History
has a way of righting itself when it comes to the arts. Sometimes it
restores clarity and reminds us of the great things out there we had
forgotten and sometimes things are going too well so it’ll regurgitate
something we tried to forget. But there’s usually some sort of balance.

Occasionally something falls through the cracks.

Like the 1988 Monte Carlo SS in film and TV.

I’m not a gearhead per se, but I have a healthy appreciation for cars,
at least as much as the next guy; took a couple of years of auto shop in
high school, the usual.  I dig very much Top Gear
and various car restoration shows on TV.  I can mess around on parts of
a car without getting myself blowed up, at least so far.  My taste in
cars leans more toward the classic rather than the modern.  I’ve owned a
1964 Plymouth Belvedere (unfortunately not the one with the first 426
Hemi), a three-on-the-tree, Slant 6, 225 for 15 years, although it’s
been parked for a year until I come up with the scratch to get it going
again.  About a month ago I got a real thrill when we visited some
friends and I got a ride in a legit ’67 Shelby Mustang that the guy’s
had for almost 30 years.  He’d be the first to tell you that his is a real ’67 Shelby, and not the “bodykit bullshit” in Gone In 60 Seconds.

In terms of movie and TV cars, the ’67 Mustang definitely had a resurgence due to that movie.  I saw a one-off program on Bravo or Discovery about this shop that specializes in only recreating Eleanors for clients, including Super Snakes with upwards of 750 hp.  I’m sure film and car fans all have their favorites, be it the Bullitt Mustang, Supernatural’s ’67 Impala, the General Lee, Magnum’s Ferrari 308 GTS, the Vanishing Point Challenger, the new Challenger, featured on NCIS: LA, new Mustangs, Camaros, what have you.  Toretto’s Charger in The Fast and the Furious made me look twice; I liked xXx’s practical GTO, but not xXx: SOTU’s CGI Cobra. 

Mid-’60s Lincoln Continentals are always welcome; but 1963 – 65 Impalas were used to the point of being cliche in rap videos.  Destroying said classics in film is okay I guess – when its warranted for a spectacular stunt.  But unwarranted destruction, like that blazing end to that late-60s Mustang in Metro that Michael Wincott was driving just comes off as a waste.  Was sorry to see Marion’s 1950 Mercury have a dust up with that boat.

When I was 16, there was a car that really caught my eye.  That was back when I was driving my mom crazy about getting my first car (alas, it ended up being a 1975 Mustang II.  Condolences can be routed through CHUD, thanks.).  This particular car is not my favorite or anything, but whenever I see one on the street that’s been maintained well, I always remember that I wanted one when I was younger yet had no hope of getting one.  When it comes to film and TV, I catch this model occasionally, but nowhere near as often as Camaros, Mustangs, Chargers et al: the Chevy Monte Carlo.  In particular: the 1988 Monte Carlo SS.

Generally, I like a lot of the late-70s to mid-’80s Monte Carlos.  The ’79 whip Denzel had in Training Day was very nice.  Although here in LA, I see way too many that have been perverted with this look: 

Cutlass Supremes from the same period also work for me.  The Internet Movie Cars Database listed only one 1988 SS model in film or TV.  That was a NASCAR auto for the biopic on Dale Earnhardt titled Dale in 2007.  There were more ’85 – ’87 models, and the look is very similar, but 1988 is when I remember really noticing that car and really wanting one.  ’88 was also the last model year for the fourth generation of the model.  I liked the version with the black paint job with the blue trim and I don’t think I’ve ever seen that particular model on film or TV anywhere.  So I think this is a movie car that’s fallen through the cracks.

For everything Monte Carlo, check out www.MonteCarloSS.com

(FYI: Chevy, I can totally be bought with one of these to work in more GM content into the site…)

Suggest another THROUGH THE CRACKS here.