The Story Behind The Original 1974 'Gone In 60 Seconds' Movie (2024)

The 1970s were all about shaved heads, fast muscle cars, strange fashion trends, and punk. Before Netflix, HBO, and subscription models, this was the era of Blockbuster movies and Hollywood super productions, when people still went to the movies to watch films and eat popcorn. Some of the best movies of all time came from that age: Love Story, The Godfather, Jaws, and the original Gone in 60 Seconds.

H.B. Halicki and Marion Busia played the key roles in the 1974 action film instead of Angelina Jolie and Nicolas Cage, who both starred in the 2000 remake. Those who are familiar with the 2000 production will be a little shocked to learn that it is a knockoff of the 1974 blockbuster, sharing the same action-packed story. The idea of stealing various fancy automobiles in a couple of days and the burglar serving as the plot's protagonist are the same in both films, but there are also some notable differences. For instance, Halicki made his directorial debut, performed the lead role, and contributed his own funds to the making of the first film. Despite Halicki’s major efforts, the focus of the film was not on him, but on the expensive cars featured in the movie, particularly, the leading lady of the film – the 1973 Ford “Eleanor” Mustang. So, here is the real story behind the original Gone in 60 Seconds.

Related: Everything You Need To Know About The Eleanor Ford Mustang From Gone In 60 Seconds

The Cars Stolen In The Movie

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Gone in 60 Seconds | Rotten TomatoesGone in 60 Seconds (1974)

This action movie gives the impression that Halicki decided to create the most insane car chase sequences and stunts, just to focus on some of the most spectacular cars in Hollywood. Even so, selecting 48 cult automobiles and renaming them with popular female names isn’t an effortless task. However, production did a fantastic job when they selected the cars that got stolen by the group of thieves.

The film featured a vast collection of cars including several Cadillac Fleetwood 75s from various years (1972,1973 and 1974), two Cadillac Fleetwood Seventy-Five models (1971 and 1972), two Cadillac Coupe DeVilles (1973, 1974), a 1973 Cadillac Fleetwood Station Wagon, two Cadillac Eldorados (1971, 1973), Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow (1970, 1971), Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II and III, a 1924 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost, a 1959 Rolls-Royce Phantom V, a 1972 Lincoln Continental, a 1974 Lincoln Continental Mark IV, a 1971 Citroën SM, a 1971 Ford “Big Oly” Bronco, a 1971 Freightliner WFT 6364, a 1971 Chevrolet Vega, two Chevrolet Corvette Stingray (1969 and 1971), a 1927 Citroën B14 Conduite, a 1974 Manta Mirage, a 1968 Intermeccanica Italia, a 1953 Chrysler Coupe Elegance, two Stutz Blackhawk (1972 and 1973), a 1972 Plymouth Barracuda, a 1973 Jensen Interceptor, a 1969 De Tomaso Mangusta and another 1971 De Tomaso Pantera, a 1966 Lotus Europa S1, a 1972 Mercedes-Benz 450SE, and a 1957 Mercedes-Benz 300SL. And if they weren't enough these spectacular vehicles also starred — the 1970 Jaguar E-Type, 1967 Lamborghini Miura, three Ferrari (1972 Daytona 365 GTB/4, 1962 340 America and 1949 Ferrari V12), a 1972 Maserati Ghibli Coupe and of course, the star of the movie, the 1973 Ford “Eleanor” Mustang.

The Original “Eleanor” Mustang

The bright yellow 1973 Ford “Eleanor” Mustang is already a legend in the automotive industry, and Driving Line even crowned it “the greatest movie Mustang of all time.” As HotCars contributor Arun Singh Pundir points out, “Eleanor” was actually meant to “be a 1973 Mach I model in the 1974-movieGone in 60 Seconds, but in truth was a decked-up 1971 model.”

Halicki bought the car in 1971 and revamped it to look like a 1973 Mustang. He also added a NASCAR-style roll cage, double strength Simpson shoulder harness, a seat belt and deadbolt door locks. In order to have a better view of the insane automobile chases, production also mounted a camera on the rear seat. Elsewhere, Eleanor received electric kill switches and a first aid kit, according to Waimak Classic Cars. Probably the most interesting aspect about “Eleanor” is that she had ten more “sister” cars. Halicki built 11 “original” cars for the movie, with five of them ending up in the production.

Related: 10 Cars Nicolas Cage Never Should Have Boosted (And 10 Gone In 60 Seconds Stars)

Real Accidents That Made The Movie Even More Thrilling

The entire movie was about dangerous car chases and crazy driving skills, so it is hardly surprising that several accidents occurred. In fact, there were 93 car accidents in total, according to IMDb. For instance, a dangerous accident occurred when “Eleanor” was rear-ended by a Cadillac Eldorado on the exit from the freeway and spun into a light pole at 100 miles per hour. Another alarming mishap took place in the scene at the construction area, where “Eleanor” gets surrounded, and a patrol car accelerates up the hill in pursuit and flips. And the fact that J. C. Agajanian Jr. nearly got hit when Halicki missed his breaking point made the filming of the movie even more perilous.