Did you recently watch a classic movie with a classic car? They are all over the movie industry, with some pretty important and recognizable, as well as memorable, staples. After a lot of these cars (whether they were real or not) were featured in a popular movie, they were thrown into instant fame and people became OBSESSED. If they were real cars, they sold out. If they were made up, some car dealerships even made them because of demand. We are going to point out some of the most iconic cars on the big screen.
The Batmobile, Batman Series: The 1939 Cadillac Series 75 convertible, also known as the Batmobile, will turn heads everywhere it goes. The customs on these types of cars DO exist. Maybe you’ve seen one? This particular Batmobile was a stock 1939 Cadillac Series 75 convertible. It also served as Bruce Wayne's personal car for those who aren’t fimilar with Batman...top down was Bruce Wayne, top up was Batman. The Batmobile took many forms over the years, from a Cadillac or Mercury in the early TV serials, to the convertible in the Adam West ‘60s series, to the modern film adaptation. The most recent model is a more elaborate vehicle that combines all the previous versions into one superhero car.
The Aston Martin DB5, James Bond’s Goldfinger: James Bond is one of the coolest dudes in film and that makes the Aston Martin DB5 one of the coolest vehicles in history. First appearing in 1964’s Goldfinger, the DB5 (although not the original car driven by Bond), was the first equipped with gadgets and became the most iconic Bond car.
1960’s Chevrolet G-Body panel van or a Dodge A100, Scooby Doo: This is an animated car, so it can be tricky to pinpoint exactly what it is. For Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and Scooby-Doo, to solve mysteries, they had the Mystery Machine. It was a blue and green ‘60s panel van with its name and flowers on the side. Fred is the van’s owner, but that didn’t stop the gang from borrowing it for their spinoff show. The Mystery Machine first appeared in the original 1969 TV series and has been used in every spinoff and reboot since.
1932 Ford Deuce Coupe, American Graffiti: Even talking about American Graffiti makes people think of the bright yellow 1932 Ford Deuce Coupe driven in the 1973 coming-of-age film. During the movie’s climax, John races Bob and his 1955 Chevrolet 150 (another classic car).
1977 Trans Am, Smokey and the Bandit: Smokey and the Bandit was released in 1977 and the car Bandit drove was a brand new 1977 Pontiac Trans Am. Given that his role in the beer-smuggling scheme was to attract the attention of authorities and then evade, the Trans Am became an incredibly popular car. Sales of the model doubled in the two years following the film’s release.
1969 Dodge Charger, The Dukes of Hazzard: Bo and Luke’s pride and joy in The Dukes of Hazzard was the General Lee; a bright orange 1969 Dodge Charger with a horn that plays the beginning notes of “Dixie.” The General Lee was portrayed by between 255 and 325 cars. Bo and Luke had to climb through the car’s windows because its doors were welded shut, which was planned but became an iconic part of the show.
Ferrari 308 GTS Quattrovalvole, Magnum, P.I.: Through the 8 seasons of Magnum, P.I., Thomas Magnum was usually seen with his Ferrari 308 GTS. Well, technically it was Robin Masters’ car, but Magnum was allowed to use it in his duties as Masters’ hired P.I. Masters also owned an Audi and a GMC Jimmy, but the Ferrari was Magnum’s ride of choice.
1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, Knight Rider: KITT, an artificial intelligence-equipped 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, was the true star of the show. Michael Knight was there too. He was a skilled agent, but it was his ride that got him out of trouble time and time again. KITT was an acronym for Knight Industries Two Thousand. He was voiced by actor William Daniels, who asked to be uncredited on Knight Rider because he was also in St. Elsewhere at the time.
Ford LTD Country Squire, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation: You probably can’t see a station wagon without thinking of National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. It was the Griswolds’ Wagon Queen Family Truckster with bulky wood-paneling. Our suggestion is not to go Christmas tree shopping with it and be kind to truckers on the road.
1958 Plymouth Fury, Christine: Based on the book by Stephen King, Christine is one of the only films in where the killer is a car. A 1958 Plymouth Fury that caused a whole lot of trouble, Christine was bought from a creepy old man by a nerdy teenager Arnie Cunningham, who began fixing it up. Arnie's family and friends discover Christine is possessed and has the ability to repair herself. She also goes after anyone who harms her or her owner.
