Jean-Paul Belmondo passed away at the age of 88. During his memorable cinematographic career, “Bébel” will have driven many cars and will have rewarded us with spectacular stunts at the wheel. Back in pictures on the career of one of the most famous French actors.
He was “Le Magnifique”, “L’As des as”, “Le Guignolo”, “Le Marginal” … Actor Jean-Paul Belmondo, died at the age of 88. A monument of French cinema, it has been shown in at least 80 films.
TO READ. Stuntman Rémy Julienne died at 90
Bebel, an automobile enthusiast …
Jean-Paul Belmondo has always been a real car enthusiast. “The automobile has always fascinated me. As soon as I could afford nice cars, I bought them for myself“he confided to the magazine Car Life. His garage has also seen many models: Aston Martin DB5, Ferrari California and 250 GT Tour de France, Maserati Ghibli, Dino 246, AC Bristol, Lotus Elan, Mini Cooper… In this same interview, his son Paul remembers “He drove really, really fast on the road, but he drove well. With my sister, he took us to the Bois de Vincennes to do huge spin on the handbrake. Until the day when the Mini had heated so much that it burned on the spot!”
… and an outstanding stuntman!
From the Matra MS630 (Ho!) To the Lotus Seven (Flic or thug) via the Peugeot 404 (Pierrot le Fou) or the Ford Mustang (Le Marginal), Jean-Paul Belmondo also drove many cars during his professional career even performing impressive stunts at their wheel.
Her favorite? The Fiat Uno in “Happy Easter” with which he flew five meters above the ground. “You know, backing up the stairs at 60 km / h, it’s just a matter of getting used to“ he confided in 2013. In homage to this unrivaled artist, Argus offers you a retrospective of the cars with which “Bébel” was illustrated on the big screen.
>> Slideshow of Belmondo cars at the cinema <<
Film excerpts
- Chrysler 75 Roadster – The Rio Man (1964)
- Peugeot 404 – Pierrot le Fou (1965)
- Citroën DS – The Brain (1968)
- Fiat Ritmo – Cop or Thug (1978)
- Fiat 124 Special T – Le Casse (1981)
- Mercedes 540K (replica) – L’As des As (1982)
- Fiat Uno – Happy Easter (1984)
BONUS : In “Le Marginal”, the boat on which Jean-Paul Belmondo jumps from a helicopter was that of Alain Prost, tells Paul Belmondo to Car Life magazine. The production company had rented it to the port officials without the knowledge of the F1 driver who discovered the doldrums while watching the film!
