Chevrolet Malibu – The Car’s the Star

“I don’t sit in while you’re running it down. I don’t carry a gun. I drive.” Before Ryan Gosling’s performance as the personification of Barbie’s plastic partner in last year’s surprise smash hit movie about everyone’s favourite fashion doll, and prior to donning his tap shoes for the musical smash La La Land, the popular Hollywood actor appeared in a couple of rather decent, gritty crime thrillers, proving that he could do more than just schmaltzy romantic dramas. We’re looking at you The Notebook. And yes, we have seen it. Case in point is 2011’s Drive, a film that really came out of nowhere but straight into the hearts and minds of petrolheads the world over, thanks in large part to the starring role of a 1973 Chevrolet Malibu.

With a title like that we knew we were potentially in for something special and director Nicolas Winding Refn, and indeed Gosling, did not disappoint. Focussing on the exploits of an unnamed driver who offers his skills behind the wheel to the highest bidder – typically those of a nefarious nature (“You give me a time and a place, I give you a five minute window. Anything happens in that five minutes and I’m yours. No matter what. Anything happens a minute either side of that and you’re on your own”), Drive is equal parts action flick, neo-noir crime thriller, revenge yarn and road movie. Sounds perfect then.

But no such film would be complete without a memorable car for the protagonist to cut about in now would it? A car that very much becomes a character of its own. Well, in the case of Drive the car in question is a rather cool looking primer grey 1973 Chevrolet Malibu. Gosling’s actual conveyance of choice when “on the job”, however, is a 2010 Chevrolet Impala, so chosen for its vast popularity with the American public and effortless ability to blend in, making it the perfect getaway vehicle. But it’s nowhere near as cool as the Malibu that Gosling’s character uses as his personal whip, a car that has way more presence than the Impala and one that remains a true stalwart of the American classic car scene.

So the story goes, Gosling was allowed to pick his own car for the movie and so combining his personal tastes with what he thought would be a good fit for the character, and indeed the film itself, decided upon a down at heel ’73 Chevrolet Malibu he found languishing in a Los Angeles scrapyard. Gosling didn’t merely hand the car over to the production team to sort out, however. Far from it. The actor, in a bid to help him get into character and solidify a personal bond with the car, stripped it down and completely rebuilt it himself. Props Ryan, props.

Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures

Much like his character in the film, the car too isn’t an overblown, shouty show pony. Mirroring the traits of the ‘driver’, the Malibu is a much more restrained animal. It’s a somewhat unassuming, low profile and brooding beast but with enough muscle where it counts that can be unleashed with a dab of throttle, or indeed swing of a hammer. If you’ve seen the film then you’ll know what we’re talking about. You just have to take a look at the after market gauges and rev counter on the dash and listen to the grumble of the motor to realise that this isn’t a standard Malibu. With the character’s proficiency on the spanners it wouldn’t be too much of a leap to assume that there’s a tweaked 7.4-litre big block V8 under the bonnet – the largest engine available for these cars from the factory. At least that’s what we choose to believe.

Beginning life as a trim level for the Chevrolet Chevelle in 1964 before becoming its own model in ’78, it’s the second gen cars from ’68 to ’72 that most enthusiasts consider to be prime Malibu with their handsome, muscular bodies and choice of powerful V8 engines putting them squarely in muscle car royalty territory. ’73 saw another complete redesign with the Malibu going the way of many American cars of the period in that the focus was sadly shifted from outright performance to safety and economy in order to satisfy the more stringent environmental and safety legislations that were being brought to bear at the time.

But it’s exactly these design choices that make it the perfect personal car for Gosling’s character in Drive. A somewhat humble, humdrum model but with enough power under the bonnet to more than make up for any perceived shortcomings. It’s a bit of a sleeper really, and you know how we feel about those. If you need any convincing of the car’s potential you just have to look at the Americans’ penchant for driving in circles because a Chevrolet Malibu won the NASCAR Winston Cup Championship in ’73 at the hands of Benny Parsons.

We won’t spoil the film for any of you that haven’t seen it but suffice to say it’s one of our faves so if you did miss it then seek it out right now. We promise you won’t be disappointed. It’s got a killer soundtrack, too. And of course, you can always grab your very own Chevrolet Malibu right here on Car & Classic.