Movie stars and Vintage Mercedes - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Teemeister · #1 08-03-2008, 11:35 PM

Having sold my W115 300D almost two years ago I haven't posted here in a long time but today I felt the urge to do so. I was watching a movie this afternoon starring one of my favorite actresses, Zooey Deschanel and to my biggest surprise she's driving a W123 300D TurboD (as is the co-starring Amelia Warner) in "Winter Passing". By the way Winter Passing is a great movie, imo the score on IMDB is highly underrated.

Here are a couple of screenshots:

Have there been any other occurences of movie stars or celebrities driving Vintage Mercedes? If you know any please post here!

Mark DiSilvestro · #2 08-04-2008, 12:45 AM

Well, a few weeks ago there was a quick TV clip on 'TMZ' featuring actor Jude Law driving a slightly flawed (side molding missing) W107 SL. Not for a movie and maybe his own car. No good shot of the trunk to be able to tell which model.
The perky female TMZ reporter suggested the actor might be in a slump for having to drive such a 'beat-up old car'!

Happy Motoring, Mark

henk2heads · #3 08-04-2008, 04:04 AM

Those beautiful old Mercs all the bad guys drive in the bond films. OK, they weren't vintage at the time, but they're still good to look at, that applies to the bond girls as well. There's a movie called House of sand and fog with Jennifer Connely (the girl i want to marry) and Ben Kingsley. Kingsley plays this Middle eastern expat and he drives the most beautiful powder blue merc in the movie. I couldn't tell which one, though.
It's a GREAT movie, though Here's the imdb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0315983/plotsummary

Mark DiSilvestro · #4 08-04-2008, 11:50 AM

Similars threads have been done here before (search for 'Mercedes in the Movies') and 'House of Sand and Fog' is definitely on my list of films to see.
I could go on about vintage Mercedes starring in films like 'Butterfield-8', 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service', 'Witches of Eastwick', 'City of Ghosts', etc...but I was wondering if someone knows how many stars or celebrities actually own/drive vintage Mercedes?
I recall a TV episode of 'Pranks & Practical Jokes' many years ago where the 'victim' was Ernest Borgnine. I don't even remember what the prank was but he shows up at his home driving a beautifull bronze W108 or W109 sedan.
Also a friend told me that Madonna drives a vintage 280SE convertible.

Happy Motoring, Mark

n6mod · #5 08-04-2008, 02:43 PM

You guys do know about IMCDB, right?

mbgingerbread · #6 08-04-2008, 10:34 PM

'Pushing Daisies' starring Swoozie Kurtz and others I am at a loss to recall feature a nice 108 or 109. The characters are seen cruising in this Mercedes on a regular basis. This show is on ABC and will start a new season in October of this year. It's one of those avant-garde series and is different to say the least

MBG

Teemeister · #7 08-04-2008, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by n6mod

You guys do know about IMCDB, right?

I didn't, thanks a ton, great find!!

mercmad6.3 · #8 08-05-2008, 04:58 PM

All time great movie was One Starring Ginger Rogers and the movie studio owner's 380 or 500 K special roadster.Can't remember the name of the movie but I do know the car was very recently restored .
This was her own personal car,ex the late Rolf Meyer collection.

todds · #9 08-07-2008, 10:53 AM

I remember some movie from the late 80's/early 90's time frame where "The President" gets dispatched by being sunk into a lake in his vintage mercedes, from what I recall it was a w108/109-type front end, but it could've have been a w111/112 for all I know. Maybe it was Jason Robards? Or James Cromwell perhaps?

todds · #10 08-07-2008, 10:59 AM

Aha, found it. "Enemy of the State" with Gene Hackman:

http://www.hampstead.com.au/mb/modules.php?name=Reviews&rop=showcontent&id=49

I remember cringing at the time.

Tony H · #11 08-07-2008, 10:38 PM

I was watching the TCM Charlie Chaplin feature last weekend and saw a really cool 30's era Merc(a very short clip) as Chaplin was playing the fictious dictator Hynkel in The Great Dictator.
I have also noticed quite a few 3.5 111's in movies lately-mostly cabs.

Tony H · #12 08-07-2008, 10:43 PM

In that movie Gere's character is maimed in an accident while driving a 113 car but I read it was not a real 113 that they thrashed in the movie.(Thank God)

Mark DiSilvestro · #13 08-08-2008, 09:07 AM

That Pagoda in 'Intersection' sure looked real to me.
Some other movies that feature maimed Mercedes include 'The Driver' starring Ryan O'neal mangling a W108 in a parking garage, 'Slaughterhouse Five' where a hysterical woman repeatedly bashes a W110 Fintail with her Caddy,
and 'Witches of Eastwick' where an enraged Jack Nicolson totally trashes a SWB 600!

Happy Motoring, Mark

Tony H · #14 08-08-2008, 02:51 PM

The 113 Richard Gere was driving was real but the one they crashed I read was a dummy. A movie was made close by once and I got to see how they subsitute a "model" or dummy car when they destroy it. They had a car that looked exactly like the one that was being driven but it was a shell of a car. That crash in Intersection does look very realistic though. I guess the price of a 113 would be a pretty small part of the movie.