Cool Facts About Ryan Gosling’s Car In ‘Drive’
The 1973 Chevrolet Malibu Ryan Gosling used in the film ‘Drive’ has an interesting history.
Written by Alexandra Maloney
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
If you’re a car lover, there’s nothing quite like seeing an awesome
car movie
on the big screen. One of the best in the business is Ryan Gosling’s Drive, where Gosling plays Driver, a car mechanic, stunt driver, and getaway driver all rolled into one character. Obviously, Drive has a lot of awesome car scenes, but did you know these cool facts about the 1973 Chevrolet Malibu used in the movie?
Jerry
, the trustworthy insurance comparison app
, takes a closer look.Gosling picked out the car used in ‘Drive’
Not only did Ryan Gosling star in the movie Drive, but he also picked out the famous car used in his scenes throughout the movie. Gosling’s character Driver is seen in a number of cars throughout the movie, but one staple is the 1973 Chevrolet Malibu, which Gosling picked out himself.
According to
Street Muscle Mag
, Gosling picked the Malibu out of a junkyard in LA. Street Muscle Mag reports that the vehicle was selected through a combination of Gosling’s own automotive taste as well as what Gosling pictured Driver’s automotive preferences to be in the movie. Although several choices were weighed, Gosling ultimately selected the 1973 Chevrolet Malibu for Driver’s main vehicle.Let Jerry find your price in only 45 seconds
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Gosling rebuilt the car used in ‘Drive’, too
On top of starring in the movie and selecting the car from a junkyard, Gosling also got to rebuild the car himself to be used in the movie. After the 1973 Chevrolet Malibu was selected, the car was towed to a warehouse.
In that warehouse, Gosling tore it down to its frame and completely rebuilt the car, except for the transmission, which was handled by professional mechanics. Gosling said the experience had helped him feel more connected to the character he was portraying, who was an auto mechanic by day and a full-time car lover.
The Malibu was an unconventional choice for a car movie
Although Gosling hand selected and revived the 1973 Chevrolet Malibu from a junkyard, the car was an unconventional choice for a car movie filled with professional driving, car stunts, and getaways.1973 was the year Chevrolet redesigned the Malibu to be less aesthetically pleasing and performance based, and more practical. Basically, this was a car meant for everyday driving, not car movies.
But as
MotorBiscuit
points out, viewers can see the aftermarket gauge cluster on the car in some scenes. That suggests our main character Driver might’ve modified his ride a bit to be more fit to his purposes in the movie. The Malibu was a car representation of Gosling’s character
While the 1973 Chevrolet Malibu might’ve been an unconventional choice for a car movie, knowing the full story makes the selection make more sense. The car wasn’t anything special, but the character Driver was supposed to be an inconspicuous person—that’s why he didn’t even have a name in the film beyond Driver.
But, when you look deeper at the car, there’s more to it. It’s rough and tough, but subtly. And that’s exactly what Driver’s personality was like in the movie. Plus, the fact that Gosling got to select the car and work on it makes it an even cooler movie car.
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