The film used 13 different cars bought at auction from the California Highway Patrol to depict the Bluesmobile, ostensibly a retired 1974 Mount Prospect, Illinois Dodge Monaco patrol car. The vehicles were outfitted by the studio to do particular driving chores; some formatted for speed and others for jumps, depending on the scene. For the large car chases, filmmakers purchased 60 police cars at $400 each, and most were destroyed at the completion of the filming. More than 40 stunt drivers were hired and the crew kept a 24-hour body shop to repair cars.
For the scene when the Blues Brothers finally arrive at the Richard J. Daley Center, a mechanic took several months to rig the car to literally fall apart to pieces. The statues, seeming to be looking on with concern when the car disassembles, actually exist at the Cook County Building. At the time of the film’s release, it held the world record for the most cars destroyed in one film until it was surpassed by its own sequel.
