Editor’s note: As 2018 drew to a close, we shared our favorite car movies as an alternative to the Hallmark holiday movies that some people watch this time of year. So this year we’re adding a twist to the series, sharing the 10-favorite motorcycle movies selected in a poll of the ClassicCars.com Journal staff. The series begins today with No. 6 The World’s Fastest Indian.
With Anthony Hopkins in the lead role, The World’s Fastest Indian not only shared the story of Burt Munro, but shared it and land-speed record racing at Bonneville to the world. The movie, released in 2005, was a global box-office hit.
“For 25e years in Invercargill, New Zealand, Burt Munro (1899-1978) has been working on increasing the speed of his motorcycle, a 1920 Indian,” the movie website imdb.com reports. “He dreams of taking it to the Bonneville Salt Flats to see how fast it will go.
“By the early 1960s, heart disease threatens his life, so he mortgages his house and takes a boat to Los Angeles, buys an old car, builds a makeshift trailer, gets the Indian through customs, and heads for Utah.
“Along the way, people he meets are charmed by his open, direct friendliness. If he makes it to Bonneville, will they let an old guy on the flats with makeshift tires, no brakes, and no chute? And will the Indian actually respond?”
Absolutely fabulous movie. Saw it on the Big Screen. Of course, Hopkins lights up the screen like no one can. Enjoy some classic bikes and speed while your significant Other will enjoy the great human story that surrounds it…