Mini Muscle

We all like movies don’t we? And clearly we all like muscle cars. And some of us like models of muscle cars. So let’s look at a few models of muscle cars from the movies. Now, car movies tend to be what they call ‘big, dumb and fun’ – lots of action, loud music, explosions, girls with great bodies and not much in the way of a cerebral challenge. And to me, lots of car movies are as annoying as hell, especially racing movies. So much of what they try to show is garbage. But anyway, that’s not the point here.

Obviously, for Aussies the ultimate movie muscle car is the V8 Interceptor ‘last of the V8s’ from the original Mad Max. The iconic Falcon coupe with the Arcadipane bodykit, massive blower and sinister black paint was as big a star as Mel Gibson. And it has long been modeled. Biante started off in die-cast form with a couple of versions of the car in Mad Max 1 and 2 form.

Local kit maker (but now defunct) Cavallier Models made a kit in resin, which I built years ago. Sadly, the resin body didn’t like being in my hot shed/office one summer and has partially melted. I’m not sure what to do with the wreck and can’t bring myself to chuck it out.

Last issue, we saw the latest iteration of the Interceptor, from Biante. If you missed out rst time around, you might be luckier this time. [ED: Bruce, you should create a diorama depicting the wrecked Interceptor from Mad Max II.]

There’s also a 1:64 scale one, from Greenlight Collectibles. At somewhere south of $20, that’s much more in my budget.

And while we’re on the subject of Interceptors, if there’s a ‘last’ there must have been a ‘ rst’. And now you can get a model of the MFP XB four-door. With its front spoiler, guard ares and that roof spoiler, it was a tough-looking bit of kit. Due for release in the third quarter of this year – which starts about the time you’re reading this. This one will be 1:18 scale.

The upcoming model car expo will have a couple of 1:64 Mad Max cars available – the MFP four-door and the panel van with the bad guy’s hand hanging off it. Ew.

Another local lm with a muscle car model available is The Wog Boy. Starring Nick Giannopoulos and Vince Colosimo, this was bloody funny, with Giannopoulos playing the lead, a slightly feckless Greek guy who doesn’t have a real job but still manages to get around in a pretty hot Valiant coupe. It’s a 1969 VE with a bonnet scoop, fat chromies and things hanging off the mirror. And it’s also been released by Greenlight.

So many movie muscle cars come from America, as you’d expect. Where to start? The home of muscle cars has given us many great movies with great cars. Possibly the standardsetter in terms of muscle car movies is Bullitt. Steve McQueen actually did some of the driving himself in this police drama/chase movie. The car was a Mustang 390 Fastback and it’s been modeled a few times. Greenlight (again) have done this car, and the Dodge Charger being chased. Check on eBay, you might nd one there for a good price.

A pure chase movie, Vanishing Point starred another Dodge, this time a 1970 Challenger. A car courier (Barry Newman) is caught in an ever-tightening police net. The lm’s conclusion is shattering. This car was modeled by Johnny Lightning, Greenlight and others. Notable also for the appearance of Cleavon Little, who would go on to be the Sherriff in Blazing Saddles. Another chase movie, but much lighter, is

Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry, a buddy movie as much

as a chase one. Peter Fonda and Susan George are trying to get Larry (Fonda) into NASCAR. All they need is money. So they steal some. And the cops chase them. With mechanic Deke (Adam Roarke) in the backseat, this is another chase with a tightening net. The car is also another Dodge, a 1969 Charger R/T with 440 cubic inches of goodness. Available from Johnny Lightning, among others in a number of scales including 1:64 and 1:24.

Gone in Sixty Seconds gets a run, of course. Both versions of the lm, that is. First, the original from 1974. There’s the legendary ‘Eleanor’, a Mustang, but there’s also a rather choice-looking purple Plymouth Hemi Cuda. All engine and skinny wheels, as you’d expect! This is from Greenlight, too. Eleanor has been modeled several times, also as you’d expect. In the remake Eleanor is a 1967 Shelby GT500 – droooool. There are so many others: Smokey and The

Bandit, the Fast and Furious lms, there’s even a Corvette in Star Trek! No doubt others will come to me in the future. This is a topic we might have to visit again.