Pursuit Special
Encyclopedia
The Pursuit Special is the fictional model of car driven by the officers of the fictional MFP (Main Force Patrol) in the Mad Max
franchise of films.
stolen and driven by the escaped criminal, the Night Rider. The more famous Pursuit Special is a modified 1973 Ford Falcon XB GT
. Within this storyline, Max Rockatansky
(Mel Gibson
) is offered the black Pursuit Special as an incentive to stay on the force as their top pursuit man after he reveals his desire to quit. Although Max turns the offer down, he later uses the black car to exact his revenge on an outlaw motorcycle gang who killed his wife and child.
and George Miller
began pre-production on Mad Max. Murray Smith was hired on as part of the film crew, and one of his tasks was to put together the Pursuit Special. He started by acquiring the XB Falcon, and along with Peter Arcadipane, Ray Beckerley, and various others, proceeded to modify the car to what was needed for the film. The main modification is the front nosecone, made of fibreglass and designed by Arcadipane (marketed as the "Concorde" style), the eight individual exhaust side pipes, and a non-functional supercharger
protruding through the bonnet.
In the meantime, the low budget Australia
n film had gained worldwide success, prompting a sequel, Mad Max 2. The Pursuit Special was reacquired by Kennedy and Miller for use once more.
The rear wheels, supercharger and pipes were changed. The car was further modified to fit the setting of the new film, with large petrol tanks fitted in the back, and its general appearance given a more used and stressed look. The front end was also modified by removing the bottom section. As well as modifying the original car, a duplicate car was also put together for Mad Max 2.
When eventually the story required for the car to be destroyed by rolling down a ditch and then blown up, a duplicate car was used, leaving the original car. The car was rescued and restored somewhat, having a new nose cone fitted but retaining the fuel tanks from Mad Max 2. It was shown widely in Australia before being sold and shipped to the Cars of the Stars Motor Museum
in England
.
Mad Max
Mad Max is a 1979 Australian dystopian action film directed by George Miller and revised by Miller and Byron Kennedy over the original script by James McCausland. The film stars Mel Gibson, who was unknown at the time. Its narrative based around the traditional western genre, Mad Max tells a story...
franchise of films.
Mad Max
The first car shown in the film with the title Pursuit Special is a Holden MonaroHolden Monaro
The Holden Monaro is an automobile that was produced by GM Holden Ltd, an Australian subsidiary of General Motors, between 1968 and 1977 and between 2001 and 2005...
stolen and driven by the escaped criminal, the Night Rider. The more famous Pursuit Special is a modified 1973 Ford Falcon XB GT
Ford Falcon GT
The Ford Falcon GT is an automobile which was produced by Ford Australia from 1967 to 1976 and 2003 to the present day with intermittent limited edition anniversary models offered in between. Since 2003 the car has been marketed as the FPV GT but FPV continue to release anniversary editions based...
. Within this storyline, Max Rockatansky
Max Rockatansky
"Mad" Max Rockatansky, sometimes referred to as The Road Warrior and The Man with No Name, is the main character from director George Miller's Mad Max franchise, appearing in the films Mad Max, Mad Max 2, and Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome...
(Mel Gibson
Mel Gibson
Mel Colm-Cille Gerard Gibson, AO is an American actor, film director, producer and screenwriter. Born in Peekskill, New York, Gibson moved with his parents to Sydney, Australia when he was 12 years old and later studied acting at the Australian National Institute of Dramatic Art.After appearing in...
) is offered the black Pursuit Special as an incentive to stay on the force as their top pursuit man after he reveals his desire to quit. Although Max turns the offer down, he later uses the black car to exact his revenge on an outlaw motorcycle gang who killed his wife and child.
Origins
This car started out as a standard white 1973 Ford Falcon XB GT Coupe. Then in 1976, film makers Byron KennedyByron Kennedy
Byron Eric Kennedy Born Melbourne was an Australian film producer best known for the Mad Max series of films....
and George Miller
George Miller (producer)
George Miller is an Australian film director, screenwriter, producer, and former medical doctor. He is most well known for his work on the Mad Max movies, but has been involved in a wide range of projects, including the Oscar-winning Happy Feet and "Babe" family films.Miller is the older brother...
began pre-production on Mad Max. Murray Smith was hired on as part of the film crew, and one of his tasks was to put together the Pursuit Special. He started by acquiring the XB Falcon, and along with Peter Arcadipane, Ray Beckerley, and various others, proceeded to modify the car to what was needed for the film. The main modification is the front nosecone, made of fibreglass and designed by Arcadipane (marketed as the "Concorde" style), the eight individual exhaust side pipes, and a non-functional supercharger
Supercharger
A supercharger is an air compressor used for forced induction of an internal combustion engine.The greater mass flow-rate provides more oxygen to support combustion than would be available in a naturally aspirated engine, which allows more fuel to be burned and more work to be done per cycle,...
protruding through the bonnet.
Mad Max 2
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n film had gained worldwide success, prompting a sequel, Mad Max 2. The Pursuit Special was reacquired by Kennedy and Miller for use once more.
The rear wheels, supercharger and pipes were changed. The car was further modified to fit the setting of the new film, with large petrol tanks fitted in the back, and its general appearance given a more used and stressed look. The front end was also modified by removing the bottom section. As well as modifying the original car, a duplicate car was also put together for Mad Max 2.
When eventually the story required for the car to be destroyed by rolling down a ditch and then blown up, a duplicate car was used, leaving the original car. The car was rescued and restored somewhat, having a new nose cone fitted but retaining the fuel tanks from Mad Max 2. It was shown widely in Australia before being sold and shipped to the Cars of the Stars Motor Museum
Cars of the Stars Motor Museum
The Cars of the Stars Motor Museum was in the English town of Keswick, Cumbria, and owned a collection of celebrity television and film vehicles...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
External links
- Mad Max Movies – The most comprehensive Mad Max site online. Includes extensive information on the vehicles used in all three movies.
- Mad Max Replica Stats – Displays a comprehensive list of all known Mad Max Replicas in the world.
- MadMaxCar.com – An extensive look into a Mad Max Pursuit Special replica project that spanned nearly 5 years.
- Mad Max Online – Home to the original Mad Max movie, maintained by members of the cast and crew.
- Cars of the Stars - Home of the original Pursuit Special
- Mad Max Photo Archive - Discussion of the two types of Pursuit Specials seen in "Mad Max," including a script excerpt.