The Car is a 1977 thriller/horror film directed by Elliot Silverstein and written by Michael Butler and Dennis Shryack. It starred James Brolin, Kathleen Lloyd, John Marley, and Ronny Cox. The story is about a mysterious car driven by a murderous, unseen driver.
The movie was produced and distributed by Universal Studios, and was influenced by numerous "road movies" of the 1970's including Steven Spielberg's 1971 thriller Duel and Roger Corman's Death Race 2000 (from 1975). It has also been compared to Spielberg's Jaws, with a car replacing the shark. The film is memorable for its sound effects including the terrifying horn blast the car makes before claiming a victim.
Taglines:
The irresistable force of the modern world races into the immovable object of sleepy village tradition when Charlie roars his supercharged Westfield down the country lanes in The Car, a gentle comedy from Ascalon Films. Frustrated by the apathy of the local police sergeant, Charlie takes the law into his own hands and turns detective after his prized possession is stolen. But Charlie isn't counting on the natives putting a few spanners in the works and the brakes on his plans. Written by Keith Jefferies
There were six Cars built for filming by Barris Kustoms in Lynnwood, California: one main car of steel and five fiberglass replicas. Three replicas were destroyed in the climactic explosion scene and the other two replicas were wrecked in rollovers. The gloss-black main Car is a custom Lincoln Mark III with a locked 4.11 differential (to allow easier spinning), a 460 cubic-inch V8 engine, heavy-duty suspension, roll bar, safety harness, and amber-tinted glass. The top is lowered and the beltline raised. Twelve craftsmen built the main Car in six weeks.
According to a 1977 interview with James Brolin, the working title of the film was "Wheels".
The song Wade is singing before brushing his teeth is "Muleskinner Blues" by The Grateful Dead.
Car cost $84,000.00 to build.
