My wife and I have recently started binge watching Supernatural. Yes, I know the show has been on the air since 2005, but we’re a little behind on our TV watching, so what can I say.
For those who haven’t seen the show, Supernatural is sort of a cross between Route 66 and The X-Files. In the show, brothers Sam and Dean Winchester travel around the country hunting evil demons and ghosts.
Supernatural
However, the third star of the show is arguably the black 1967 Chevrolet Impala that the Winchester brothers travel around it. The car is always impossibly clean, with never so much as a bug splatter on the windshield, despite all the cross-country driving they do.
This got me thinking: For as long as I can recall, whenever Hollywood needs an archetypical old car, they go to the 1960’s. Whether it is the 1980’s Dukes of Hazzard (where the General Lee would have barely been 10 years old) or Keanu Reeves playing a retired hitman driving a 1969 Mustang 2014’s John Wick, Hollywood always seems to mine the Decade of Love for its old cars.
Deepwater Horizon, 2016
A second example: In the 2016 movie Deepwater Horizon, mechanic Andrea Fleytas (played by 30-year old Gina Rodriguez) is portrayed as driving her project car: a 1969 Mustang. Not a Mustang II, or even a Fox body Mustang (the earliest examples of which are now nearing 40 years old, and would certainly be more in keeping with a 30-year-old character), but a car that is a good 10+ years older than she is.
There are many possible lines of inquiry that stem from this observation, which I encourage discussion of in the comment section below.
- When will cars from the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s be considered “cool old cars” for Hollywood (if ever)? Would Supernatural be the same if Sam and Dean rolled into town in a black 1980’s Pontiac 6000 STE, or Chevy Lumina LTZ (the spiritual successor to the ’67 Impala)?
- Will 1960’s cars ever stop being the goto cool car for Hollywood? Or are we destined forever to have 60’s iron stand in as the visual shorthand for someone who is independent and non-conformist?
- What is it about 1960’s cars that lends themselves to this Hollywood trope in the first place?
Well, for one thing, you could easily tell a Chevy from a Dodge from a Ford from a Rambler from a Studebaker, all without having to peer at the manufacturer’s badge.
Simply put, character counts.
TV producers so noble? Maybe, but I’d bet they couldn’t get a decent product placement.
I think there are several reasons that 60’s cars have been such a mainstay for Hollywood for the last 40 years or so.
1) It was the last era where safety and environmental standards were, for all intents and purposes nonexistent. This made the designs cleaner relative to later models that had to both meet impact standards as well as get lighter as time went on.
2) Sixties cars can, without complete re-engineering, function in today’s normal driving, something that is not usually the case for vehicles from the fifties.
3) Related to the last part of 1, from the mid to late Seventies onward, both interior and exterior materials became cheaper and looked it. You can do a close up of design elements of a 1969 Chevy and it looks good, try that with any 1982 car.
A lot of producers/directors/writers are in their 50s and 60s, and jump at the chance to work with their dream cars from childhood, perhaps?
Further on in the series TONS of 60s AND 70s cars feature in the show.
Two things I think are odd about the choice of a 67 Impala 4 door as the “third star”: it was one of the Winchester’s father 1st cars, bought new or nearly new (as explained in a flashback), why the 4 door and not a 2 door as the sons were not all that old back when the car was bought?
What’s up with a black seat in a car that has a brownish colored interior?
(In later episodes, the Impala is “totalled” at least 2 times….beyond what any body shop would normally fix to “as new”. And in 1 or 2 episodes, the Impala would visit Winchester” reunions where you would swear EVERY black 67 Impala 4 door hardtop in North America had been corralled. Shades of “Christine”?)
60s and 70s music also features in episodes of Supernatural.
But let’s face it, the 60s produced some truly beautiful cars.
I think that you polled a cross section of people from across the world, you’d find that big 60s American cars are probably the most aesthetically popular type of car, visually if not audibly. I notice that even people who aren’t even into cars will comment/pay attention to a clean 60s American car. Also the shows that feature them are usually fantasy-type anyways, so some suspension of belief is required
Except to a small group of interested people, no, a 6000 STE or a Lumina LTZ is never going to have the same cool factor as a ’67 Impala hardtop. It’s just not. There’s just a fundamental something missing. It’s like 40’s cars–never a marker of a cool independent character. Too upright, too boxy, too dowdy. To a car guy there’s a lot to love, and they can be the basis of some badass hot rods, but not something that Joe Public might appreciate. 80’s cars are the same way–too small, too restricted by the standards of the times, too questionable quality. There are exceptions, but that seems to be the rule.
