I chose Mad Men for this weekends series of postings because it was very easy to tie into my car based fixation. Here is a beautifully written, visually stimulating show that usually gets the “Car Thing” right. They have story lines about cars, they make use of the car in other story lines, they make the drivers of these cars look important or sexy, and it works. Other shows have used the car as background material, and many are just as successful as Mad Men…
Let’s start out with what was once called the “Coolest Show on Television”, Nip/Tuck. This was one of my favorite shows, with a cast that was second to none. The car was just as important to the story line in some of the episodes as was the operating room.
Another excellent series for AMC is Breaking Bad, with Bryan Cranston. Besides the writing, I have been caught up with the number of unusual car used in the series, from a gold Pontiac Aztek, A Jeep Grand Wagoneer, A Toyota Tercel, to a Jeep Commander of all things.
I did a posting a few weeks ago about the Fords used in the television series Charlies Angels, with a three girls using a couple of Mustang IIs, and one very Orange Pinto. Most of the TV Series during the 70s had a lot of cars in and out of scenes, and it made them watchable (in my opinion)
So the question is this: What TV Series or Movie, that is not necessarily car related, includes a captivating car related scene that you remember?
Question of the Weekend: Of your favorite TV Series or Movies, What Car Related Event Stands Out?
About
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The scene from Driving Miss Daisy in which Hoke is idling that big Commodore along and shouting out the passenger window, "I'm tryin to drive you to the sto!" Love the '48 Hudson.
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The scene in Children of Men where they're pushing the cars they're chasing each other with, and the movie is only a comedy to those of us with a pitch-black sense of humor.
The scene in Primer: "Where's my truck?" You have it. "Oh yeah."
I would do that a lot if I had a time machine. -
The car chase scene in Bullitt will always be my favorite. I'm a Mustang fan, and I love Steve McQueen. It just doesn't get any better than that.
<img src="http://wot.motortrend.com/files/2010/04/33120384-623×389.jpg"width="500"/>-
Alas, those two cars in Bullitt were four-wheeled projections of the guys who drove them.
The mobsters' Charger was subtle, yet bad-ass. Cloaked in all-black, with just a touch of daintiness in its whitewall tires with wheel covers, like when you see a muscular bouncer in a tailored three-button suit. It can hide in the shadows, yet show its firepower when need be.
Lt. Bullitt's Mustang was just like him. A little dented up, and rough around the edges. Just did enough finishing school at the police academy to graduate. But those American Racing wheels shod with blackwall meats were like Frank's turtleneck to his bosses' narrow ties. Anti-conformist when counterculture was becoming en vogue, especially in the Baghdad by the Bay circa 1968. We don't know much about this car, since its badging has been removed, but we can tell that it's tough. Its slightly rusty exposed exhaust pipes belt out a mean growl when provoked, and there's anger in the way it slams itself against San Francisco's tarmac on steeply raked streets.
Absolutely. Perfect. Casting.-
Excellent!
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I think cars were used more as a criticism in Nip/Tuck to show how self centered Dr. Troy was. They often use cars to subjectively show the character's personality. This can be seen in Desperate Housewives too (I know, I'm sorry). I remember Eva Longoria's character drove a Maserati Spyder, then a DB9 Volante and Teri Hatcher's was a Volvo XC70.
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Hooper.
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The James Bond scene where Sean Connery deliberately runs his DB4 into a girls car, just so he can meet her, following a lovely game of cat and mouse heading down the swtichbacks. So uncharacteristic to see an intentional collision without other offense.
Followed by David Niven driving his coffin nosed Cord in a fifties spy flick.
The submarine Esprit also made quite an impression. -
Interesting that you mention Breaking Bad – after seeing the red Grand Cherokee in that I’ve been on the hunt to get one for myself.
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Magnum PI
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Mad Max
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Blues Brothers
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Trafic (Jaques Tati)
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The Aussie Fords in Mad Max with Mel Gibson.
Also the custom Single Spinner in Cobra with Sylvester Stallone. -
The BMW 503 in The Last Run
[youtube KWfwUGDeFCU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KWfwUGDeFCU youtube]-
[youtube HbHm3GAnbto http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbHm3GAnbto youtube]
Old chase scenes are the best. No music, no fiery explosions, just proper car noises and maybe a brief "is he still behind us?" from the back seat. It's all you need.
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Le Mans, Steve McQueen in Porsche 917
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Dragnet, Adam -12, Rockford files. Only because they are on RTV channel and Dad watches all three in the afternoon. Dragnet, there is a Bluish-green VW Bug that seems to be parked on every other street. Adam-12 has a lot of the same cars as Dragnet and you try to catch when they are used again and again. Rockford. Dude, the Maverick, slapping loud women who should be in the kitchen and rocking the hell out of that Pontiac every episode. During the Malaise era. Hard to spot cool cars but they'll have them every episode.
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Hawaii five-o. Between the cool cars and the Hawaii backgrounds, what's not to like?
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Ditto Magnum.
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I've always loved the old cars in "Crime Story", especially the chase in the beginning of the pilot episode featuring about 4 or 5 '59 police Fords. Chicago hooning!
