MOVIE CAR MASTER

Dennis McCarthy's personal passion for cool rides led him to create Vehicle Effects and build the cars from the films you know and love.

- CAM BENTY

If you've watched any movie over the last 20 years with any automotive action, you've probably witnessed the handiwork of Dennis McCarthy. With eight Fast & Furious movies to his credit, as well as Hobbs & Shaw, The Green Hornet, Death Race, Day Shift, Batman v Superman, Bruce Almighty, and many more, Dennis and his "creative" crew at Vehicle Effects make sure the cars meet the needs of the script, perform reliably, and look cool on screen. That last element doesn't happen by accident.

Take The Green Hornet for example. Dennis and his team built a total of 29 Chryslers, most equipped with a brand-new Chevrolet Performance 454 crate engine, TH400 transmission, and Ford 9-inch axle. For an upcoming action film being shot in Atlanta, a half-dozen brand-new Chrysler Pacificas were shipped to Dennis. Work on one included an all-new drivetrain featuring a Chevrolet Performance LS3 engine with the same TH400 transmission and 9-inch. Pretty cool, huh?

"We build whatever is needed to get the job done, Dennis explained. "We have a great relationship with the studios, so they trust us to not only provide the requested vehicles, but frequently to help select the types of cars that would appeal to the car enthusiast audience."

Movie-car prep was not Dennis' life goal. In fact, if not for a clerical hurdle, Dennis could have been authoring this feature rather than being the subject of it. Back in the '80s, Dennis' dream job was to work for HOT ROD magazine. Although he was a certified mechanic with plenty of experience building custom cars, he was turned away on his quest for editorial stardom when he didn't pass the typing speed test-true story.