The “Hell’s Chariot” car from the film Grease is up for auction Aug. 20 and features the late Dame Olivia Newton-John’s signature.
Mecum Car Auctions estimates the custom 1949 Mercury Convertible will go for anywhere between $600,000 and $750,000. It has been verified to be the same that car customizing specialist Eddie Paul created for the 1978 film and includes Paul’s notarized letter. Paul transformed Hell’s Chariot from a factory hardtop coupe, and the resulting iconic convertible has been featured in parades, ad campaigns, and even the opening sequence of Grease Live.
Hell’s Chariot features the signatures of leading actress Olivia Newton-John, who died Monday at the age of 73. The film’s director, Randal Kleiser, also signed the vehicle.
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Current owner Dave DeSure found the car at a Huntington Beach car shop in weathered condition. It is unclear how many miles are on Hell’s Chariot’s odometer.
The car still has the film’s fictional “Scorpions” gang sticker on both doors, as it was driven by “Crater Face,” played by Dennis Stewart, in the Thunder Road race scene in the film’s finale. Its iconic razor hubcaps, which cut into “Greased Lightning,” the car driven by John Travolta playing Danny Zuko, are also included.
“Hell’s Chariot is powered by a 255 CI flathead V-8 engine and a column-shifted 3-speed manual transmission with Touch-O-Matic overdrive” and is “rolling on Firestone Wide Oval tires,” the lot description reads.
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During its initial theatrical release, Grease earned nearly $160 million domestically.
