The One of a Kind Mustang From ‘Gone in 60 Seconds’ Went up for Auction
Everyone loves car movies. And, while the Fast and the Furious franchise may have the coolest car movies nowadays, 20 years ago, there was Gone in 60 Seconds. This Nicolas Cage movie was well-known for a lot of reasons, but arguably, it’s best-known for its cars.
In particular, the 1967 Shelby GT500 Mustang that was heavily featured in it. Nicknamed “Eleanor” in the movie, this special Mustang has since become an icon, as well as a collectible car.
Eleanor in ‘Gone in 60 Seconds’
Gone in 60 Seconds, at least the one starring Cage and Angelina Jolie, is actually a remake of a 1974 movie that had the same name. Both of these movies had an “Eleanor”, but they were different cars.
The “Eleanor” in the original Gone in 60 Seconds was a 1971 Mustang, while the “Eleanor” in the remake was that 1967 Shelby Mustang.
In both movies though, according to GQ, “Eleanor” had the same job. It was the super powerful and super-fast car that was the object of affection for the main character, which Cage plays.
Cage plays a car thief who steals cars for a gang, and he’s been trying to steal “Eleanor” for a while now. It’s only until the end of the movie that he succeeds in stealing and driving in “Eleanor.”
“Eleanor” wasn’t like any other 1967 Shelby Mustangs, though. As GQ reported, in both the movie and in real life, “Eleanor” was equipped with a NOS booster that gave it an extra 125-hp with the press of a button.
This was a feature that was important to the plot, as it helped Cage’s character escape from the police. As a result, the car that was used to film the movie actually had a NOS booster that did exactly what it did in the movie.
A special Ford Mustang
Technically speaking, “Eleanor” is not one of a kind, as 11 of these “Eleanors” were built for the making of the movie. But still, it’s a rare car that was heavily customized for the production of the movie.
As GQ reported, “Eleanor” has, along with its NOS booster, a “trunk-mounted fuel cell, PIAA lights, TCP aluminum pedal covers, and infamous custom 10-spoke spinner wheels.”
On top of that, “Eleanor” takes the 1967 Shelby Mustang and revamps it for the modern era. It has modern brakes, custom instrument gauges, a five-point harness, and other interior upgrades.
And of course, it wouldn’t be “Eleanor” if it wasn’t fast. The NOS booster makes it even faster than usual, but “Eleanor” has an improved engine as well. “Eleanor” has a 5.7-liter V8 engine that gets 400-hp.
Up for auction
With 11 of these “Eleanors” ever produced, it’s a very rare and collectible car. Many car lovers are fans of the movie, and GQ even says that “Eleanor” has caused a boom in people modifying classic cars.
That’s why, when an “Eleanor” was put up on auction in 2013, Motor Authority said that it sold for $1 million. Other “Eleanors” have sold for six-figures, so it’s clear that it’s a very popular car for collectors. GQ says that another “Eleanor” from the movie will be going on auction soon, too.
With that said, while the 11 “Eleanors” from the movie are rare, the car itself isn’t rare. As Motor Authority said, a company called Classic Recreations will build “Eleanors” for you for a big price tag. These will be similar to the “Eleanors” in the movie, but they won’t have the honor of actually being the “Eleanors” from the movie. Still, for $140,000, you can get your very own, brand-new “Eleanor.”