GMC Vandura, The A-Team: When bad stuff was going down in the ‘80s, there was one vehicle people hoped would show up: a black/metallic grey GMC Vandura with a red stripe across the side. Waiting inside would be Hannibal, Faceman, Howlin’ Mad, and B.A. Baracus. They were four former U.S. Special Forces members who were convicted of a crime they didn’t commit. They then escaped from custody and became mercenaries.
1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor Sentinel, Ghostbusters: When there’s something strange in your neighborhood, who you gonna call? Ghostbusters! When they show up, they will be driving the Ecto-1, or Ectomobile. It was a white, ambulance-converted 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor with the Ghostbuster logo painted on the side. It was featured in the original Ghostbusters, the sequel Ghostbusters II, and the 2016 reboot.
1981 DELOREAN DMC-12, Back to the Future: Dr. Emmett L. Brown turned a DMC DeLorean into a time machine in the sci-fi adventure classic Back to the Future. The most crucial part of the DeLorean is the flux capacitor, which makes time travel possible when the vehicle reaches a speed of 88 mph, assuming 1.21 gigawatts of electricity is available. The DeLorean is featured in all three films in the Back to the Future franchise.
1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off: Ferris had a point: He and Cameron would have never able to spring Sloan from school in a P.O.S. car. The trio needed to take Cameron’s father’s prized 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder for the whole day. But when Ferris Bueller has a day off, he does it in style. However, what eventually happens to the car is still difficult for any car lover to watch.
1976 AMC Pacer, Wayne’s World: A blue 1976 AMC Pacer named the Mirthmobile, had flames painted on the side and was the car for Wayne Campbell and Garth Algar in Wayne’s World and Wayne’s World 2. The Mirthmobile is home to the most iconic scene in Wayne’s World: the “Bohemian Rhapsody” lip-synching sequence. The car has a cassette deck, a CD player, a water hose, disposable cups, and a red licorice dispenser in the ceiling. Party on!
1984 Ford Ecoline, Dumb and Dumber: Before setting off on a cross-country trip to Aspen with his best buddy Lloyd, Harry was employed as a driver for a dog-grooming service and spent his life savings turning his van into a giant dog. The vehicle at one point had been referred to as a “shagg?n’ wagon”. It has since become an instantly recognizable film icon, even if the van was traded for a scooter about halfway through the movie.
1963 Volkswagen Bug, The Love Bug: The Love Bug is a movie from 1968 about the adventures of Herbie, a Volkswagen Beetle, with an independent mind and personality. The story in The Love Bug centers on the race car driver, Jim Douglas, who has just lost his sponsorship for racing because he’s been too busy taking care of his girlfriend. To save his career, he enters a difficult cross-country race.
1966 Ford Thunderbird, Thelma and Louise: The car that was famously driven off a cliff in the 1991 movie Thelma and Louise had to make the cut. This iconic Hollywood classic became a cult film for its feminist themes of freedom-fighting women who ran away from their domestic lives and abusive husbands. They decide to go on a road trip through California with a 1966 Ford Thunderbird without telling anyone where they’re going or what they are doing.
1974 Dodge Monaco, The Blues Brothers: The Dodge Monaco was featured in The Blues Brothers. It’s a car that is a symbol of the 1970s. This car gained recognition through its appearances in this film, as well as from being recorded on the National Historic Vehicle Register by the United States Department of Transportation.
1974-1976 Ford Gran Torino, Starsky and Hutch: It was used for two seasons of Starsky and Hutch, starring David Soul and Paul Michael Glaser. The show was on the air from 1975-1979. In 1976, the Ford Motor Company quit making the Gran Torino because it couldn’t keep up with demand. It was the main mode of transportation for two undercover cops.
1993 Toyota MK IV Supra, The Fast and the Furious: The Toyota MK IV Supra was the car that made people see how cool it is to drive a Japanese sports car. It’s the car that started all of The Fast and Furious movies. It has a 3.0-liter engine with automatic transmission that can reach speeds of 155 miles per hour. Wow. We don’t think we’ll ever see the end of these movies and hopefully will never see the end of this cool car.
1989 Chevrolet Lumina Z34, Days of Thunder:
In the 1989 film Days of Thunder, actor Tom Cruise plays Cole Trickle, a fictional NASCAR driver. The movie has the character behind his car payments and is in need of sponsorship money to continue racing. There are many cars featured throughout the film, but one that sticks out is Cole’s Chevrolet Lumina Z34 made from 1991-1992.
What do you think of our list? Did we miss any iconic cars?