Big star, small car! Clint Eastwood's Fiat 500

Big star, small car! Clint Eastwood takes his friend out for a spin in his tiny Fiat 500

By CHELSEA WHITE – Mail on line 23 May 2014

He can afford any car on this earth but forget a Lamborghini; the only Italian motor Clint Eastwood wants is a Fiat. The 83-year-old mega star arrived on set with his friend in Venice, California, on Thursday, in the tiny two door hatchback. The veteran actor's car choice may seem bizarre, but the director is actually putting his keys where his mouth is.

The director famously spoke on behalf of Chrysler - which is majority owned by Fiat - during a halftime Super bowl advertisement earlier this year. The Million Dollar baby star is also doing his bit for the environment as the 83-year-old is driving the 500e version of the vehicle which runs on electricity. Currently directing his latest feature, American Sniper, Clint can probably afford to but the entire crew the little car considering it costs just $30,000.

While many stars would probably avoid such a compact vehicle, the actor turned director smiled away at the cameras as he arrived on location. While no spring chicken any more - and with 60 years of a film career under his belt - the star looked ready and rearing to go as he zapped on to the film's lot. Setting a cracking directorial pace, Clint has only just wrapped filming the movie version of Broadway musical Jersey Boys.

Choosing not to take a break, the 83-year-old swung straight into American Sniper, which stars Bradly Cooper and Sienna Miller. American Sniper is a biographical action film, it which the pair play husband and wife. It centres on Chris Kyle who served four tours in Iraq with Navy SEAL Team 3, and was regarded to be the most lethal sniper in the U.S. military with over 150 confirmed kills.

In order to play the lead in the film, Bradley was required to bulk up and gained an extra 40 pounds of muscle to his athletic frame. Clint has not always been into tiny cars; in fact the movie legend has quite a history with classic Jaguars and in his films, muscle cars. In his film Gran Tarino, a Ford Tarino is central to the movie's plot and represents his character's past and connection with the American dream.  But with age his tastes have changed with the actor saying, as quoted by The Independent: 'When you're younger you like cars with a lot of flash, convertibles, that kind of thing, but when you are older you like cars with a lot of iron around them.'

Thanks to my friend Kevin Wilkinson for forwarding me this story.