1932 Ford Li’l Foose Coupe Was Once Gone in 60 Seconds, Now Won't Budge for Under $100K

The Gone in 60 Seconds flick from the year 2000, starring Nicolas Cage and Angelina Jolie, was, from a movie lover's perspective, a complete bust. Sure, it won its share of awards, but most of them were for sucking: it was declared the winner of the worst screenplay for a movie grossing more than $100 million, won the crown for worst on-screen hairstyle, and was declared to have the most intrusive musical score – all at the hands of the now defunct Stinkers Bad Movie Awards.

On the flip side of the coin, it did get the Blockbuster Entertainment Award for Favorite Actress, but neither the good or bad awards, the actors, or the screenplay are what this movie is remembered for. What people will always see when hearing about Gone in 60 Seconds is cars, and more specifically, a certain 1967 Mustang Shelby GT500 nicknamed Eleanor.

The iconic ride used by Cage in some of the flick's most memorable scenes has been the star of many auctions and recreations over the years, but it was not the only vehicle seen in the movie. After all, it was all about a crew of car thieves that needed to steal vehicles quickly.

The roster of rides that appear on camera is pretty impressive, with around 50 models sharing screen time. From American-made Fords and Mercurys to European Bimmers and even Ferraris and Lamborghinis, there was a little something for everybody.

None of the above is what brings us here today, though. The star of our story is not Cage, Jolie, or Eleanor, but a 1932 Ford Deuce Coupe put together by legendary American customizer Chip Foose, and it too a star (granted, a minor one) of Gone in 60 Seconds.

The car may right a bell or two because it was a cool product even before getting a chance at being a Hollywood star. Foose put it together as the "fraternal twin" to one of his other projects, the 0032, a roadster by trade.

The Ford is known in the industry as the Li’l Foose Coupe and it is a three-window, fully fendered custom ride that captured the imagination of movie makers as soon as it appeared in the world.

It was first featured in the Titus TV series (2000 - 2002) wearing a black paint job with flames pulled over its body. It was then selected to star in Gone in 60 Seconds as well, and even if didn't really get a lot of screen time there, it was a presence perhaps more notable than that of the Italian beauties I mentioned earlier.

The car was not modified in any way for the role and appeared as it was imagined by Foose. Visually we're talking about a special breed of Deuce, with a chopped roof and a stretched hood and fenders.

Underneath the bodywork sits an SAC chassis supported by independent coil-over-shock suspension on all corners and controlled by Wilwood braking hardware. Tucked between the chassis and the bodywork is the car's powertrain, an LT4 unit sourced from a Corvette and running a four-speed automatic transmission.

The interior is as simple and effective as you'd expect for a car of this caliber, and much brighter than the exterior, too. Everywhere you look there's brown distressed leather, except on the dashboard and the 1951 Ford steering wheel, which come in black. The same 1951 Ford supplied the instrument cluster for the Li’l Foose, and modern amenities like power windows and air conditioning are carefully hidden in the vintage design.

Following its stint in Gone in 60 Seconds, the car went in 2006 to the Detroit Autorama, where it entered the final for the coveted Ridler Award. Later that same year it was on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum alongside many other of Chip Foose's creations.

Since 2013 the Li’l Foose has been part of a car collection called Dare to Dream, and it has now popped up for sale during an auction that'll be held by specialist RM Sotheby's in Toronto, Canada. With the exception of the wheels, which are five-spoke Foose designs, the car is the same as it was when it starred at the Detroit Autorama.

The car is selling with no reserve during the event that will take place on June 1, meaning the hammer could end up falling on surprising figures. The car's owners, however, are hopeful they'll manage to snatch at least $100,000 for it. If the stars align and the right crowd is in the house, that sum could rise to as much as $125,000. We'll keep an eye out for that and report back when everything is said and done.