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When it comes to iconic cars, few are more recognizable than the Ford Mustang.
Originally introduced to the American public on April 17th, 1964 at the World’s Fair in New York City, the car was already making it’s screen debut a mere two days later, with simultaneous advertising spots on all three major networks. Just five months later, the new car went to Hollywood, where it made an appearance with Sean Connery in the movie Goldfinger.

Ford’s aggressive promotion of this sleek, speedy car, along with a sticker price of under $2,400, meant that it was an affordable option for many filmmakers, even outside the James Bond franchise. An informal count gives us at least 24 distinct appearances of the Mustang in various movies, and there are a handful of television appearances as well, but of those twenty four, there are about five where the ‘Stang really shines.

They are:
The Princess Diaries: Proof that even a modern young woman can appreciate a classic car. Who can forget the sight of Princess Mia parked on a San Francisco hill, drenched and forlorn, huddled in the back of the car her best friend’s brother had restored for her.

Gone In Sixty Seconds: Although both versions of this movie were excellent, the 2000 remake is probably a better production, even if it doesn’t have the cult status of the 1974 original. Even so, who can resist the appeal of the daunting task laid out for our characters: steal 50 exotic cars in a single night? Moreover, who could ever forget the elusive Eleanor?

The Bond Movies: We already discussed Goldfinger above, but the Ford Mustang was featured in Thunderball and Diamonds are Forever as well, and each appearance only enhanced the sex appeal of the powerful performance car.

The French Connection: The chase scene in this film lacks sound, but it’s compelling nevertheless, and some say it’s better produced as well. An interesting bit of trivia is that Steve McQueen was offered a role in this film – and turned it down.

Bullitt: What doesn’t this film have? It’s got a chase scene that is one of the best such scenes of all time, the ultimate Mustang, and Steve McQueen driving it. This film is the epitome of Mustang movies – so much so that Ford actually released a modern Bullitt Mustang in tribute to the original, and even used recordings of the car sounds from the movie to design the engine sounds of the current model.

From chick flicks to car thieves, and from Bond to Bullitt there’s no doubt that the Ford Mustang isn’t just one of the most iconic American muscle cars, it’s the star of every show. Who knows? Maybe one day the Mustang will even get its own star on Hollywood’s “Walk of Fame.”

Metal Heart from Keith Loutit on Vimeo.

1964 Malibu SS

I recently picked up a Panasonic sd-9 HD camcorder and figured since I have never made a short about my malibu, it was about time to do so. I filmed the car in my driveway and around my neighborhood, pulled the footage into iMovie, did some edits and added some music. All said, it took me about 3 hours to make this movie.

My Friend Cameron photoshopped up the new Hyundai coupe. Not half bad looking. Too bad they don’t come like this from the factory.

I went to Bob’s Big Boy down in Toluca Lake, California with my wife and mother in-law to take in a few burgers and the famous car show and came across the coolest Bel Air I have ever laid eyes upon. Typically I am not that impressed by anything I see at Bob’s, but this was amazing. Look at the detail on the front bumper. The time was taken to section and re-weld the stock bumper into an airdam, and I for one, find the results to be quite impressive. The windshield declares LS7 lurks below the bonnet, and I would see the 6-speed in the cockpit. Not a bad way to keep things moving, especially if that 620HP is not an exaggeration. I also love that decklid spoiler and faded paint on the car. This is a similar style to that I went after with my 1964 Malibu SS, but I was a bit more Lowrider/NASCAR fusion, and this is Rockabilly/NASCAR fusion. Anyhow, I loved the car, enjoy the pics.

EVS Motors Presents The Worlds First and Only 2JZ

I think the 2JZ sounds decent, but it certainly does not beat the sound of a 900hp v8. I got to give credit to the guys that put this car together, it looks well built and it certainly is unique.

88 Grand Marquis Crushed!!!

Just think, this car managed to survive nearly 20 years before it was unloved enough to meets its’ fate at the jaws of an auto wrecker. I wonder how many cars are dismantled on an average day around the world. I also wonder how many of those cars are probably still usable, just unloved. Maybe we need to hold on to our cars a bit longer, and reduce production of new ones. I know my 1990 Mustang and 1993 Lexus still have another 10-15 good years in them. Hotrodding, not all about going fast, sometimes about loving old things and keeping them running.

Toyota Corollas and Honda Civics have become used car gold. Excursions and Tahoes are lepers, sent to live apart from society. As someone who has owned and driven vehicles on both sides of the fuel economy scale, I wanted to spend some time and do a breakdown of actual fuel savings yielded by switching from a Tahoe to a Civic.

First, I used www.fueleconomy.gov to get the combined mileage for both vehicles. The Civic with auto transmission gets 29 MPG compared to the Tahoe that gets 16. If we assume that you drive 10,000 miles per year at $4.25 a gallon, switching from the Tahoe to the Civic will save you $1200 in fuel. In order to achieve this same saving by simply reducing use, you would have to drive the Tahoe only 5,500 miles per year.

Now since fuel economy is only a portion of a vehicles cost, lets take a look at the price for a used Civic and Tahoe on Craigslist, lets say a 2004 with around 50,000 miles on the clock. As of August 14th, 2008 the Civic will cost you around $14,000, the Tahoe has a bit more of a range, but 13-16k is pretty common. I think it is safe to call this one a tie, as shopping around for either car could yield a similar deal.

You get a lot more vehicle with the Tahoe, but the Civic will save you $1200 a year. Now the question becomes, are you ok with packing the family into the Honda and heading down to the river?

For me I think the choice is clear, figure out how to drive fewer miles and get the Tahoe so I can tow my racecar in comfort!