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Some of the most iconic movie cars are the Batmobile, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and Herbie. All these famous cars have been around for years in our culture.
The famous television Batmobile arrived in 1966, when Batman debuted on TV, and the car has since gone through many different designs. That 1966 car was George Barris’s customization of a 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car. Comic-book Batmobiles already existed before the series.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a 1968 British musical film that starred Dick Van Dyke and Sally Ann Howes as Caractacus Potts and Truly Scrumptious respectively.
Potts restores a wrecked racing car for his children, Jeremy and Jemima. In the story the car can fly and float, and the family is chased by agents from the fictional land of Vulgaria.
Do you know what’s cooler than driving your own car? Driving the Batmobile!
Famous Movie Cars
What Are Famous Movie Cars?
Famous screen cars are easy to picture. You may think of the DeLorean from Back to the Future or James Bond’s Aston Martin DB5.
These are just some examples of cars that have become famous due to their appearance in popular movies and television shows like these mentioned above.
Throughout film history, there have been many iconic cars that have helped make movie-going an even more enjoyable experience.
From James Bond’s Aston Martin to KITT from Knight Rider, these famous movie cars are a big part of why we love movies so much.
At a glance
| # | Car |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1958 Plymouth Fury, Christine |
| 2 | 1981 DeLorean DMC-12, Back to the Future |
| 3 | 2004 Pontiac Aztek, Breaking Bad |
| 4 | 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off |
| 5 | 1963 Volkswagen Beetle, The Love Bug |
| 6 | Aston Martin DB5, Goldfinger |
| 7 | 1968 Ford Mustang GT Fastback, Bullitt |
| 8 | 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor, Ghostbusters |
| 9 | 1966 Ford Thunderbird, Thelma & Louise |
| 10 | 1982–1984 Pontiac Trans Am, Knight Rider |
| 11 | 1979 Ford LTD Country Squire, National Lampoon’s Vacation |
| 12 | Porsche 928, Risky Business |
| 13 | 1974 Dodge Monaco, The Blues Brothers |
| 14 | 1969 Dodge Charger, The Dukes of Hazzard |
| 15 | 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, Smokey and the Bandit |
| 16 | 1974–1976 Ford Gran Torino, Starsky & Hutch |
| 17 | 1976 AMC Pacer, Wayne’s World |
| 18 | Eleanor Mustang, Gone in 60 Seconds |
| 19 | 1973 Ford Falcon XB GT, Mad Max |
| 20 | 1959 Peugeot 403 Cabriolet, Columbo |
| 21 | 1967 Austin Mini Cooper S, The Italian Job |
| 22 | 1976 Lotus Esprit S1, The Spy Who Loved Me |
| 23 | Toyota Supra Mark IV, The Fast and the Furious |
| 24 | 1932 Ford Deuce Coupe, American Graffiti |
| 25 | Chevrolet Lumina stock car, Days of Thunder |
1958 Plymouth Fury, Christine
The 1958 Plymouth Fury is a classic car that was featured in the novel and film, Christine. In the movie, the car was involved in many mysterious ‘accidents.’
The movie is based on a Stephen King horror story about a teenager who buys the car, named Christine, and restores it.
Plymouth, a Chrysler division, built the Fury. It was not a General Motors car, it was not a NASCAR special that stayed in production by accident, and the design was not called Project Prowler. The 1958 Fury was sold as a two-door hardtop in buckskin beige with gold trim. The red-and-white movie car was not that factory color, so the production also used Belvederes and Savoys painted to match.
It’s hard to imagine a car as iconic as the 1958 Plymouth Fury, ‘Christine’ because of its place in pop culture.
One of the running stunt cars was saved and later displayed at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.
1981 DeLorean DMC-12, Back to the Future
The 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 was not a commercial success when first introduced to the market.
Build quality was uneven and the engine was underpowered, and the company collapsed soon afterward. The car has become an iconic automotive symbol since it was featured in the 1985 film Back to the Future.
