Used Cars
The New Deal used car lot in Mesa, Arizona is in danger of being taken over by the Roy L. Fuchs car dealership across the roadway where they do business. Both dealerships are managed by twin brothers,…
Used Cars
The New Deal used car lot in Mesa, Arizona is in danger of being taken over by the Roy L. Fuchs car dealership across the roadway where they do business. Both dealerships are managed by twin brothers, Roy L. Fuchs and Luke Fuchs (both played by Jack Warden). However, Roy L's dealership is easily the more lucrative than his brother's, which deals in often junked used cars. One of New Deal's most prominent salesmen is Rudy Russo (Kurt Russell), a young man who never shies away from making a deal, and also has plans to run for a seat on the State Senate. Along with Rudy, there's Jeff (Gerrit Graham), a superstitious fellow, and Jim (Frank McRae), the mechanic who is easily excitable. Recently, Luke has been having problems with his heart, much to the delight of his other brother. Roy L. is desperate to keep his car lot from being demolished and replaced by a proposed freeway exit. He sends one of his mechanics over to the car lot under the guise of an 'interested party', and gets Luke to give him a test drive. However, Roy L's mechanic takes Luke on a wild ride around the block during which Luke has a heart attack and dies. Rudy, Jeff and Jim attempt to cover this up by burying Luke in an old Edsel in a service pit out back. When Roy L. and his lawyer Sam Slaton (Joe Flaherty) show up looking for Luke, Rudy explains that Luke drove to Florida in the Edsel. However, Roy L. believes that Rudy is lying, but Sam explains that there's no way to disprove this claim. The following night, Rudy and his friends go through with the first of several advertising stunts. Taking his camera crew out to a packed football stadium, they intend to hijack the signal for the football game to tell of their car lot. Things don't go as planned, when Jeff begins cursing on camera that the car he's standing by is red (he's superstitious about the color), and the woman they hired for the commercial ends up getting her dress ripped open and exposed on public television. The technique works, as the stunt makes newspaper headlines, and brings many kinds of people out to see the New Deal car lot. The next morning, Jeff cons a family into buying a station wagon by having the car lot's mascot, Toby, fake being run over during a test drive. Roy L. counters this with a little stunt of his own, but in the war to win customers, Rudy does one better, and steals away Luke's customers, by setting up a gaggle of strippers to entice vehicle buyers from Roy L's car lot. Roy L. counters this with purchasing airtime to denounce New Deal's business tactics as harmful. It is then that Rudy plans to really up the stakes, and wants to attempt and interrupt the broadcast for the President's State of the Union address. Matters are further complicated when a woman shows up claiming to be Luke's daughter, Barbara Jane Fuchs (Deborah Harmon). She visits the car lot in hopes to reunite with her father, having dropped out of college more than 10 years before to reside in a hippie commune. Rudy conceals the truth about her father by taking her out on a date, but finds that he slowly is growing to like her. Rudy eventually distracts her during the night of the broadcast, by taking her to dinner, and then to his place. Jeff and Jim do the commercial, with Jeff on drugs as a cowboy named Martial Lucky, who shoots out and blows up several of Roy L. Fuchs' vehicles for the commercial. After the broadcast, Roy L. drives immediately to the New Deal car lot and angrily picks a fight with Jeff for destroying his cars. As they fight, Roy L. notices a picture of the service pit in an old picture, and remembers how Rudy and the others were filling it in. Roy L. rushes out back, and after digging down always, finds the roof of his brother's old Edsel. Shortly after this, Jim contacts Rudy to come to the car lot right away. Rudy does not explain to Barbara why he has to go, leaving her curious. In the morning, the police arrive at the car lot along with Roy L. and his lawyer. Rudy makes up the lie that Luke came back the night before, and went to get some breakfast. During the night, Rudy, Jeff and Jim exhumed the Edsel, and have moved it out of the pit area. Jim has poured gasoline on the vehicle, and sends it off with the accelerator on. As everyone's attention is drawn to the car, they watch as it speeds out of control towards a power transformer, that erupts in a fireball, destroying Luke's body. Roy turns to Rudy, and assumes that since Luke is dead, the car lot is now his. However, Rudy explains how Luke's daughter returned, and she's staying with him. It is just then that Barbara appears after listening to a message on Rudy's answering machine and finding out about Luke's death. Barbara fires Rudy, Jeff and Jim for their cover-up scheme, and assumes control of her father's car lot, but knows very little about advertising. Roy L. gains access to the script for her commercial, and has his connections at a local television station doctor up her commercial. In place of her saying 'style of cars', the word 'mile' is substituted for 'style', making this as though Barbara has committed a case of false advertising. Meanwhile, Rudy's luck changes when Jeff's superstitious nature causes him to win a bet he made on the night's football game, guaranteeing