Autoblog

While he's shown a certain flair for historical pieces, we sincerely doubt that Clint Eastwood would forego his formidable film-crafting talent to make a documentary about a mid 1970's Ford that can be had for a dollar per pound. Details are scant, but Warner Brothers has targeted December 2008 as a release date for Gran Torino, which Eastwood both stars in and directs. Eastwood is no stranger to the big Ford - he drove a '72 in Magnum Force, the sequel to Dirty Harry, in which he wheeled a '68 Ford Custom. Despite the title we tend to doubt the movie will be terribly car-centric - who'd want to watch that?

[Source: Variety via Inside Line]

There was a Robocop 3? Apparently so, it even had theatrical release, but it should have gone directly to video. The most memorable thing from the Robocop franchise, at least for us, were the Taurus police cars. They featured prominently in all of the installments, 3 included. Now for those of us who had the AMT/Ertl kit (I had the SHO cop car, not the Robo 1), you can pick up the real thing. This isn't just a hand-me-down Taurus that got a rattlecan paintjob, either, but the last surviving automotive cast member from the final installment.

A longing for the movie and TV icon cars of the 1980s seems to be a common dork affliction – witness the fact you can buy flux capacitors and KITT, uh, kits. It takes a special breed to consider spending more on this '88 Taurus than it likely cost new. If you have no problem dropping $20,000 of today's dollars on yesterday's prop, the Volo Auto Museum has your ride. The car is fully documented and carries a George Barris signature (George seems to have signed any and everything...) and several other prop items. There's even a Robocop suit for an extra three grand if you want to go all-out.

[Source: Hemmings]

UPDATE: Don't fret all you Steve McQueen fans. After reading our post, Ford got in touch Brad Pitt's management, who don't know anything about the remake or Pitt's involvement. The credibility of this rumor's source, Monsters and Critics, was also called into question. Still, with all the positive buzz GM has earned for its involvement with Transformers, you'd think Ford would be all over a remake the stars Brad Pitt next to a recently released Bullitt Mustang.

Not unlike the retro styling and resurrection of old nameplates sweeping the car industry, some film critics bemoan the lack of originality inherent in the Hollywood trend of remaking old films, while others relish the opportunity to refresh classics for younger generations. One way or another, the latest Hollywood announcement has us frothing at the mouth, as the green-light has been given to start production on a remake of the most iconic of gearhead films of all time: the Steve McQueen classic "Bullitt".

Endeavoring to fill the legendary McQueen's pedals will be none other than Brad Pitt, who will take on the role of Lt. Frank Bullitt of the San Francisco Police Department, hunting down the hitman who killed his fellow officers. Pitt's co-stars have not yet been announced, but with the anticipated launch of the new Bullitt Mustang, the smart product-placement money would be on its inclusion in the new movie along with the Dodge Charger R/T, the two cars that made the famous race scene in the original.

This should be interesting.

[Source: Monsters and Critics via Mustangblog]

Hybrids, especially the Prius, have become the automotive equivalent of a teacup chihuahua to Hollyweird stars. No doubt the public viewings and statements by thespians have raised public awareness of Toyota's green-tinged offerings. The campaign of bringing Toyota Hybrids to the stars has been a clever bit of stealth marketing by the Environmental Media Association. What better way to quickly make a hybrid a desireable item than to equip media figures with the vehicles, adding an air of "sexy" to vehicles that wouldn't be considered conventionally attractive. It's definitely been an effective way to boost the cachet of the hybrid, and we gather that celebrities love to be stroked and told how good they are. The cynical side of us says "follow the money." We're waiting for the big Tinseltown push for keeping old cars going, thus avoiding the raw material, energy, and toxic materials hit that a new car creates. We won't be holding our breath.

[Source: CNN]

Last month, a celebration was held for George Barris, the octogenarian car customizer who created the original Batmobile. At his shop in North Hollywood, in addition to the Batmobile, was a DeLorean from Back to the Future, a General Lee, K.I.T.T., and a Monkeemobile from "The Monkees" sitcom. Problem is, he didn't create those last three cars. Universal Studios, who did the Back to the Future films, and the creators of the other cars want the world to know that.

