No one thought a film based on the Los Angeles street racing scene was to become a monster franchise, but The Fast and the Furious is where it all started 25-years ago.
Director Rob Cohen and producer Neal H. Moritz secured a deal for an untitled action film for Universal Studios. Cohen had recently worked with Paul Walker in a separate film, with the actor giving his dream action film as a mix between Days of Thunder and Donnie Brasco.
What came next was the discovery of an article from the May 1998 issue of Vibe Magazine covering the New York street racing scene written by Ken Li.
It was in this story where the Li uncovered the illegal drag races occurring along the Henry Hudson Parkway.
Li noticed a complete switch from American muscle cars to Japanese imported compacts as the weapon of choice for drag racers wanting to get their thrill.
Originally starting with the Asian-American community in the early 1990s, the import drag racing scene had grown to encompass the East Coast of America and include many ethnicities.
Nissan, Honda/Acura, Mitsubishi and more were doing battle on the street decorated in leading performance part brands, with power increased through stroking, supercharges and ‘juice’ (nitrous oxide).
Money continually changed hands for the fastest and reputations soared.
Later in the article the readers are introduced to Rafael Estevez in his heavily worked Honda Civic as he transitions from his illegal activities to legitimate competition.
So obsessed by his goal at Drag Wars, he defies an infected appendix to prepare and race the Honda at the event.
It was this story that provided the basis for The Fast and the Furious, with Li receiving a reported six-figure sum for the rights from Cohen and Moritz (both have cameos in the film).
Of course there were some modifications to the story including the undercover cop element and the move from New York to Los Angeles.
Now a massive franchise, the latest and final instalment named Fast Forever is due to be released in 2028, just a couple of months ahead of the 30th anniversary of Racer X.