The true story behind John Wick’s cars from the American holy trinity of muscle carmakers
- The muscle cars in the John Wick movies were almost paid actors
- They include a Ford Mustang, Chevrolet, and Dodge
- They represent the hitman’s power, speed, and resilience
Published on Jan 30, 2025 at 7:48 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Jan 31, 2025 at 12:05 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
While Keanu Reeves was supposedly the star, we think that the motors from American muscle carmakers deserved an award for their supporting role in the John Wick movie and four sequels.
The first film hit theaters in 2014 and follows the story of a retired hitman seeking revenge.
Why? His car is stolen and his dog is tragically killed.
We can all relate to wanting vengeance for that.
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The car that started it all in the John Wick franchise
Possibly the most charming and chilled man in Hollywood, Keanu Reeves loves cars – so this role will have been perfect for him.
The film series features some iconic American muscle cars including Ford Mustang, Chevrolet, and Dodge.
The symbolism was that the cars needed to represent power, speed, and resilience seen in the film’s intense action sequences.
Reeves had to do extensive training to pull off some of the stunts.
First up in the first film installment is a 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429.
Wick receives an offer to buy his most prized possession while fueling up from a Russian mobster (who else).
The villain goes on to steal the car from our unlikely hero, killing his dog Daisy in the process.
Modified for high performance with a 429 V8 engine, a special four-speed manual transmission, and some help from Kar Kraft to help it all fit in it can achieve up to 600 horsepower and 0-60mph in 5.3 seconds.
It might surprise you, however, that the car used in John Wick was actually a Mustang Mach 1 that could hit 0-60mph in 5.6.
Other American muscle carmakers
After losing his Mustang, Keanu Reeves’ character needs some new wheels.
Enter the 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 396, a muscle car legend.
The Super Sport is a hardtop, two-door coupe with a 396 V8 engine and four-speed automatic transmission packing 375 horsepower and a 0-60mph time of 5.8 seconds.
The final car that saw John Wick put the pedal to the metal is the 2011 Dodge Charger SXT.
The newest of Wick’s cars, the Charger SXT features a 5.7L Hemi 396 V8 engine and four-speed automatic transmission packing 375 horsepower and a 0-60mph time of 5.8 seconds.
All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
