Classic Olds, Jag share screen in new X-Men movie

DETROIT (May 27, 2016) — Vintage Jaguar and Oldsmobile models get screen time in the superhero flick X-Men: Apocalypse, which hits U.S. theaters Friday, May 27.

A 1949 Oldsmobile Rocket 88 convertible and an unidentified classic Jaguar got around 40 seconds of face time combined on screen. The auto makers were among the top five most visible brands in the movie, according to Concave Brand Tracking, a Nottingham, England, company that monitors brand visibility in TV shows, movies and music videos.

Oldsmobile — which General Motors Co. folded in 2009 — was the third-most visible brand in the film, with a little over 30 seconds of screen time, while Jaguar came in fifth with around 13 seconds. Other car brands that appear in the movie are Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Rolls-Royce, Dodge and Peugeot.

The Oldsmobile Rocket was driven by X-Men staple Scott Summers, or Cyclops, in several scenes. Concave noted that Oldsmobiles still pop up in movies sometimes, appearing in 2015's Black Mass, Bridge of Spies and Pitch Perfect 2.

The Jaguar appears early in the film as it pulls up to Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. Concave estimated the advertising value of Jaguar's 13-second stint to be between $288,000 and $385,000.

Jaguar and Oldsmobile were good fits for the film, according to Dominic Artzrouni, Concave managing director.

“Both were linked with the Xavier school (driving to and from) which has a strong vintage luxury look and feel,” Mr. Artzrouni wrote in an email to Automotive News.

“It is also clear to me that they were chosen for their fit with the context/time period rather than any business purposes. Otherwise, Oldsmobile would not have been so visible.”

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This report appeared on the website of Automotive News, a Detroit-based sister publication of Tire Business.