In that film, Marty McFly and Dr. Emmett Brown use a 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 as a time machine. Marty leaves on October 26, 1985, and arrives on November 5, 1955. Later films in the trilogy also take the car to 2015 and to 1885.
The time machine was powered by plutonium and required 1.21 gigawatts of electricity to run at full power.
Three DeLoreans were modified for the first movie. The hero “A” car is the best-known survivor and has been displayed at the Petersen Automotive Museum.
2004 Pontiac Aztek, Breaking Bad
The 2004 Pontiac Aztek is a significant car for many reasons.
It is Walter White’s family car at the start of Breaking Bad. He drives it through the early part of the series and later sells it. He does not retire in it to live as a recluse with his family. The Aztek was also not General Motors’ first front-wheel-drive vehicle, and it is a four-door crossover, not a two-door SUV.
The Aztek didn’t have much success on the market, but it has made its way into pop culture as an iconic TV show car.
The design split opinion, but the show made that awkward shape famous.
Do you have your own Pontiac Aztek?
![Breaking Bad - The Complete Series [Blu-ray] [2018]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51eVo0eFU9L.jpg)
1961 Ferrari 250 GT California, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
In Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Cameron’s father owns what the story treats as a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder. The cars actually filmed were fiberglass replicas from Modena Design & Development. A real California was too valuable to risk.
Ferris talks Cameron into taking the car out for a day in Chicago. One shell is destroyed in the woods. School scenes were filmed at Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook, Illinois. The driving scenes were shot around Chicago, not in the school parking lot as a trip to class.
Ferrari built 106 real 250 GT California Spyders from 1957 to 1963. Scaglietti constructed the bodies. Enzo Ferrari did not design the car himself, and the film cars were not among those 106.
Warner Home Video
- Factory sealed DVD
Factory sealed DVD
View on Amazon1963 Volkswagen Beetle, The Love Bug
The Love Bug, released in 1969, follows Herbie, a Volkswagen Beetle with a mind of his own.
Jim Douglas is a down-on-his-luck racer. The Beetle follows him home from a dealership where Carole Bennett works. The climactic race is the El Dorado, a two-day event through the Sierra Nevada, not a race that starts and finishes on opposite sides of Mexico City.
The Volkswagen Beetle is a car that has been around for more than 60 years and has become an iconic symbol of its time.
Aston Martin DB5, Goldfinger
The Aston Martin DB5 is a famous sports car, and the Goldfinger car was the first Bond film car fitted with a full set of gadgets.
The Aston Martin DB5 is the quintessential James Bond car. First seen in the 1964 film Goldfinger, it became the most famous of all the Bond cars.
Federico Formenti at Carrozzeria Touring designed the DB5 body, developing the earlier DB4 shape. Travis Banton was a costume designer, not the author of the DB series. Just over 1,000 original DB5s were built from 1963 to 1965. Four cars were tied to Goldfinger: two used in filming and two for promotion.
![Goldfinger [Blu-ray] [1964]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51iivr9-ZAL.jpg)
Walt Disney Studios HE
- The disk has English audio and subtitles.
The disk has English audio and subtitles.
View on Amazon1968 Ford Mustang GT Fastback, Bullitt
Two Highland Green 1968 Ford Mustang GT fastbacks were used in Bullitt. Both had the 390-cubic-inch V8, factory-rated at 325 horsepower. They were not 428 Cobra Jets.
The 1968 Ford Mustang GT Fastback, nicknamed ‘Bullitt’ is one of the most iconic cars in cinema history.
The car is famous for its starring role in Bullitt (1968), and as a result, is adored by fans all over the world.
The Mustang debuted for the 1965 model year. Chevrolet’s Camaro, introduced for 1967, was a response to the Mustang. Ford built well over 300,000 Mustangs for 1968 alone, so the Bullitt cars are rare because only two were used in the film, not because fewer than 4,200 Mustangs were built.
1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor, Ghostbusters
The 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor was used in the film Ghostbusters as Ecto-1. Sony Pictures still owns the screen-used cars from the first film and from Ghostbusters II.
In the film, Dan Aykroyd (Ray Stantz), Bill Murray (Peter Venkman), and Harold Ramis (Egon Spengler) drive it on ghost calls. The car’s name is Ecto-1, not Ghostbusters.
Sony Pictures
- Ghostbusters 1 2 [Blu-ray]
- PHYSICAL MOVIE
Ghostbusters 1 2 [Blu-ray] PHYSICAL MOVIE
View on Amazon1966 Ford Thunderbird, Thelma & Louise
The 1966 Ford Thunderbird is the car that was famously driven off a cliff in the 1991 movie Thelma & Louise.
This iconic Hollywood classic, starring Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis, became a cult film for its story of two friends who leave home and end up running from the law.
The story follows the two friends as they try to find happiness together on their own terms.
For many people around the world, this movie has become an example of female empowerment.
In the story they leave Arkansas in a 1966 Ford Thunderbird convertible and head toward Mexico. The chase ends at the Grand Canyon. Filming was done in California and Utah, with Utah standing in for the canyon.
1982–1984 Pontiac Trans Am, Knight Rider
Knight Rider was an American television series that aired on NBC from 1982 to 1986. The protagonist was Michael Knight, played by David Hasselhoff.
Throughout his adventures, he drove a black 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. The car is KITT, the Knight Industries Two Thousand. KITT is the artificially intelligent car, not a mechanic who modified it.
KITT could talk and could take voice commands. The black paint and the red scanner light are the look audiences remember. Later cars built for the show included 1982, 1983, and 1984 Firebirds finished to match.
Mill Creek Entertainment
- Shrink-wrapped
Shrink-wrapped
View on Amazon1979 Ford LTD Country Squire, National Lampoon’s Vacation
The Ford LTD Country Squire is a car that was made in 1979. The Wagon Queen Family Truckster in National Lampoon’s Vacation is a modified Country Squire, and it is the Griswold family car.
The Griswolds drive from Chicago toward Walley World. The trip goes wrong long before they arrive. The hubcaps are stolen in St. Louis, Clark gets lost after a desert crash, and he tries to keep up with a woman in a red Ferrari. When they finally reach the park, it is closed. The car does not simply break down at the gate.
WARNER BROS
- Helmed By: Jeremiah S. Chechik
- Featured Actors: Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Randy Quaid
- Release Date: December 5, 2006
- Rated: R
- Cast: Jason Patric, Corey Haim, Dianne Wiest, Barnard Hughes, Edward Herrmann, Kiefer Sutherland, Jami Gertz, Corey Feldman, Jamison Newlander, Brooke McCarter
- Directed By: Joel Schumacher
Helmed By: Jeremiah S. Chechik Featured Actors: Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Randy Quaid
View on AmazonPorsche 928, Risky Business
I’ve always been a big fan of the movie Risky Business, and one particular scene stood out for me.
Joel Goodson (played by Tom Cruise) is home alone after his parents leave. He takes his dad’s Porsche 928 and drives toward downtown Chicago.
A few years ago, I was in need of some inspiration, so I decided to rent this movie again. The scene where he drives downtown still inspires me, but what really captivated my attention was the music that accompanied it.
Whenever I hear the name Porsche, I think of this scene because the music suits the car so well. It gives me goosebumps every time.
1974 Dodge Monaco, The Blues Brothers
The 1974 Dodge Monaco was featured in the 1980 movie The Blues Brothers. It is a car that is seen as both an inexpensive classic and a symbol of the 1970s.
The Bluesmobile is a retired Mount Prospect police Monaco. In the film, Elwood says it has a cop motor, a 440-cubic-inch plant, cop tires, cop suspension, and cop shocks. A 225-cubic-inch engine is the Chrysler slant-six, not the V8 in this car.
