Cool Cars of ‘THE GREAT RACE’ (1965)

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Nearly 60 years after the actual 1908 New York to Paris race, Warner Bros released ‘The Great Race‘ inspired by the real thing. At a cost of $12 million, it was the most expensive comedy film ever made, and some of that money went to getting really cool, period-correct cars.

To gearheads, the highlight of ‘The Great Race‘ happens early in the film, as the race itself is kicked off in New York City. The cars appearing in the first race scene (clockwise, below) include a 1911 Stanley Steamer driven by Natalie Wood (James Dean’s girlfriend in ‘Rebel Without A Cause‘), a 1912 Ford Model T with brass radiator, a green 1908 Packard Model 30, and a red 1904 Rambler Surrey.

These are the types of cars that competed in the real New York to Paris race; a mixture of American and European machines. Nearly every car is wiped out before the first pit stop, leaving only the two main characters and their cars to compete to the finish.

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The Leslie Special

Apparently director Blake Edwards was inspired by the archetypal characters common in silent movies. So, if there was ever a ‘good guy’ it’s Leslie Gallant III (aka The Great Leslie). Dressed all in white, Tony Curtis (the guy who Stony Curtis from ‘The Flintstones‘ is based on) drives the Leslie Special. It isn’t an actual car, but was loosely based on the 1909 Thomas Flyer. And yes, until 1910 when carbon black was first added to rubber to increase car tires’ longevity, white tires were a real thing.

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The Hannibal Twin-8

Dressed all in black, wearing a cape and a pointy mustache, Professor Fate is the stereotypical bad guy. Played by a young Jack Lemmon (the old guy from ‘Grumpy Old Men‘) the character of Professor Fate would later inspire the animated Dick Dastardly in ‘The Wacky Racers‘ cartoon. His car, the Hannibal 8 isn’t based on anything, but looks like an early horseless carriage. It has all kinds of hidden devices like a cannon in the nose, a smoke screen generator out back and a scissor-lift to escape attacking wildlife. The most insane customization is the rocket powered sidecar. The actual car that Warner Bros. built uses a VW engine and a chain drive to power all four rear wheels.

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Had this movie saved on the PVR for a year and dreaded watching it. Maybe it’s fun for children, but all the over-acting and campy, slapstick humour is just unwatchable for adults .Cannot believe that this movie got nominated for five Academy Awards! The only good thing was the cars!

However, we at Demaras Racing are nothing if not upbeat people. To avoid ending on such a sour note, below we’ve shared an excerpt from a glowing review of ‘The Great Race‘ by Ariette at ‘The Classic Movie Muse‘ who seems to love the film! We’ll defer to her positivity.

5 Reasons Why You Should Watch The Great Race (1965)

A battle of egos, sexes, and wits ensues when an unflappable hero (Tony Curtis), a blundering villain (Jack Lemmon), and a feisty suffragette (Natalie Wood) compete in an adventure filled automobile race from New York to Paris. Ah, the 1960’s…that time in history when movies with ensemble casts, long running times and sizeable budgets ruled the box office. The decade that gave us The V. I. P.’s, How the West Was Won, and It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.

While some films of this category tend to wear out their welcome long before the credits roll, for me The Great Race is an exception. The charm of the film lies in a purposefully overblown quality which allows the viewer to fully immerse themselves in the comedy and the bygone era it so beautifully depicts. Yes, it is long; and no, it’s not a perfect film. But it is worth watching.

The Classic Movie Muse

It is entirely possible that we’re the only cinephiles who didn’t like this film, since it does apparently include ‘the greatest pie fight ever’ if you’re into that sort of silliness.

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