Tarantula - Foreign sports car mentioned on episode No. 88 "Scratch My Car and Die" on the sitcom THE DICK VAN DYKE SHOW/CBS/1960-66. The Tarantula (with finger tip control, chrome trim and bucket seats) was the pride and joy of comedy writer Rob Petrie (Dick Van Dyke). Although the audience never saw the car, Rob was just gaga over it.

Unfortunately, when his wife Laura (Mary Tyler Moore) borrowed the car to take their son, Richie to school, she stopped for a few minutes to buy some bananas. Returning to the car she found it had an eight-foot gash along the side.

Frantic, Laura told Millie, her next-door neighbor who counseled Laura that it would be in her best interest and American women everywhere for her to "Keep your fingers crossed and your little mouth shut."

Luckily, her husband didn't notice the damage until he had been driving the car for awhile and assumed it was damaged in his care. He came home angry and complained to Laura that some "Sadist with a can opener" had ruined his new car.

As Rob traveled to his attorney to discuss the damage, he crashed into a couple of cement posts ("one going in and one going out.") The accident put to rest any worries Laura had about her culpability in the matter. And like all good golden age sitcoms, Rob and Laura kissed and made up and lived happily ever after in TV Land.