Two things to consider here, kids. One is that Mr. Hackman did much of his own driving. Nice left foot braking, Gene. Or was that Bill Hickman, the man who drove the car when the camera was in the back seat looking out? Who is Bill Hickman, you ask? He drove the Charger in Bullitt. The other is this, "The car crash during the chase sequence, at the intersection of Stillwell Ave. and 86th St., was unplanned and was included because of its realism. The man whose car was hit had just left his house a few blocks from the intersection to go to work and was unaware that a car chase was being filmed. The producers later paid the bill for the repairs to his car." Also according to legend, Hackman had the car over 90 mph for much of the chase. All of which goes to show, that even the dullest, brownest Pontiac Le Mans can become a weapon of Awesome in the hands of a determined hoon.
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Honny Harry! | Schadenfriday: Man in Stolen Vette is Luckiest Hoon Alive [Internal]