Even in ’80s period pieces a lot of cars seem to be ’70s design holdover RWD models rather than what was new and modern at the time. It probably has something to do with what collectors choose to preserve and therefore what’s available for TV producers to use.
Burn Notice
1. 70s and 80s cars appear pretty often, I mean 77-78 Trans Ams have been featured in movies nonstop since Smokey and the Bandit, Ryan Gosling’s character in Drive had a 73 Malibu, and there’s definitely been a trickling of some of the more iconic models of all eras. 90s will probably take the longest since 90s cars are still very common and the styling isn’t really all that disconnected from the cars we drive today, just less fresh looking.
2. I don’t think ever, at least until they senselessly every last one for a stupid unrealistic stunt. You’re probably more non-conformist than ever if you’re driving around in old iron in 2017, given the immense social pressure to have the latest tech that’s both safer and cleaner than the past. Back in the 90s when a character was portrayed driving a 60s car it was often a reflection of what they might have had kept since that time.
3. Because they look better, Period. The camera is much more flattering to chrome than plastic bumpered cars and interior shots are always better for both the car and actors. With so many “faces” cars had back then to choose from compared to the joker grin every single car has today and for the last 20 years, they can match a car’s expression to the character’s mindset.
Plus there is a misguided assumption by audiences that old cars predating crumple zones are indestructible.
I agree that makers of TV shows like 60s American cars. I am also thinking of a show a few years ago (starring the guy from My Name Is Earl) who was a detective in Memphis or some such place. He drove a 65 GTO while on duty. There is a current show called Rosewood where the lead is a cool pathologist who daily drives a GTO convertible (in a shade of yellow that Pontiac never offered).
Its funny that you never see scenes of the repair shop where the mechanic says “shit dude, they haven’t made those parts in 20 years, you’re gonna need a rental while I figure something out.”
I think there is an aesthetic to 60s cars that is cool. We boomers remember them and GenX and Millennials think they’re cool too. My 21 year old daughter is a sucker for a cool looking old car. I think they are just eye candy.
Ironically, back in the 70s, a recurring plot line of David Jansen’s Harry-O private eye series was his MG constantly being in the shop, so he took the bus!
You also see an obsession over old Jeep Wagoneers in fashion/lifestyle photography. As many have noted here, combination of looking cool/different – but also not as tied to particular demographic as current models.
Interestingly, Roy Huggins was the creator of Harry-O, the second of three “off-beat/eccentric Private Eye” shows he did.
The first, “The Outsider”, Darren McGavin plays broke ex-con PI and drives an ugly old ’61 Plymouth. Show failed.
The second, the aforementioned Harry-O. What kind of self-respecting PI takes a bus? How’s there gonna be a car chase? Show failed, plus I hated it anyway.
The Third? Broke Ex-con PI living in trailer but drives a bitchin Firebird. ‘Nuff said! Smash Hit!
I could be way off, but I’ll give it a shot. First of all, they are cool looking. There’s no pretending. Full size cars like this ’67 Chevy were the original muscle cars, but they didn’t flaunt it. They’re as reliable as the characters in the show. If they start to act up, all you need is an extra set of points, a condenser, a book of matches and a screw driver, and they’re back on the set.
And it might be that older guys like me who stay home and watch TV at night will have something they can relate to.
Automatic transmissions. I’d hazard a guess that most actors can’t drive a stick so if you want an old car that can be driven you start at the 60’s.
Of course, then there’s the Paul Newman type of actor…
As a rule, stunt men have always insisted on automatics. I guess they have enough going on already without having to row gears too.
Case in point. Some of you may remember a short-lived early cyberpunk-type crime show called Viper, basically a Mopar infomercial. Chrysler had to provide a number of Vipers with 360-Torqueflites for the stunts. IMHO, the show was god-awful, hence the short lived part..
The 67 Chevy looks sexy, powerful, and in its context, a bit mysterious. It serves a a bit of visual shorthand for the audience as it alludes to a certain type of character.
What would you assume about the characters if your first impression of them was seeing them in a white 1991 Bonneville? It’s a very nice car, I think…
Yeah, but for overseas viewers, that’s just (pardon me for saying so), an unrecognizable car. Because American cars weren’t widely exported then, there’d be no emotional connection for the viewer. It wouldn’t ring any bells.
With sixties cars, you get the whole sixties-American-culture thing with whatever associations that conjures up, along with the idea of freedom and being unfettered by governments determined to micromanage all the fun out of life.
Errr… Cough… Not entirely true. In Austria we did get our share of Chrysler K-cars, Voyagers and Neons etc. I can tell you enough people here would instantly recognize an early Voyager and it would strike a bell for many. But it would only fit as an anti-hero car in the first place, so use will be limited to begin with.
