𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐅 𝐖𝐎𝐎𝐃𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐃, 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐈𝐋𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐁𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐓 -

It was a beautiful morning here in Michigan on Saturday. By 7:00am, myself and the Visionalist crew were in the parking lot of Comerica Bank on Woodward in Birmingham mounting cameras to my jeep so we could film a historical moment that has never before been filmed like this. The King of Woodward, The Silver Bullet, a modified 1967 Plymouth Belvedere GTX Hardtop owned by Harold Sullivan is going to be our main focus for a segment in the film called, “The Battle for Woodward.” The baddest street racer was originally owned and built by mechanic Jimmy Addison who worked at the Sunoco gas station that once sat on Woodward Avenue Birmingham in the 1960s.

As you will see the story unfold in our film, “The Battle for Woodward” was a serious gentleman's quest that was not officially allowed and sanctioned by the big three auto manufacturers at that time of Ford, GM, and Chrysler. The desire to see who could build the fastest car was serious business where engineers and lower level executives would bring car parts through the back door of auto shops to place in the hands of mechanics such as Jimmy. You could almost hear the conversation: “So what if this carburetor ended up in that Plymouth?” Basically the Silver Bullet became a rolling test bed for parts and ideas of some of the elite group of engineers who had plotted Chrysler's racing success in the 60s. The bullet is equipped with a monster 487 cubic inch Hemi V-8 under the super stock hood scoop with the fuel delivered to twin four-barrel carburetors via a Stewart Warner electric fuel pump while hooker headers direct exhaust to four 68 Cadillac mufflers through 3 pipes.

The story will feature well-respected car collectors like Harold Sullivan, Bob Lutz, and others telling this story.

Now how does a humble hard working rags to riches guy now in his 70s end up owning one of the most famous cars of all time? Well, it started some 53 years ago, Harold a young, hell raising kid from Highland Park cruised Woodward like so many in that era. If you knew anything about cars back then in the late 60s, you knew that the Silver Bullet ruled Woodward Avenue, which was also on its own track to stardom as the main artery running through the heart of the Motor City. If you had felt you had a fast car, Woodward was where you came to prove it. Young Harold was like any other cruiser saying to himself, “One day I’m going to own that car.” As with so many car collectors, most often the first car they buy from years gone past is one that impacted their youth. Well, the Silver Bullet, you have to imagine, is the holy grail of all muscle cars.

𝐖𝐎𝐎𝐃𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐃 𝐅𝐈𝐋𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆 -

The filming from both inside the Silver Bullet as well as trying to track it as it flew by on open and empty Woodward Avenue was exhilarating to say the least. Keep in mind that this car can do a ¼ mile in 10.50 seconds at a speed of 132 mph.

In our typical days of production, an unplanned filming unfolded as Harold stopped at Pasteiner's Auto Zone Hobbies. Every Saturday morning for the last 30 plus years, guys and gals stop by for coffee to hang out and talk about their love for cars. This is a special group of widely diverse car lovers who you can imagine connect an IV up each night at home with gasoline as it clearly flows through their veins. As Steve Pasteiner explained, “We love to have these car enthusiasts come by to say hello, they’ve all become good friends.” Steve and his well-respected father don’t own just any store but it’s Detroit's largest selection of automotive books, more than 160 unique automotive magazine titles, and hundreds of models from 1/87th to 1/8th scale.

We ended back in Harold's garage to set up an interview in front of one of Harold’s other rare special muscle cars, a 1969 Dodge Super Bee 440 Six Pack. The garage walls and shelves are a collection of a wide range of rare throwbacks to the early years of car everything with a big emphasis on anything Mopar. With the best of Bob Seger music playing, we built a nice set for Harold to talk about the car culture, fast cars, the future of cars, and of course, the Silver Bullet. Through all of this high RPMs oil infused car talk we ended with a discussion about the significance his father had on his love for cars. In that moment, as Harold fought back tears and a few rolled down his cheek, he explained his greatest desire was not for some other car added to his collection but rather a longing for time with his dad who has passed many years ago now. Through his choked up conversation, he said, “I just wish he was here so I could buy him a new car,” spoken from the heart of a guy who grew up very poor.

By 6:00pm, the 11-hour day came to an end and we were wrapping up, packing gear. As we were leaving, Harold graciously handed us one of only a few cast models of the Silver Bullet, which now sits nicely on our office window. Harold, thank you for one of our most exciting filming sessions we have had. And thank you to Pasteiner’s where we will be returning for more interviews.

𝐑𝐄𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓 -

We would like to invite those who were around in the 60s & 70s to share with us any footage you might have that we can use to help tell the Woodward Avenue story. If you have any street racing that took place that would be very exciting. You will be featured in the credits of the finished film and have tickets to the special showing. We can have the footage transferred for you. Please send any responses to info@detroitmusclecarfilm.com