With the newFast and Furiousfilm due out in a little over a month, we take a look back over the years and look at the top 50 most memorable cars from the silver screen.
A few rules before we start. This list contains only cars found on the big screen and their ranking is not based upon any previous knowledge of the car from TV. The list is also not including any cars which aren't real cars, weather they be animated or unique one offs, if you never expect to see one on the road, you won't find one in this list.
Apart from that, enjoy the list, if you have any comments, suggestions or criticism, then by all means comment at the bottom. If your interested in movies from cars, go check outIMCDB(Internet Movie Car Database).
50. Tommy Boy - 1967 Plymouth Belvedere GTX
An epic road movie with this sweet 67 Belvedere GTX. It starts off as a fine motor, yet by the end of the film it has been totally destroyed, including the nail in the coffin when it catches on fire.
49. 2 Fast 2 Furious - 1999 Nissan Skyline R34GTR
The silver and blue Skyline was the star of the start of the second F&F franchise and we all remember the (over the top) intro race. Is it possible for a Skyline to jump over a Supra? I'm not sure it is, but it's funny to think some people believed it.
48. Blade - 1968 Dodge Charger R/T
The evil Charger owned by "daywalker" Blade featured in all three of the Blade trilogy, it's evil, yet simple style won the hearts of many people for it's understated style, and awesome engine.
47. XXX 2 - 2005 Shelby Cobra Prototype
Only appearing at the end of this film, this Shelby concept had a similar role to the (above) Skyline, to perform something (CGI) incredibly unbelievable, yet entertaining none the less. It sadly never went into production, which means no one got to test to see if it really could drive on train tracks with bare rims.
46. Cheech and Chong Up In Smoke - Chevrolet Step Van
There's not much to say about this custom Chevy Step Van, apart from the fact it was driven by Cheech and Chong and it was made from pot!
Awesome!
45. Uncle Buck - 1975 Murcury Marquis
This is a rare car indeed, not the car, but the persona. It's a rusty nail which is on it's last legs, yet people still want it. A classic piece of movie history driven by the late great John Candy.
44. Tucker: The man And His Dreams - 1948 Tucker Sedan
The story of Preston Tucker and his attempts to make it in the car business. The Tucker Torpedo was one of only 51 cars made by Tucker before an unfortunate case of fraud. There are many fans for possibly one of the rarest brands in automotive history.
43. The Rock - 1996 Ferrari F355 Spider
How to smash up a Ferrari 101. This film is for anyone who wants to see what happens when you trash a F355 Spider. You maybe disappointed though, as rumour has it it wasn't a real F355 they crashed, only a replica based on either the Toyota MR2 or the Pontiac Fiero.
42. Dumb and Dumber - 1984 Ford Econoline
There's not much of the originally Econoline on display in Dumb and Dumber, but what a van! It's obviously remembered for it's dog like appearance as an advertisement for "Mutts Cutts"
41. Italian Job (2003) - 2003 BMW Mini Cooper S
The 2003 remake of the classic Italian Job was a great advertisement for the new BMW Mini Cooper S. Some good car chases and clever driving showed the car off as a fun plaything which everyone will have fun with. Shame the real car wasn't as much fun.
40. 48hrs/Another 48hrs - 1964 Cadillac DeVille Convertible
It's good to see a classic Caddy in a film, it's even better when it's used as a cop car. What makes this one really special is what a great film. It's so good, Jack manages to blow $25 grand on an almost identical one for the sequel!
39. The Car - 1971 Lincoln Continental mk3
This heavily customized Lincoln Continental was responsible for terrorizing a small fictitious Utah town. Some likened it to the shark in Jaws. Whatever you think of it, you'll always remember the horn!
38. Who Am I - 1997 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 4
Jackie Chan going out of his mind with amnesia is a fun thing to watch. The car though is what most people remember of this film. Showing off it's rally credentials by handling all terrains, all speeds and the odd fruit stand.
37. Big Lebowski - 1973 Ford Gran Torino
Another car to get hammered all the way through the film. Dude's 73 Torino gets crashed, stolen, trashed and of course, it has to be set of fire. Yet it's still an awesome car that many would happily own.
36. Kill Bill - 1997 Chevrolet 2500 Silverado Fleetside "Pussy Wagon"
The "Pussy Wagon" started the nickname of "Pussy Yellow" when referring to bright yellow on cars. The monster pick up will forever be remembered solely down to the paint job and name. It's still use by Quentin Tarantino as his daily drive.
35. Thelma and Louise - 1966 Ford Thunderbird
Another great road movie with a classic convertible in it. This one of course being remembered all the way through the film, but most notable of course, for the end scene where the car gets driven into the Grand Canyon.
34. Le Mans - 1971 Porsche 917 Le Mans
It's a film about 70's Le Mans, with the two main cars being a Ferrari 512LM and this Porsche 917 driven by Steve McQueen. Similar to the Rock, the crash with the Porsche and the Ferrari was filmed using two replicas made up on VW Beetle chassis.