Hollywood likes old cars for the same reason that they like hot women. They’re sure to draw attention.
+1
Bingo!
The only downside is that now, every very nice original 67 Caprice sedan is being transformed into a supernatural Impala lookalike, just like every 69 Charger became a General Lee, and so on. I have even read threads on websites whereby people are asking how to transform a Bel Air or Impala 4 door sedan into a 4 door hardtop. There is a red 67 Impala Sport Sedan I see quite often in the NW Tucson area. A few weeks ago, it was parked in a Taco Bell lot. As I went inside, I heard two young men discussing the Impala. One told the other that “Those never came in red, I know, because the one in Supernatural would be red if they did.” Sheesh! I wished at that point I had driven my Butternut Yellow Sport Coupe there…I’m sure the kid would have said they never came in yellow or as a two door..,
@Jim: DROOL!!!!!!! so pretty!!!! 🙂
+1.
Gorgeous, especially in that color! I recall a young science teacher at my school who bought one of these new in the same color, sans the skirts.
Our family transport was a 67 Bel Air 2-door, a stripper, that looked like this one. Talk about being jealous!
Looks like Marina Blue. That would be a nice find nowadays! Back in the late 70’s our neighbors had a Marina Blue 66 Bel Air 2 door sedan. It was still inpretty nice condition at that time.
Ours was Tahoe Turquoise, which seems to be a difficult hue to capture in a photograph. I agree that Marina Blue is a very desirable color, and it would be nice to have a time machine to go back and retrieve those cars!
I’m also a fan, but mine did not come in the color it’s painted.
It’s funny, I grew up driving my 67 Impala in the town of Winchester. And it belonged to my step-dad before I restored it.
That is a very nice looking Butternut beastie. The 1960s are my favorite decade of American cars by far.
And I see there’s an humble Falcon to its left — I’m rather partial to those.
I don’t think anyone has mentioned a very significant factor — the fact that California requires all gasoline powered cars after 1975 to undergo regular smog checks. Its a significant hassle and older cars can have problems passing or need expensive work to do so.
Since a lot of productions are still filmed in California, I’d imagine the companies that rent out film cars save a lot of money by sticking to pre-1975 vehicles.
Johnnyangel:
I may be wrong, but I believe Supernatural is filmed in and around Vancouver, B.C.
In the movie MATRIX (whichever version had that car chase scene….wait, I guess they all did?), didn’t the “bad guys” drive 80s-90s GM sedans? I think Hollywood has also made many new (ish) cars the un-cool vehicles in movies.
And let’s face it, with most new cars being silver, charcoal, or white, how will we be able to “see at a glance” where the “good guy” is in a road scene? It’s that car, no, that car, no, wait….it’s that car.
The car casting in Supernatural is fudging a bit with the black Impala. While it was available, there were relatively few buyers for black cars in the ’60s except for limos, funeral homes, the police and the coroner. Black was usually reserved for serious business and was considered very formal.
Black is obviously very much in style right now, I’d lay strong odds the car in Supernatural was a shade of blue or gold when it was new.
Speaking of mods, the white light lenses in the fender tips were quite rare on the Impala trim. They were standard on the Caprice, and those bumper guards were rare on any ’67 Chevy. Most likely a bumper from a very well optioned Caprice.
Were they an early application of cornering lights?
No those lights were purely decorative — you can think of them as an extra set of parking lights. I only know this because we had a 67 Bel Air 2-door sedan purchased new as the family car back in the day, and those lights were available even on the Bel Air. (Our example didn’t have them, probably the case with 99% of the Bel Airs made that year.)
The entire front end of the 67 Chevy borrows heavily from the original 63 Riviera, which of course is one of Bill Mitchell’s finest designs.
There was a special sale in the spring of 67 that included those front fender lights. I’m not sure if mine was one of those or not but it has them. It’s a 22,000 mile original so as far as I know they have been with the car since new.
I remember that spring sale; it was called “Move into May,” exactly 50 years ago. We watched “Bonanza” on TV religiously and of course the show was sponsored by Chevy — so I got to see all those glorious one-minute commercials!
Great looking Impala Jim, 22,000 miles is incredible. I thought those fender lights were only on the Caprice until reading these comments. They gave the car a “face” at night. Without those lights it was just two round headlights and could be anything behind you. I liked it in 1968 when the parking lights stayed on with the headlights. You could usually tell the model of car at night. Cars without that feature (and the side markers that lit up) seemed “old” to me. One crazy year, I think it was 1970 on Ford products, the side markers would flash with the turn signals. Not sure why that wasn’t on all makes and only lasted one year.
