Robert Downey Jr. Once Gave Chris Evans an ‘Avengers’-Themed Car
When Robert Downey Jr. decides to give someone a gift, it’s almost always something great. Downey Jr. loves cars, so when he was thinking about what kind of gift to give to his Marvel co-star Chris Evans, he settled on a car.
But it couldn’t just be any other car. It had to be a car fitting for Captain America. That’s why Downey Jr. decided to give Evans a $275,000 Avengers-themed car.
A 1967 Chevy Camaro
According to CNBC, Downey Jr. started probing Evans about what kind of car he likes. Eventually, Downey Jr. settled on a classic 1967 Chevy Camaro.
That said, just like the modern Camaro, a used 1967 Camaro is actually pretty affordable. A standard Camaro from the latest model years can start at about $25,000. According to CNBC, a used 1967 Camaro starts at about $20,000.
But of course, since it’s Iron Man who’s giving the gift, Downey Jr. couldn’t just give Evans a basic $20,000 car. Instead, Downey Jr. hired the team at SpeedKore in Wisconsin to restore and customize the 1967 Camaro, reports CNBC.
Not only did this 1967 Camaro get a brand-new engine, suspension, and a supercharger among other upgrades, but it also got customized to be a car fitting for Captain America.
The Steve Rodgers’ Special Edition
Downey Jr. had that 1967 Camaro customized a lot so that it would be the perfect gift for Evans, who played Steve Rodgers aka Captain America. For example, the seats in the 1967 Camaro were replaced with brand-new, high-end luxury seats with leather upholstery. Not only that, but they have the same “bomber brown” color that Steve Rodgers wears in the movies when he’s not in the Captain America suit.
Additionally, the steering wheel has been customized to have Captain America’s shield at the center. These customizations, along with a unique plaque that notes that the car is a Steve Rodgers’ Special Edition, all show how Downey Jr. had designed this car to represent everything that Evans’ character represents.
For instance, it’s not a coincidence that Downey Jr. chose a vintage car like the 1967 Camaro as the base car for this customization. In the movies, Captain America is frozen in time for decades. So, when he finally meets Iron Man, Steve Rodgers is actually considered a senior citizen. It’s fitting then that Downey Jr. chose an old car for a supposedly old man.
Why it’s worth $275,000
Despite the fact that the used 1967 Camaro is only worth about $20,000, Evans’ new Avengers-themed car is actually worth over 10 times that. That’s because customizing everything is costly, and updating pretty much everything else in the car is even costlier.
CNBC reports that things such as the new engine, suspension, and the new luxury seats cost $33,000 off the bat. Then there’s labor costs, parts, and other materials that bump the value of the car up to what it’s estimated at.
That said, while it’s a $275,000 restored and customized muscle car, Evans says that, when he’s driving it, it’s actually “out of his league,” according to CNBC. That’s because Evans says that his first car was a Mazda Protege.
The Protege was sporty, but it’s nowhere as powerful as what a real sports car can do. And with the new engine that this 1967 Camaro got, it’s become a real sports car. As Jay Leno, who was talking to Evans about his new Avengers-themed car, said, its new engine gives it about 750-hp, making it among the most powerful cars on the road today.
