Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Eleanor on the Block: Authentic Hero Mustang from Gone in 60 Seconds Heads to Auction

The 2000 remake of 1974′s Gone in 60 Seconds may not have been one of recent history's highest cinematic achievements, but it did make an enduring star out of one of its cast members. No, we're not talking about Nicholas Cage, Angelina Jolie, or Giovanni Ribisi. We're talking about the remade "Eleanor," the modern movie's heavily-customized 1967 Mustang that Cage's character Memphis Raines obsesses over, chases, and finally nabs. Now you can nab it to—or at least, one of three Mustangs used in character scenes of the movie, which Mecum will send across the auction block in December.

Eleanor Mustang

Eleven 1967 Mustangs were built for the movie shoot, but the item up for auction is one of only three "hero cars," vehicles used in scenes involving cast members (the other eight were used as set pieces or piloted by stunt drivers). The auction doesn't specifically state which star or stars graced this Eleanor with their presence, but it does promise a letter of authenticity signed by Ray Claridge of Cinema Vehicle Services, the company that built the car.

Eleanor Mustang

Despite being a movie car, this star of the screen's beauty isn't just skin deep. The Steve Stanford–designed exterior, with its silver and charcoal paint, big-inch Halibrand-style wheels, and trademark front bumper and driving lights, includes some serious mechanical upgrades. Powered by a Ford Racing 351 crate engine with a four-barrel Holley carb, the car runs four-wheel disc brakes, a limited-slip differential, additional chassis bracing, and those oft-imitated fared-in side pipes—which were actually added to this car after filming completed.

Eleanor Mustang

So what will Eleanor demand when she crosses the auction block next month? Nobody knows, of course, but last summer Mecum dropped the hammer on another Gone in 60 Seconds Eleanor at $1 million. That car had the benefit of verified Nic Cage screentime to boost its price, though. Still, you can bet that this hero car will command way more than what a faithful clone would fetch on the market. That's just the price of fame.



from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/nSHy27

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