Agreement on the spring special package for the Impala. I no longer remember the name of the package, but it came out in either late April of 67, consisted of four or five popular options normally ordered on an Impala, with the addition of the fender tip lights. Those lights were the most noticeable part of the package. And, of course, all of this was sold at a specially discounted price to push sales.
I’m sure you are right. That is why the interior trim doesn’t match the seats.
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This is why I love this site so much. I learn something every day.
I guess Hollywood could try a bit more variety. Say a ’60s Station-wagon, 2-door sedan, maybe a Falcon or Rambler. But unlike the ‘cool’ cars, many of those didn’t saved, so harder to find in useable condition for regular appearance in a TV series.
And of course those ‘bread & butter’ cars just aren’t as ‘cool’.
Even though it’s become a cliche, I do enjoy seeing that ’60s machinery getting a workout on TV.
But I do get a bit tired of where some TV shows or movies recreate a past era, and most of the cars seem to be some type of coupe or convertible, without even a scratch or bug-splatter!
Happy Motoring, Mark
Supernatural did make a move in that direction by using a 4-door.
I’ll echo everyone else and say that they simply look cool, plain and simple. I’ve often argued that the 60s were hands down, the best era for car styling and that nothing else can really top it. Hollywood relies on rule of cool, it always has and it always will. What’s cooler than a 60s era muscle car?
Of course, there are exceptions I can name off the top of my head of cool cars that have appeared in films and TV that weren’t from the 60s. I like Alonzo Harris’s (Denzel Washington’s character from Training Day) 79 Monte Carlo lowrider. There’s also Tony Soprano’s Chevy Suburban that was used in the first 4 seasons of well, The Sopranos. But, for the most part, if a car from after the 60s is used, it’s usually used more as a period piece or a reminder of what decade the show or movie takes place in. Even if they become iconic, they don’t achieve nearly the same recognition as stuff like the General Lee or Steve McQueen’s Bullitt Mustang, with notable exceptions. (The aforementioned Bandit Trans Am, KITT, arguably the white Testarossa from Miami Vice)
I think once Hollywood runs into the same situation the Dukes of Hazard crew found themselves in regarding acquiring these old cars, they might cut back on them a little bit. But until that day comes, I don’t see old Detroit iron going away from the big (and small) screens anytime soon.
Didn’t the Ford Torino got the same “tv recognition” as well thanks to Starsky & Hutch and to a latter extent, Clint Eastwood’s movie Gran Torino?
Forgot about that. I could also add the BTTF DeLorean to that as well (Though admittedly, the reason it was chosen was more or less as a joke).
You can’t really count that since it was a brand new car at the time, sponsored by Ford with the cars supplied for Ford for publicity, not because it was some beautiful piece of iron perfect for the show.
The Gran Torino in The Big Lebowski on the other hand was picked clearly because nothing said slacker like a beat up malaise era Torino. Same way as Joseph mentions as the Delorean being the but of a joke in BTTF.
My $.02, for what it’s worth:
A) Sixties iron is just cool, full stop.
B) The sixties were an era of full body redesigns every model year (at least on the full size model lineup) as opposed to simple trim refreshes. Seriously, look at any 1967-1970 Impala; just about the only body panels that transfer from one year to another are the ones that have to be cut off the car: roof, rear quarter panels, cowl/firewall. Door skins, hoods, decklids, front fenders, bumpers, and grills are all just different enough that, if they bolt on at all, don’t quite match the styling of the rest of the car. All of this is a long-way-around way to say, sixties cars are easier to identify at a glance.
On a note unrelated to the QOTD, but related to the car featured in the article, there is a wiki for Supernatural that has a section dedicated to the “Metallicar”, as it’s known to the fandom. In that section is a subsection detailing the mods made to the car. The “hero” car (the one used for close-ups and never for stunt work) has a 502 big-block with a 700R4 trans (even though the shift quadrant shown in interior shots of the car is for a ‘Glide) and a custom Hotchkiss suspension. It is truly bad to the bone.
“era of full body redesigns every model year”
Not really “every” year, more like 2-3. The 67 and 68 Chevys have similar rooflines, etc. Same with 61-62, 63-64, 65-66, 69-70. Mainly front ends and rear tails changed and trim.
Only time there was a “one year only body” was 1958.
Don’t forget Boomers. They are still a large segment of the population, and nostalgia sells, even in odd and inappropriate places.
I think Boomers are given way too much credit for 60s Muscle car nostalgia these days. True that generation certainly throws the most money around them, but interest is fairly universal, otherwise they wouldn’t be getting so much screen time in each installment of the Fast and Furious series. Those movies seem to attract a younger crowd, and an international crowd much of who have probably never seen some of those cars before.
