The Coolest Car in Vanishing Point Isn’t the Challenger (Hello, E-Type)
The E-Type in Vanishing Point isn’t awesome because it’s a perfect example, but precisely because it’s not.
Every gearhead has a favorite car movie. Mine for example, is the remake of Gone in Sixty Seconds, which in a glaring oversight, doesn’t prominently feature any Jaguars. But when you think about classic car movies, you have to think about Vanishing Point. And when you think about Vanishing Point? The first car that pops into your mind will likely be the white 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T the protagonist Kowalski pilots.
Even if it’s not supercharged, as the story suggests, the Challenger is a wicked machine, and the basis for one of the most quotable lines from the flick — “It takes a Mopar to catch a Mopar.”
For those who haven’t seen the movie, it’s the speed-addled tale of Vietnam veteran, ex police officer, and former race driver Kowalski, who’s taken a job delivering cars. After dropping off a Chrysler Imperial in Denver, he immediately accepts a gig to drive the aforementioned Challenger to San Francisco. To up the ante, he bets his boss that he’ll get the car to the Golden State a full day early, and begins a mad dash for the coast.
Along the way, he meets the driver of a rough-and-ready Jaguar E-Type, which I think is the coolest car in the film, by far. Now, exactly why I haven’t already covered this for my Jaguar Chase Scenes series of posts, I have not idea. But since late is better than never, I figured I’d address that oversight this week, because I thought it’d be a bit more fun than writing about how Jaguar Land Rover has suspended production thanks to the global chip shortage.
Now, as fans of the flick will remember, the Jaguar driver doesn’t exactly come off great. He’s road rage-addled hot head who aggressively challenges Kowalski to a race. Though since he’s — somewhat comically — wearing a helmet, he’s at least a safety-conscious hot head. In all seriousness, I think this E-Type is awesome not because it’s a perfect example of the line, but precisely because it’s not. The aftermarket roll bar indicates it’s been prepped for the track, and the battle-scarred hood shows it’s no stranger to being driven at 10/10ths, which is just cool. Unfortunately, the driver here runs out of talent in a pretty spectacular fashion.
Enjoy the clip below, and if you have a favorite movie clip that features a Jaguar, shoot me a link! I’m always looking for scenes featuring my favorite car brand!
Photos: YouTube