33. XXX - 1967 Pontiac GTO
Not the greatest movie in the world, but this car is something else. It's like Bond's DB5 for the Playstation generation. Big, stylish, and fully laden with some awesome gadgets and weapons that even Q would have been proud. Although I doubt he would have painted it that sexy purple.
32. Graduate - 1966 Alfa Romeo Spider Duetto
This classy little red Alfa was the poor man's Ferrari in it's day, and thanks to its star role in this film it was a world wide success. It's well remembered for running out of fuel near the end of the film, leaving main character Benjamin the task of running to the Church.
31. Grease - 1948 Ford De Lux
Greased Lightning, the car that races in storm drains, gets the girls, and near the end of the film (during the fantasy sing song) it manages to fly away. Well, it was the fantasy bit!
30. Gone In 60 Seconds (1974) - 1973 Ford Mustang Mach 1 "Eleanor"
If you ever want to see a film which is based around the car and a car chase, this is the one to watch. A 40 mins car chase starring this Mach 1 was the film! There were some people (who weren't the greatest actors) and a script similar to Duel (non existent) but the car and that chase is what its about.
29. Fast and Furious - 1970 Dodge Charger
Of the many cars from the fast and Furious 1, Dom's Charger is probably the best known. It only appeared in the film a couple of times, but for the end 10 mins it plays a massive part in the film, including pulling a torque powered wheelie off the lines, and the above flip which (sadly) totals the car.
28. Austin Powers - 1967 Jaguear E Type "Shaguar"
The only car for Austin Powers is the "Shaguar". Using the classic 60's E type Jaguar and simply painting a massive Union Jack on it is style like no other. Of course the number plate is well remembered too!
27. French Connection - 1971 Pontiac Lemans
Regarded as one of if not the greatest Hollywood car chases, The French Connection doesn't revolve around the chase, but it had a massive impact to the film. During filming, the crew didn't have the permit to shoot the film, so a lot of the traffic in the chase with the El Train is real traffic!
26. Nation Lampoon's Animal House - 1964 Lincoln Continental mk2
The star of the show is Flounder's brothers Lincoln Continental. this classy car stars off OK, but gets trashed while on a road trip with Pinto, Boon and Otter. The car ends up being fixed for the Homecoming Parade by D-Day, yet it doesn't look much like the original. Evil!
25. Starsky and Hutch - 1976 Ford Gran Torino
The first car you need to forget about the TV series for. Yes it was popular before the 2004 film was made, but it played a big part on the big screen. Plenty of chases and high speed driving left people (once again) wanting a red Torino with a big red over the top stripe.
24. Days of Thunder - 1990 Chevrolet Lumina Nascar
Top Gun is a... oh wait, no sorry, Days of Thunder is a film about Nascar. So lots of speed, lots of excitement, some awesome race cars, and of course crashing! There's also a plot and some characters in there, but it felt a little too familiar. Still some great cars though.
23. Transformers - 2009 Chevrolet Camaro "Bumblebee"
Yes yes, originally Bumblebee was a VW Beetle, but in the 2007 movie of Transformers, they used a 74 Camaro which magically shifts itself into the soon to be released 2009 Chevy Camaro. At the time the car was of course a prototype, and was actually based on a Pontiac GTO.
22. Risky Business - 1981 Porsche 928
Parents need to realise, that telling your teen-aged children not to do something, and then going away for the weekend is a terrible thing to do! Of course Joel borrows it, and of course it goes wrong when it end up in Lake Michigan!
21. The Dukes Of Hazard - 1969 Dodge Charger R/T
The second car we need to forget about the TV program for. The classic General Lee got a modern upgrade to the big screen in 2005, and thankfully used an original 69 (although 68's were used for some of the filming) and not some modern day prototype. Fast, sexy and awesome looking fun!
20. Ronin - 1998 BMW 535i
This is another film with an epic car chase in it, well actually there's a few, but the big one is the Paris city center chase involving this BMW 535i, and the Peugeot 406, the BMW remembered of course for getting totaled in a crash which leads to the car being upside down in a construction site. This is regared as one of the best car chases in movie history.
19. Vanishing Point/Death Proof - 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T
A popular plot for 70's car films are epitomised by Vanishing Point. The cross country multi state car chase with the police will forever be remembered, as will the white 70 Challenger R/T. The same car was also used in Tarantino's Death Proof.
18. Christine - 1958 Plymouth Fury
The Stephen King classic book wonderfully transferred to the big screen in the epic film about an evil murderous Plymouth Fury. The Fury was in essence the Belvedere Sport with the evil red paint being an extra. It's an evil car, for an evil story.
17. James Bond (The Spy Who Loved Me) - 1975 Lotus Esprit
Q really pulled it out of the bag for The Spy Who Loved Me with this 75 Esprit. A modern (for it's time) road car made by legendary British firm Lotus, transformed into a submarine. No clever CGI like in Transformers either! It was all old school engineering.
16 - Wayne's World - 1976 AMC Pacer
When a certain guitar solo kicks in in Queen's classic Bohemian Rhapsody, people will nod their heads. Why? We all know the answer to that! The Mirth mobile was the ultra cool hatch to have!
