By Jesse Adams
Hollywood, California - Why is the Ford Mustang the fabled American pony car it is?
Its uninterrupted 51-year lifespan certainly has something to do with it, but it’s also had its fair share of screen time as a co-star in numerous big screen films and television series. The Internet Movie Cars Database lists more than 4500 Mustang appearances since 1964.
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Here’s a shortlist of some of the Mustang’s more prominent roles:
Eleanor
Movie buffs will know that “Eleanor” made her cinematic debut in the 1974 film Gone in 60 Seconds, and not alongside Nicolas Cage in the 2000 movie of the same name. The original Eleanor was a mustard yellow 1971 Fastback facelifted to look like a ‘73 model for the 40-minute chase sequence. Interestingly, all badges spelling “Mustang” in type were removed, leaving only the pony emblem and Ford Motor Company hubcaps as identifiable logos.
‘Gone in 60 seconds’ remake
The far more famous Eleanor was a 1967 Shelby GT500 stolen by Memphis Raines (Nicolas Cage) in the Gone in 60 Seconds remake. This car, which has been recreated hundreds of times by fans, is finished in silver with black stripes. It has a custom body kit and signature spotlights in the front grille. Of the 12 cars made for production, only seven survived filming – one of which sold for $1-million at a classic-car auction in 2013.
Bullitt
The dark green 1968 Fastback which co-starred with Steve McQueen in the 1968 film Bullitt is probably the best known movie Mustang. Ford lent two of them to Warner Bros for production, but both were damaged heavily while filming the classic 10-minute 53-second chase scene. Look closely and you’ll see that the car loses an impossible five wheelcaps while being chased by bad guys. Also, the car’s passenger side can be seen scuffed and dented much sooner than the scene which causes the damage.
Need for Speed
A movie adaptation of the popular video game Need for Speed sees actor Aaron Paul of Breaking Bad fame drive a 2014 model Shelby-inspired Mustang in a frankly preposterous race scene. Even more preposterous is that the car, in the movie, is said to make 900 horsepower (671kW), reach a top speed of 234mph (374km/h) and be worth $2-million (R28-million). The new 2015 model Mustang makes a cameo appearance in the movie just before the rolling credits.
Charlie’s Angels
Bombshell actress Farrah Fawcett regularly drove a 1976 Mustang Cobra II in the ‘70s TV series Charlie’s Angels. As with most multi-season television shows, there’s a little discontinuity with the screen car over the years, but it always appears as a white with blue stripes, V8-powered hatchback. Eagle eyes will notice that a mini towbar comes and goes over various episodes.
Knight Rider - no, really
It’s a travesty. KITT, the talking Knight Industries Two Thousand (Pontiac Firebird) car which may have been more famous than David Hasselhoff in the 1980s show Knight Rider, was changed to a Shelby GT500KR Mustang for the 2008 series remake. The show, which featured no-name actors, gained little traction (no pun intended) and was cancelled after only one season, proving there’s no replacement for the original Hoff/KITT combination.
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