A little-known yet vital (and really cool) piece of Gone in 60 Seconds lore has found its way to eBay: the car Nic Cage used to hone his driving skills before filming one of the greatest Mustang chase scenes in movie history.
Cinema Vehicle Services—which built the custom 1967 Shelby GT500 “Eleanors” for the movie—contracted Total Control Products to supply the steering and suspension systems. This 1965 289 4V V8 fastback, nicknamed “Testbed Terror,” was built by TCP’s owner, Terry Buch.
In preparation for filming the chase scenes, Buch and veteran driving instructor and Grand-Am Mustang racer Mike McGovern provided Nic Cage and the Gone in 60 Seconds stunt drivers invaluable instruction and seat time in this car at the Bob Bondurant High Performance Driving School in Phoenix. According to the eBay listing, this car also makes a cameo in the film—its engine and exhaust sounds were used for some of the driving sequences.
The black fastback with flat black stripes and black wheels looks fantastic, and its provenance is fully documented. The Buy It Now is set at $250,000, but it will head to Barrett-Jackson in January if no one ponies up the quarter-million dollars.
Place your bid now, before it’s gone in, well, you know.
