‘Fast And Furious’ Stars Recount First Cars: Video

The cast of “Fast and Furious” remember their first car experience in a video from 2013.

Vin Diesel’s first car was a 1978 Chevrolet Monte Carlo that the actor purchased at an auction. What made the auction unique was that buyers weren’t able to look under the hood before purchasing. Diesel paid $175 for the vehicle, and it broke down less than a week later.

Tyrese Gibson also shared his story. Gibson’s first car was an orange 1983 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera. Not being a fan of the rust-orange color, Gibson paid $400 to repaint it black.

The Chevrolet Monte Carlo was new for the 1978 model year, while still incorporating the rear-wheel-drive GM A-Body. Built in response to the OPEC oil embargo and CAFE mandates, a lot of performance concessions were made for the third generation of the Monte Carlo, which definitely meant that Vin Diesel’s first car was likely exceptionally bad. Despite the Monte Carlo shedding 700-800 lbs for the third generation, its de-tuned 105 horsepower engine was no match for its 3,200+ lb heft, and its muscle car overtones from years prior faded away.

The 1983 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera was on the front-wheel drive GM A-Body, which nobody seems to miss. The biggest gas engine one could get in a 1983 Cutlass Ciera was a 3.0L V6 that was good for a paltry 110 horsepower. Like the Chevrolet, Buick and Pontiac nameplates of the time, their performance tendencies from decades prior were de-fanged in pursuit of smaller packaging and fuel economy compromises that General Motors had to move towards, as they had no answer for the smaller, lighter and more efficient Japanese imports that were arriving all over western shipping yards at the time.

Considering their first cars, Vin Diesel and Tyrese Gibson have definitely come a long way, as both of them own several coveted performance cars these days.