My company is relocating to downtown Detroit from a suburb north of
the city. I just watched the video release of Eminem's "8 Mile", and I
think the car he drives in the movie would be a perfect commute car
for me. Can you tell me precisely the make, model and year of this
car? I'm pretty sure that it's a Pontiac or an Oldsmobile, and was
made in the 1970's. But to be authentic in my commute, I'll have to
know for certain that I've bought the right car.

Andy,

Many thanks for being willing to accept an answer that drives you half
the way there! Below I am re-posting the material from the Freep that
I found earlier. Now you will be able to get some sleep, secure in the
knowledge that your friend Pinkie is not gnashing her teeth in
self-inflicted poverty. ;-)

==================================================
 
According to this article, Eminem drove an Oldsmobile Delta 88 in "8
Mile":
 
"Dougherty, who was raised in Detroit but now lives in Rochester
Hills, says he spent most of his time trouble-shooting and sending
drivers where they were needed. Transportation can mean everything
from lugging heavy lights, cameras and sound equipment to meeting star
Kim Basinger at the airport, a job the 49-year-old Dougherty, who
usually delegates, decided to take himself.
 
He also found three of the Oldsmobile Delta 88s that Eminem's
character drives in the film. Finally located in Ohio, Oklahoma and
Michigan, two were driveable. One had its engine removed, replaced
with a camera for interior scenes."
 
Detroit Free Press 
http://www.freep.com/entertainment/movies/profile6_20021106.htm 

==================================================

This was the search string that led me to the article linked above:

Google Web Search: "eminem" + "8 mile" + "drives" + "film"
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=eminem+%228+mile%22+drives+film

Unfortunately, I have nothing further to add. I've asked several
old-car buffs for their input, and none of them could pin down the
exact model year of the car in question. My guesstimate of 1976 still
stands, but it is just a wild-ask guess. The Delta 88 changed very
little throughout the 1970s; apparently the folks at Oldsmobile were
shrewd enough to know that they had a groovy thang goin'.

If anything more definite regarding the model year of this car should
appear on the horizon in the future, I'll post a triumphant
clarification attached to this answer, and Google Answers will notify
you by email that further info has dribbled in. It's amazing how often
we Researchers will come across useful material for one customer while
searching for something entirely different for another customer, so
the possibility of total satisfaction is not beyond hope. ;-)

Best always,
Pink

As always, this question was answered to my complete satisfaction,
with humor and intelligence.

Hi, Andy! I can't drive this all the way to an answer, but I can get
you part way there.

According to this article, Eminem drove an Oldsmobile Delta 88 in "8
Mile":

"Dougherty, who was raised in Detroit but now lives in Rochester
Hills, says he spent most of his time trouble-shooting and sending
drivers where they were needed. Transportation can mean everything
from lugging heavy lights, cameras and sound equipment to meeting star
Kim Basinger at the airport, a job the 49-year-old Dougherty, who
usually delegates, decided to take himself.

He also found three of the Oldsmobile Delta 88s that Eminem's
character drives in the film. Finally located in Ohio, Oklahoma and
Michigan, two were driveable. One had its engine removed, replaced
with a camera for interior scenes."

Detroit Free Press
http://www.freep.com/entertainment/movies/profile6_20021106.htm

That gives us documentation of the make and model. I have not been
able to determine the year. I would guess 1976. Perhaps another
Researcher who is a '70s car buff will be able to narrow this down
further.

As for me, my dream car is the 1976 Cadillac Eldorado. I want a 2-door
convertible. You can probably guess what color. ;-)

~Pink

Dear Pink,
I can get you into a 1976 2-door Cadillac Elderado Convertible for
$15,000. It's the wrong color, but since it's white I figure I could
just get some pink house paint and fix it right up.

http://www.dealsonwheels.com/erasearch/results.cfm/era/75-79%20cars/sort/year

Let me know if I should start on this project. The paint would add
about $39 dollars to the total cost.

Andy

Andy,

Ooh! Such a deal! That baby has only 46,000 miles on it! I would buy
it immediately if my bank account weren't about $14,525 short of the
asking price. ;-)

~Pink

Maybe the owner will come down some and I can get the paint wholesale.
Just say the word and you'll be driving around in a new car.

Andy-ga

And one more thing I should add: This car was driven only on Sundays
by a Little Old Lady from Pasadena and only to and from Church. May I
be struck dead on the spot if this isn't true.

andy-ga

I believe it. I am a Little Old Lady from Oklahoma, and I only drive
my car to and from church. I do a lot of churchgoing, though, so I've
managed to rack up 300,000 miles.

Regarding the paint job, I think I'll just do it myself to save the
$39. Maybe I'll use all the old nail polish that's cluttering up my
bathroom cabinet.

Yes, the nail polish idea is a good one. But won't it take you an
awfully long time using the wee-little brush that comes in each
bottle?

andy-ga

I wasn't planning to use the wimpy brushes in the bottles. I'll just
pour the stuff all over the car, then wallow in it, Farrah
Fawcett-style.

Regarding the Eminemmobile, you'll find links to many photos of Delta
88s here:

Car Domain Networks
http://www.cardomain.com/member_pages/search_results.pl?make=Oldsmobile&model=Delta%2088

If your finances are as tenuous as you say, you'd better close this
question as "answered" so you can get paid for it. I'd hate for some
hip-hopper to come along and make off with your $10.00

andy-ga

Hey Andy,

Here's some drivin' music for you and Pink courtesy of Aretha.  May
you have an Aretha sighting in Detroit, general.  No frustling in the
back seat, eh.
http://mfile.akamai.com/6530/rm/muze.download.akamai.com/2890/us/usrm/128/413128_1_03.ram?obj=v10602

If I post an answer to the question, I will get my share of the fee,
which is good (from my standpoint), but this would take the question
out of the Researchers' question queue, which is bad (from your
standpoint).

I am more than willing to take the money and run, but shouldn't we
wait to see whether someone can give a definitive source for the year?
As I said, 1976 was just a guess.

Voila,

I'm amazed that you aren't aware that it's impossible to frustle in
either the front or back seat of an automobile. I should know: I've
tried.

andy-ga

~pink,

OK. Let's wait, although I'm pretty certain it's (three) 1976
Oldsmobile Delta 88s. I only need one. Or maybe I'll need three also.

andy-ga

Andy,

You obviously weren't giving it your *all.*  I've frustled in many a
back seat, pardner (shhhh, don't tell anyone).  A'course that was when
all my joints worked.

Good luck with your car purchase, m'man!

Cheers,
V

Sam Raimi's famous "Classic" is a 1973 Oldsmobile Delta 88 Royale. It
has appeared as Uncle Ben's car in "Spider-man" and in pretty much
every film he's made, including of course, the Evil Dead trilogy.

Some pics and info that might help narrow down the year of this other
car. Hey, it's worth a shot.

http://www.samraimi.iofm.net/classic.html

http://www.samraimifan.com/classic.html

~Pink

I haven't slept a wink what for worrying that you wouldn't get your
$10.00. I think enough time has passed that we can assume nobody else
is going to answer this question. Please close it and collect your
reward. I'll sleep better knowing you've done this.

andy-ga

Many thanks for the kind words and the five stars!

~Pink