The Driver (1978)

The '70s saw some great car chases captured for film, utilising some very cool vehicles. A non-exhaustive list of films for petrolheads to check out would include Vanishing Point (1971), Gone in 60 Seconds (1974), The Getaway (1972), Smokey and the Bandit (1977), The French Connection (1971) and, if you want to go back a couple of more years, 1968's Bullitt. One film which has evaded me though, up until now, is The Driver from 1978.

I rectified that last night and was treated to a taut crime thriller which simply made me kick myself for not hunting it down sooner. Directed by Walter Hill (who also made The Warriors, Southern Comfort, 48 Hrs. and produced the Alien films, amongst others) there is no fat in this film. It's dialogue light and action heavy and, coming in at 91 minutes, it's a far cry from some of the cumbersome three hour marathons which are churned out today. The car chases are excellent and easily stand up to anything produced today. They are, to coin a phrase, worth the price of the entry ticket alone.

If, like me, you're an avid film fan you'll be pleased to note that it's just been remastered in 4K. It was poorly received at the time but has gone on to gain something of a cult status, being praised by the likes of Tarantino and Edgar Wright (who was heavily influenced by it when making Baby Driver). 

No film of this type would be complete without some notable vehicles so I've grabbed a few stills from the Internet Movies Cars Database and stitched them together. On display is a 1976 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, a 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280 S, a 1977 Pontiac Firebird, a 1965 Ford Mustang, a 1973 Chevrolet C-10 and a 1974 For Galaxie 500.



Share: