Without James Dean’s groundbreaking performance, maybe the 1955 film ‘Rebel Without A Cause‘ would have been just another ‘Hot Rod / JD’ flick. Movies like 1955’s ‘Running Wild‘ and 1958’s ‘High School Confidential‘ focused on urban youth from the wrong side of the tracks. But ‘Rebel Without A Cause‘ presented clean-cut, suburban kids from wealthy families as juvenile delinquents too-taking part in risky behavior like knife fights and drag racing for kicks. Many movie buffs call ‘Rebel Without A Cause‘ the quintessential coming-of-age movie about teenaged angst, but we call it classic car cinema.
Jim Stark’s 1949 Mercury Club Coupe
Troubled teen Jim Stark’s 1949 Mercury was a mild custom, common in the L.A. car scene of the mid-50s. Long, low and wide, the Mercury had a 2½” chopped top lowering the roof line, and slammed suspension for a low-slung look. The dark blue paint gave the car a sinister look, emphasized by shaving the car of its chrome trim, badges and hood ornament for a sleek look. Lights were recessed (or ‘Frenched’ in) and a big toothy grille was installed. The Merc rolled on more modern wide whitewall tires. These were common modifications to a ‘lead sled’ of the era, and communicated the rebellious nature of its driver.
Buzz’s 1949 Ford Custom Convertible
Local tough-guy Buzz Gunderson drove a 1949 Ford Custom convertible, sometimes called a “single spinner” due to the aircraft-propeller inspired grille centre. The car is only mildly customized, with fender skirts covering the rear wheels, and big chrome overriders on the front and rear bumpers. Big chrome spears on the side of the black car, and the red interior, makes the Ford louder and flashier than Jim’s Mercury. As a convertible, it’s a more exposed and attention-grabbing vehicle, ideal for a suburban gang leader.
Chickie Run 1946 Ford & 1941 Chevy
The iconic moment in the movie is the ‘chickie run’ where Jim Stark and Buzz Gunderson drag race to the edge of a cliff to prove who’s brave, and who’s a chicken. They don’t use their own cars, but rather, worthless beaters the gang stole. Jim Stark drives a worn out 1946 Ford, which at the time of filming would already have been a crappy 9-year-old economy car. Borderline junk, this car would have been built right after WWII, and was already dated by the mid-’50s. Buzz’s 1941 Chevy was even worse! A clapped-out, 14-year-old car with a prewar design; an upright radiator and separate fenders look so much older than Buzz’s sleek ‘shoebox’ Ford. These cars weren’t classics, just junk from the old days. Kind of sad that Buzz dies such a horrible death, but at least he didn’t wreck his cool convertible!
Late Models, Roadsters, and Hot Rods
The scene at the cliff, before the chickie run, gives a glimpse into what car meets looked like in mid-50s southern California. Those background cars as interesting as Jim and Buzz’s. Some pf the rich kids from affluent families were driving new cars with personalization like whitewalls or chrome trim, like the 1955 Ford Customline in the background. But the real gearheads drove pre-war hot rods like the chopped and sectioned 1940 Ford DeLuxe Coupe in red oxide paint, or that primer black 1932 Ford Model B Roadster with the cut-down windshield.