I’m solid millennial, and while there are a bunch of cars of my generation I love or respect, but it’s fewer and further between to find the gems. Old iron in every shape and form is what I’m truly attracted to, for the same reasons people appreciate architecture, music, art, etc. before their time.
I agree! Any Gen Xer or Millenial who is car obsessed will always have an appreciation for the ’60s designs…theyre simply timeless. My buddy who’s kind of between an X and a Y has always been into the imports primarily, but he has appreciation for classics. I’m kind of the opposite in that I like American iron but I wont thumb my nose at a Datsun 510 or any Supra, Nissan Z etc even if it isn’t my ‘thing’.
No doubt, many ‘60s American cars have universally appealing styling. With few exceptions, most cars from, say, 1965, were quite attractive. 1960’s styling influence carried on in cars through the mid – late ‘80s, that’s a long time in car years, and obviously, something was lost in the translation as cars were Federalized. Today, the most persistent retro styling themes on modern cars have strong roots in the 1960’s, there is a reason for that.
Throw in an abundance of body styles, many of which are rare or non-existent today, drivetrains that are relatively modern, or easily updated, and you have some of the sexist and easiest cars you can cast.
My most car loving kid (daughter, age 20) is an absolute sucker for anything with hardtop styling. Cars like the ’67 Impala hardtop are sure-fire attention getters for people that care anything about cars.
A cousin recently posted on Facebook the title card for a new show she likes, American Gods. The card prominently features a ’65-’66 Cadillac Fleetwood in black. I don’t think ‘60s cars are going away anytime soon in Hollywood.
There’s something about 60’s cars and early 70’s cars too, that are interesting. 50’s cars to me are too old in design. 60’s are when car design started to get modern. They were individuals…. Cars began to get more pedestrian byvtge mid 70’s. By the early 80’s cars didn’t appear sculpted and daring anymore.
I agree with this sentiment. So the obvious question is when will 60’s cars be considered obsolete old cars, like their 50’s brethren?
Ohh I dunno… Ten years?… Lol. But seriously… I think 50’s and earlier cars appeal to an older crowd. 60’s and newer appeal to everyone.
I think that depends on the 50s cars, 55 Chevy’s are basically timeless, as well as mid 50s Cadillac’s. The fin cars may be less universally appreciated, and the immediate post-war cars early in the decade aren’t all that different from pre-war under the skins so they’re pretty far from modern.
It’s been said before but one of the strengths of 60s cars is that they are still drivable in modern traffic. The designs will always be relevant because many elements that made them so attractive in the 60s are still being recycled into cars to this day, and not just in retro models.
I’d say the line in the sand between 50’s cars and 60’s lies in the presence of a/c & automatics.With the common lack of theses two features regulating the majority of 50’s cars in the obsolete pile.
It’s an interesting observation. I’ve noticed that, for one, Tarantino seems to like using smogged, bumpered seventies’ cars, even in movies set during current times. Then there’s the period Cutlass Ciera in Fargo.
Something else to note about the sixties’ cars was the wide availability of different interior colors. Sometimes, that goes a long way to altering a scene. The cars in some of Tarantino’s better movies had white interiors, as did the seventies’ Eldorado convertible in the closing scenes of Thunderbolt and Lightfoot.
Sometimes Tarantino uses earlier stuff too. Such as in Death Proof and From Dusk til Dawn. Of course, some of that could be Robert Rodriguez’ taste coming thru.
I did a bit of digging on the Supernatural car. I was a bit suspicious that it started life as a Caprice, but most pictures I can find have an obvious Impala interior.
But, there is quite a bit of Caprice in the Supernatural car. Impala four door hardtops were relatively rare while the Caprice came standard as a hardtop. The wheel lip mouldings were not used on non-SS Impalas, but were standard on the Caprice. The white fender cap lights were standard on the Caprice, and a rare option on the Impala. The front and rear bumper guards were very rare, and usually only appeared on well optioned Caprice or Impala SS models.
This is more typical of the ’67 Impala Sports Sedan………
I would suspect some “enhancement” to fit the director’s desired aesthetic. Sort of the way the Burn Notice Charger got the steering wheel painted white to match the white interior, when everyone who was around then knew that the wheel (and column) was black to match the dash on virtually every 70s car with white interior.
Considering that the directors/writers/producers of these shows (Hollywood types) are typically very artsy with high mind to style, the cars of the ‘60(s) and early ‘70(s) are natural choices. A) They’re cool. B) They get noticed in the scene. C) They’re memorable and basically become a character in the show.
My wife is not a car person, but she sure noticed the car when on ABC’s Marvel’s Agents of Shield featured the “Ghost Rider” character; only in that series he drives a possessed car, not a possessed bike. She IMMEDIATELY recognized it as a ’69 Charger.
