Spike Jonze’s 1976 Oldsmobile 98: The hunt for skateboarding's most famous car

Spike Jonze’s 1976 Oldsmobile 98 became a cult icon in skateboarding culture after its dramatic crash in Video Days, one of the most influential skate films of all time.

Featured in the legendary closing scene of Video Days, the car crash became a defining moment for a generation of skaters.

Over 30 years later, a new YouTube video from @jenkemmag follows the search to find the exact location where it all happened.

What unfolds is a deep dive into VHS-era footage, cross-border clues, and a hunt that captures the spirit of skateboarding culture.

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The Legacy of Spike Jonze’s 1976 Oldsmobile in Video Days

Released in 1991, Video Days by Blind Skateboards became a defining moment for skateboarding culture.

Directed by Spike Jonze, it featured talents like Jason Lee and Mark Gonzales, culminating in the unforgettable scene where the Oldsmobile 98 was driven off a dirt road and crashed.

That moment captured the raw energy of the era and secured the car’s place in skate history.

Tracking the Spike Jonze Oldsmobile 98 LS Crash Site

Locating the crash site decades later was no easy task.

With only vague memories pointing to ‘somewhere near Tijuana’ and limited footage, the @jenkemmag team turned to a GeoGuessr expert for help.

Using subtle clues like landscape features, tire shop signs, and sun positioning, they zeroed in on a rocky ravine just south of the border.

Then the hunt to find the Spike Jonze Oldsmobile 98 became a real-world detective story.

Blind Skateboards, Dirt Roads, and the Thrill of Discovery

Blind Skateboards’ influence runs deep, and finding the crash site felt like tracking a lost myth.

After pinpointing a promising location based on ravines, rock formations, and old footage, the @jenkemmag team crossed into Mexico.

Navigating dirt roads and rugged valleys, they matched up background details from Video Days, fueled by a mission to retrace the final drive of the Spike Jonze Oldsmobile 98.

Spike Jonze’s 1976 Oldsmobile Still Matters

Despite development and erosion over the decades, the team believes they found the site.

Even Spike Jonze offered a brief but reassuring text message that suggested they were close.

The hunt for the Spike Jonze Oldsmobile 98 shows how Video Days still resonates today, inspiring fans to chase down a fleeting but powerful piece of skateboarding history.

While the remains of the Spike Jonze Oldsmobile 98 may be lost, the story behind it lives on.

Thanks to @jenkemmag’s dedicated search, the iconic crash scene remains more than just a memory, it stands as a symbol of skateboarding’s fearless spirit and lasting cultural impact.

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