What’s the big deal about a ’67 Mustang with a crate motor? Well, OK, this one, Eleanor, did appear in the 2000 Nicolas Cage movie Gone in 60 Seconds which did single-handedly spawn a cottage industry making Elanor clones. In fact, that movie might have elevated the value of all 1967 Mustang fastbacks. Of a handful of cars (some just shells) built for the movie, three survived filming and sold to the public. Here we see one of the three “Hero Cars,” known affectionately as #7. Today it graces the showroom here at ChromeCars in Laasdorf, Germany. No price is listed, though the Hero Cars have traded between a quarter-million and one million USD. Perhaps, as the saying goes, “if you have to ask, you can’t afford it”.
Current pictures on the fabulous ChromeCars website are mostly artistic, but here’s an interior shot. Text on the web site is German-only, but even if your secondary languages are “Street” and/or “Southern,” take a look for the eye candy. Hagerty featured another Hero Eleanor, and we could expect this one looks similar. The 351 cid (5.8L) crate motor makes 400 HP. A local engine builder once told me “Everyone says they have a 400 HP 351,” however it is possible. Armed with an ancient analog dynamometer upgraded with modern software, plus porting genius and patience, my colleague can deliver a 400 HP budget 351 W in less than a week without costly power-adders or aluminum heads.
Purists may lament that these custom-created copies bring more cash than some original Shelby GT500 Mustangs, but with fame comes cachet. Swab this one for DNA and it may test positive for traces of actors Angelina Jolie and Nicholas Cage. Cage did much of his own stunt driving, a big-time and money saver for the studio. In fact, high-speed driving classes preparing for this movie ignited Cage’s passion for performance driving.
The crew at ChromeCars enjoyed returning Eleanor #7 to some of the film’s iconic set locations. Intended as a modern spin on the GT500, these cars grew from a collaboration including Chip Foose and Cinema Vehicle Services. You could build a similar car, but it wouldn’t be a true Eleanor. Would you rather own this movie car or an original Shelby GT500?
The original model of course.
This unicorn 🦄 had ignition problems with Nick during the shooting and luckily turned over to save the day 😉
The appeal of these is that they have modern suspensions, etc. Thanks but no thanks. I’ll take a GT500 or GT500KR please!
We purchase that style car to keep it factory, factory, factory.
Worst thing to ever happen to the mustang fastback world and possibly the classic muscle car world in general. So many original mustangs were cloned (and ruined imho) and I feel like this car helped start the trend of resto modding classic muscle cars. Which I can appreciate to some extent, but where do you drawn the line? I draw it at modernizing mechanicals and safety features- things that aren’t really seen. A lot of them go too far and look ridiculous.
Hey… You can say the same thing for all those Chargers on Dukes of Hazzard show. OMG they bought every charger they can find in the area and outside the area. If you were driving a Charger the crew would stop you and offer cash on the spot. True story. So I can understand how you feel about 67 Stang. I get it .😃
i love the movie and want the car but i can afford it, if i did have the car i would drive the crap out of it tho because most people where i love wouldn’t think it is a real one and would think it is a fake but then when the street light goes green and they 5 miles behind that gona think again LOL (i’d want it to race my friends)
I would prefer the OG Eleanor. The remake was ok, but nothing on the original in my opinion.
Eleanor IMO should not be a Shelby. It wasn’t in the real “Gone in 60 sec”(1974).
I would hope 1 of these ’67 clones one day encounters a ’71-3 GI60S clone on the road with a boss 351(or 429 which fits with no mods – the reason for the ’71-3 gen!)
I disagree Eric B.
This is the reason these old Mustangs stay relevant .
Shelby 1st. Then Eleanor.
Besides that, Mustangs are so over exposed, over hyped, over everything that they just are not special.
The modern Mustangs are going to be far more collectible in years to come over these 50+ yr old plain janes … Thus when in 2000.. it made the difference.
Old Mustangs stay and always will be relevant because they’re…..old Mustangs. They’re timeless and classic and fastbacks especially only continue to rise in price, regardless of condition. A stock 2020 Mustang GT will never come close to being worth more than a 65-70 stock fastback Mustang. Ever.
True Eric, I don’t know about never, but our 70 Mach 1 is currently in original mint condition with 68k miles and is now worth more than the new Mustang still in the showroom.
Beautiful car no matter what anyone thinks!
IMHO, is my disclaimer.
Okay,I owned an Eleanor for 2 years ;
I have a large multi brand collection with very few Fords,but we’ve had several Mustangs due to Mrs. Muscle’s fondess for them.
The biggest surprise,to both of us ,was that few people outside of the car culture even know the difference between an Eleanor and a Shelby Mustang.
Even Musclecar fans often thought it was a factory car.Many ,MANY fans of the car had never even heard of the movie,which convinced me that the car itself had been beautifully designed by Chip and his cohorts.
I bought mine completely spontaneously ,at an auction,put 2000 enjoyable miles on it ,and sold it in 2018 to someone who approached me on the street as I was leaving a restaurant,off of posh El Paseo Drive in Palm Desert.Profit was over 40 grand,so I now like Elly’s quite a bit LOL.
