There’s Kit and the Batmobile; the General Lee and that Gran Torino with the white stripes driven on Starsky and Hutch… these are the iconic automobiles of our popular entertainments. They represent the pinnacle, the zenith, the apex, the top of the junkyard heap of America’s vehicular love affairs.
And then there’s the 1976 AMC Pacer owned by Wayne and Garth from Wayne’s World, which as far as cinematic cars go can’t hold a candle to Norma Desmond’s Isotta Fraschini Tipo 8A (upholstered in leopard skin and with a gold plated phone) from the 1950 film Sunset Blvd.
The Wayne’s World Pacer recently sold at auction in Las Vegas for a meager $37,400. Now, sure, a 1976 AMC Pacer is worth a maximum of maybe five grand, but it’s a deal compared to an Isotta Fraschini, easily valued at ten times the amount. Thus, for a bargain hunter of automotive movie memorabilia, you can’t get much better than this.
Besides, Consumer Reports said they “would not hesitate to recommend to anyone who wants a fairly small car,” and with a glowing recommendation like that who wouldn’t drop seven times what the Pacer’s worth? I suppose it’s lucky for the buyer that at least Wayne and Garth weren’t banging their heads in a Pinto or Gremlin. That’s a surefire way to a bargain hunter’s funeral.
Now, if someone could tell me whatever happened to Layne’s VW from River’s Edge, then I might have an auction to attend.
