Last weekend’s RACQ Motorfest had an interesting little sideshow. You could get your photo taken with famous cars from movies! You may notice this ECTO-1 isn’t a ’59 Cadillac like the one from Ghostbusters or even an ’84 like the one from the Ghostbusters reboot. It wasn’t the most inaccurate vehicle in this sideshow…
In fairness to the Ghostbusters LTD’s owner, they did a pretty decent job – including a big Slimer on the hood – and there’s naturally far fewer Cadillacs in Australia to use as a base. They used a big American car so it works in spirit and looks pretty good.
I haven’t seen any of the Terminator films so I can’t vouch for the accuracy of this 1979-80 Ford LTD wagon. I can, however, say the man dressed up as the Terminator was a lot of fun. He was pointing his mini-gun at kids and posing for photographs in character.
Less impressive were the cars from the movie Cars.
Here’s Lightning McQueen, a Hyundai Coupé (Tiburon) dressed up like the lead character in the films. Ok, ok, so Lightning McQueen isn’t based on any specific car so you can forgive the Hyundai’s owner some creative licence. And it’s been dressed up a bit, and it’s not as though the Hyundai Tiburon wasn’t a sporty-looking coupe.
But Sally Carrera? A Mazda 121? Even the kids didn’t fall for this one as I didn’t see a single child so much as look at Sally Autozam Revue… sorry, “Sally Carrera”. They didn’t even put “eyes” over the windshield.
My regret? I should have had my photo taken with this one!
I don’t recall the Terminator really driving anything other than the motorcycle, even though he probably did at some point, so there seems to be quite a bit of artistic license used by the promoter. At least the character was pretty close to the movie version. However, the “Sally Carrera” really jumped the shark. So far off the mark that it has become it’s own camp equivalent, and you really should have had that photo taken with it! Actually, if this was in the States, there would be a “cease and desist” order on this group of cars, courtesy of Pixar/Disney, even with the less than authentic vehicles used. Seems that the studios keep an eye out for those who use their copyrighted things without permission (and without a healthy cut of the proceeds).
In T1, Arnold DID steal a ’76-ish LTD.
Actually Kyle Reese stole the LTD in T1, Arnold stole a Caprice wagon in that one.
Point taken, your are right! It’s been a while!
im pretty sure its a T3 refrence… where they use a black caddy hearse as sheild and Arnold mows down cops with a minigun
I don’t remember T1 that well. In 2, though, they stole an ’80s LTD Crown Vic wagon early in the movie and ended up in the desert with it to fetch weapondry.
Oddly, if you pay attention, the Fords all do really really well in that movie, and the GMs all suffer or are crap. All the good hero cars are Fords (the wagon, the Bronco). The S-10 they have later can only go 63 mph (“STEP ON IT!” “This is the vehicle’s top speed.”). In the big shootout, I don’t think one single LTD cop car gets blown up.
I agree that it probably references T2 since the guy. Not only with the Country Squire wagon, but he also uses the minigun in T2. The wagon being a country squire had the quad headlights though.
Here’s a screen shot of it. I can remember the sound effect of that gutless 302 VV slowing pulling pass that bus at WOT. Note the rear axle width. Ford did not put a wider axle in the wagons.
The “Valley of Peace” sticker in the LTD’s rear door window is a reference to the cemetery scene in T3, which is also on the Cadillac hearse on the same window in the movie. It got riddled with bullet holes by a minigun as well.
I never understood why people reference that Bronco in this movie. To me it played such a small role. And most of it’s screen time was it being repaired.
While most of the cop cars that got shot up were Chevy B-bodies and Malibus, the one cruiser that T2000 drives fairs well.
This is really super weird, not only does it speak for the “quality” of the movie that almost no one here gets that it’s a reference to T3 but it begs the question WHY they chose this particular car / scene / movie ^^ Besides that it’s not a LTD in the movie but a Caddy hearse! And the rest is also really a bit…. may I say pathetic 😀 The certainly tried but… why XD
Quel fromage! Well, this is supposed to be fun for 7 year olds, not move correct for car guys 🙂
But it does remind me of the General Lee poster I had when I was 10. I’d asked for one for my birthday, and I got one!
