Everyone knows the movie Talladega Nights. Will Ferrel shines as Ricky Bobby, an eccentric race car driver that is striving to win and ha a very unique personality.
During the movie, Bobby's car was iconic - a 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle. Could you see this racing during Talladega today? Maybe - check out these 10 hidden details behind the Talladega Superspeedway and maybe you'll be surprised. Or it would have direct competition with the NASCAR champ: The 1969 Ford Torino Talladega.
Let's check out some more specs and details about this car, where it has ended up, and the real story behind the Chevy Chevelle...
1969 Chevrolet Chevelle Specs
The Chevrolet Chevelle is a mid-sized automobile that was produced by Chevrolet over three generations, ranging from the 1964 to 1977 model years, coming in at one of Chevrolet's most successful nameplates and models in the history of the company.
The various body styles made this Chevelle popular, with the versatility of coupes, sedans, station wagons, and convertibles.
One of the most popular models of this Chevelle was the 1969 year, commonly thought of as the country's most popular mid-sized car.
With only minor changes for this year since the previous models, it retained its traditional charm while still being a hit on the popular car market. The changes include a different front-end styling, using a single chrome bar that was connected to four headlights, a revised front grille, and a slotted bumper.
The Owner Of The Car Today
Today, Dan Camilli of Fallbrook purchased the two 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibus that were used in the comedy, with one of them sporting the bumper sticker with the famous quote, "if you're not first, you're last."
The infamous number 13 is painted on the side, which can be clearly seen in the Talladega Nights movie. The car's twin, another identical Chevrolet Malibu, also contains the number 13 on the side. For the skeptics out there, a certificate of authentication worked to verify the purchase of the vehicles, ensuring these were the actual cars used in the movie.
Condition Of Car #2
At one point in the movie, one of the cars ends up crashing into a house when Will Ferrel's character, the title character Ricky Bobby, is driving blindfolded. Why, do you ask? To drive like a racer - to feel the road. Foolproof tactic if you ask me. To make matters worse, it wasn't Bobby that came up with this terrible idea - it was his father. I guess you could say the good decision making was genetics.
Due to this famous scene, a sticker has been added to the frame of one of the cars, which shows "To Be Crashed."
So - How Many Cars Were There?
Despite Camilli owning the two cars used in this comedy-gold movie, there were actually 3 cars used for filming featuring the infamous #13 on the sides of the Malibu - unfortunately, two were crashed, since they had to do the crashing into the house scene two times.
Don't Drive Scared
One of the cars that he owns features teeth marks in the car. Pretty random, right? Well, maybe not.
Ricky Bobby had to learn to drive when scared, part of his foolproof racer training - just like driving into a house. How do you drive with fear, you ask? You let a cougar become your passenger.
The teeth marks in the interior of the car show the validity that this car is, in fact, the one used in the movie. The current owner actually requested that the teeth marks be removed before purchasing, but, fortunately for movie lovers, the request went unanswered.
Vehicle Restoration
The current owner, Camilli, had one of the Malibus he purchased from the more completely restored, and one is still in its damaged condition - from all of Will Ferrel's stunts. The unrestored Malibu features tow bars on the front, for compatibility with mounted cameras during filming. This unrestored vehicle also contains an extra set of tires and a camera mount in the backseat, used for versatility during filming, and the ability to get different angles for the movie.
So, are these two vehicles the same? Not quite. One has a 350 engine and one has a 307 - so, basically, one is more powerful than the other. Not that viewers could tell in the movies based on how fast they were moving, but the discrepancy in engines would make a difference to potential buyers.
So Ricky Bobby's Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu has landed in good hands - with a man who is enough of a car fanatic to buy both versions, restore one, and keep some of the movie features the same. Long live Talladega Nights.