Movie Cars: Hall of Famers

Movie cars sometimes get as much attention as the stars who drive them or more. OnlineLoans.com.au takes a look at some amazing movie cars and the stories behind them.

We had a look at cars in music, now, here are some movie car hall of famers.

Box Office Movie Cars

• 1993 Toyota MKIV Supra
• 1967 Ford Mustang GT500
• 1981 DMC DeLorean
• 1963 Aston Martin DB5
• 1973 Ford Falcon GT
• 1992 Ford Explorer XLT
• 1999 Nissan Skyline GT-R

1993 Toyota MKIV Supra – The Fast and the Furious (2001)

(A well known movie car. 1993 Toyota MKIV Supra – The Fast and the Furious)

No list of movie cars would be complete without the famous (almost cult-classic) orange 1993 Toyota Supra from the original The Fast and the Furious.

The MKIV Supra is an icon of the car world. These were produced from 1993 to 1998 and almost instantly became recognised for their huge tuning potential. This was mainly thanks to the good looks but also the bulletproof 2JZ engine – a 3-litre 6-cylinder twin-turbo engine.

Like many Japanese sports and performance cars of the ‘90s, many Supras saw an abusive and heavily modified life. Many were crashed or harvested for parts. Today, it’s easy to find unmodified (or slightly modified) MKIV Supras selling for well over $100,000 in Australia.

(A modified MKIV Supra)

Fate

In 2015, one of the Supra movie cars (there were several) was auctioned off for US$185,000 – $268,200 in today’s AUD.

Replicas often appear at car shows around the world which command huge price tags but still, many enthusiasts prefer unmodified, ‘factory spec’ (stock) examples.

Update!

One of the original Supra Movie cars, driven by the late Paul Walker in The Fast and the Furious, is going up for auction. The Supra in particular was used for several interior and exterior shots in the film. The engine is an unmodified tuner-favourite 2JZ GTE and exterior mods include 19-inch Dazz Motorsport Racing Hart wheels, Bomex front bar and side skirts and huge rear wing.

The car goes under the hammer 17 – 19 June, 2021 with no reserve price – but a predictable huge sales price. Stay tuned.

1967 Ford Shelby Mustang GT500 – Gone in 60 Seconds (2000)

(“Eleanor” – Gone in 60 Seconds)

“The name actually came from the original 1974 film, Gone in 60 Seconds”

Aka; “Eleanor”. Another legend of the car world, the 1967 Ford Shelby Mustang GT500 featured a 5.8-litre V8 – massively powerful for its day. Interestingly, there were only 2048 produced making it extremely rare – and expensive. Expect to pay over $300,000 for keys in your pocket.

Shelby refers to the high performance vehicle manufacturer in America which was founded by former racing champion, Carroll Shelby. Ford hired Shelby to develop a high-performance version of the Mustang which became a huge hit among car enthusiasts.

Many versions are in ‘movie-car spec’, meaning they have the same paint scheme, interior and (possibly) engine modifications as the “Eleanor” used in the movie. 

What’s “Eleanor”?

The name actually came from the original 1974 film, Gone in 60 Seconds, (the 2000 version of the movie follows a similar plot). The name was given to a customised movie car, a 1971 Ford Mustang, in the 1974 movie. 

(source: mustangspecs.com)

Fate

Five movie cars were built for filming with one selling in 2013 for US$1,000,000 – a staggering $1.47 million in AUD today.

In January 2020, another Eleanor movie car sold for $852,500 or around $1.1 million AUD.

1981 DMC DeLorean – Back to the Future (1985)

(1981 DMC DeLorean from Back to the Future)

“In the movie, the DeLorean could ‘time travel’ when it hit 88 mp/h (141.6 km/h) – fortunately for owners, the vehicle’s top speed was pegged at 175 km/h.”

The brushed stainless-steel, futuristic (for the time) sports car with its iconic gull-wing doors received huge public interest in the early 1980s.

The DeLorean Motor Company (DMC) was founded by American car developer John DeLorean. The company only produced one model – the DeLorean that featured as a movie car in Back to the Future.

