Disclaimer: This article was written during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes and mentions a recent theatrical release. THP extends its support to those who create the art that we are able to celebrate with our readers.
Chances are that if you were to find your old Barbie convertible underneath your bed, it wouldn’t have any scratches from Blondie not keeping it in prime condition after passing her driving test but from her lack of touching the steering wheel while lifting her from one spot to another. Stickers would also be included in its decor! We’re talking a peel-on bumper plate, retro flowers, and even a lightning bolt in an ode to putting the pedal to the metal if she had to (there is a NASCAR Barbie, after all).
That makes Charli XCX’s intricate detailing of her hot pink car in the ‘Speed Drive’ music video co-directed by her and Ramez Silyan even more special. From a pink and white feather boa hanging off the car door to a tiny star on the rearview camera, we wouldn’t bat an eye if you told us that her inner child helped to pimp it out!
However, that’s what the Real World version of her car looks like. How about Barbie Land? We’re talking about the live-action version here (Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie’s billion-dollar Barbie), which also features Charli’s song on the soundtrack. Say we were to meet up with Weird Barbie to follow her instruction manual to get from one universe to another. What car would’ve been featured in the music video, then? Luckily, there are many to choose from; Barbie collected her first keys in 1962! So we’ve handpicked five of them to see which would best fit.
As we were saying, Barbie first hit the car dealership in 1962, and the peaches caught her attention first. That was until she questioned her choice, with the Austin-Healey 3000 MKII line adding other colors to its painting job: yellow, orange, pink, green, and red! Additionally, they all have contrasting interiors. For example, the green has cream. It’s chic and similarly matches Charli’s ‘Speed Drive’ car is that it has no roof!
1976
The shooting pink star that runs across the car door of the 1976 Star Vette is probably an indication of the burnout Devon Lee Carlson does around Charli, with several tire tracks marking the ground. This one also has an open roof; however, it comes in varied colors depending on what country you bought it in. For Australian and US girlies, it’s a darker pink than the one in the music video.
1986
What also differentiated depending on where you bought the doll was the name of the following collection: Barbie and the Rock Stars if you lived in Europe, and Barbie and the Rockers for the rest of the world! Basically, Charli wasn’t the only one with a microphone, and perhaps back in Barbie Land, some of these dolls could’ve swapped airtime with Sam Smith, who’s seen on FaceTime with the singer discussing their hard-hitting deadline for the Barbie soundtrack (they’re track 14 with ‘Man I Am’). The Rockin’ Buggy is shaped more like a go-kart than a Formula 1 car, with its pink and baby blue color scheme.
2000
What’s another throwback besides the early 2000s-styled clothes (Charli’s music video features a cargo pink cap and snake-skin stilettos for burning rubber)? It’s the Barbie Volkswagen Beetle Bug. If you were a youngin during that time frame, we bet you’d find one if you dug into your old toy collection, and if you’re simply an avid collector, then, hey! We’re adding it to our online cart, too. They came in pink, blue, and yellow and had an actual key chain as an additional perk. Though no worries, as much as one could try, it would be unable to slot into any Real World engines!
2023
That has us arriving to find a parking bay in the year 2023! With how Barbie brought back hot pink nostalgia, it also had its own toy line advertising the movie, from dolls styled in Margot’s Western star-dazzled look that has since sold out to the car itself. The Corvette Convertible effortlessly matches the one seen in Charli XCX’s music video.
Which car from Barbie Land would have your vote for Charli XCX’s car if the music video for ‘Speed Drive’ had been filmed there? Tweet us your favorite @thehoneypop; from there, we can rally the votes and tempt her into doing another version.
From Billie Eilish to Nicki Minaj, the Barbie soundtrack has many pop-infused girly tracks to ensure your hot pink car has the right vibe. We’ve already covered some of them, including Dua Lipa’s ‘Dance The Night,’ so before you take a deep dive into our Facebook and Instagram accounts for them, hit the follow button!
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