And some TV series are designed to be hour long car commercials like any Quinn Martin Production and its Fords. Even the hour long Chevy commercial that is the modern Hawaii Five-0, still has the occasional cool old car that bucks the trend. On Five-0, Chin Ho Kelly drives a ’65 Mustang, flamboyantly painted BRIGHT RED to get noticed in its scenes.
The current reiteration of MacGyver features a beautiful ’67 GTO Convertible driven by MacGyver’s partner. The Cadillac on NCIS New Orleans is a beautiful ’66 DeVille Convertible. The list goes on and on.
Now for true Curbside Classics, you should watch a supernatural detective show that just wrapped up on NBC this year called “GRIMM”. It can be streamed from Amazon Prime. The show is set in Portland Oregon, and this website’s hometown Eugene gets mentioned. A LOT. I don’t know if it’s trying to stay true to form from what I’ve seen of the cars posted here from the Pacific Northwest, but it seems that every episode features Curbside Classics. Everyday drivers of vintage, and not necessarily garage queens. For example, the lead character Nick’s best friend Monroe drives a 1973 Beetle as his DD. Nick himself, when not driving the Portland PD’s tricked out unmarked Charger (a modern one), drives an old full sized Toyota SUV (not sure of the model – some sort of mid-eighties Land Cruiser I think). And the Veson (supernatural perps and other characters on the show) routinely drive old iron of all flavors. It’s a great show for car spotting.
Off the wall thought…
Wonder if lack of seatbelts are a reason.
Easier and faster to get in and out of the car, especially when chase scenes ensue.
Wouldn’t make much of a difference unless the scene was one continues take. Chases in reality usually go something like this…
-Lead actor enters beauty car, drives off. Cut
-Stunt driver does harrowing stunts in stunt car loaded with safety equipment. Cut
-Lead actor exits either the undamaged beauty car if the chase goes their way, or exits one of the beat up stunt cars if the chase doesn’t go their way(usually upside down and on fire, because Hollywood) after chase. Cut/print
Now not having a shoulder belt in an interior shot may be a factor. Watch any period movie when cars had separate lap/shoulder belts and you may notice the shoulder is left off, even if they make a point to show the actor buckling up for action. Also something you’ll never unsee when you notice it, headrests are ALWAYS removed from modern cars with them in interior shots, with or without a character in the back seat.
Speaking of The Dukes of Hazzard, I seem to remember Sheriff Rosco P Coltrane driving (as his personal car) a dilapidated ’67 Chevy 4 door, similar to Supernatural’s, in an episode where he was temporarily relieved of his “law upholding duties”. It was used in a way to convey his character in this case too, but in the opposite way. In one scene he walks up to it and tries to get in but the door falls off! I believe the color of his was brown or dark gold.
Lets face it, cars from the ’60s to the VERY early ’70s just have better style than anything from any other decade. This period is refered to as the golden age of automobile styling for good reason. Some good points are brought up in the comments in terms of these being the oldest cars that in bone stock trim are fully functional on todays roads. Unless you completely strip off all the dysfunctional (even when it works it sucks) smog equipment from a ’70s/’80s car theyre pretty weak chested. Then theres the overall mucked up styling that just doesn’t have the same visual impact as something a bit older. Take Blade for example. Would a ’75 Charger have immediately pegged him as a skull cracking badass the way that gorgeous flat black 2nd gen model did? How about when Vin Diesel fired up that monster ’70 Charger to go slaughter those gangbangers who killed his buddy? The import cars were ok for a little glitz and showboating but when that Charger had its moment, you just KNOW those punks are gonna meet a messy death. How about if Eleanor (Gone in 60 seconds) had been a ’95 blobstang? NOPE.
I think another question would be what cars from the mid ’70s thru the ’90’s would make for good movie cars? Mid ’80s Monte Carlo SS’ were used by both Denzel Washington (Training Day) and Samuel L Jackson (Shaft) and I think they got the point across. A Buick GNX would work also. Chuck Norris’ ride in Walker TX Ranger (2nd gen Ram) was pretty fitting as well. I think that Fox body Mustangs have enough street creds to make for a convincing hero’s or bad guys’ ride.
I gotta correct you on one thing, the Monte Carlo Denzel Washington drove in Training Day was a 79, not one of the mid 80s G-body cars. It also wasn’t an SS.
If I remember correctly, one of the later Fast and the Furious movies (I don’t know which one, I only saw the fourth one and that was enough for me) had Vin Diesel’s character drive a Grand National in one scene.
