From as early as the camera was invented, the automobile was involved in filmmaking. From well-established franchises like the Fast & Furious movies to one-off productions like Baby Driver, the car has been visible everywhere – even in films that had nothing to do with cars at all.
Throughout the last century, some iconic cars made their appearances on the silver screen and led to cult-like followings in gearhead circles. The Batmobile from various Batman movies, the Mystery Machine from the Scooby-Doo movies, and the fabulously pink FAB-1 belonging to Lady Penelope in Thunderbirds all come to mind – making one wonder if it is a matter of “the car maketh the movie,” or the other way around.
From productions featuring lots of automotive screen time to films in which cars only play minor yet attention-grabbing roles, here are 10 of the most iconic cars to ever feature in movies.
10 Volkswagen Beetle – Herbie Movies
Herbie is everyone’s favorite sentient Volkswagen Beetle. There is not really a proper explanation as to why a Beetle gained consciousness and went racing – other than a non-canon scenario where a picture of a doctor’s deceased wife fell into a vat of molten metal - but it doesn’t really matter.
The VW Beetle is one of the most-loved cars ever created, leading to one of the longest production runs of any model. The Beetle, also called the VW Type 1, was produced from 1938, all the way to 2003, with an astonishing 21 million units built. The success of the Beetle is accredited to its simplicity and versatility, with its most popular conversion being the Meyers Manx – more commonly known as the "beach buggy" or "dune buggy."
9 Cadillac Miller-Meteor Sentinel – Ghostbusters
The Cadillac Miller-Meteor Sentinel is a huge wagon built on top of the Cadillac Series 62 platform. The Meteor was designed as an ambulance by the Meteor Motor Car Company, a subsidiary of the Wayne Corporation (not Batman).
The Miller-Meteor Sentinel was chosen as the basis for the ECTO-1 – the Ghostbusters’ mobile ghost-capturing vehicle. The ECTO-1 was used for the original Ghostbusters movies, as well as the 2021 sequel. It is probably the most famous wagon in cinema and is recognizable anywhere, thanks to the Ghostbusters logo on the side.
8 Toyota Supra – The Fast And The Furious
The Toyota Supra is a well-known car in its own right, due to the almost unending tunability of the drivetrain and the amazing engineering of the 2JZ engine. It gained further attention when it was used as Brian’s car in the original Fast & Furious movie – opposite Dom’s black Charger.
Since then, the Supra has been one of the most popular Japanese cars ever produced, with the chances of finding a stock one for sale decreasing by the day. Some owners built replicas of the famous orange Supra, while many others go for their own designs. This is not a difficult task, thanks to the near-endless aftermarket parts available.
7 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am – Smokey And The Bandit
The Pontiac Firebird Trans Am is an awesome American muscle car. It was made even cooler after it starred alongside Burt Reynolds in the Smokey and the Bandit films. The chosen Trans Am had the factory "Special Edition" option, which consisted of black paint with numerous gold accents including the grille surrounds, the wheels and pinstriping all over. The movie made the Trans Am S.E. so iconic that it became known as the "Bandit" Trans Am. Of course, there was a golden firebird on the hood – a livery known as the "screaming chicken" that is still famous today.
For Smokey and the Bandit II, they used a 1980 Turbo Trans Am. Despite that year's debut of the turbocharged 4.9-liter V8 (which replaced the "T/A 6.6" V8 as the top engine choice), the car didn't make enough power for the stunts. As such, the stunt team had to inject nitrous oxide into the engine just to get the desired performance for the chase scenes. Nevertheless, the Trans Am is one of the most iconic movie cars ever created.
6 Ferrari 250 GT California – Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
The Ferrari 250 GT California was designed with the coastal highways and seaside promenades of California in mind. It was based on the almost endless Ferrari 250 platform – of which there are many variations – and sold pretty well to some famous people of the day.
The 250 GT Cali was also the chosen car to feature as Cameron’s dad’s prized classic car in the movie, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. After a ride to the city – and some joyriding by the valets – the trio tries to erase all evidence of them driving it, whereafter the car meets an unexpected end via defenestration. Luckily, the car used in the movie was a replica built specifically for it and not a real 250 GT California. Still, that replica sold for more than a new Ferrari on auction.
5 Ford Falcon Interceptor – Mad Max
Mad Max’s Interceptor is one of the most famous cars in movie history. It was based on the Australian Ford Falcon XB GT and received multiple modifications over the course of the movies. The car also featured in many video games such as Mad Max in 2015 to coincide with the Fury Road movie in the same year.
Unfortunately for anyone who would like to recreate an Interceptor, getting hold of an original Ford XB Falcon has proven quite difficult – even for filmmakers – and they come at a hefty price. Still, the Interceptor is everyone’s favorite choice for a post-apocalyptic runabout.
4 Lotus Esprit S1 – The Spy Who Loved Me
The Lotus Esprit S1 is an iconic car in its own right, although the story behind how it got to be James Bond’s spy car is fascinating. Reportedly, Lotus parked their new Esprit outside the production studios after Aston Martin refused to lend the filmmakers a car. The production team saw the car and immediately wanted it for the film.
Apart from the Esprit’s ability to turn into a submarine and fire missiles and torpedoes, the best part about the whole car was when James Bond drove the car out of the water onto a French beach. The look on Roger Moore’s face was priceless.
3 Ford Mustang Fastback – Bullitt
The Ford Mustang is the most popular muscle car in existence. The popularity was given an advertising bump when the Mustang Fastback was chosen for the 1968 film, Bullitt. Thanks to an awesome chase scene between the green Mustang and a black Dodge Charger, the former became one of the most iconic cars in film history.
In 2018, the mechanics at Gas Monkey Garage recreated the chase scene with a specially built Mustang Fastback to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the film. Ford themselves have also produced special edition ‘Bullitt’ versions of their Mustangs, with the latest edition being the most successful.
2 DeLorean DMC-12 – Back To The Future
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The DeLorean DMC-12 is an awesome car but not for the usual reasons. It was a blend of retro-futurism and was one of the few concept cars which was actually put into production. The car featured a terrible V6 engine, and it was awful to drive, but none of that mattered because it was the chosen car for the Back To The Future series of movies.
Obviously, for the films, the car was heavily modified to fit Doc Brown’s scientific additions. The cars were modified even further for each subsequent movie until it was destroyed by a train at the end of the third film. The DeLorean Time-Machine is one of the most popular modifications done to privately-owned DMC-12s, however, there are many other modifications available.
1 Aston Martin DB5 – James Bond Movies
The Aston Martin DB5 is probably the most iconic movie car of them all. It has been the primary spy car for James Bond during the 1960s and 1970s and later became the leisure car for said British agent in multiple subsequent films. All-in-all, the DB5 has been featured in 9 James Bond films and the original Cannonball Run (1981), driven by none other than Roger Moore.
The DB5 is also one of the most beautiful classic cars ever made, packing a performance punch in the form of a 4.0-liter inline-6 producing 325 hp and 288 lb-ft of torque. Obviously, the cars used in the films were heavily modified to survive all the stunts.