Real “Eleanor” Mustang up for grabs, if Nic Cage can’t steal it first
If you’re reading this story, you’ve likely seen Gone in 60 Seconds—whether it’s the 1974 cult classic or the 2000 remake, loosely based on the original (and generally more watchable, aside from the chase).
The remake featured Hollywood powerhouses Nicolas Cage, Angelina Jolie, and Robert Duvall, as key linchpins in an attempt to steal 50 cars in 72 hours. Let’s just admit it, however: the real star of Gone in 60 Seconds was the car, Eleanor. That custom 1967 Shelby GT500 was as photogenic as it gets. Nineteen years later, Eleanor still takes our breath away when Memphis Raines introduces us to her in that parking structure. That’s when we find out Eleanor isn’t an inanimate object. She is Raines’ unicorn—the impossible car to heist.
Every time he tries to steal her, something goes wrong. As movie luck would have it, something indeed goes wrong this time, too. As the police catch up to Raines, his decision to run turns into one of the best chase scenes from the 2000s. (Donut‘s video on the subject concurs.)
It should come as no surprise that after the success of the film, a number of home-built and sanctioned Eleanor replicas popped up. If you search Barrett-Jackson’s docket for Scottsdale this year, there are numerous examples to choose from. Look closely, however, and you’ll realize that one of these things is not like the other: there’s a real Eleanor lurking in the mix.
Offered by Barrett-Jackson on January 19 (almost 10 years after being first offered at Barrett), this example is reportedly the car used in filming the chase scenes in the city. Even the combination of muscle car market crash and the Great Recession couldn’t keep Eleanor down, as she still brought $216,700 in 2009. By comparison, the best 1967 Shelby GT500s were selling for $200,000 at the time and fading fast.
The hero car from the film sold for$1.06M at Mecum Auctions’ Indy sale in 2013. Will this Eleanor sell for that much? Likely not, since hero cars understandably bring a significant premium, as they are used for the close-up shots with the star actors. Expecting this one to sell for at least what it did the last time around is a definite possibility. It’s too much of an icon to sell for less.
To keep track of how Eleanor does, as well as all the other Scottsdale auctions in real time, download the Hagerty Insider app.
