Whether you're a movie buff or just a car enthusiast, the name Eleanor likely brings one thing to mind: Gone in 60 Seconds. The 2000 action film, which was loosely based on the 1974 action film of the same name, featured a sleek silver '67 Mustang at the center of its story. Anti-hero protagonist Memphis Raines, played by Nicholas Cage, feverishly hunts this car like Ahab hunted Moby Dick. While the film wasn't appreciated by critics, it has become a cult classic and is frequently cited as one of the most memorable car movies of all time. More than 25 years later, the original crew that built the movie stunt cars is making a limited series of 25 "Eleanor Gone Again" tribute cars.
Henry Catchpole from Hagerty met up with Ray Claridge, the founder of Cinema Vehicle Services, now known as Cinema Muscle Recreations. CVS was responsible for building and maintaining cars in a wide range of famous movies, including Die Hard, Lethal Weapon, and The Fast and the Furious, as well as classic TV shows like The Fall Guy and The Dukes of Hazzard.
One day, the transportation coordinator for Gone in 60 Seconds called Claridge and asked for his help with the vehicles for this very ambitious film. At that time, Eleanor wasn't written down as any particular make or model, though the producers were apparently considering a Corvette — imagine that! Since the script involved damaging a lot of cars, the fiberglass Vette was deemed too problematic, and it was decided to use a Mustang instead (much like the 1974 film).
CVS built one prototype mockup— which now resides in a museum — and eleven functional cars for the actual movie. According to Claridge, seven survived and four were totaled during filming. Those remaining seven cars are obviously highly sought after today, and one sold at auction in 2020 for $852,000.
After seeing the automotive community's appreciation for Eleanor tribute cars, Claridge and the new company Cinema Muscle Recreations decided to build some more. After all, who could do it better than the original builders of the real Gone in 60 Seconds Eleanor?
A total of 25 "Eleanor Gone Again" replicas will be built and sold for around $500,000. Cosmetically, they'll look just like the movie cars, but there will be some new options to make them more fun and functional for road use.
Buyers will be able to choose from three engine options: a classic Roush 427ci V8, a naturally-aspirated modern Coyote V8, or a Coyote with a VMP twin-screw supercharger (pictured above). The N/A Coyote makes a little under 500hp, but the supercharged variant produces an imposing 830hp.
Of course, the Eleanor replicas all have iconic movie features like a large Auto Meter tach, nitrous toggle switch on the dash, and the famous "go baby go" button on its shift knob. Rack and pinion power steering, adjustable coilovers, and a 4-link rear keep the Mustang nimble and planted in corners. We're sure Memphis Raines would approve.
While some Mustang purists won't love the flashy modifications like fake air scoops and copious fog lights, we find them endearing in a tribute to a car that made countless new viewers excited about classic Mustangs. Gone in 60 Seconds was a formative moment for many younger classic car fans.
Check out the full Hagerty video, including some fun stories about the movie's production, below. For more details on the Eleanor Gone Again project, go to EleanorGoneAgain.com.
Classic Industries offers thousands of restoration and performance parts for classic 1964-2004 Ford Mustang models. Whether you're restoring your car to factory specs, building a corner-carving pro-touring car, or replicating a movie vehicle, we can help. Click the button below to browse our complete selection of Mustang parts now: