The classic one was a super-low budget movie, made by a guy from California that owned a junkyard. I think his name was H.B. Halicki. The two movies, although they share the same name, do not really share much else- a couple of the charachter's names are the same and the movie is about stealing cars. But pretty much all else is different.
I think the original movie held the record for the most cars destroyed in a movie until Blues Brothers took that away.
http://www.filmsondisc.com/dvdpages/gon ... econds.htmThe original was re-released with an "upgraded" soundtrack, which you probably wouldn't notice unless you had seen the original.
Even though it is a B-grade movie and the acting is abysmal, it is a "must see" for a car buff. It is probably hard to find- I was lucky to buy a VHS tape of the original from a video store that was going out of business.
If you want a high-class Hollywood production, this is not your flick. But if you want to sit back and watch the longest car chase in the history of movies, this will provide amusement for 90 minutes.
-Bob C.