These vehicles featured a 2.85-litre V6 which launched the DeLorean from 0-97 km/h in 8.8 seconds with a manual transmission. Not especially fast for its price point even in 1981. Further critics noted its poor build quality.

In the movie, the DeLorean could ‘time travel’ when it hit 88 mp/h (141.6 km/h) – fortunately for owners, the vehicle’s top speed was pegged at 175 km/h.

OMG Factor

Although initially strong, sales quickly soured due to build quality issues and the early 1980s recession. 

Desperate to save the company, owner John DeLorean was charged with narcotics trafficking in 1982 after being set up by police. However, he was ultimately found not guilty on the grounds of entrapment.

(An unmodified DeLorean)

Fate

Three movie car DeLorean props were used in the filming. One is still owned by Universal Studios and after being restored in 2010, featured in the Volo Auto Museum near Chicago. 

Aston Martin DB5 – Goldfinger (1964)

(Aston Martin DB5 – Goldfinger)

“But they didn’t come with James Bond’s gadgetry – revolving number plates, tyre slashers, machine guns and a smoke screen.”

Probably, the most famous car in the world, the iconic, quintessential Bond car. Only produced in very limited numbers, the DB5 was pretty much destined to be a collector’s classic – only just over 1000 units made it off the assembly line.

Built by British automaker, Aston Martin, the DB5 has a 4-litre, straight 6-cylinder engine rated at 210kW. All have a 2+2 seat configuration, meaning two seats front and rear, and came with various performance equipment such as an oil cooler and fire extinguisher.

But they didn’t come with James Bond’s gadgetry – revolving number plates, tyre slashers, machine guns and a smokescreen.

The DB5 is most famous for being driven by Sean Connery as 007 but it’s appeared in many Bond movies.

• Goldfinger (1964)
• Thunderball (1965)
• GoldenEye (1995)
• Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
• Casino Royale (2006)
• Skyfall (2012)
• Spectre (2015)
• No Time To Die (2021)

No wonder it’s such a well-known car.

Fate

“Some suspect the DB5 was airlifted away and dumped in the ocean as the car has never been seen since.”

Numerous DB5s have been built and used in the James Bond movies. In 2019, a ‘Connery Bond’ DB5 sold for A$9.4 million. It was sold by RM Sotheby’s auction house during the Pebble Beach car week.

However, another Bond BD5 has a much more intriguing story.

The night of June 18, 1997, Boca Raton Airport, Florida. In one of the car world’s most infamous mysteries, a screen-used DB5 movie car from Goldfinger was stolen from a hangar. 

Thieves entered by cutting through locked doors and disabling alarms leaving only tyre drag marks behind. Some suspect the DB5 was airlifted away and dumped in the ocean as the car has never been seen since.

1973 Ford Falcon GT – Mad Max (1979)

(1973 Ford Falcon GT – Mad Max. Source: hemmings.com)

“we’re hoping it gets repatriated back here to its home country, Australia.”

The Australian-made XB Ford Falcon GT has ‘1970’s suburban Australia’ written all over it. Designed and manufactured by Ford Australia from 1973 to 1976, the XB Falcon suited Aussie tastes at the time.

Variants included

• A family sedan
• A ute
• A wagon
• And of course, a 2-door sports coupe as featured in Mad Max.

The XB Falcon came with four different engine types, the most powerful being a 5.8-litre V8. The movie car from the film was a 2-door “Pursuit Special” sports coupe with a 5.8-litre V8. 

Despite Ford’s American heritage, the XB was as Aussie as cars get and Mad Max (1979) was filmed in Melbourne and country Victoria. Mad Max 2 (1981), which also features the same “Pursuit Special” Falcon was filmed in and around Broken Hill in NSW.

Interestingly, the XB Falcon wagon, considered a full-size vehicle in the 1970s, tips the scales at 1,394kg. The 2021 Toyota Corolla, a vehicle always considered small or compact, weighs in at 1,340kg – only 54kg less. A sign that cars are getting bigger and heavier.

Fate

The same movie car was used in the filming of the 1979 movie and 1981’s Mad Max 2. This car resides in the Orlando Auto Museum in Orlando, Florida. Although it’s nice to see the vehicle open to public viewing, we’re hoping it gets repatriated back here to its home country, Australia. 

