When Hoyt first lays eyes on the Monte Carlo, he points out that it obviously didn’t come from the police motor pool, to which Harris replies, “Sexy, isn’t it?” Along with the hydropneumatic suspension that could make the car jump and dance, the movie car also had Dayton wire rims, a custom Flowmaster exhaust system, and a sunroof that was not available on the stock 1979 Monte Carlo. All of these add-ons made the car enticing to thieves, however, as director Antoine Fuqua recalled during a panel discussion at the 2021 Toronto Film Festival.
“It was back, I think, within 24 hours polished and cleaned, by the way,” Fuqua said. “Those guys down there said, ‘Don’t worry about it. We got it.’ It was back in the exact same spot they stole it from, too.” (via Entertainment Weekly)
By “those guys down there,” Fuqua was referring to the local gang members who flocked to the set each day, either to show their enthusiasm for the film or to try and manage a few quick frames of screen time.
“We got Latino gangs, the Bloods, the Crips, really open arms to come into these areas and film with all their support,” he recalled. “They were really excited about it.”