Welcome back everyone to another weekly edition of iconic movie cars. This week’s car is the 1958 Plymouth Fury in the movie Christine based on the novel by Stephen King published in 1983. The movie follows a sentient and violent automobile named “Christine”, and its effects on Christine’s teenage owner.

I remember watching this movie a few times and I still watch it when it is on. I never knew much about the Plymouth Fury, but one thing I did know is how beautiful the car is!

Early radio ads promoting the movie announced it was a ’57 Fury’ but in reality it was a 1958 Fury, the car shown in the film had stunt doubles. The Fury had a small production of 5,303 units. The car was very hard to find and also very expensive at the time of filming. Also the Fury only came in one color, ‘Buckskin Beige’, seen on other Fury’s during the initial scenes of the movie. So to help with the filming and destruction of the car in the film the Belvedere and Savoy were dressed up to look like the 1958 Fury. Twenty cars were destroyed in the filming of the movie, of the twenty cars used in the film only 2 still existed and were rescued. Once of them was restored by collector Bill Gibson.

The Plymouth Fury was produced from 1956 to 1978. The Fury was introduced as a sporty, premium-priced model designed to showcase the line, with the intent to draw consumers into showrooms. The Fury was a sub-series of the Plymouth Belvedere from 1956 through 1958. It was sold only as the color mentioned above. The car was a 2-door Hartop coupe with gold anodized aluminum trim in 1956 and 1957. The fury had a special interior, bumper wing-guards and a V8 engine with twin 4-barrel carbs. The 1957 and ’58 model came with a 318 cu in 5.21L engine that produced 290HP. But in ’58 the optional engine was a 350 cu in 5.7L (Called Golden Commando) producing 305HP.

The Fury’s changed throughout the years just like any other car but the 1970’s were not very good to this car. The Fury went through it’s ugly stage and it came into a style that I don’t think I would ever want. There was a 1972 Fury Sport Suburban station wagon that is just something… Something that ruined the spirit of the car in my opinion. It went away from being a “Sporty Premium Mode” to a family station wagon, what were these manufacturers thinking in the 70’s? But I have to say, seeing that 1958 Fury in the movie, in the cherry red color just makes me love that car more and more. Of course as long as it is not a murdering death car!