Do you have a favorite vintage movie car?

[SamMarlowPI]

Ahh, '73, the last good year for the Fury.

...and a bizarre vehicle to bastardize in such a manner. Fun to listen to and watch, right up until it rolls over(oh, God, the pain!).

I'm still wondering where in the hell he got all of those rabbits...although half of 'em were probably born right in the trunk.

lol lol...even when it rolls and tires go flying it comes back from the dead and they drive off...crazy little part in the movie...
i cringe when any rod in a film is flipped, rolled, smashed or torched...

 

[SamMarlowPI]

"I got a girl named Bony Moronie..."

 

[anon`]

I was all set to vote for Milner's three-hole, but that Cord definitely takes the lead. I'd completely forgotten about it until it was posted here. I've got a special place in my heart for Cords: when I was in high school (and a little before), I remember going down to "help" (more like watch) my neighbour restore a '36 810. Beautiful, beautiful car. The drivetrain was completely absent, so it received a Chevy 350 crate and RWD conversion, with a front end donated by a Volvo. Sure, it won't ever win the local Concours, but most people don't look underneath the car, anyway

As far as Falfa's car, while the '55 gasser is cool (although the 396-427-454 engines weren't out until 1965), I think that having a factory muscle car challenging the homebuilt hot rod makes a much stronger statement about the end of the hot rod era and the beginning of "bought rodding." It would be all the better if the car still had dealer plates on it.

As I understand it, Falfa's '55 was powered by a then-new 409 transplant (as far as the "official" storyline goes--of the three '55s used in the film, the rollbar-equipped car used in the race scenes was in fact powered by a 454). The original Chevy rat (348ci) wasn't introduced until 1958, and 1955 engine options from Chevy only put out around 200hp tops and the best did 0-60 in about 8.5 seconds. Not exactly a factory musclecar, unlike so many models from the '60s (though for the time, quite amazing).

 

[SamMarlowPI]

As I understand it, Falfa's '55 was powered by a then-new 409 transplant (as far as the "official" storyline goes--of the three '55s used in the film, the rollbar-equipped car used in the race scenes was in fact powered by a 454). The original Chevy rat (348ci) wasn't introduced until 1958, and 1955 engine options from Chevy only put out around 200hp tops and the best did 0-60 in about 8.5 seconds. Not exactly a factory musclecar, unlike so many models from the '60s (though for the time, quite amazing).

yepp you are correct-o...

 

[Luddite]

I'll go for the Model T speedster in the silent film 'Wings', which the main character strips down for speed and paints a shooting star down the side of.

Can't find a picture anywhere though....

 

[Alan Eardley]

Wasn't it the same studio car that had previously been used in Two Lane Blacktop?

Alan

As I understand it, Falfa's '55 was powered by a then-new 409 transplant (as far as the "official" storyline goes--of the three '55s used in the film, the rollbar-equipped car used in the race scenes was in fact powered by a 454). QUOTE]

 

[SamMarlowPI]

Wasn't it the same studio car that had previously been used in Two Lane Blacktop?

Alan

correct...

however it was one of those where i just watched the film to watch the '55 and the GTO and disliked the rest of it...

 

[SamMarlowPI]

i love this forum so i hope no one is complaining about my constant posting...
here is a very subtle, overlooked movie car...i think...

'53 Cadillac Le Mans from The Buddy Holly Story

 

[Smithy]

If we are talking everyday cars then anything containing WO Bentleys, 50s and 60 Jags, Morgans or MGs.

If we are talking "specials" then without doubt and ahead of all others by a very long chalk would have to be "Il Tempo Gigante" from the brilliant Norwegian film "Fl?•klypa Grand Prix"...

 

[sweetfrancaise]

I have a terrible memory, but the cars that seem the coolest, and most fun to take a ride in, are those '20s jalopies you see in movies, the ones painted black and have fantastic quotes scrawled over them in chalk. Love 'em!

 

[Diamondback]

I have a terrible memory, but the cars that seem the coolest, and most fun to take a ride in, are those '20s jalopies you see in movies, the ones painted black and have fantastic quotes scrawled over them in chalk. Love 'em!

