Gone In 60 Seconds – The famed Eleanor Movie Car To Go Under The Hammer

One of the most famous movie cars in the world is to be sold by COYS the international car auctioneers at the Autosport International show in Birmingham on Saturday January 14th and it could go for as much as £100,000.

The star of the 1974 film ‘Gone in 60 Seconds’ was undoubtedly the 1973 Ford Mustang Mach 1 named Eleanor. When the producers of the 2000 remake were looking for a car to feature in a climactic chase sequence, another mustang was the natural choice. In order to stand out amongst the array of exotic sports cars also featuring in the movie, it was decided that the Mustang would need to be something special.

Famed Hot Rod illustrator Steve Stanford was enlisted to create a 1967 Mustang GT500 and former Boyd Coddington designer Chip Foose was hired by the production company to turn Stanford’s work into a reality.

Working from Stanford’s drawings with Ray Claridge of Cinema Vehicle Services in North Hollywood, wings with new wider wheel arches, a bonnet with a prominent bulge, a deep front valance and side skirts and a spoiler incorporated into the boot lid were designed. PIAA lights were installed in both the nose and tail and a distinctive billet grille was specified. The Schmidt 17×8-inch wheels that finish off the cars external appearance were sourced while the interior was kept as a standard Shelby interior with a monster tachometer and a subtle roll hoop.

Twelve cars were built in total, five of which were stunt cars that didn’t survive the filming. The car being sold is one of the very small number that remain.

More specifically, this is one of the three ‘hero’ cars, built not just to be functional but also to be used for scenes involving the actors themselves. Designated number 7, this actual car would have been used for driving shots or, with a camera mounted, for dialogue or interior action shots featuring the actors.