Whether you want to argue the point of Hot Rod, Street Rod, or neither, you still have to admit that Christine is an iconic movie car. Before the movie was even released, the radio ads promoting the film announced “she’s a ’57 Fury.” The truth was that Christine was a 1958 Plymouth Fury but most of the cars used in the movie were Savoy and Belvedere models dressed to look like the evil Fury.

Bill Gibson’s 1958 Plymouth Fury from the movie “Christine.” Photos from christinemoviecar.com

It’s rumored that 20 cars were destroyed in the filming of the movie with only four surviving today. It is reported that director Carpenter kept one and another one was given away in a promotional contest for the movie’s release. Two wound up in Bill and Ed’s Auto Wrecking in Fontana, California. Both of those cars were salvaged and restored.

The actors and director join car owner Bill Gibson. Front row left to right: Keith Gordon (Arnie Cunningham), Alexandra Paul (Leigh Cabot), and John Stockwell (Dennis Guilder). Back row left to right: John Carpenter (director) and Bill Gibson (car owner).

The most popular surviving “Christine” Plymouth belongs to Bill Gibson of Florida. The other salvage yard survivor is a stunt vehicle that was outfitted with a manual transmission that resides in the private collection of a California collector.

There were only 5,303 Plymouth Fury models made in 1958 because they were more expensive than some of the competing models and demand was down. Unlike the assembly line footage shown in the movie, the Fury only came in the Buckskin Beige color and not the Cherry Red that Christine was depicted as on the silver screen. The optional engine in 1958 was a 350ci Golden Commando engine with twin 4-bbl carbs, delivering  305 horsepower currently lives under the hood.

More information about the car can be found at christinemoviecar.com

Christine’s 350ci Golden Commando engine. Photo from christinemoviecar.com