Mad Max Cars
Max's Yellow Interceptor (4 Door XB Sedan)
This car is Ford Falcon XB sedan, 351 V8 engine, probably a 1974 model. Max is seen driving this car before he goes "Mad", and takes off in the black Interceptor. Like Big Bopper, this car was also originally a Victoria Police Interceptor.
An original Victoria Police car, Ford Falcon XB
Sedan.
Picture courtesy of Australian
Police Vehicles
All three of the yellow MFP cars have the drivers details painted on the front right of the vehicle, just in front of the driver's door. On Max's car you can find his name "M. Rockatansky", along with the name of his partner "The Dark One". About the only time you can easily see this is at the start of the film, just after Max gets in the car and pulls on his driving gloves. Even then you can't make it out too easily on video, it's best seen on the big screen, or in publicity photos like those below. Although the actual character of The Dark One was removed from the script before filming, a couple of references remain. Firstly there is the obvious reference on the car, but later on the film listen carefully at the farm house just after Jessie is chased back through the forest. Max can be heard to say "May, call The Dark One", who was in fact meant to be May Swaisey's husband. Unfortunately if you have the American dubbed version, this line was altered to "May, call Ziggy". What can I say, the dubbed version sucks.
Max, Goose, and Max's Yellow Interceptor
If anyone knows what the detailing on the other two yellow interceptors reads (March Hare and Big Bopper), please send contact me. I'm gussing that it's just the drivers names, Roop / Charlie and Sarse / Scuttle, but it would be interesting to know for sure.
M. Rockatansky / The Dark One
Close Up View
Unlike his MFP colleagues, Max chases down the bad guys in this baby and never puts so much as a scratch on it (well, as far as we can see anyway!). Because the car was not damaged during filming, is was not destroyed after the film was made. However, no one currently knows where the original car is. There are a few cars around Australia claiming to be this one, but with at least 3 or 4 cars currently out there, there are obviously a few replicas - there was only ever one car used in the film. For more information on some of the cars currently around, check out the real or replica page.
I'm still very interested in tracking down further info on what exactly happened to this car in the years following the film, so if anyone can help me out please contact me. A few of the guys who currently own the cars mentioned above would love to be able to work out for sure if they actually have the real thing or not!
Note that this car is most easily identified in the film by the silver Sunraysia wheels on it, the other two yellow MFP cars both have yellow rims.
Thanks to Sam Costanzo and Jim Bartok for additional info and pictures.
Back to the Mad Max Cars Page