Mike (Terry Serio) and his best mate Tony (Vangelis Mourikis) chase thrills racing Mike’s XY Falcon, hoping to break into the professional Sydney street racing scene. The Aces Club is at the centre of this world, with the club’s head-honcho, Fox (Richard Moir), the man to beat in his ‘FOX 1’ Dodge Challenger (SM, Jan ’19). Fox leads a motley bunch of smart-mouthed misfits, but Mike and Tony know they’ll have to beat them all if they want to be crowned number one.

First published in the January 2026 issue of Street Machine

Circling the scene is Fox’s part-time love interest, Julie (Deborah Conway), a model, who takes a shine to Mike. So, when Mike challenges Fox to a race for the top spot, things are now personal.

Unfortunately, Mike finishes a very slow second, and is now broke to boot, so he heads west with Tony and Julie, hoping to race some country folk to generate some quick cash to get the XY hoppin’.

The trio make quick work of the local Gazzard boys in their EK, before coming across blind greaser Rebel (Max Cullen) and his lady Joan (Annie Semler), who are out for a cruise: “Spotto a ’57 Chev – a blown ’57 two-door,” Tony iconically observes.

After a fiery second encounter with the Gazzards leaves the XY very much the worse for wear, Rebel helps Mike and Tony “sort the wobble in the bottom end” and add some nitrous – a “sweet sensation” – just in time for a rematch with Fox.

When a nasty roof chop to the XY from a wayward semi cuts his follow-up run short, Mike decides it’s time to call it quits, much to the relief of Tony but the distaste of Julie.

Behind the scenes, Fox cuts a deal with the local oddbod coppers, Dave (Penne Hackforth-Jones) and Jagger (Grahame ‘Aunty Jack’ Bond) to save his own arse, and after Fox’s crew give Tony a flogging, it’s just the motivation Mike needs to sign back up for race number three and put this whole debacle to bed once and for all.

A quick trip to Rebel’s secures the ’57 for Mike to pilot in the ultimate showdown, but in Fox’s world, you’re either number one or you’re nothing.

VERDICT: 2/5 (PLOT); 6/5 (ICONIC AWESOMENESS)

Sure, some of the acting might be a bit second-rate, and the plot is pretty much an afterthought, but Running On Empty didn’t secure its iconic status for those. As we all know, it is really all about the cars – blur your eyes a bit and you could be watching the real-life street racing action playing out at Brickies or any country town back in the day. The numerous classic one-liners have long since become embedded in Aussie modified-car lingo, while the black ’57 and Fox’s Challenger are the stuff of legend.

VEHICLES:

• 1957 Chevrolet
• 1970 Dodge Challenger
• 1971 Ford XY Falcon
• 1961 EK Holden
• 1954 Chevrolet
• 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona
• 1969 Holden HT Monaro
• 1967 Holden HB Torana
• 1975 Ford XB Falcon panel van

STARS:

• Terry Serio
• Richard Moir
• Max Cullen
• Deborah Conway
• Vangelis Mourikis
• Annie Semler
• Grahame Bond
• Penne Hackforth-Jones
• Jeffrey Rhoe, Gerard Sont

DIRECTOR:
John Clark

ACTION:
Plenty of race scenes, burnouts and stunts – not to mention the sensory delight of a certain black ’57 whining its way down the highway.

PLOT:
A car-obsessed young bloke lays everything on the line to become the street racing king.

AVAILABLE:
Streaming (Apple TV, Amazon Prime), DVD, YouTube

COOL FLICK FACT:
The ‘Challenger’ that meets a fiery demise at the end of the flick was actually a mocked-up Valiant sedan with the B-pillars removed.