Yep, download and fold your own Mad Max V8 Interceptor paper model and stick it on your Christmas tree…because a V8 makes everything better.
What Christmas tree isn’t made better with a little bit of V8 muscle? Even if it is only paper. We’ll get to the craft soon enough… Did you know, the car you see here was very nearly a Ford Mustang…yep, the original plan was for Max to drive a modified Mustang.
Pre-production planning had seen the team design a car for Max to drive that was based on a Mustang but it was feared spare parts and the cost of using a Mustang on this small budget Aussie film (only $20,000 was allocated to props and vehicles, and only $5k to vehicle maintenance) would be prohibitive. So the decision was made to use Falcons instead. And a legend was born.
History has it that the design team capitalised on the van craze sweeping Australia and thought they’d combine Monza front ends and make them fit Falcon snouts. In the end they got the Aussie designer of the Concorde snout to help them make one to suit the GT.
Once the team knew the look they were going for with the vehicles, they trawled auctions around Melbourne until they found the cars they were looking for. Two came from the same auction; they were ex-Police vehicles, while the 1973 XB GT had been repossessed. In all, the three cars were purchased for less than $20,000.
It’s claimed the film’s producer, George Miller wanted the supercharger visible so it was mounted on top of the air filter…it didn’t actually work and needed 12V motors to make it spin. The flares were modified Holden Torana A9X flares, the roof wing was from made a Holden Monaro Super Sports mould, and eight pipes were whacked onto the side. The paint scheme was called black-on-black and had to be a mix of gloss and matte black paint.
There’s so much history embedded in the V8 Interceptor and it’s a shame it’s not owned by someone local. Sigh. The original movie car, which was blown up, if you remember, was saved from the scrap heap, rebuilt and is now on display at the, wait for it, Miami Auto Museum.
Sure, the Big Bopper and Max’s Yellow Interceptor were cool, but it was the V8 Interceptor that stole the show. In the film, the car had been wrenched and offered to the lead Max to keep him from resigning; but he ended up using it to get his revenge on the gang that had murdered his wife and child. And the rest is cinema legend. If you want to know more about the V8 Interceptor, click these blue words.
That’s the history of the V8 Interceptor out of the way. If you’re looking for something to keep the kids amused between now and Christmas, click on these blue words and download our paper craft V8 Interceptor as a PDF, print it out and away you go. The instructions are pretty simple: cut out all the parts and assemble in the order they’re numbered. Easy. Your Christmas tree will thank you.
The pic below is just for illustrative purposes so you can see what you’ll be getting, click the link above to download a hi-res printable PDF.
While you’re here subscribe to the MotoFomo Newsletter
Sign Up for the latest news, reviews, advice, buying guides and more delivered to your inbox every week