All Wendell needs to do is cross the finish line. On Easter Sunday, Wendell takes over one of Slack's runs, but soon realizes it is a set-up when he is arrested.īilly Joe Byrnes, the local automobile racetrack owner, makes Cotton and Wendell a proposition: if Wendell agrees to race at Byrnes' track, 12 of the 15 charges against him will be dropped, and he will receive probation. Five years later, Sheriff Cotton has still been unable to apprehend Wendell, but he captures Slack in a raid. He insists that he tried to make money legally and this is the only way he can buy the garage. ![]() Although Wendell is thrilled to drive fast for a living, Mary is not happy with Wendell's new profession. On his first night, he discovers his best friend, Peewee, is already working for Slack and they narrowly evade Sheriff Cotton and his men. One day, he sees a bootlegger named Slack and asks for a job. Soon after, they are married and move into a house, but Wendell struggles to make money. Sometime later, Wendell takes Mary to an old racetrack in his new taxicab to propose, and they make love. ![]() As Wendell and Mary begin dating, Wendell tells Mary's family that his real dream is be a champion racecar driver, but they do not take him seriously. Later, Wendell tells his mother he does not want to work in the cotton mill and plans to use his muster pay to buy a taxicab, eventually open a garage, and be his own boss. His family welcomes him home with a party and he takes an immediate liking to a guest, Mary Jones. Fifteen years later, Wendell returns to Danville after serving in the Army during World War II. In 1930s Danville, Virginia, an African-American boy named Wendell Scott impresses a group of white boys with his bike-riding powers. ![]() The film is based loosely on the true life story of Wendell Scott, the first Black NASCAR race winner and later a 2015 NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee. This is one museum you won't want to miss.Greased Lightning is a 1977 American biographical film starring Richard Pryor, Beau Bridges, and Pam Grier, and directed by Michael Schultz. Either way, unique cars like this one are what make the Petersen's collection so eclectic and fascinating. There are always "star cars" on display, some famous from films, others famous for their unusual styling or prowess on the road. and have a few spare hours to visit the Petersen, you won't be disappointed. ![]() Real or replica, if you're a fan of the film, you'll enjoy seeing this car in person.If you're ever in L.A. Copies of movie cars were often built to be used as promotional vehicles, and this version of Greased Lightning was frequently used for a variety of Grease-related events. Side-by-side screenshot comparisons of this car to the film do yield noticeable differences in body, paint and interior details. While we're at the Petersen every couple of months and have seen many movie cars over the years, this was our first time to see a Greased Lightning promotional vehicle on display.The Petersen, as usual, provides interesting detail about this custom legend:"This 1946 Ford was customized for the 1978 musical Grease, the biggest grossing movie musical of all time.Featured in the film's final scene in which Danny (John Travolta) and Sandy (Olivia Newton-John) ride off into the clouds, the car was transformed from a stock two-door sedan into a convertible by renowned Hollywood customizer George Barris.Its enormous fins, clear plastic hood, and wild paint scheme distinguish it as one of the most striking fantasy vehicles ever featured in a movie about teenage life during the 1950s."Research by one of our readers (thanks, Walt!) identified that this version of the famous Grease Lightning car, while similar to the one used in the film, is in fact, a replica built years later by George Barris. During our recent visit to the Petersen Automotive Museum to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Corvette, we took a look in their Hollywood Cars exhibit, which consistently features a variety of famous movie and movie-inspired cars, from classic to exotic.
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