'I DID GRADUATE WORK at Oxford and bought a brand-new MG TD in England, which was really hip and my introduction to small sports cars. I drove it all over Europe. Totally dependable, one of the best cars I ever had. I finally sold it; the American cars were giants and I was a dwarf on the road. I thought, if anybody hits me, I'm going to get hurt. Yes, Roger Corman has long been a car enthusiast.
Active in the movie industry since 1954, Corman was born in Michigan, USA, in 1926. His box office hits include 1960's black comedy The Little Shop of Horrors, 1961's The Pit and the Pendulum one of several films based on the works of Edgar Allan Poe, and starring Vincent Price and The Trip, a psychedelic 1967 work with a script by Jack Nicholson that starred Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper and Bruce Dern.
Industry big-hitters from Francis Ford Coppola to Martin Scorcese abound in his repertoire and so do vehicles. 1966's The Wild Angels had a group of Hell's Angels paid to work as extras and crew, sparked a trend in biker movies that peaked with Easy Rider in 1969, and featured Peter Fonda's iconic 'We wanna be free' monologue that was recycled to popular effect in the 1990 Andrew Weatherall reworking of Primal Scream's shoegazing I'm Losing More Than I'll Ever Have.
Later in his career Corman would produce Death Race 2000, and he played a cameo role the following year in 1976's Cannonball!, yet one of his earliest films, released late in 1954, has become a cult classic among petrolheads the world over. And not only did it secure its producer Corman a three-movie deal, it was also reprised in 2001 by Universal Pictures, which licensed the title and created a franchise that is so far nine strong, with two more films in the pipeline.
So, Mr Corman, what inspired you to make The Fast and the Furious?
Denne historien er fra September 2022-utgaven av Octane.
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Denne historien er fra September 2022-utgaven av Octane.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Will China Change Everything? - China is tearing up modern motor manufacture but is yet to make more than a ripple in the classic car world. That could be about to change dramatically
China now dominates the automotive world in a way even Detroit in its heyday would have struggled to comprehend.Helped by Government incentives, the new car world is dominated by China's industries: whether full cars that undercut Western models by huge amounts, ownership of storied European brands such as Lotus and Volvo, or ownership and access to the vast majority of raw materials that go into EV cars, its influence is far-reaching and deep. However, this automotive enlightenment hasn't manifested itself in the classic world in any meaningful way - until now.
Jem Marsh
The hard-bitten Marcos boss was driven like few others and never knew when he was beaten. Thankfully
Vandamm House
A Mid-Century Modernist masterpiece that was immortalised on celluloid - despite never actually existing
Making light
Alfa Romeo's post-war renaissance began with the 1900 saloon - and matured with Zagato's featherweight coupé version, as Jay Harvey discovers
FULL OF EASTERN PROMISE
Is burgeoning classic car interest in the Middle East good for the global classic market? Nathan Chadwick investigates
Before the beginning
This rare Amazon Green pre-production Range Rover is Velar chassis number 4. James Elliott charts its historically revealing factory restoration
Ben Cussons
As the outgoing chairman of the Royal Automobile Club hands on to his successor, Robert Coucher quizzes him about the evolution of this great British institution
BULLDOG & THE PUPPIES
We gather five motoring masterpieces by avant-garde designer William Towns - and drive all of them
Below the tip of the Audrain iceberg
As the Audrain organisation grows, we take a look behind the scenes at the huge car collection that feeds it
Flying the Scottish flag
Young Ecurie Ecosse driver Chloe Grant gets to grips with the Ecurie Ecosse Jaguar C-type at Goodwood. Matthew Hayward is Octane's witness
