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There was truly a time again when MTV performed music movies. Bear in mind these? At one level, music movies made songs hit the billboards (not TikTok) and even outlined our kinds and tradition. The artists who determined to place vehicles of their music movies additionally outlined how we drove. These automobiles would typically change into part of popular culture, making us crave retro cool and midnight drives or over-the-top supercar celebrations.
Let’s make a journey down reminiscence lane and revisit the vehicles that turned larger stars than the artists driving them. Again when the “M” in MTV truly stood for music.
1957 Chevrolet Bel Air From Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”
Let’s begin with the granddaddy of all music video automotive appearances. That attractive ’57 Bel Air convertible didn’t simply cruise into “Thriller” – it virtually drove the entire opening sequence dwelling. And sure, earlier than you ask, it was the actual deal: a 283 cubic inch V8, Powerglide automated, and people iconic tail fins that might double as small plane wings.
Michael Jackson knew what he was doing when he picked this automotive. The ’57 Bel Air was already America’s sweetheart by 1983, twenty-six years after rolling off the meeting line in Kansas Metropolis. With its 150-horsepower small block and that particular “Motoramic” styling, it was the proper experience for a moonwalk into horror historical past.
The manufacturing staff needed to search excessive and low to discover a convertible in that situation. Most ’57 Bel Air ragtops had both rusted away or had been tucked safely in storage queens’ collections. Discovering one keen to courageous fog machines and zombie extras? That took some critical Hollywood magic.
The automotive’s look lasted simply over two minutes, but it surely created a connection between traditional American iron and the King of Pop that also offers us chills immediately. Each time somebody fires up a classic small block at a cruise evening, there’s a little bit little bit of “Thriller” in that rumble.
Ferrari F355 GTS, Lamborghini Diablo SE30, and Ferrari F40 From Jamiroquai’s “Cosmic Woman”
Now we’re speaking critical horsepower. Jamiroquai’s “Cosmic Woman” staged a million-dollar automotive ballet throughout Spanish highways. Let’s break down this trifecta of Nineteen Nineties supercar perfection:
The Ferrari F355 GTS introduced 375 horsepower from its naturally-aspirated 3.5-liter V8, hitting 60 mph in 4.6 seconds. Which may sound tame by immediately’s requirements, however in 1996, it was correctly fast. The F355 was Ferrari’s first manufacturing automotive with 5 valves per cylinder – therefore the “5” within the title – and it seemed like angels gargling premium unleaded.
The Lamborghini Diablo SE30 (Particular Version thirtieth Anniversary) was the psycho member of this trio. With 525 horsepower from its 5.7-liter V12 and rear-wheel drive solely, it was about as civilized as a caffeinated honey badger. Solely 150 had been made, making it rarer than a parking spot at Barrett-Jackson. That purple paint job wasn’t inventory – Lamborghini known as it “Viola Metallic,” and it was a $30,000 choice again then. Thirty grand for purple paint. Let that sink in.
The Ferrari F40 wants no introduction amongst gearheads. With its twin-turbo 2.9-liter V8 producing 478 horsepower, it was the final Ferrari personally permitted by Enzo himself. No energy steering, no ABS, no air-con: simply you, 2,425 kilos of carbon fiber and metal, and sufficient turbo lag to put in writing a rustic music about.
Jay Kay truly drove these vehicles. The person had critical expertise behind the wheel, which explains why he didn’t wrap any of those priceless machines round Spanish guardrails. The video price extra to insure than most individuals’s homes, however the end result was automotive poetry in movement.
1969 Chevrolet Camaro, Dodge Coronet, and Chevrolet El Camino From Gorillaz’ “Stylo”
Depart it to a cartoon band to create one of the life like automotive chase scenes in music video historical past. Gorillaz’s “Stylo” blended animation with live-action and threw in sufficient American muscle to make your native Mopar membership jealous.
The 1969 Camaro was the star of the present, painted in a stunning deep blue that appeared like midnight with an angle downside. ’69 was the final 12 months of the first-generation Camaro, and by then, Chevy had labored out a lot of the bugs from the rushed 1967 launch. With choices starting from the economical 230 cubic inch six-cylinder all the best way as much as the legendary 427 large block, this was the height pony automotive period.