The 1974 Dodge Monaco is one of many cars seen in this classic film that has since become iconic due to their popularity with people who love American cars of that era.
![The Blues Brothers Double Feature (The Blues Brothers / Blues Brothers 2000) [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/518o6vr0KvL.jpg)
UNIVERSAL
- Shrink-wrapped
Shrink-wrapped
View on Amazon1969 Dodge Charger, The Dukes of Hazzard
Another famous Dodge! The 1969 Dodge Charger has become a symbol of the American Dream. It represents freedom and, of course, The Dukes of Hazzard.
The series is set in fictional Hazzard County, Georgia, and aired from 1979 to 1985. Bo and Luke Duke drive around dodging corrupt politician Boss Hogg, who wants to put them out of business.
They drive a 1969 Dodge Charger that they call the General Lee.
The Charger name was already on sale before this car. The second-generation Charger, the body used for the General Lee, arrived for the 1968 model year and shared its platform with the Coronet.
1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, Smokey and the Bandit
The 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am was the star of Smokey and the Bandit. The black-and-gold Special Edition is the car associated with the Bandit. It was a symbol of America’s unapologetic sense of independence.
The 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am is a car with a lot of history. It was made famous by Burt Reynolds as the Bandit in Smokey and the Bandit.
![Smokey and the Bandit [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51fJHzMcp-L.jpg)
1974–1976 Ford Gran Torino, Starsky & Hutch
The 1974-1976 Ford Gran Torino is a car that changed the way people viewed American cars.
Starsky & Hutch, starring David Soul and Paul Michael Glaser, ran on ABC from 1975 to 1979. That is four seasons, not six. The red Gran Torino with the white stripe was their car across the run of the show.
Ford built the Gran Torino from 1972 through 1976, then dropped it when the midsize lineup changed. Production did not end because the factory could not keep up with demand.
The series used a small fleet of these cars. There was no sixth-season wrap in which all but four of them had been destroyed.
1976 AMC Pacer, Wayne’s World
The 1976 AMC Pacer was made famous by the comedic movie Wayne’s World. This car is a love it or hate it vehicle.
The car has been called “a rolling joke,” and it has become an icon in popular culture.
The Pacer is a short, wide two-door with ordinary hinged doors. It does not have gullwing doors, and the two-door coupe was not a new body style in the mid-1970s.
Eleanor Mustang, Gone in 60 Seconds
Eleanor is not the same Mustang in both versions of Gone in 60 Seconds.
In the 1974 film, Eleanor is a yellow 1971 Ford Mustang Sportsroof modified to look like a 1973 Mach 1. In the 2000 remake, Eleanor is a 1967 fastback styled as a Shelby GT500. Those remake cars were Mustangs dressed for the part. Eleanor is not the General Lee, and it is not KITT.
WALT DISNEY
- The disk has English audio and subtitles.
The disk has English audio and subtitles.
View on Amazon1973 Ford Falcon XB GT, Mad Max
Mad Max was released in 1979. Max Rockatansky’s black Pursuit Special began as a 1973 Ford Falcon XB GT hardtop. The car is not a successor to the film series, and it had not been “in the making for over 50 years.”
The movie car was modified with a prop supercharger and side exhausts. The XB GT used a 351-cubic-inch Cleveland V8. The car prepared for the film had a four-speed manual.
Warner Home Video
- Polish Release, cover may contain Polish text/markings. The disk DOES NOT have English audio and subtitles.
Polish Release, cover may contain Polish text/markings. The disk DOES NOT have English audio and subtitles.
View on Amazon1959 Peugeot 403 Cabriolet, Columbo
The Peugeot 403 Cabriolet is the battered convertible Lieutenant Columbo drives. People associate it with the show. The car itself is not named Columbo.
The 403 was a French family car with a water-cooled four-cylinder engine. It was not oil-cooled, and it was not the first production car with four-wheel disc brakes.
