Ranking: 22
Year of release: 1976.
The car: Ferrari 275 GTB (audio), 6.9-litre Mercedes 450 SEL (actual car).
Why it’s special: It’s nine minutes of flat-out driving across Paris. In traffic. With pedestrians. No closed roads, and no safety considerations.
Best bit: All of it. It’s a single take of nine minutes, as that’s all the film the camera could hold.
Pub fact: Although various cars and rumours suggested an anonymous Formula 1 driver was responsible for piloting a Ferrari 275 GTB, director Claude Lelauch admitted in 2006 that he was responsible for driving his own 6.9-litre Merc 450 SEL for the film. Despite being hauled in by Paris police immediately after the film, he was released without charge, and was double lucky as one of the spotters employed to warn him of impending problems apparently had walkie talkie failure after the run had begun.
Plot overview: Pedal to the metal around Paris. That’s about your narrative lot.
For: You’re unlikely to see such a disregard for public safety ever again.
Against: The modern version involves reckless tearaways posting videos on Youtube.
CAR verdict: Only in France…
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