Buy a ticket to the movies!

PALM SPRINGS, CALIFORNIA, USA, September 4, 2019 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Movies and television are powerful trendsetters. They set the fashion sense for a nation and they debut technology to a thirsty-for-knowledge public. But movies set the tone not only for car sales (thus the focus on product placement by car companies), but also the collector car hobby. Just ask anyone who bought a Highland Green Mustang or Black Charger R/T back in 1968 after watching the movie Bullitt with Steve McQueen. But predicting these things is easier said than done.

"It's a matter of visibility," states Brad Toles, owner of All American Classic Car Restoration. "If the public is not aware of a particular vehicle, no matter how cool you think it may be, it won't have a value to collectors. The Dodge Charger is super popular today because of its many movie and television roles including Bullitt (1968), Dukes of Hazzard (1978-84), Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry (1984), The Fast & The Furious (2001), and a host of other big screen efforts. You say 'Charger' to just about anyone and they know what you mean, and it doesn't matter that the car may have been driven by the bad guys, it’s just a very recognizable and cool car."

As mentioned, product placement in movies and TV works to set public awareness. Cars and trucks don't just show up in shows, marketers carefully launch new vehicles or maintain a brand by purchasing those show exposures. That's no surprise to collectors since these on-screen roles burn an indelible image into the mind of the public. Collectors are even worse, noting the color, style, and powertrain of those cars that catch their eye and sometimes leave life long impressions.

In general, classic Mopar muscle cars may have the best screen appeal from their legendary cinematic placements. While the late 1960's Charger may hold the most star power, early 1970's Challengers are a close second, used in countless roles including Vanishing Point (1971), Natural Born Killers (1994), Fast and Furious 2 (2001), and a host of others. But along with being in these features and TV shows, what the car does also has a significant effect on whether it draws an audience or is just set dressing.

Continues Toles, "If a car is simply parked on the street in a scene, viewers won't vicariously place themselves behind the wheel. It won't garner a following unless it does something. I believe it was because of the huge public following for classic Challengers and Chargers, that Dodge brought back new exciting models of these cars after they had been discontinued for many years. Then Mopar threw gasoline on the fire by giving the new cars classic paint colors like Plum Crazy and Tor-red and super powerful names like Hell Cat and Demon just to remind fans of the 'good olds days.' It worked."

There are plenty of examples of non-Mopar collector cars that have gone up in value after movie and TV exposures. The 1969 Yenko Camaro used in the second Fast & Furious (2001) and the 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS from Dazed and Confused (driven by Matthew McConaughey, 1993) raised collector interest in these very cool and deserving muscle cars. For the upcoming Fast & Furious 9, the star car is a 1969 Nova SS. No telling if it will hook with a muscle car collector audience.

So what will be hot in the future?

Check your local listings.

Taiga Abe
All American Classic Car Restoration
+1 760-778-7674
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