From: Glen Wilson <rstca@hemmings.com>
To: british-cars@autox.team.net <british-cars@autox.team.net>
Date: Friday, December 08, 2000 2:15 PM
Subject: Re: Bullitty
>> What, you mean McQueen didn't do his own driving in Le Mans either?
>If he didn't, the a whole lot of books have it wrong. He may not have
>driven in every scene, but I've read interviews with pro drivers at the
time
>who said he really was quite competent.
But a bit non-professional. He was thrilled to be driving a race car. He
did not have the "this is a job" attitude of the pro drivers on the
production. The pros pointed to the fact that only McQueen would be hitting
redline when they were transiting the cars "back to the barn" after a day's
shooting.
>
>I've never read what McQueen himself had to say. James Garner did some of
>his own driving in "Grand Prix"
...At any rate, the cut one of the cars in half and hooked
>it up like a trailer to the camera car (which I think was a Ford GT40 with
>much of the body removed).
The other camera car was the original Mustang show car. A roadster with a
Ford V4 in the middle. (The Mustang production car was based on the
front-engined Mustang II show car). This is the same V4 designed for the
stillborn Cardinal (they chickened and built the Falcon instead) and wound
out in the Ford Taunus and the SAAB 95/96/97.
>Both movies are enjoyable to watch, but I prefer "LeMans" because they had
>the good judgment to basically dispense with any plot. "Grand Prix" is
>real vintage soap opera stuff, and Garner's character is not easy to like.
The idea is that McQueen saw "Grand Prix" and decided there was not enough
racing in it.
"Steve McQueen takes you for a drive in the country. The country is France.
The drive is at 200 MPH."
>I don't remember Paul Newman making any racing films,
"Winning".
>Of course, he's a real race car driver
>and can probably make a phone call to friends and get to drive just about
>any vintage racing car he'd care to.
He can write a check and buy just about any vintage racing car.
Phil Ethier Saint Paul Minnesota USA
1970 Lotus Europa, 1992 Saturn SL2, 1986 Suburban, 1962 Triumph TR4 CT2846L
LOON, MAC pethier@isd.net http://www.mnautox.com/
"It makes a nice noise when it goes faster"
- 4-year-old Adam, upon seeing a bitmap of Grandma Susie's TR4.
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