Barris says he has never claimed credit for those other cars. He did, however, have something to do with various versions of some of those cars. Show cars come in four flavors: hero cars are for photographs, stunt cars are for chases and crashes, promotional cars only do the publicity circuit and replica cars are built by private owners. Barris didn't have anything to do with creating or building the Back to the Future DeLorean, but he did create a replica car and he did "clean up" a stunt car for Universal. He is also credited for "modifications" to the General Lee. And he built the Ecto-1 promotional car for Ghostbusters. Universal says that displaying cars like that in front of his shop and on his web site is tantamount to mispresentation. Whether displaying means taking credit for is up to interpretation, but when asked, Barris stated plainly, "I didn't work on the show and I've never said I did."

Thanks for the tip, Jim!

[Source: LA Times]

Because they're such stellar role models with cutting, well-educated insight on all matters, we should follow the lead of our favorite television and movie characters when on the road. We've been so impressed by the well-informed and thoroughly considered stances that many movie and television stars have taken that we hang on their every word, awaiting the eventual revelation of the meaning of life. They're on TV, so they must know, you know? That Ed Begley, what an automotive authority he is. Who hasn't wanted to emulate the drunk starlet as she cruises through life thouroughly self-absorbed? Sarcasm aside, UK-based Motorists' Forum is suggesting the use of television and movie stars, as well as atheletes, to deliver positive messages about road safety.

The premise is that sports figures and popular characters are so well known in people's homes that they're almost like surrogate family members. Because of the familiarity, the feeling is people will pay attention to an embedded message about driving respectfully and raise awareness of poor and antisocial driving practices. They go on to link criminality to seriously bad driving and suggest rewarding responsible behavior behind the wheel. We don't know why, but suggesting we look to people who are yessed to death and insulated from the real world for cues on how to behave in the real world doesn't impress us. We Autobloggers have always been self-thinkers, though. For those that don't see the problem in looking to unqualified, well-known stars for life tips, we can't help you. Babies outgrow spoonfeeding quickly, there's no need for adults to return to the practice.

[Source: Motorists Forum via AutoExpress]

What actor is bigger in Hollywood right now than the automobile? Pixar's hit CARS was full of them, James Bond was hardly ever seen without one, and today marks the release of Will Ferrell's octane-fueled Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Now you can add Citroen to the long list of car film credits. The French automaker worked on a new animated movie called Renaissance: Paris 2054 to design a futuristic Citroen in which the film's lead character, played by new Bond boy Daniel Craig, could fight the oppressive power of a corporate-driven government. While the plot may sound a little worn, the trailer for the flick is pretty cool. The film is the silver screen debut for a purpose built Citroen, and it will be hitting theaters elsewhere around the world in two weeks.

[Source: Inside Line]

We're willing to bet that more than a few Autoblog regulars have made use of The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) to keep tabs on their favorite star, or answer trivia questions like 'Who was the voice of Jazz in the Transformers Movie?' (A: Scatman Crothers).

But how many of you know about IMCDb - Internet Movie Car Data Base? The website chronicles the use of automobiles in movies of all ages and genres, and it's a fun and occasionally useful tool. Available in English, French and German, IMCDb boasts entries for a good number of vehicles used in films originating outside of Hollywood, as well as a large number of lesser-known marques like Hotchkiss and Innocenti. Well-organized with a powerful search utility that allows searches by manufacturer, vehicle type or film title, the massive database offers thousands of screen captures and allows users to participate by identifying 'mystery' vehicles.

'What Would Lindsay Lohan Drive?' Wonder no more.

[Sources: IMCDb; IMDB]

Thrill-seekers and theme park junkies, take note -- Volkswagen has signed a deal with Universal Studios to include the Touareg in its "psychological thrill" park ride, "The Revenge of the Mummy," at its Hollywood and Orlando theme parks. Based on the movie of the same name, "The Revenge of the Mummy" begins as a cloth-wrapped Touareg stops to pick up passengers, then embarks upon a wild ride involving scary mummified creatures, gross bugs and big explosions. Sounds like fun to us.

[Via German Car Blog]