Of course, now that you mention it. I could always watch the first two Blade movies again…
Great answers to the question from Tom. I would add that there were more significant annual or bi-annual styling changes in the 60s. A ’65, ’66, ’68 or even a ’69 could have filled in just fine for the ’67 Chevy in Supernatural. Five distinct designs to choose from whereas there was just one between ’77 and ’81 on the full-sized Chevy.
If you consider that for the last four decades major appearance changes have come once every five years, the 60s had three to five times the number of car designs to choose from. Have a slightly more menacing character to provide a car for? Go for the ’69 Mustang instead of the ’65.
There are relatively fewer cool cars available from the 70s to find and shoot and many of those like the Trans Am got typecast from their overly famous roles.
I wonder which decade had the most cars in starring roles on TV or in the movies. I’m thinking 70s on that one.
It’s the same reason Christmas songs and decorations (save for the uber-creepy Elf on the Shelf) are perpetually stuck in 1964 and why it seems like everywhere west of the East Coast is filled with 1950s ranch houses: The massive expansion of wealth and productivity allowed for massive expansion in consumption. The goods available to consume became iconic because the expansion in productivity also created a massive expansion of leisure time for many, which allowed them to consume the media. The media producers, of course, were consuming whatever products were available as they created so much new content.
The archetypes are formed by those that went first. For much of the media, what went first went in the 1950s and 1960s.
I think they are just stuck in a rut honestly though La La Land did use newer vehicles including a Chevy Corsica. I would like to see newer vehicles being used as well.
Flamboyance.
The answer is that anything made after 1972 is visual rubbish
“What is it with Hollywood and 1960’s Cars?”
This is an easy one: STYLE.
I should have added “Hardtops”, but everyone here knows that about me already!
An interesting point I recall was that in an episode of “CHiPs” in 1981 or 1982 that Chrysler’s K-Cars were prominently used. In one scene, a sedan was shown with the rear glass removed, for in that first year, the rear door windows were fixed!
Of course I cried “foul” at that and had a good laugh!
Whatever the reason is I find it annoying as… well you know what. Being past 60 means these shows aren’t directed towards me at all and consequently I rarely watch any TV anymore. Given that, the cars aren’t used to attract my Baby Boomer attention, because of the fact that the show is innane to begin with. Same goes for current shows using music from the same period. There have always been those who will rip off anything in the name of making money off of it.
Someone may have said it already, but I think many 1960s cars hit a sweet spot of looking decidedly “classic”, boasting distinctive character without the excessiveness of many “overstyled” 1950s cars, and avoiding the general anonymity of most cars from the 1970s and 1980s.
For quite a while now, the 1960’s or early 70’s car (muscle car, to be more precise) has been the mark of a character who’s an ultra-cool rebel. He drives an old car! He doesn’t care how unsafe it is! Or the terrible fuel economy! It’s all about the look, man!
Some movies and TV shows at least try to match the car to the character. “Breaking Bad” in particular did a great job of this. Flashy Lawyer Saul Goodman and his late 90’s Caddy. Old-school tough guy Mike and his ’88 Fifth Avenue. “Hiding in plain sight” Gus Fring – a nondescript 90’s Volvo wagon, naturally. The final showdown with the protagonist in a 1977 Sedan deVille. And of course the famous Aztec. To name a few. No 60’s or 70’s muscle to be seen!
And then they completely fell flat on their face with Saul/Jimmy’s Suzuki Esteem in Better Call Saul. It’s an early-’00s period piece (a prequel to BB) and the Esteem is thoroughly clapped-out despite the fact it would’ve been a newish car at the time.
Check out Angel’s Plymouth GTX convertible. My girlfriend and I have been watching Angel and I always love to see him cruising the streets of Los Angeles in it. Fits his personality pretty well. Although that’s Wesley behind the wheel in the pic.
Short answer, as has been said repeatedly, is that peak styling (for US cars at least) = 1960s.
In 1960, there was still some weird stuff being made, and Mopar continued in this vein for a couple more years, but by 1963, the party was really getting started, and it didn’t end until the early 70s.
“Better Call Saul”, by the same folks that made “Breaking Bad” has an excellent automotive sense. Lots of genuine CCs, from the 70s, 80s and 90s. I couldn’t do better.
Indeed. Was this comment spurred by a recent Better Call Saul episode where a minor character was driving a cherry, seventies’ Chevy Blazer? My first thought when I saw it was, “Man, that would make a great CC”.
Last season Tuco drove a ’70 Pontiac LeMans (may have been a rare GT-37)
One show, Nacho’s cohorts had a cherry ’67 Pontiac 2+2.
Hector drives a mint ’60 Impala 4-door hardtop, the implication being that it was a much coveted item from his youth.