The purists can scoff all they like,the vast majority of the public will take an Eleanor over even a KR 500 all day long,that’s just the reality.As a result,the Eleanor will do more to maintain the interest in musclecars than than any original Mustang.Personally ,celebrity or movie connections, do nothing for me,so this one wouldn’t justify the extra cost,just as a Bandit car from the movie would not turn my crank any more than the 77 black Trans Am SE,in my garage.Will I have another Eleanor ? Probably.Would I buy a real GT 350 or 500 ? Yes,at the right price.This featured car will surely be of interest to many serious collectors.
“If you have to ask, you can’t afford it “.
Translation from another perspective, “No price listed, equates to being to embarrassed to say as the ask is unreasonable or just plain goofy”.
Post a price stop fishing, your not cool in the least no matter what your barista tells you.
I worked for Ford Motor Coming for close to 40 years at different locations throughout the US. My favorite was my time spent in Dearborn in the mid 1980s. I remember visiting the Henry Ford estate learning that the Ford Fairlane 500 was named after this former home of Henry Ford, since the address is 500 Fairlane Dr., Dearborn. During my time in Michigan I remember meeting a coworker who had been with Ford much longer than I had at the time. He knew the team that designed the Eleanor Mustang, naming it after Elenor Ford (Edsel’s wife) who stood up to Henry Ford following Edsel’s untimely death pressuring him to select Henry Ford II to lead the company vs Harry Bennet who was a thug. Just look up Harry Bennet to learn about him, as there is not enough space for me to write. In essence, Elenor Ford saved the Ford Motor Co.
I grew up driving cars from the ‘60s, and I still love those cars. I also love modern brakes, modern handling, modern rack and pinion steering, modern tires, modern lighting, and modern fuel management systems. I love the modern resto-mod approach which allows me and many others to reliably daily-drive cars that were absolute pieces of crap from my younger days. You can keep carburetors and chokes and points and drum brakes and dump-truck steering boxes and leaf springs and “5 candlepower” lights and acres of vinyl and always desperately needing a fire extinguisher within arm’s reach-you can keep all of that far away from me. But give me that ‘60s style and cool aura every time.
Most cars ’67 or later had a disc brake option.
My friend’s ’68 Nova(still kickin with original strait 6 & powerglide!!) has the optional quick power steering box that is 1 fewer turn lock to lock than a pinto’s rack & pinion box! & the car has a $35!! rebuilt carb(for his strait 6) he got from Strauss Discount Auto 30 years ago that has not been rebuilt! No hesitation & u can drive off immediately after starting! – True – u DO wana avoid later emission carbs! lol
Also, apparently you’ve never driven an early ’70’s t/a (or formula). They tested its front disc/rear drums & it stopped sooner than a Vette then with 4 wheel discs! Outstanding handling too.- leaf springs are fine & don’t make thumping noises like old Macphersons. ha ha.
My friend’s firebird 400 with 250,000 miles still has its ORIGINAL!!
beefy brake rotors & turbo 400 trans & 400 motor!! & it still has its SHOP BRAND Grand Prix GT Radial ORWL tires from 23 years ago! No cracks, bulges, tread separation, OR NOISE!! I
I’ve had nothing but problems with noise from modern tires,
terrible cracks all over on 7 yr old MAJOR BRAND firestones, tread separation on Continentals, etc. For real good laughs read the 1 star reviews on Douglas tires made by Goodyear for Walmart on the Walmart site. Ha ha.
Pertronix came out in ’72 for most cars to replace points/condenser, which was installed 40 years ago in the above Nova with no problems since! The bird has HEI(’74).
Try replacing a fuel injection pump in the tank on the road – my friend’s modern truck had to be towed. I can replace a mechanical fuel pump myself – anywhere. & they cost like $20!
I’ve never had a fire in 500,000 miles of driving carbureted cars.
Maybe cause i replace the fuel filter at more than regular intervals & keep an eye on them.
Enjoy the cloudy/yellowing/expensive to replace plastic headlite assemblies, tons of expensive body control modules, troublesome rack & pinion steering racks, HVAC blend door failures, plastic power window parts prone to breaking, mickey mouse thin warpable brake rotors, ck engine lites, ECM failures, etc. etc.
I drove a 3000gt & could not STAND the rack & pinion “power?” steering which was a chore around town if you have to make a lot of turns. While the excellent ’70s firebird super quick REAL power steering box makes you feel u r in full control, instead of “fighting back” against the 3000gt’s.
As for headlites there are plenty of brighter sealed beam options today for old cars with circular headlites that bolt right in ez for not much money. Brighter white light halogen sealed beams came out in the early ’80s.
Lastly, listen to the Car Dr & all the aggravation & expense i want no part of in modern cars.
http://www.spreaker.com/user/10014339/episodes/feed
Me & my friend were smart to stockpile some very nice comfortable matching color velour seat covers from the ’90s that protect the vinyl seats & are not cold in the winter or hot/sticky in the summer. The “color” choice & quality of seat covers today is a joke. Not to mention the “colors” inside modern cars. & the peeling clearcoat outside, if you don’t wax regularly.
I saw the proposed as for this car before it was made public and the sellers were expecting between 500k and 750k for this car when the gavel drops! That my friends is a lot of cake!
Not the real “Eleanor”