Except it was a 1968 Coronet instead of a Charger, and it had the Confederate flag on the hood. I liked it anyway…
I think you got the General Lou instead…:-)
7 year old me wouldn’t have been happy at this event, I would get indignant just when Rosco’s patrol car would change from a Fury to a Matador randomly in a chase during the actual show.
That’s hilarious. It bugs me still to this day in any car related show (Fall Guy, Hardcastle & McCormick, Knight Rider, any of them)
Recently, I saw similar with a ’68 Coronet coupe painted a weak orange and trying to imitate the General Lee. It was at a fireworks stand and given the particular area, well it was close enough.
My wife asked why someone would ruin a nice old Dodge that was nowhere near looking like a Charger. Smart woman.
And I recently saw a Charger painted blue with an American flag on the roof, and called The General Grant. 🙂
Brilliant
Some fans in Argentina had turned a local Dodge GTX into a General Lee.
Another fan in Brazil, did the same with a local Dart.
I really would have expected to see something/anything/everything from the Mad Max movie franchise at that show!
Back in the 80s the original Interceptor from the movie used to tour local shows and shopping centres. I don’t know how many replicas have been built, but I’m guessing it is not that many and it is possible there aren’t any in Queensland, at least not with an owner willing to let hundreds of kids sit in it.
These were at the All Ford Day in Geelong, Vic back in Feb; note the Kawasaki Z1000 too. There were also 2 MFP patrol cars.
Alternately, you can always add suitable celebrities to Curbside Classic scenes when the situation appears about perfect.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/cc-outtake/cc-outtake-standing-on-a-corner-in-winslow-arizona/
Cannon!
The LTD wagon seems to be reference to Terminator 3, which was a Cadillac hearse…
yeah….
This is just bad..
I mean ‘Porche’….
REALLY?
no
just no.
I don’t disagree, but maybe they’re trying to avoid simultaneous lawsuits from “Porche” and “Pyxxar.”
Nah, it’s Australia. They’re not.
I remember a car show here some years ago with similar “original” movie cars. There was an Volvo 850 Wagon as Ecto 1 and a 70´s T-Bird as the Starsky & Hutch Torino. Too bad that I have no pics.
But this Sally Carerra 121… lol
I could see myself posing with the Mirth Mobile AMC Pacer from Wayne’s World.
(As long as they didn’t substitute in a baby blue Pinto or such. – – “Party on, Warren!”) 😉
“Party on, Gareth!”
Warren and Gareth is one of the better things I’ve seen lately.
What’s up with Lightning McQueen’s eyes? Looks like someone slipped him a little too much E85. 😉
I spotted a replica Ecto 1 in traffic last year. This one did at least use an early 1980s Cadillac hearse like in the reboot, but it was still rather inaccurate when it came to the “stuff” strapped to the roof. It included a blue police light bar, a satellite dish, and a coil of blue tubing like one would use in a swimming pool.
The best movie car of all is at the Studebaker Museum in South Bend. OK, maybe not the best movie car of all, but a pretty recognizable one from The Muppet Movie.
A bear in his natural habitat…a Studebaker….
“A HISTORY WORTH PRESERVING…” You’re gosh-darn right!
I should credit this picture, which was taken by our own Jim Grey when he did a piece on the Studebaker National Museum in 2013. The last time I was there it was still on display. Some day I am actually going to watch the Muppet Movie. 🙂
( https://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/the-studebaker-national-museum-part-3-rarities-and-oddities/ )
I had no idea there was a bulletnose Stude in the Muppet Movie. Since I live only a block away from the high school that Jim Henson attended, I now have two reasons I need to see it!
Sally Carrera PORCHE? Glad I didn’t waste my 2 bucks.
KJ in Oz
You missed out, KJ. There was some interesting stuff I’ll be sharing with y’all soon…
If you’re hungry after the show, try this place: