When two trigger-happy crooks – the smart-mouthed Lonigan (William Watson) and easily excitable Tony (Bert Hinchman) – urgently need to stash some drugs and cash after a deal goes bad, they decide to pack it into a Corvette Stingray sitting idle at a used car yard. Once the heat dies down, the pair hook up with their boss, the sassy-yet-psychopathic Abigail (Sherry Jackson), and sweaty fellow crook Roscoe (Cliff Emmich), before focusing squarely on retrieving their haul.

First published in the February 2026 issue of Street Machine

The crew return to the yard to find that the Stingray has just been sold to two goofy but well-meaning mates, Al (Christopher Mitchum) and Elmo (Les Lannom), who purchase the ’Vette with dreams of summer cruising. The unsuspecting duo are quickly embroiled in a hot and heavy car chase with the baddies in their Chevelle.

Thankfully, Al is a dab hand behind the wheel and quickly proves he can hold his own, but after the crooks mow down some local law enforcement, the mates know that the stakes have been raised tenfold. When Al and Elmo are falsely accused of being cop killers by local police lieutenant Herschel (Richard Cosentino), they find themselves in a race for their lives, with both the cops and the crooks now hot on their heels.

The boys eventually discover the drugs hidden in their Corvette’s interior and figure that selling it off is the best way to fund their race to freedom, but they struggle to shake the persistent chase of Abigail and her cronies.

A bar-room brawl puts some distance between the warring factions – long enough for Al and Elmo to pick up the spunky hitchhiker dubbed ‘Girl’ (Sondra Theodore). A combination of internal turmoil and ‘no honour amongst thieves’ sees the baddies conveniently wipe each other out, leaving just enough evidentiary drugs, blood and lengthy police records to put Al and Elmo in hot water.

Fortunately, the Girl proves that you should never judge a blonde book by its cover and comes to the aid of Al and Elmo with a plan to see them cashed up and off the hook for any wrongdoing.

VERDICT: 2.5/5

A strange mix of a movie, Stingray is full of upbeat and virtually non-stop car action, peppered with comedic elements that border on slapstick. But the whole affair is laced with a dark streak of senseless killings that give proceedings an uncomfortable edge. It’s worth a watch though, if only to enjoy the Chevelle being brutally punished in some of the best period-perfect car-chase action you’re ever likely to see.

VEHICLES:

• 1964 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray
• 1971 Chevrolet Chevelle
• 1957 Chevrolet 3100
• 1962 Austin-Healey 3000
• Bultaco Sherpa 350
• 1972 Ford Galaxie 500
• 1975 Ford Torino
• 1973 Dodge Polara

STARS:

• Christopher Mitchum
• Les Lannom
• William Watson
• Sherry Jackson
• Bert Hinchman
• Sondra Theodore
• Cliff Emmich
• Richard Cosentino
• Russell Bender

DIRECTOR:
Richard Taylor

ACTION:
It’s like one big car chase, with plenty of 1970s oversteer; there’s even some motorbike excitement thrown in for good measure

PLOT:
Two innocent mates buy their dream Corvette but are soon running from murderous crooks who’ve used the car to hide cash and drugs

AVAILABLE:
DVD, YouTube

COOL FLICK FACT:
Sondra Theodore (above) – aka ‘Girl’ – was a former Playboy Playmate and publisher Hugh Hefner’s partner for many years. She also features on the Playboy pinball machine of the era.