FORD MUSTANG'SMOST MEMORABLE MOVIE MOMENTSPeter Bouchard - http://peterbouchardmaine.net

INTRODUCTIONThe Ford Mustang hasbeen a hugely popularcar over the years, andit's no surprise that itcontinues to find its wayinto a number ofHollywood productions.In fact, the Ford Mustanghas been prominentlyfeatured in over 500 filmssince it first hit themarket in 1964. Let'stake a look at thecinematic history of thisclassic American car.

G O L D F I N G E R( 1 9 6 4 )Moviegoers first laid eyes on the Ford Mustang in the JamesBond film Goldfinger.The actress Tania Mallet was the first person to drive a Mustangon screen. She gets forced off the road after encountering the"tire slasher" on Bond's car.Goldfinger came out in September 1964only five months afterthe Mustang was introduced.

Movie fans still talkabout the nine-minute car chasesequence in SteveMcQueen's Bullitt.That's a 1968Mustang GT 390Fastback thatMcQueen expertlysteers through thestreets of SanFrancisco in pursuitof the bad guy.It's an amazinglyrealistic chase thatprobably had a lotto do with thedecision to awardBullitt the Oscar forBest Film Editing.

Speaking of car chases,Gone in 60 Seconds isfamous for its non-stopauto action. 93 carswere wrecked during themaking of the film!The featured automobilein the film is a 1971Ford Mustang named"Eleanor.The movie was remadein 2000 with NicolasCage in the lead.GONE IN 60 SECONDS (1974)

It's not one ofQuentin Tarantino'smore popular films,but Death Proof hasplenty of auto actionfor car lovers.

A vibrant yellow-and-black 1972 FordMustang featuresprominently in thesecond half of themovie.

A lot of dialogue inthe film revolvesaround classic '70scar movies, includingVanishing Point andGone in 60 Seconds.

This sci-fi movie starred Will Smith as the last living man inNew York City after a disaster has wiped out almost everyoneon Earth. His only companions are his pet German Shepherdand his red-and-white Ford Mustang Shelby GT 500. What elsedoes a man need?The opening sequence of I Am Legend shows Smith zippinghis Mustang through the vacant streets of New York.

Starring Jason Statham, Death Race is a futuristic sci-fi filmabout a prison inmate forced to participate in a demolitionderby-style sport in order to earn his freedom.The car Statham drives is actually a 2006 Ford Mustang GT.Keep in mind that those flamethrowers and machine guns on thevehicle were put there just for the moviethey aren't standardMustang features!

This movie deals witha high-stakes autorace. So what vehicledoes our hero dependon to get from Point Ato Point B? A customFord Mustang ShelbyGT 500, of course.The Mustang featuredin the film was latersold at auction for$300,000.