We’ve rounded up a few of the pony car’s appearances that the casual movie fan might have missed. Most of the performances were crucial to the plot, but a few were simply intriguing window dressing that made us sit up and say, “Hey, wait a minute. What exactly are they driving?”
1. 1965 Ford Mustang in “Lock Up”
Stallone’s sole joy in this particular hell-hole is a 1965 Ford Mustang (dubbed Maybelline), which he restores in the prison shop with another prisoner improbably named First-Base.
There are plenty of scenes of Sly & co. wrenching on the red stallion, but the set piece of the film comes when First-Base fires up the car and goes on a joyride through the prison yard, ultimately leading to the car being violently destroyed in front of Stallone’s eyes by the warden’s inmate cronies.
The movie has become a staple of late-night cable channels, and features a score by Bill Conti, who also wrote the iconic music for the film “Rocky.”
2. 2007 Ford Shelby GT500 in “I Am Legend”
The post-apocalypse flick “I Am Legend” straddled the border between plausible and over-the-top as main character Will Smith, perhaps the only human left alive, goes on a tear through New York City in a bright red Shelby GT500 (complete with double racing stripes).
Fun fact: The car was involved in a number of stunts that weren’t all that gentle on its mechanicals, forcing the production crew to scramble for standard Mustang parts that they could stuff into the GT500—specifically, a radiator and rad support—in order to keep filming.
3. 1968 Shelby GT500 Off-Roader in “The Thomas Crowne Affair”
This is more of a cameo than a speaking part, but the late-’90s remake of Steve McQueen’s “The Thomas Crown Affair” sees the titular art thief (played by Pierce Brosnan) driving through an island paradise behind the wheel of a ’68 Shelby GT500 convertible that’s been given some intriguing upgrades.
In particular, the vehicle sports a raised suspension, flared fenders, off-road lights mounted both in front of the grille and on its roll-bar, and a spare tire strapped to the top of the trunk lid. Oh, and the doors are welded shut.
4. 2002 Saleen S281 Mustang in “Hollywood Homicide”
What were we saying earlier about Ford pushing its cars into theaters? “Hollywood Homicide” made the unusual choice of pairing Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett as two detectives investigating a murder in, you guessed it, Tinseltown. Halfway through the movie, this particular S281 makes its grand appearance and is subsequently tapped to pull chase duty when the bad guys get a little too close for comfort.
The “New Edge” Mustang was rarely celebrated in celluloid form, so this Saleen’s starring role serves as a fitting tribute to a popular car. Purchased by the Barris Motor Car Collection, it later sold for a mere $20,000 at a Bonham’s auction—a pittance to own leather seats once graced by the twin butts of Ford and Hartnett.
5. “2015” Ford Mustang in “Back To The Future Part II”
Blink and you’ll miss it, but by far the weirdest movie Mustang to have ever hit the silver screen appears in “Back To The Future Part II.” Outfitted with perhaps the worst body kit ever devised, from its enormous whale-wing to its hideous full-wheel covers, this Fox body convertible gets meta in front of a movie theater showing “Jaws 19” in the year 2015.