You mean like the old Model T?

 

[sweetfrancaise]

You mean like the old Model T?

Yeah, that sort of thing. Only made much cooler by the slogans and such put on by those crazy college kids and their dames. lol

 

[Flivver]

I have a terrible memory, but the cars that seem the coolest, and most fun to take a ride in, are those '20s jalopies you see in movies, the ones painted black and have fantastic quotes scrawled over them in chalk. Love 'em!

Yeah...in the late 1920s and early 1930s, the college students who couldn't afford a new rumble-seat roadster would buy a worn out old Model T Ford (Flivver) for five or ten bucks. Then they would "personalize" it by scrawling smarmy slang in chalk, all over the cars! This was usually done by the boys (shieks) in an attempt to lure some flappers.

Slogans like "Twenty-three skiddo" and "Oh you kid" were often used.

At the time, the Louis Marx toy company made a great tin toy version of this car. Sure wish I had one!

 

[David Conwill]

Yeah...in the late 1920s and early 1930s, the college students who couldn't afford a new rumble-seat roadster would buy a worn out old Model T Ford (Flivver) for five or ten bucks. Then they would "personalize" it by scrawling smarmy slang in chalk, all over the cars! This was usually done by the boys (shieks) in an attempt to lure some flappers.

Not to stray too far off topic, but I've been gathering 1920s Ford parts for a while now - touring cars have long been my favorite (see my original post in this thread). When my daughter was born, I calculated her graduation date - she's class of '25. You know she'll be driving a slogan-covered Flivver to graduation.

-Dave

 

[merkman]

I'm a race car guy so I have quite a list, won't name them all but the one we saw lately and haven't seen in years was Jimmy Cagney in "The crowd roars"
I'd forgotten how good that was. Lots of interesting early 30's race cars.
Of course the best one is Steve McQueen's "Le Mans" 1970 may not be vintage enough for this forum but, this film is and will be a classic. Hell, every car in it is a classic. Another earlier film that will fit in is "The racers" with Kirk Douglas. Lots of 50's vintage grand prix cars. While I'm rambling about race films, I must also include "Grand Prix" The all time big budget race film full of classic early 60's F1 cars.The single stand out movie car for me that I can think of at this time goes back to LeMans, The Porsche 911 that McQueen drove at the beginning of the film, pure , clean ,classic, uncluttered by modernity, 1970 911S.

 

[Miss Brill]

Tippi Hedren's in The Birds.

Grace Kelly's in To Catch a Thief.

The Kerby's car from Topper.

I also like the Ricardo's Pontiac from the Hollywood eps on I Love Lucy.

 

[up196]

The Model A in Ray

My favorite is the Model A sedan in Ray.

 

[sweetfrancaise]

Yeah...in the late 1920s and early 1930s, the college students who couldn't afford a new rumble-seat roadster would buy a worn out old Model T Ford (Flivver) for five or ten bucks. Then they would "personalize" it by scrawling smarmy slang in chalk, all over the cars! This was usually done by the boys (shieks) in an attempt to lure some flappers.

Slogans like "Twenty-three skiddo" and "Oh you kid" were often used.

At the time, the Louis Marx toy company made a great tin toy version of this car. Sure wish I had one!

Mm-wah! Thanks for the info--I'd been wondering about that for a long time now. What a hero. :eusa_clap

 

[David Conwill]

sweetfrancaise,

You might enjoy this photo album. I've got a whole "bucket" full of pictures I've saved as inspiration for my T project. I don't think I've got any with the scrawlings intact, but one of them originally had "Go Western HS" on the side. There's also a fellow on the Model T Ford Club of America message board who has about a 1915 T with well-preserved graffiti that he's keeping intact. Alas, I don't think I've got any pictures.

-Dave

 

[catsmeow]

It certainly looks like a coffin-nosed Cord to me. The Graham Hollywoods and the Hupmobile Skylarks used the same body tooling but weren't front-wheel drive and did not have the distinctive grille.

The car that originally got me into old cars and retro culture in general is the generic "jalopy" from Disney's Make Mine Music:

-Dave

these are cool. some nice rides here in this thread.