"Gumball Rally" (1976), "The Cannonball Run" (1981) and Other Films Inspired by Cannonball Baker

[porcupine]

I had *no* idea that the cheesy 1970s movie Cannonball Run was based on a true story and a real person!

That movie was released several years after the not-quite-so cheesy The Gumball Rally, starring Raíºl Julií¡ as an Italian hotshoe and Michael Sarrazin driving a Cobra, iirc.  Probably awfully dated by now, but I still giggle when thinking about the Jaguar.

[DonRocks]

That movie was released several years after the not-quite-so cheesy The Gumball Rally, starring Raul Julia as an Italian hotshoe and Michael Sarrazin driving a Cobra, iirc.  Probably awfully dated by now, but I still giggle when thinking about the Jaguar.

I'm ashamed to say that I remember this (not the details, but certainly its existence) - there are snippets of both of YouTube.

Erwin "Cannonball" Baker's cross-country run (pre-Interstate) was in 1933. Driving from New York City to Los Angeles took 53.5 hours, and was a record that lasted almost 40 years.