The 1976 Dodge Monaco 'Bluesmobile' Replica, Equipped with a 440 V8 and a Giant Loudspeaker, Defying Time with a Remarkable -25 Years

 

When "The Blues Brothers" hit the silver screen in 1980, it set the world record for the most cars destroyed in one film. Most of them were decommissioned police vehicles bought from the California Highway Patrol. That's one thing this film is famous for. The other one is the 1974 Dodge Monaco Police Interceptor driven by Dan Akroyd with John Belushi riding shotgun.

Well, "driven" is actually an understatement. That car "did" things that no production car would be capable of, but that's what special effects and stunt drivers are for, right? But I digress. If you're a fan of Jake and Elwood Blues and their antics, here's a nice "Bluesmobile" replica that you can take home.

If you're a "Blues Brothers" aficionado, you'll immediately notice that the conversion is not based on the 1974 Dodge Monaco, like the one they used in the movie. Whoever built this replica went with a 1976 Monaco.

But that's the only authenticity flaw you'll find here. The police livery is as accurate as they get, while the paint has just enough dull spots and chips for an interceptor that's been on duty for a few decades. It also comes with some storage dust if you're into that type of thing.

The interior appears to be impressively clean for a vehicle this old, but the photos are rather poor and don't provide a full picture of the state of the dashboard and the upholstery. But it's pretty obvious that this Monaco isn't a decommissioned police car, but a civilian sedan with a partly refinished exterior.

But there's plenty of good news under the hood, which hides a 440-cubic-inch (7.2-liter) V8 that's been "professionally rebuilt." The seller doesn't provide any info on power and torque but claims it's a "high-performance" engine that enables this "Bluesmobile" to "smoke the tires like a dragster" and hit more than 145 mph (233 kph).

There's no word on whether it's a matching-numbers mill, but it might very well be since Dodge offered 440 V8s in the third-generation Monaco. The layout is also similar to that of Monaco police cruisers from the era, which featured beefed-up 440 V8s capable of impressive off-the-line sprints and top speeds. So they could keep up with muscle cars on the highway, obviously.

The car also comes with the original dual inlet air breather and twin intake air filter, both of which aren't shown in the photos. But more importantly, it comes with a large loudspeaker that can be mounted on the roof, as well as a pair of suits, hats, and sunglasses. Unfortunately, there are no photos of the loudspeaker or the roof-mounting system. The seller recommends that you wear the suits to "get free beer anywhere," but you might want to go with a different beverage while driving.

Even though it's not a perfect replica of the original "Bluesmobile," it's a cool car to take to the local classic car meeting or even at the drag strip for a few quarter-mile runs. Assuming that the 440 V8 is indeed capable of smoking the tires like a dragster, that is.

The replica is auctioned off by eBay seller "timblevins" and bidding has reached $12,200 with almost two days to go. There's no reserve, so the highest bidder takes it home. Just make sure you enquire about engine upgrades and horsepower figures.

The big question is, what would you play through the loudspeaker? Let me know in the comments.