If you’ve never seen The Cannonball Run, beg, borrow or steal a copy as soon as you have a chance. It’s not that the 1981 film was a remarkable achievement in cinematography, and it’s certainly not an accurate portrayal of the actual 1979 Cannonball-Baker-Sea-To-Shining-Sea-Memorial-Trophy-Dash on which it’s based. It is, however, a snapshot of American pop culture in the early 1980s, back in a time when the national speed limit was 55 miles per hour and films generally got good bank based on the amount of cleavage shown.
It’s good fun, but it certainly doesn’t need a remake. The Cannonball-Baker is gone, replaced by Brock Yates’ One Lap of America. The 55 mile per hour speed limit is gone, replaced by more rational speed limits now set by individual states. Revisiting the Cannonball Run of the 1970s would be no more relevant today than revisiting the Watergate hearings; call us jaded, but life just isn’t that simple anymore.
Earlier this week, rumors started flying of a Cannonball Run remake. New York Magazine even went so far as to name Guy Ritchie as the director, with a cast to include Brad Pitt and Ben Stiller. General Motors would contribute a significant amount of funding to the project, which would ultimately serve as a giant product placement ad for GM vehicles. Call me a cynic, but it sounded like a big, steaming bowl of fail to me.
Now comes word from Autoblog that GM isn’t funding any such project, and GM’s Tom Henderson goes so far as to say he hasn’t seen a script. We’re not sure if that means there is no Cannonball remake, but GM is clear that it won’t be a two hour long ad for its vehicles.
Watch the original movie and appreciate it for what it is. Like the mid-seventies Cosworth Vega, a remake simply isn’t needed.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
