Owning a replica of a movie car can be exciting, but also expensive. The owner of what is described as the best Pursuit Special MFP Interceptor replica found that you can have both sides of the experience almost simultaneously, as police have praised his car while handing out a ticket for illegal modifications.
The vehicle is commonly referred to as the Mad Max car, but it is a replica of the Pursuit Special MFP Interceptor in the first Mad Max film, which made the Ford Falcon even more popular than it was after the movie reached international fame. Mad Max has managed to influence pop culture even decades after it came out, but that is not enough for Australian police.
Back in 2016, this vehicle was voted to be the best replica in Australia by Murray Smith, who built the original movie car. That kind of accomplishment is impressive, and even Gladstone Police acknowledged the quality of this build as they explained why the owner was ticketed.
As ABC News reported, the owner of the vehicle, which he converted into a Mad Max replica starting in 2009, had been pulled over by police in Queensland. Despite managing to pass a Queensland inspection and registering the vehicle to his new home after moving from the Northern Territory.
The Australian man was fined for having a blower protruding from the hood, which is a safety issue in the event of an impact with a pedestrian, while their other issue with the car was having a blue light in the vehicle.
Despite not using it, simply having it inside, with the possibility of being seen or used, is not permitted, as blue is reserved for emergency services in Australia. The side-mounted exhaust pipes were also seen as a safety hazard.
The owner of this fantastic Mad Max replica, Rod, stated that he only drives the vehicle "about six times a year, mostly to special events" and he was disappointed that the police decided to fine him instead of issuing a warning. When he resided in the Northern Territories, police representatives even invited Rod to bring his vehicle to a police graduation ceremony.
The vehicle had a special club registration in prior years, and it was only pulled over by police for picture opportunities, instead of tickets, Rod noted. Well, as you can see in the comments on the Gladstone Region police's post, people are not happy with the outcome of this, but at least the vehicle was not impounded.
However, its owner will have to resolve the defects before being allowed to drive it on public roads again. The supercharger could be concealed by a hood scoop, but the blue light has got to go.
Meanwhile, the exhausts might have to be modified – as the issue with them is not about noise, but about a potential injury risk if someone touches the pipes when they are hot, as police officers explained in the post.
As we mentioned in the lead of this article, owning a movie car or a replica of a movie car can be exciting, but it may get expensive real fast if we consider potential fines from the police. While the police officers must apply the law with no exceptions, all enthusiasts can hope is that someone will devise legislation to save things like movie cars from being confined to museums.
Editor's note:
For illustration purposes, the photo gallery shows videoes of other Mad Max replica vehicles just to illustrate what one of those sounds and looks like.
Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland. Full profile
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