Mad Max Cars
The Nightrider's 1972 HQ Monaro
This car was a Holden HQ Monaro, two door, either a straight 6 or V8, 1972 model. The car is described in the film as being a "Pursuit Special", although the only real external indication of it being an MFP car is the MFP logo on the lower rear quarter panels of the car, and the faint MFP outline painted on the boot (or "trunk" for you non-Australians). Internally you can also see that it has the standard MFP radio.
The single headlight front identifies the car as either a Monaro, Monaro GTS or GTS350 (not an LS, as has been previously mentioned here and elsewhere). The dash is the basic dash for this model - in the car the black Belmont / Kingswood facia can be seen around the gauges, and the Monaro badge can be seen also. The LS model would have had a wood grain facia, and an actual "Monaro LS" badge. A GTS model should have a machine turned finish to the facia, and there would be a small temperature gauge and battery gauge on the top right, where the Monaro badge can be seen on the film car - making this a base model Monaro.
The white indicators and parking lights in the front bumper bar make it a 1971 or 1972 model. A 1972 ADR (Australian Design Rule) on head restraints identifies this car as having been built between mid-1972 and December 1972 (remembering that cars from January 1973 had amber indicators fitted as per an additional ADR, and parking lights incorporated into the headlamps). The trim appears to be Antique Brown (code 19X). The car itself is painted a very dark shade of blue - I'm unsure if this was a factory colour. The base HQ Monaro was available with a choice of 173 or 202 cubic inch 6 cylinder motors; or 253 or 308 ci V8 motors.
The Nightrider manages to avoid his MFP pursuers pretty well, until he comes across Max, and then it's all over for him. In the scene where the car crashes out, the engine has actually been removed from the car, and it is being propelled by a solid fuel rocket - there's no sped up film here, the car is really going that fast, and with good reason! If you look at the film you can see the exhaust plume from the rocket, and you can also see that there are no passengers in the car.
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