They dropped the ball with Jimmy’s car, though. If the show is set in 2002, that Suzuki would have been almost new, certainly not in that shape.
From what I can gather, the Suzuki Esteem was introduced to the US in 1996. If Better Call Saul is set in 2002, it would have been the final year for a new Esteem and it would be entirely conceivable that Saul is driving an Esteem up to six years old, making the likelihood that it would, indeed, be in rough (but drivable) shape.
The only anachronistic car that stands out to me is Ernie’s Lancer EVO 8 or possibly 9(due to the roof diffusers), which came out in 03 and 05 respectively.
I’ve seen Supernatural a few times and I’ve caught sedans being used as hardtops, so I guess they figure no one will notice. Just like in The Rockford Files, the bad guys driving a beige Monte Carlo would lose a hubcap in a high speed turn, only to have it magically reappear in the next scene. I guess they went back and picked it up…
Chris Carter of X-Files and Millenium fame, must have a thing for old Chevys.
A number of them have appeared in both shows, usually used by creepoid characters. In fact,
the opening credits of the latter show has a close-up of a ’56 Chevy turning off it’s left headlight, obviously up to something nefarious.
In fact, the same black ’66 El Camino turns up in episodes of both series.
I wonder if it’s still around somewhere on the lower mainland.
FWIW I just finished binge watching all 3 seasons of Millenium, which I missed out on back in the day. I liked it just as much as the X-Files.
From what I do know, most of the people adapting the screenplays don’t actually care what car it is. Most of what happens is the writer or storyboarder says classic car and keeps it generic. What also ends up happening is that they specify the type of car, say a ’63 Studebaker Avanti, but the production team can’t find a roller example that’s in the budget. So they find a replacement and disregard the writer or storyboarder. Other times it’s because the car just doesn’t exist in the numbers they need, or if it does it’s not in their budget, and they need a lot because they’re going to crash them. Sometimes it’s just because modifying the car for the set isn’t possible. Most ’60s cars are bare bones with no electronics, so you can drop whatever you need to into it to make it a runner. Nobody’s going to see the interior of the chase car anyways. It’s also easy to get repro body parts for something like a ’67 Mustang fasback, and that way you can swap out pieces to make it look progressively more damaged as shooting goes on. But for something like an AMC Matador you’re shit out of luck. You have to do the damage live, and you can’t reshoot if someone screws up.
I suspect that ‘budget’ is the key word. Imagine how much was set aside for a movie like Christine where a specific car (and many stunt doubles) had to be found.
I wonder what the title is of the person responsible for acquiring vehicles. Frankly, I’d hope they had a good relationship with the producer who would have a much better idea of what they were shooting for. Paul mentioned Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul earlier and I’d be willing to bet that person is much more involved in the production than some others responsible for the cars.
There has always been a fascination for the 1960’s, which is one of the most important decades for humanity. No decade produced more technological or social changes then the 1960’s. If you took a person from 1959 and transported that person to 1970, they would most likely think they were transported 100 years in the future (heck the USA went from the most likely unachievable dream of visiting the moon in 1960 to making it a reality in 1969 (only 9 years later)
The cars were also attractive and a breath of fresh air from the 1950’s. Take the 1961 Lincoln Continental and compare it with a 1961 Deville. Both were new in 1961. The Deville takes a lot of its cues from the 1950’s (fins) while the Continental set the trend for the 1960s (no fins)
Unlike the 1950’s and cars before that, the cars from the 1960’s can still hold up in traffic and have things like front disc brakes, A/C, 3 or 4 speed automatic transmissions and have better rust protection (some of the cars from the 1950’s would rust in a heartbeat.
Having been born in 1977 and growing up in the 1980 and 1990’s I hardly saw a car from the 1950’s being driven except in a parade. However I saw 1960’s cars being daily driven up until the mid 1990s.
Now that I think back, it seems that there was a certain reverence for cars of the 1960’s even in the 1980s when they were just an old car. Watching Knight Rider or A-Team, you see countless 1970s cars being destroyed but not ones from the 1960s.
Good point about rust. It seems like there was a point in the 60s where American automakers got decent at it – no where near modern standards mind you – but in the 70s got worse again, and even worse in the 80s when sheetmetal thickness was reduced.
One time a writer in old magazine, Cars Illustrated*, wrote about seeing the 67 big Chevys the first time in Fall ’66 as a teenager
Was disappointed, saying “they are not made for us anymore”, meaning not sporty for car guys. Also didn’t like the “Chinese Lanterns” on front.
But, shows that time makes things look better with age.
*Famous for naming 1973 GTO their “performance car of the year”. But only with the SD455, which ended up not being offered other than Firebirds.