The Dodge Coronet police cruiser introduced that traditional legislation enforcement presence that each good chase scene wants. Seemingly packing a 440 cubic inch V8 – the usual police package deal powerplant – it had sufficient torque to chase down absolutely anything Detroit was producing in 1969. Enjoyable truth: Actual police departments beloved Coronets as a result of they had been cheaper than Plymouth Furys however simply as powerful.
Bruce Willis’s Chevrolet El Camino was the wild card. Half automotive, half truck, all enterprise – the El Camino was GM’s reply to Ford’s Ranchero, although most people agreed Chevy did it higher. With the identical engine choices because the Chevelle, together with the earth-moving 454 LS6, an El Camino may haul your boat on Saturday and smoke sports activities vehicles on Sunday.
The desert chase sequence was filmed in California; each engine observe was actual. No CGI V8 sounds right here – simply correct American iron doing what it does greatest.
Lamborghini Countach From Muse’s “The Darkish Aspect”
Matt Bellamy cruising via neon landscapes in a white Lamborghini Countach? That’s not only a music video – that’s a teenage bed room poster come to life. The Countach was already a legend by the point Muse filmed “The Darkish Aspect,” however this video reminded everybody why scissor doorways and wedge-shaped supercars by no means exit of favor.
The Countach featured within the video seems to be a later mannequin: probably a twenty fifth Anniversary version based mostly on the physique particulars seen within the photographs. That will imply 455 horsepower from a naturally-aspirated 5.2-liter V12 that redlined at 7,000 rpm and sounded just like the automotive gods clearing their throats.
Right here’s the factor about Countachs that each poster child realized the arduous method: they had been completely horrible to drive. The home windows barely went down, the visibility was like wanting via a mail slot, and parking one required a level in spatial geometry. However none of that mattered when these doorways swung up and that V12 fired to life. Pure theater on wheels.
The white paint job was excellent for the video’s neon aesthetic, and people iconic angular traces appeared simply as futuristic in 2013 as they did in 1974. Some designs are timeless – the Countach is one among them.
Ford Mustang Bullitt From Kanye West’s “Flashing Lights”
Kanye West’s “Flashing Lights” opened with a Ford Mustang Bullitt sitting nonetheless within the desert, and in some way made that extra dramatic than most chase scenes. This wasn’t simply any Mustang – it was Ford’s tribute to Steve McQueen and the best automotive chase in film historical past.
Ford launched the Bullitt version in 2001, based mostly on the GT with some critical upgrades. The 4.6-liter V8 was tweaked to provide 265 horsepower (15 greater than the usual GT), and it got here with a novel exhaust system that mimicked the sound of McQueen’s ’68 Fastback. They even eliminated the rear spoiler and added particular wheels to match the unique film automotive.
The Bullitt wasn’t the quickest Mustang you could possibly purchase – that honor went to the Cobra – but it surely had one thing extra helpful: soul. Ford solely made 5,582 of them within the first run, making them on the spot collectibles. The Highland Inexperienced paint was the star of the present, although the video automotive seems to be Darkish Highland Inexperienced, a barely completely different shade that appeared excellent below desert twilight.
What made this video memorable wasn’t the automotive doing burnouts or racing via visitors. As a substitute, it sat there like a affected person predator, letting the story construct round it. Typically essentially the most highly effective factor a automotive can do is completely nothing.
When the Music Stopped, the Engines Stored Operating
These movies show that the precise automotive on the proper second can change into as iconic because the music itself. Whether or not it’s Michael Jackson’s romantic cruise turning right into a horror present, or Bruce Willis showing in an El Camino like some sort of automotive cavalry, these machines earned their place in popular culture historical past the arduous method.
Right this moment’s music movies rely extra on CGI than chrome, however these classics remind us why nothing beats the actual factor. Iron, metal, and gasoline will at all times have extra soul than pixels and processors. These vehicles helped write the soundtrack to our automotive desires.
And the most effective half? Most of those rides are nonetheless on the market, nonetheless working, nonetheless turning heads at automotive exhibits and cruise nights. As a result of whereas the music might fade, good metal is endlessly.