![Columbo Complete Blu-ray Box 35 DISC [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41Qw7NqVDvS.jpg)
1967 Austin Mini Cooper S, The Italian Job
The 1967 Austin Mini Cooper S became famous in the 1969 film The Italian Job, where the Minis carry the gold through Turin.
This vehicle was designed to be small enough to fit into tight spots while still being able to hold four people. There are only two doors, so the rear seat is awkward to climb into.
This model’s top speed was around 100 mph, which was very impressive for such a small vehicle.
Sir Alec Issigonis designed the Mini and the Morris Minor. He did not design the MG Midget.
1976 Lotus Esprit S1, The Spy Who Loved Me
In the 1977 James Bond movie, The Spy Who Loved Me, there are a number of iconic scenes that have become known for their creativity.
One such scene is when James Bond drives his Lotus Esprit S1 off a pier to evade enemy agents. The car then converts into a submarine.
This car was not only featured in this movie but also remains one of the most iconic cars ever made with its sleek styling and wedge shape.
The Lotus Esprit S1 was a mid-1970s wedge. It was not the world’s first supercar. Cars such as the Lamborghini Miura were already on the road.
![Spy Who Loved Me, The (BD) [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41P+5Ek2GkL.jpg)
METRO GOLDWYN MAYER
- Runtime: 126 minutes
Runtime: 126 minutes
View on AmazonToyota Supra Mark IV, The Fast and the Furious
The Toyota Supra Mark IV was Brian O’Conner’s car in the first The Fast and the Furious (2001). That generation was sold from 1993 onward, and the orange movie car is a modified Mark IV.
The screen car is a manual. In the climactic race, Dominic Toretto tells Brian he was short-shifting it instead of double-clutching. A stock turbo Supra could be ordered with an automatic, but the film car is not an automatic. The U.S. turbo model used a 3.0-liter engine and, in stock form, was limited to about 155 mph. The movie car is heavily modified.
![Fast & Furious 8-Movie Collection [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51qs+PB0Q3L.jpg)
1932 Ford Deuce Coupe, American Graffiti
The 1932 Ford Deuce Coupe is a car that has been popularized by the movie American Graffiti. “Deuce” means 1932, from the 2 in the year. It does not mean “two-door.”
John Milner’s yellow five-window coupe in the 1973 film is a hot rod. The movie car was fitted with a Chevrolet 327 V8. It was not a stock inline-four of no more than 90 horsepower, and this model did not sell more than 15 million units. That sales figure belongs to the Model T’s long run.
The 1932 Ford is famous because it brought Ford’s flathead V8 to a low-priced car, and because George Lucas’s film turned Milner’s coupe into the hot rod people still picture.
![American Graffiti [Blu-ray]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/5114Yn1EFOL.jpg)
Chevrolet Lumina stock car, Days of Thunder
In the 1990 film, Days of Thunder, actor Tom Cruise plays Cole Trickle, a fictional NASCAR driver.
Cole is a sprint-car racer recruited into Winston Cup racing. He is not behind on payments for a street car. His cars in the film are Chevrolet Lumina stock cars, including the No. 46 City Chevrolet and later the No. 51 Mello Yello car. Hendrick Motorsports supplied real NASCAR cars for the production. They are not 1991–1992 Lumina Z34 street coupes, and the car is not nicknamed Iron Will.
Understand cinema on a deeper level with these Film Theory guides.
Let's Get Lost: The Essential Breakdown
The Old Dark House: Context, Themes, and Style
Night and Fog: Themes, Mood, and Visual Language
Runaway Train: Key Ideas and Lasting Influence
Even the Wind Is Afraid: A Deep Dive Into Story and Style
Introducing The Big Combo: Why It Still Matters
A Fistful of Dollars: What to Notice on a Rewatch
Anima: A Guide to Watching It Like a Critic
Raging Bull: The Meaning Behind the Moments
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