Forgotten movie cars: The Pontiac Firebird from "An Eye for an Eye"
Chuck Norris actually died ten years ago, but death hasn't had the courage to tell him yet, was, when I was at school, one of the many well-known "facts" about the man who has counted to infinity twice. However, the Grim Reaper has obviously found his grit again, as the former karate world champion and later actor passed away on March 19 at the age of 86.
Before the multiple middleweight champion made his screen debut, he ran his own martial arts studio in Los Angeles. His most prominent apprentice was a certain Steve McQueen, with whom he developed a close friendship. But while the pupil is almost cultishly revered in the old car scene today, the teacher doesn't even play a supporting role. Yet there is at least one car in Chuck Norris' filmography that is on a par with the Ford Mustang from Bullitt.
Well, the '73 Pontiac Firebird that Detective Sean Cane drives in An eye for an eye is Florentine Red instead of Highland Green. But apart from make and model, that was the biggest difference. Otherwise, the key features are identical: V8 coupé, alloy wheels, car chase through San Francisco. I mean, let's be honest: That's all the Mustang really is. Its value in the millions lies solely with the driver. And he couldn't tie his shoes with his feet or hit a Cyclops between the eyes.
Norris even has a greater cinematic connection to the Firebird than McQueen does to the Mustang, because in Code of silence, the taciturn title character also drives the Camaro twin. In The octagon, however, the roles are reversed: the villains sit in the red US coupé and try – unsuccessfully, of course – to stop the fleeing Scott James. Still, none of the three Firebirds will ever sell for millions. A Chuck Norris owner provenance rather goes to infinity – twice.