him enough money for his campaign, and the next day, he meets with the party chairman, named Tucker (Dub Taylor). However, on their way to their destination, the car passes by the New Deal car lot, which has been closed by court order. Tucker explains that a 'concerned citizen' reported the car lot after the commercial mentioned a 'mile of cars', and that the trial is scheduled for the same day. Rudy immediately grabs back his money, and bolts from the car, heading towards the courthouse; he arrives in time for the trial to begin. As Barbara is questioned if she does indeed have a mile of cars on her car lot, Rudy mimes in the back of the room to lie and say 'yes'. Barbara does so, to which Roy L's attorney claims he can prove she is lying to the court. Rudy mushily shouts from the back of the room, "Why don't you see for yourself, Judge?" This buys Barbara some time, as the judge decides to come by the car lot the next day. After the trial, Rudy uses most of his campaign funds to purchase over 250 cars from a Mexican dealer he knows. Using the town's driver's education class, he sets out with all 250 cars headed towards the car lot in less than two hours. Rudy has the student drivers ramp their vehicles up to 70 mph, but hits a snag when a policeman ends up hitting one of the vehicles, leaving them without a 'safety margin' for error. After the incident, Rudy sends Jim up ahead to scout for any other possible issues. Jim eventually finds a police roadblock, and Rudy has his student drivers take their vehicles off road. Meanwhile, Roy L. has heard of the cars, and drives out to attempt and intercept Rudy; a fight breaks out between the two, leading to Rudy winning, and the cars heading towards the car lot. Eventually, the student drivers arrive, and fill the car lot to capacity, just as the judge arrives. This soon becomes apparent that Jim has not arrived and Rudy radios Jeff, who is sitting along the side of the road. Jeff explains that some water washed off the blue paint on his car...revealing this as a red Fire Chief's car...and per Jeff's stigma, he can't drive a red car! Rudy attempts to convince Jeff that there is actually 'gray primer' underneath the red paint, and tells him that he is the key to helping them keep the car lot. Jeff manages to overcome his fear of the red color, and makes it just in time to help them save the car lot. Roy's attorney informs Rudy and Barbara that once the freeway ramp across the street is constructed, New Deal will become the largest dealership in the state. While everyone celebrates, Roy L. curses out the judge, who then decides to see Roy L. in court for his outburst. The film then ends with Barbara, Rudy, Jim and Jeff presiding over their saved car lot.
Used Cars
Comedy
Film Details
The New Deal used car lot in Mesa, Arizona is in danger of being taken over by the Roy L. Fuchs car dealership across the roadway where they do business. Both dealerships are managed by twin brothers, Roy L.
Fuchs and Luke Fuchs (both played by Jack Warden). However, Roy L's dealership is easily the more lucrative than his brother's, which deals in often junked used cars. One of New Deal's most prominent salesmen is Rudy Russo (Kurt Russell), a young man who never shies away from making a deal, and also has plans to run for a seat on the State Senate.
Along with Rudy, there's Jeff (Gerrit Graham), a superstitious fellow, and Jim (Frank McRae), the mechanic who is easily excitable. Recently, Luke has been having problems with his heart, much to the delight of his other brother. Roy L.
is desperate to keep his car lot from being demolished and replaced by a proposed freeway exit. He sends one of his mechanics over to the car lot under the guise of an 'interested party', and gets Luke to give him a test drive. However, Roy L's mechanic takes Luke on a wild ride around the block during which Luke has a heart attack and dies.
Rudy, Jeff and Jim attempt to cover this up by burying Luke in an old Edsel in a service pit out back. When Roy L. and his lawyer Sam Slaton (Joe Flaherty) show up looking for Luke, Rudy explains that Luke drove to Florida in the Edsel.
However, Roy L. believes that Rudy is lying, but Sam explains that there's no way to disprove this claim. The following night, Rudy and his friends go through with the first of several advertising stunts.
Taking his camera crew out to a packed football stadium, they intend to hijack the signal for the football game to tell of their car lot. Things don't go as planned, when Jeff begins cursing on camera that the car he's standing by is red (he's superstitious about the color), and the woman they hired for the commercial ends up getting her dress ripped open and exposed on public television. The technique works, as the stunt makes newspaper headlines, and brings many kinds of people out to see the New Deal car lot.
The next morning, Jeff cons a family into buying a station wagon by having the car lot's mascot, Toby, fake being run over during a test drive. Roy L. counters this with a little stunt of his own, but in the war to win customers, Rudy does one better, and steals away Luke's customers, by setting up a gaggle of strippers to entice vehicle buyers from Roy L's car lot.
Roy L. counters this with purchasing airtime to denounce New Deal's business tactics as harmful. It is then that Rudy plans to really up the stakes, and wants to attempt and interrupt the broadcast for the President's State of the Union address.
