Used Cars (1980)

When the owner of a struggling used car lot is killed, it's up to the lot's hot-shot salesman to save the property from falling into the hands of the owner's ruthless brother and used-car rival.

Director:

Robert Zemeckis

Writers:

Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale

Stars:

Kurt Russell, Jack Warden, Gerrit Graham

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Kurt Russell	...	Rudolph 'Rudy' Russo
Jack Warden	...	Roy L. Fuchs / Luke Fuchs
Gerrit Graham	...	Jeff
Frank McRae	...	Jim, the Mechanic
Deborah Harmon	...	Barbara Jane Fuchs
Joe Flaherty	...	Sam Slaton (as Joseph P. Flaherty)
David L. Lander	...	Freddie Paris
Michael McKean	...	Eddie Winslow
Michael Talbott	...	Mickey
Harry Northup	...	Carmine
Alfonso Arau	...	Manuel
Al Lewis	...	Judge H. H. Harrison
Woodrow Parfrey	...	Mr. Chartner
Andrew Duncan	...	Charlie
Dub Taylor	...	Tucker

Storyline

Used car salesman Rudy Russo needs money to run for State Senate, so he approaches his boss Luke. Luke agrees to front him the $10,000 he needs, but then encounters an "accident" orchestrated by his brother Roy, who runs the car lot across the street. Roy is hoping to claim title to his brother's property because Roy's paying off the mayor to put the new interstate through the area. After Luke disappears, it's all out war between the competing car shops, and no nasty trick is off limits as Rudy and his gang fight to keep Roy from taking Luke's property. Then Luke's daughter shows up.

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Plot Keywords:

car | salesman | used car salesman | used car lot | fight | 

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Taglines:

Trust us.

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 July 1980 (USA)

Also Known As:

Autohuijarit

Filming Locations:

Berge Ford - 310 E Main Street, Mesa, Arizona, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$8,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, A-Team

Technical Specs

Runtime:

113 min 103 min (Ontario)

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

According to Bob Gale in the Commentary, producer Steven Spielberg was appalled by Rudy's line about President Jimmy Carter: "Hey, he fucks with us..." Spielberg was a supporter of Carter. Robert Zemeckis and Gale refused to remove the line because where they came from (Gale is from Missouri and Zemeckis is from Chicago) politicians are (in their opinion) corrupt.

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Goofs

In the football bar scene before Jeff's arrival you see the salt already spilled and the Lucky Strike packs on the bar that Jeff pulls out of his pocket.

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Quotes

[repeated line]
Rudy: Trust me.

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Connections

References Ben-Hur (1959)

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Soundtracks

"USED CARS"
Lyrics by Norman Gimbel
Music by Patrick Williams
Performed by Bobby Bare

User Reviews

mile of cars...

Following "I Wanna Hold Your Hand", Robert Zemeckis directed the equally silly "Used Cars", about the antagonistic high jinx between two used car salesmen (Kurt Russell and Jack Warden). This isn't the sort of movie that you watch to change your life or pick up on double meanings or anything like that; you watch it to have fun. And indeed you will! Whether it's the R-rated commercials, or anything else, the movie's a hoot the whole way through. Like "Big Trouble in Little China" and "Overboard", it shows that Kurt Russell really works best in comedy. Just great.

A mile of cars. Imagine that...