What car was George Lucas driving in the 1962 crash that ended his racing ambitions?

George Lucas was driving an Autobianchi Bianchina in the 1962 crash that ended his racing ambitions.

On June 12, 1962, shortly before graduating from high school in Modesto, California, Lucas was driving a modified, “souped-up” Bianchina when another car struck it. The tiny vehicle flipped several times and crashed into a walnut tree. Lucas’s racing harness or seatbelt broke, throwing him clear before the major impact.

Lucas suffered severe injuries, including bruised lungs, and spent weeks recovering. The experience ended his dream of becoming a professional race-car driver and redirected his energy toward photography and filmmaking. He later attended the University of Southern California’s film school, where he made student films before creating American Graffiti and Star Wars.

A common mix-up is calling the vehicle simply a Fiat Bianchina. The Bianchina was built by Autobianchi, a company closely associated with Fiat, so both descriptions appear in biographies; Autobianchi Bianchina is the more specific quiz answer.