It’s been confirmed this week that the fourth instalment in the Mad Max franchise, Fury Road, will be filmed in NSW, Australia next year.

Little is known at this stage about the story or the cast of the new film, however Australian actor Sam Worthington and South African actress Charlize Theron are rumoured to star. No announcement has been made on a possible Mel Gibson cameo.

The original film in the series brought Australian cars into the international spotlight, including the heavily modified XB Falcon Coupe-based ‘Pursuit Special’, the XB sedan ‘Interceptor’ pursuit car and the Nightrider’s Holden HQ Monaro.

The 351 cubic-inch Cleveland V8-powered ‘Pursuit Special’ XB Coupe was driven by Mel Gibson’s character Max Rockatansky and featured many cosmetic changes for the film, including a stylised fibreglass nose, side-mounted exhaust pipes and a fake supercharger protruding from the bonnet.

It was bought and sold many times in Australia but the original Pursuit Special XB Coupe was finally rescued from a wrecking yard after Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior and is now fully restored and on display in England.

The ‘Big Bopper’, a 1974 XB sedan, was powered by a 302ci Cleveland V8, and the yellow ‘Interceptor’ driven by Max in the opening chase scenes featured a 351ci Cleveland V8. Interestingly, both were former Victoria Police pursuit cars. Max’s enemy, the Nightrider, drove a stolen Pursuit Special, this one based on the 1972 Holden HQ LS Monaro coupe.

Other Aussie classics in the series included an XK Falcon, along with a modified HJ Holden ute and Sandman. American muscle featured also, in the form of a 1969 Pontiac GTO and a 1959 Chevy Impala.

Premier Rees said that the latest instalment in the series will be filmed by the series’ original director George Miller, to be distributed internationally by Warner Bros.