Matters are further complicated when a woman shows up claiming to be Luke's daughter, Barbara Jane Fuchs (Deborah Harmon). She visits the car lot in hopes to reunite with her father, having dropped out of college more than 10 years before to reside in a hippie commune. Rudy conceals the truth about her father by taking her out on a date, but finds that he slowly is growing to like her.
Rudy eventually distracts her during the night of the broadcast, by taking her to dinner, and then to his place. Jeff and Jim do the commercial, with Jeff on drugs as a cowboy named Martial Lucky, who shoots out and blows up several of Roy L. Fuchs' vehicles for the commercial.
After the broadcast, Roy L. drives immediately to the New Deal car lot and angrily picks a fight with Jeff for destroying his cars. As they fight, Roy L.
notices a picture of the service pit in an old picture, and remembers how Rudy and the others were filling it in. Roy L. rushes out back, and after digging down always, finds the roof of his brother's old Edsel.
Shortly after this, Jim contacts Rudy to come to the car lot right away. Rudy does not explain to Barbara why he has to go, leaving her curious. In the morning, the police arrive at the car lot along with Roy L.
and his lawyer. Rudy makes up the lie that Luke came back the night before, and went to get some breakfast. During the night, Rudy, Jeff and Jim exhumed the Edsel, and have moved it out of the pit area.
Jim has poured gasoline on the vehicle, and sends it off with the accelerator on. As everyone's attention is drawn to the car, they watch as it speeds out of control towards a power transformer, that erupts in a fireball, destroying Luke's body. Roy turns to Rudy, and assumes that since Luke is dead, the car lot is now his.
However, Rudy explains how Luke's daughter returned, and she's staying with him. It is just then that Barbara appears after listening to a message on Rudy's answering machine and finding out about Luke's death. Barbara fires Rudy, Jeff and Jim for their cover-up scheme, and assumes control of her father's car lot, but knows very little about advertising.
Roy L. gains access to the script for her commercial, and has his connections at a local television station doctor up her commercial. In place of her saying 'style of cars', the word 'mile' is substituted for 'style', making this as though Barbara has committed a case of false advertising.
Meanwhile, Rudy's luck changes when Jeff's superstitious nature causes him to win a bet he made on the night's football game, guaranteeing him enough money for his campaign, and the next day, he meets with the party chairman, named Tucker (Dub Taylor). However, on their way to their destination, the car passes by the New Deal car lot, which has been closed by court order. Tucker explains that a 'concerned citizen' reported the car lot after the commercial mentioned a 'mile of cars', and that the trial is scheduled for the same day.
Rudy immediately grabs back his money, and bolts from the car, heading towards the courthouse; he arrives in time for the trial to begin. As Barbara is questioned if she does indeed have a mile of cars on her car lot, Rudy mimes in the back of the room to lie and say 'yes'. Barbara does so, to which Roy L's attorney claims he can prove she is lying to the court.
Rudy mushily shouts from the back of the room, "Why don't you see for yourself, Judge?" This buys Barbara some time, as the judge decides to come by the car lot the next day. After the trial, Rudy uses most of his campaign funds to purchase over 250 cars from a Mexican dealer he knows. Using the town's driver's education class, he sets out with all 250 cars headed towards the car lot in less than two hours.
Rudy has the student drivers ramp their vehicles up to 70 mph, but hits a snag when a policeman ends up hitting one of the vehicles, leaving them without a 'safety margin' for error. After the incident, Rudy sends Jim up ahead to scout for any other possible issues. Jim eventually finds a police roadblock, and Rudy has his student drivers take their vehicles off road.
Meanwhile, Roy L. has heard of the cars, and drives out to attempt and intercept Rudy; a fight breaks out between the two, leading to Rudy winning, and the cars heading towards the car lot. Eventually, the student drivers arrive, and fill the car lot to capacity, just as the judge arrives.
This soon becomes apparent that Jim has not arrived and Rudy radios Jeff, who is sitting along the side of the road. Jeff explains that some water washed off the blue paint on his car...revealing this as a red Fire Chief's car...and per Jeff's stigma, he can't drive a red car! Rudy attempts to convince Jeff that there is actually 'gray primer' underneath the red paint, and tells him that he is the key to helping them keep the car lot. Jeff manages to overcome his fear of the red color, and makes it just in time to help them save the car lot.
Roy's attorney informs Rudy and Barbara that once the freeway ramp across the street is constructed, New Deal will become the largest dealership in the state. While everyone celebrates, Roy L. curses out the judge, who then decides to see Roy L.
in court for his outburst. The film then ends with Barbara, Rudy, Jim and Jeff presiding over their saved car lot..