'Cannonball Run' star Farrah Fawcett dies of cancer at age of 62: Sad auto fans mourn her passing

June 25, 6:40 PMExotic Car ExaminerKae Davis

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Farrah Fawcett, lovely lady star of Cannonball Run and Charlies Angels, died of cancer in June 2009

As a sad "Today in History" report, Farrah Fawcett, former wife of "Six Million Dollar Man" Lee Majors and long time paramour of actor Ryan O'Neill died of cancer this morning. While most fans will remember her for her famous bathing suit and Mexican beach blanket photos, and women's cultural studies students will remember her posing on a skateboard wearing jeans and looking as a liberated and confident 1970's woman, car guys and car girls remember Farrah as being the face that launched a helluva race and trend in pop culture motorsports topics.

Farrah Fawcett inspired fellow actor Burt Reynolds and Dom Delouise in the movie "Cannonball Run", introducing the Lamborghini and cross country auto racing to a young Gen X crowd while keeping the avid attention of their Baby Boomer parents. All eyes were riveted to the silver screen when Farrah was in any scene, and as such a beautiful woman truly did give competition to the aesthetics and sounds of the racing machines (as viewers were unsure which were more captivating -- the cars or her apparent feminine wiles in the movie). Sadly, comedic genius Dom Delouise passed away in May of this year as well.

Farrah, as a motorsports enthusiast, was known for her love of the famous American sports car the Chevrolet Corvette. Though many of her photos were done pictorial style, she is arguably one of the most famous pinup girls ever, with her photos gracing garages, teen bedrooms, and college dorm walls across the nation for nearly 40 years. Funeral announcements will be released shortly by the family for the celebrity's friends.

Click the play button below to view the original movie trailer for the film "Cannonball Run" on YOUTUBE video.