1992 Ford Explorer XLT – Jurassic Park (1993)

(T-rex lunch: 1992 Ford Explorer XLT – Jurassic Park)

“Screen used movies cars that weren’t ‘eaten’ were kept by Universal Studios.”

Unassuming and not noticeable as a movie in its factory paint colours, the 1992 Ford Explorer XLT is instantly recognisable in the yellow-green-red ‘JP’ colours.

The first generation Explorer, as featured in Jurassic Park, was Ford’s first four-door (plus the tailgate) SUV. Fortunately for Ford, the Explorer came out just as SUVs were starting to become really popular – the early ‘90s – a trend still very evident today.

The first generation Explorer was powered by a 4.0-litre V6 and came in Ford’s well-known trim series, the XL and XLT (the higher of the two), which represented the movie cars. These both came in 3 and 5-door versions. 

The Explorers in the movie operated autonomously as per Jurassic Park’s ride.

(In non-movie car spec: early 1990s Ford Explorer. Source: virtualparking.net)

Fate

In the original Jurassic Park book, Toyota LandCruisers were used but were changed to Explorers due to a deal with Ford. As evident on film, multiple movie cars were used and destroyed by ‘dinosaurs’ – most famously the t-rex. 

Screen used movies cars that weren’t ‘eaten’ were kept by Universal Studios. However, they have made appearances in museums over the years.

Due to the high sales and easy availability of the first generation Explorer, many fan-modified replicas have cropped up for sale since the movie was released back in 1993.

1999 Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R – 2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)

(1999 Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R – 2 Fast 2 Furious. Source: fastandfuriousfacts.com)

‘Cult following’ and ‘the stuff of legends’ are phrases often used to describe the JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) crown jewel that is the R34 GT-R. That goes hand in hand with the massive array of merchandise and appearances in cartoons and video games.

Most readers who have played Gran Turismo on PlayStation or the Need for Speed games will remember staring at the Skyline GT-R’s famous circular taillights for hours on end.

Before dropping its ‘Skyline’ name in 2007, the Skyline GT-R saw numerous model years and even more variants, for example, the;

• V-Spec
• V-Spec II
• V-Spec II Nür
• M-Spec 
• M-Spec Nür
• V-Spec II N1
• NISMO Z-Tune

The ‘Nür’ part refers to the famous German Nürburgring racetrack, a regular GT-R stomping ground.

The Skyline GT-R’s popularity grew during the R32, R33 and R34 model years, or from 1989, when the R32 was launched, to 2002, the last model year of the R34.

The car features a twin-turbo straight-6 engine known for its potent tunability and accessible high power.

“four additional R34 GT-Rs were air-freighted over from Japan in a 747.”

Want one? Most car enthusiasts would. Yours from anywhere between $200,000 to over half a million dollars for a low-mileage ‘high-spec’d’ example.

The movie car, driven by Brian O’Conner, played by the late Paul Walker, is well known in its silver-with-blue-racing stripes paint scheme along with tuner decals and body kit.

(NISMO Z-Tune. Source: gtspeed.us)

Fate

Like many movie cars, several examples are needed for filming – which is what Universal Studios did. Amazingly, all Skyline GT-R movie cars used in 2 Fast 2 Furious were the real deal, four additional R34 GT-Rs were air-freighted over from Japan in a 747.

Sadly, all but one of the GT-Rs used in the filming were destroyed.

The vehicle traded hands a few times over the years with most reports claiming it to be privately owned by an individual in the United States. Most estimates put the value at well over AU$1,000,000. A similarly spec’d ‘Paul Walker’ R34 GT-R from ‘Fast & Furious 4’ went to action in 2014 for US$1,350,000 – $1.94 million in today’s Australian dollar.

Closing credits

Movie cars are icons, both in the car world and general pop culture. The list above only features a fraction of the vehicles that have graced the silver screen.

Fortunately, you don’t have to produce a Hollywood blockbuster to get your next car. Start with an OnlineLoans.com.au quick quote to access simple finance with competitive rates. OnlineLoans.com.au looks forward to seeing you from start to finish – to a new car.