Hollywood is a place of fame and fortune. Many go there in pursuit of that, yet, few achieve it in the end. The ones that do make it, though, are truly something special. This philosophy isn't exclusive to the human actors and actresses, but the non-human stars as well.

In popular media, there a a ton of examples of this phenomenon: Back to the Future's DeLorean DMC-12, The Dukes of Hazzard's Dodge Charger, Smokey and the Bandit's Trans Am, and so on and so forth. A recent one, however, is the legendary Eleanor Mustang featured in the film, Gone in 60 Seconds.

Though the Eleanor may be one of the most well-known muscle cars in film, there's still a good bit that's unknown by the general public; even the history of the movie itself. To showcase what led to the custom Mustang and all its hidden details, here are few things that enthusiasts may, or may not, know about the Eleanor Shelby...

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The Original

Via: imdb.com

We don't know how we missed this, but the 2000's version of Gone in 60 Seconds is not the first of its kind. In fact, the original Gone in 60 Seconds was made 1974, which we ourselves only recently discovered.

Funnily enough, the 1974 iteration of the film also had a Mustang as the 'main character' of sorts. The only difference, however, is that the original Mustang was not a custom-built one-off, rather a standard Mach-1 in a bright yellow. Nevertheless, the classic is still beautiful!

Despite the fact that the classic version was not well remembered by the late-90's and early-2000's crowd, the film makers pushed the idea through anyways. And thank God they did, because the Hollywood action genre wouldn't be the same today without it.

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Not Actually A Shelby

Via: motorauthority.com

Using "movie magic," reality can be whatever the directors and producers want it to be. Whether that be an apocalyptic scenario, a far away planet, or something far more simple. For instance, fooling the audience into thinking is one thing and not another. That is what happened with the Eleanor Shelby.

Now, we're being a bit dramatic, since the Gone in 60 Seconds movie DID in fact have real Eleanor tuned Mustang Shelby's. The truth, though, is that (of the eleven made) only three were genuine. The rest were 'kit cars:' vehicles built to look like the car in question, but sporting different internals.

The practice of using kit cars isn't uncommon. Movies like the 2014 Need for Speed are a great example, as well, yet, on a slightly larger scale. Make sure to remember that, when watching the film, not every shot of Eleanor is the real deal. It's smart, though, since nobody wants to willingly launch an actual Shelby over a ramp.

A Custom-Built Automotive Icon

Via: roadandtrack.com

As we have stated many times throughout this piece, the Eleanor Mustang is the epitome of an automotive icon. More importantly, it is one that was lifted out of obscurity (by most consumers) and into the public-eye through pop-culture and Hollywood.

There's an argument to be made that, without Gone in 60 Seconds, the 1967 Mustang Shelby GT500 Eleanor wouldn't be as popular as it is nowadays. Then again, because of the Eleanor's stunning beauty, masterful design, and historic pedigree, its rise into stardom may have been an inevitability. Either way, we're sure happy the reboot happened, along with the subsequent love and fame that's been hurled at the Eleanor Shelby ever since.

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