, the car itself is almost always on the verge of falling apart. 
Surprisingly, the Sloppy Jalopy can actually perform like a race car, if Oscar is motivated enough. In Episode 1545, all it took was a jar of Chicago mud and Oscar crying out, "Let's burn rubber!" The car then peels out, leaving all the bystanders in the dust.
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Sloppy Jalopy bw.jpg
Oscar uses his taxi to drive home from the Groucha-cha Palace with Osvaldo and Grundgetta in Episode 1443 (1980), and he drives Bob to Grouchytown with the car in Episode 2648 (1989).
In 1993, the Jalopy was the featured element of the street story in Episode 3081, as Oscar reminisces about his time with the car.
The car was featured in Sesame Street, Special, and the 1998 video Fiesta! where it was being used as a carosa (float) by the kids to replace Rosita's broken float. Oscar and Grundgetta raced the car in Episode 4134 (2006).
==Gallery==
Oscartaxi1252.jpg|Episode 1252
1512 05.jpg|Episode 1266
1297c.jpg|Episode 1297
1324f.jpg|Episode 1324
1325a.jpg|Episode 1325
1340f.jpg|Episode 1340
1406a.jpg|Episode 1406
1443d.jpg|Episode 1443
1478 01.jpg|Episode 1478
1496j.jpg|Episode 1496
1529 03.jpg|Episode 1529
1543f.jpg|Episode 1543
1544-01.jpg|Episode 1544
1545_06.jpg|Episode 1545
1562g.jpg|Episode 1562
1577_05.jpg|Episode 1577
1584c.jpeg|Episode 1584
1612a.jpg|Episode 1612
1617d.jpg|Episode 1617
1620g.jpg|Episode 1620
1661b.jpeg|Episode 1661
1672b.jpg|Episode 1672
1675b.jpg|Episode 1675
1900g.jpg|Episode 1680
2181-SloppyJalopy.jpg|Episode 1698
1983c.jpg|Episode 1716
1723j.jpg|Episode 1723
1725g.jpg|Episode 1725
1804-f.jpg|Episode 1804
1823a.jpg|Episode 1823
2107n.jpg|Episode 1859
2068a.jpg|Episode 2068
2190e.jpeg|Episode 2190
2269i.jpg|Episode 2269
SloppyJalopyPledgeDrive.png|Sesame Street, Special
2337b2.jpg|Episode 2337
2483-02b.jpg|Episode 2483
2486-09a.jpg|Episode 2486
2487c.jpeg|Episode 2487
2490streetstory8-1.jpg|Episode 2490
2537b.jpg|Episode 2537
SloppyJalopy2614.jpg|Episode 2614
2617-Scene6.jpg|Episode 2617
2648b.jpg|Episode 2648
2688-03.jpg|Episode 2688
Vlcsnap-2018-02-26-16h20m47s399.png|Episode 2741
2746f.jpg|Episode 2746
2756a.jpg|Episode 2756
SloppyJalopy2797.jpg|Episode 2797
3081g.jpg|Episode 3081
3640e.jpg|Episode 3307
3646.jpg|Episode 3646
SloppyJalopyFiesta.jpg|Fiesta!
4028i.jpg|Episode 4028
4030i.jpg|Episode 4030
4134j.jpg|Episode 4134
4175a.jpg|Episode 4175
4237g.jpg|Episode 4237
SloppyJaloppy-Chrysler.png|Chrysler "Trash Talk" commercial
Macys2019-Jane02.jpg|Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, 2019
MonsterStory-Jalopy.png|The Monster at the End of This Story
File:Sloppy_jalopy_set_photo_2009.jpg|Paul Rudolph, 2009
==Other cars==
Another car was featured in Follow That Bird with a different look and vehicle make (but still referred to as the Sloppy Jalopy). Since his horn is broken, Oscar has a Honker in the backseat to fill that function. A ragged umbrella covers the back area, and a "Big Bird or Bust!" sign is hand painted in a ragged scrawl. The license plate reads, "SCRAM." This iteration of the vehicle was used to promote the film in the 1984 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, with Oscar, Big Bird, Bob McGrath, and Sonia Manzano riding in it.
Oscar drives Cookie Monster and Herry Monster home from the Monster Mart in a cab marked "Grouch Taxi" in the 1982 coloring book Monster.
Before his taxi, Oscar previously had the Grouchmobile, seen in a picture in Episode 0636. He, Gordon, and the kids compare it to Gordon's Volkswagen Beetle, with the biggest difference being that the Grouchmobile doesn't work.
Sloppyjalopy.jpg|Follow That Bird
Grouchtaxi.jpg|Put & Play Yucchy Book
Oscarstaxisplishsplash.jpg|Splish-Splashy Day
Loveelmotaxi.jpg|Love, Elmo
Oscarswackytaxiart.jpg|Oscar's Wacky Taxi, a roller coaster at Sesame Place.
==See also==
* Beauregard's taxi
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Category:Muppet Vehicles
Category:Muppet Props
Category:Grouch Culture