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Obligatory. And, um, volume down if you're at work, y'know.
[youtube gjk1FLOUsYU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gjk1FLOUsYU youtube]-
This is what you get when you fuck a stranger in the <ass!
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Well, looks like I forgot the rest of my tags.
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While I love the cars in "Goodfellas," I have to say that the Bandit T/A has to be one of the best on-screen car performances ever.
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The tiny, sputtering Amilcar in Mr. Hulot's Holiday.
<img src="http://www.thefifiorganization.net/wp-content/janus/images/hulot_car.jpg" width=400> -
The Isotta Franschini in Sunset Boulevard. Probably the most perfect bit of car casting in the history of movies. What better ride for a former star than an imposing luxury car from a defunct car maker? Plus the way the car winds up being more desirable than the woman who owns it is a great twist.
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How about Miami Vice. Not a car show, but the cars were prominently displayed.
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Yeah, Sonny driving his black (replica) Daytona at night down Key Biscayne(iirc) is a scene I'll never forget… Every time I hear Phil Collins " I can feel it coming in the air tonight" I remember it.-and then it's gets blown up by an RPG-tv epic.
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If I was not so internet illiterate I would have embedded a you tube clip of that scene. The white Testarossa was no slouch either.
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Yeah, but by the time the Testarossa showed up, the show had become almost a characature of itself.
The (fake) Daytona rolled when everyone was still doing a double-take about a cop show like no other, which had arrived on the scene as so fresh and so different.
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Gattaca had some cool cars, between the protagonist's Avanti, the DS convertible that Uma Thurman's character drives, and even the police Rovers are interesting from a North American point of view.
Also there's the Vista Cruiser that the Bishops drive in Fringe.-
Weren't some of the other cars in Gattaca Avantis?
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Two words: flying Matador.
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Awful movie, memorable car. The barrel roll wasn't bad either.
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I actually saw the Astro-Spiral jump done live at the Erie County Fair. I think it was part of Joey Chitwood's Hell Drivers show.
But yea. Horrible movie if not for the rockin' AMCs. Probably why they stand out so much. -
>Poof!<
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Ferris Bueller.
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I still routinely try to mentally picture what the Super Sports Wagon in Antarctic Blue with CB radio and optional Rally Fun Pack actually looked like.
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If you're of a certain age, and English (or………kind of a nerd), you have to nominate "The Sweeney".
[youtube CtaxAsUbIH4&feature=fvst http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtaxAsUbIH4&feature=fvst youtube]-
GOD SAVE THE QUEEN!
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The Italian Job…..(the good one with Sir Michael Caine)….pick any scene.
[youtube Jsp3RD2ey8A http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jsp3RD2ey8A youtube]-
[youtube _z8aLdIejPs&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z8aLdIejPs&feature=related youtube]
Here's the proper one from the movie with the Lambo's engine noise intact. -
"Also starring Benny Hill"!
<img src="http://zoomdoggle.com/wp-content/uploads/benny-hill-copy.jpg" width="500">
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In memory of Tobey……..
[youtube REa2DDzChGM http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=REa2DDzChGM youtube] -
[youtube lx0z9FjxP-Y http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lx0z9FjxP-Y youtube]
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Little Mule!
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You brought up Breaking Bad and didn't talk about this scene, involving the aforementioned Aztec! *SPOILER ALERT*
[youtube 5RB8t0CCZB4 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RB8t0CCZB4 youtube] -
Chitty. Chitty. Bang. bang!
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Scroggs already listed Sweeney up there, so I'm going to have to mention the other show featuring 70's British iron: The original "Life on Mars", which is one the best TV shows ever made.
[youtube aqSzV1MPi0w http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aqSzV1MPi0w youtube]-
I think that car is missing an important feature
<img src="http://uk.simsmm.com/umbraco/ImageGen.ashx?image=/media/91264/piano%20on%20morris%20marina%20after%20top%20gear%20stunt.jpg&width=304&constrain=true" width="500">
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There was a movie in the late 80s or early 90s that the big bad had an Aston Martin Lagonda. I think it was a detective type movie with a dog and John Belushi.
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Picking anything from a 'car movie' is a bit too obvious, so I'm going for a slightly left-field choice – "Rain Man", with Tom Cruise and Dustin Hoffman driving around in that big old Buick convertible.
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Roy Scheider's Pontiac Ventura in "The Seven Ups"
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GM product placement at it finest; the bad guys drove a huge Pontiac Grand Ville.
"You mean EVERYONE drove a Pontiac in NYC in 1974???" Uh..okay.
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National Lampoon's 1979 Ford LTD Country Squire – Complete with grandma on top … HA!
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![http://uk.simsmm.com/umbraco/ImageGen.ashx?image=/media/91264/piano%20on%20morris%20marina%20after%20top%20gear%20stunt.jpg&width=304&constrain=true"](http://uk.simsmm.com/umbraco/ImageGen.ashx?image=/media/91264/piano%20on%20morris%20marina%20after%20top%20gear%20stunt.jpg&width=304&constrain=true"){kind=link}
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