Check out my list of the Most Iconic Cars in Film.
’77 Trans Am in Smokey and the Bandit : This is the Bandit’s car. You know the one, the black Trans Am with the golden eagle on the hood. The one that was fast enough to outrun the bears and at the same time agile enough to navigate the dirt roads of the south. This borderline racer just screams cool and has cemented it’s place along with the CB radio in the annals of cinema.
68 Mustang GT in Bullitt: Alright this one is special. Real special. Many people would consider this 68 Stang, and not Steve McQueen, to be the star of this film. One of the toughest looking cars to ever hit the road, covered in dents and scars and ready to take on the world. The film also featured what many automotive, and cinematic, enthusiasts consider to be the absolute greatest chase scene of all time. Whether it’s the best or not, one thing is for sure, this car will live on in infamy forever (in fact, Ford made a special “Bullitt” edition Mustang in 2001)
’61 Ferrari 250 California in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off: Would Ferris and his buddies have had as epic of an experience if they hadn’t borrowed this classic piece of Italian engineering? One thing is for sure, they wouldn’t have looked nearly as good pulling away from the school, and the valets would have had one boring day. This is such a stylish car that even Cameron has a special respect for it, even if he does ultimately destroy it.
’81 DeLorean in Back to the Future: The DeLorean is a cool car, and like the Doc says, if you’re going to make a time machine why not do it with some style? No other car at the time looked half as futuristic or as cool as the DeLorean and although it was shortlived, this film made it a rockstar. Fun Fact: They are actually starting to produce these cars again under license as an all-electric vehicle.
’58 Plymouth Fury in Christine: Are all Plymouth’s evil? I’m not sure but this one sure was! John Carpenter’s autohorror classic about a killer car centrally features a 58 Plymouth by the name Christine. What’s more frightening than your car coming to life and hunting you down? Your car should be something you trust and depend on, not something you fear, but this film portrays it as just that. It’s rumored that over 25 of these vehicles were destroyed during production.
’68 Minis in The Italian Job: The original, alright? Not the Marky Mark one, although we all love Mark Wahlberg. The original had a little more class and featured the old Mini. That iconic piece of Britain that is unlike any other. The car plays a central role in the plot where really no other vehicle would fit, literally. The original mini was a thing of class and of culture and the film depicted it perfectly. And, of course, sales exploded after this film was released.
’32 Deuce Coupe in American Graffiti: This film is all about young guys and the cars they drive. My personal favorite is the 32 deuce coup even though a lot of people seem to prefer the 55 Impala. This car screams cool and shows some real dedication to motoring. This is a car you just can’t find anymore and speaks perfectly to the era this film is set in. This is an awesome movie with an awesome ride.