15. Duel - 1960 Peterbilt 281 Tanker
Steven Spielberg's first feature film revolves around this monster Peterbilt 281 Tanker, playing a game of cat and mouse with a Plymouth Valiant. This film is a classic, with little dialogue and a great concept. Of course, the truck gets trashed at the end when it drives off a cliff.
14. Cannonball Run - 1980 Lamborghini Countache LP400S
Ok, so this car hung on many a teenagers wall during the 80's (and probably the 90's and 00's!) It was one of the cars that people noticed in a film featuring some of the worlds finest machines! (One of the other cars in this list was featured in the film) Of course, the sexy Adrienne Barbeau covered in spandex piloting it might have helped.
13. Bourne Identity - 1989 Mini 1100 Special
Another pretty wrecked car that has a spot in our hearts. Mainly due to an impressive mid Paris (the French obviously love car chases!) Police chase which sees it flying through little alley ways and down flights of steps like in the Italian Job. It takes a battering, but still keeps on going.
12. Ferris Bueller's Day Off - 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spider
What a car to take for a Joy Ride if your bunking off school! The 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spider is a rare and special car. It's in theTop 10: Most Expensive Cars Of All Timeand rightly so. In case you were annoyed at the film makers for wrecking such a rare and expensive car, fear not, it was just a replica based on a Datsun 240z.
11. Mad Max - 1973 Ford Falcon XB GT Coupe
"The Last of the V8's" will forever be remembered as possibly the most bad ass cop car in movie history. It's evil "futuristic" styling worked well, even if the supercharger button was only a prop, we can but dream!
10. Love Bug - 1963 Volkswagen Type 1 (Beetle)
OK, so Herbie was a magic little car that dreamt of being a race car. It was successful too, but not nearly as successful as the Beetle was for VW. It's featured in 5 movies and a TV movie, and even though Lindsay Lohan ruined it for the youngsters of today, it's still one of the most recognizable movie cars of all time.
9. American Graffiti - 1932 Ford Coupe
Written and directed by Star wars man George Lucas (a self confessed hot rod nut) the story of American Graffiti is based around teenagers driving round listening to the radio. Who cars when there's not only Milner's 32 Coupe, but over 20 over classic cars and hot rods (and a Vespa)! Helped popularity of hot rod's with a new generation.
8. Smoky and the Bandit - 1977 Pontiac Tans Am
Burt Reynolds is a fan favourite with road movies thanks to this staring role and Cannonball Run. In this he's cruising (and speeding) around in this 77 Trans Am causing all kinds of mischief. Some great car chases, a funny script and this amazing car, great film.
7. Gone in 60 Seconds - 1967 Shebly Mustang GT500
The re make of the Original 1974 classic wasn't as good if you ask fans who have seen the original. However, the remake used the ultra rare Shelby Mustang GT 500 to play the part of Eleanor. It's script and cast still aren't that amazing, but that car is truly magnificent. Please not, "No Shelby's where harmed in the making of this film." It was a replica built on a Mustang. Real Shelby Mustang's are to rare and expensive.
6. Ghostbusters - 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor (ECTO1 )
Well, it's one of if not the most recognized ambulances in the world (the only other one worth noting is Burt Reynold's ambulance from Cannonball Run) It's a bit busted when the Ghostbusters team buy it, but it's so over the top that it's amazing!
5. The Italian job (1969) - 1968 Austin Mini Cooper S
By 1969 the Mini was already on it's way to becoming a legend in the auto world. This film sealed it's fate and ever since people of all ages and sexes have dreamed of owning an original 68 Cooper s. No matter what people say about the Muira or Dino in the Italian Job, the Mini's are the film.
4. Blues Brothers - 1974 Dodge Monaro
It's one of the all time best films. Yes it might not be a masterpiece of drama, but it's funny, fast paced, has some of the biggest names in music in it, and oh yeah, that 74 Dodge Monaro marked up as a police car. It's a great film to watch if you love watching nondescript police cars crashing into each other too.
3. Bullitt - 1968 Ford Mustang GT390 Fastback
This is often regarded as the greatest car chases of all time. The ever cool car nut Steve McQueen speeds round San Fransisco in the awesome 68 GT390 Fastback while being chased by the ever cool Black Charger. Rumour has it one of the original Fastbacks still exists somewhere in Ohio.
2. Back to the Future 1/2/3 - 1981 Delorean DMC 12
It's a touch choice going for the most memorable car, and this Delorean was so very close to the top. It featured in the massive box office smashes Back to the Future Part 1, 2 and of course 3. The heavily modified Delorean was of course a time machine/hover car that just rocked the 80's.
1. James Bond - 1963 Aston Martin DB5
Connery drove it in Goldfinger and Thunderball, it was then driven by Brosnan in Goldeneye and Tomorrow Never Dies. Craig then used it in Casino Royale and during all that Moore "borrowed" it for some fun with Burt Reynolds in Cannonball Run.
This car has a better resume than most actors of its time. Plus it's an Aston Martin. The DB5 is the most memorable car of movie history.
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