Five Great Chevrolets and Cadillacs from the movies! | Landers Chevrolet Cadillac of Joplin

February 28, 2019

We love movies, and whenever we catch something new at the local moviehouse, we always like catching glimpses of our favorite brands: Chevrolet and Cadillac. Chevy and Cadillac have been appearing in films since literally the beginning of films, so there’s plenty of great examples through the years. Seen below are five of our favorites. And if you’re ready to make your silver screen dreams a reality, stop in at Landers Chevrolet Cadillac of Joplin. With our incredible selection, honest deals, and commitment to service after the sale, we will make you a customer for life!

1) 1955 Chevrolet 210 from “American Graffiti”: Though it wasn’t quite a blockbuster when it debuted back in 1973, George Lucas’ “American Graffiti” has since gone on to be one of the most beloved “car movies” in film history; a snapshot of a simpler time when all that most young folks needed was a long Saturday night, a tank of gas, and some tunes on the radio. Since the film’s release, several of the cars in the film have become almost as famous as the film itself, including John Milner’s screaming yellow 1932 Ford five-window coupe, the 1950 Mercury lead sled piloted by the Pharaohs gang, and the mild-custom 1958 Chevrolet Impala two-door hardtop owned in the film by Ron Howard, of “Happy Days” fame. When it comes to the hottest car in the film, though, it’s a toss-up between Milner’s coupe and the 1955 Chevrolet 210 driven by Bob Falfa (a young Harrison Ford). Even though the satin black Chevy eventually met a fiery end during the race in the film’s last-act, it was a beauty, with radiused rear wheel arches, big mailbox hood scoop, and hoop roll cage.

2) 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor Ambulance from “Ghostbusters”: Now a 1980’s classic, 1984’s “Ghostbusters” was designed to be a blockbuster from the start, with stars like Dan Aykroyd and Bill Murray starring in the film about the adventures of four screwball paranormal investigators trying to save New York from the paranormal. Almost as famous, though, is their ghost-fighting vehicle: a 1959 Cadillac Ambulance converted by the famous hearse coachbuilder Miller-Meteor. Now one of the most iconic vehicles ever seen on film, Ecto-1 started life as a gold ambulance, one of only about 300 1959 Cadillacs Miller-Meteor converted that production year. Described as a 1975 Cadillac hearse in the original script, we’re glad they went with the 1959, as the big fins, tons of chrome and whitewall tires set off that famous white and red livery just right.

3) 1973 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu from “Drive”: An under-the-radar hit, 2011’s “Drive” has gone on to be respected among critics and fans for the film’s look, feel and plotline, which revolves around a mechanic and stuntman who moonlights as a getaway driver for criminals. Played by Ryan Gosling, the unnamed driver’s personal ride is a souped-up 1973 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu. While not as iconic as some Chevelle models, the car is striking and beautiful in the film. Fun fact: The car seen on screen was located by Gosling as a $3,000 junkyard derelict, with Gosling personally rebuilding the entire car from the ground up as a way of connecting with the mechanic and car bugg he . He even did most of his own stunt driving.

4) 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle from “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby”: Until we clapped eyes on the 2018 Sherlockian dud “Holmes & Watson,” we were convinced that anything involving comedians Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly had to be comedy gold. That includes their hilarious 2006 take on the rivalries of NASCAR: “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby,” which centers on the trials and travails of dim-bulb racing prodigy Ricky Bobby (Will Farrell). One of the most memorable cars in the film is the 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle belonging to Ricky’s sketchy, deadbeat dad, Reese Bobby (Gary Cole). Painted in striking gold and black, with a 13 painted on each door, the Chevelle features in some of the funniest scenes of the film, in which Reese, in an attempt to help Ricky get his racing mojo back, has him drive the car blindfolded, and with a live cougar riding shotgun. The Chevelle winds up buried in the rubble of a house, if that tells you anything.

5) The Gigahorse Cadillac from “Mad Max: Fury Road”: Of all the wild, post-apocalyptic creations in the 2015 action hit “Mad Max: Fury Road,” one of the most incredible was the Gigahorse Cadillac. Driven by the film’s ultimate baddie Immortan Joe, the massive vehicle was created with two 1959 Cadillac body shells stacked one on top of the other, with a ’59 Caddy grille shell and a custom built plow. To create the Gigahorse, designers located two 1959 Cadillac bodies, a four-door sedan and a two-door coupe, cut them up, and pieced them back together on a custom-built frame. The lower body shell was widened with a custom windshield, while the upper shell, which acts as a kind of turret with a functional flamethrower and harpoon gun, was left at the factory width. Set on huge tractor tires — including rear tires more than six feet in diameter, with two on each side — the completed vehicle is over 12 feet tall, weighs more than 10 tons, and is powered by two 600-horsepower supercharged Chevy big block crate motors. After the engines proved too much for two Turbo 400 automatic transmissions to handle reliably, they were swapped for a single, heavy-duty Allison automatic transmission from a Chevrolet Silverado 3500HD truck.

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