As the years go on, car enthusiasts seem to be a dying breed. This is due for many reasons, not the least of which being financial incentives and the advancement of self-driving technology. However, there are still some avenues that get less-interested individuals to focus on cool cars. Specifically, media such as blockbuster movies.
A big part of modern advertising in the film industry is product placement. In short, brands will pay directors/companies to use their vehicles in their movies to bring goods into the minds of more consumers. This, as a result, leads to some neat partnerships, especially with automotive manufacturers. Over the decades of popular movies, many have had iconic vehicles that will always be remembered for their placement in an iconic story. To illustrate this, here are ten of the coolest cars made popular by movies...
10 10. Jurassic Park Ford Explorer
During its time, and even to this day, the C.G.I. in the original Jurassic Park movie is among the most captivating cinema has ever produced. The idea of a theme park with dinosaurs fascinated people to the possibilities, chiefly due to the fear it inspires. For example, the car scene with the Tyrannosaurus Rex.
The vehicle used in these scenes was a Ford Explorer. What differentiated the movie's Explorer from the standard one, however, was a Jurassic Park-themed paint job. Clearly, fans of the blockbuster liked the paint scheme and, as such, replicated it on several other Explorers.
9 9. Mad Max's Ford Falcon
Although Ford is an American company, they still manufacture other vehicles for different types of markets. One of these foreign markets is Australia, which is also the home of the Mad Max series.
A car that America didn't get was the Ford Falcon. Even though the States did have a "Falcon" at one point, it was discontinued here and not overseas. With this vehicle, the creators of the second Mad Max movie turned it into an apocalyptic death-machine. Granted, this isn't really suited for modern roads, but, nonetheless, moviegoers in the U.S. and Australia flocked to the Ford Falcon.
Their goal was to either remake the movie car, or simply experience what it was like to drive the same vehicle. Regardless, Mad Max certainly helped it gain popularity around the globe.
8 8. Transformers' Chevrolet Camaro
Of all the popular movies and summer blockbusters, Michael Bay's Transformers might be the most product placement filled film out there. They don't go to any extremes to mask this advertising and, as such, end up having a lot of sponsorships and real-life vehicles. One such vehicle is the Transformer BumbleBee's multiple Chevrolet Camaros.
It's stated as "multiple" because, nearly every movie, BumbleBee manages to upgrade himself into the newest and coolest version of the famous American muscle car. Whatever your opinion regarding the Transformers series, it's hard to deny the success and sales figures associated with the Camaro and new Transformers movies.
7 7. Ghostbusters' Cadillac Miller-Meteor
When you think about a film involving catching ghosts, saving New York, and comedy, you may not understand how a certain vehicle can play a big part in all this. However, for die-hard fans of the Ghostbusters series, the answer is as plain as day with the movies classic Cadillac Miller-Meteor.
If the need arises, the Ghostbusters, of course, need to be able to get somewhere quick (and in style). So, what better way to fight off the odd ghost and make your presence known than with a classic "Cady" covered in anti-ghost propaganda. Even though it isn't the fastest car on this list, it has still been replicated time and time again by film and car lovers alike.
6 6. Eleanor Shelby Gt500
Carroll Shelby had created perfection with his Shelby Mustangs. So much so, even today, these same cars sell for hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars. However, some brave souls work towards perfecting it even further. Hence, the creation of the Eleanor Shelby GT500.
The Eleanor got its name from the old movie under the same name: Eleanor. What really catapulted the Eleanor into the minds of consumers, though, was Nicolas Cage's Gone In 60 Seconds. This particular Shelby is a modified alternative to the standard GT500 with a completely reworked exterior.
Apparently, car enthusiast really loved the Eleanor Shelby. As a result of its popularity, many view the Eleanor Shelby to be the best Mustang ever made.
5 5. James Bond's Aston Martin DB5
Before James Bond was a stoic badass portrayed by Daniel Craig, the role belonged to Sean Connery. In Connery's time as Agent 007, the MI-6 asset had one of the coolest cars in cinema history: The Aston Martin DB5.
The DB5 was the perfect British spy car. It was made in the same country, displayed true beauty, and imitated its womanizing driver. During production for Gold Finger, the movie where the DB5 made its debut, directors/producers had to pay a crazy cost of a couple thousand for the car (a lot for the time). If only the price had stayed the same, because, nowadays, a real Aston Martin DB5 can cost more than a million dollars.
4 4. Bullitt Mustang
Throughout Hollywood's expansive history of action movies, few did it quite like Bullitt. Bullitt is a cop movie that can be slow at times, however, succeeds in picking up the pace and delivering some of the coolest/most authentic action scenes ever. For example, the renowned chase scene involving a 1970 Dodge Charger and Detective Bullitt's Mustang.
The chase is, arguably, one of the best chase scenes in all of cinema. The stunts were done practically, as C.G.I. wasn't prevalent back in those times. The hard work and effort that went into this sequence really shows. Due to this amazing piece of film, the Bullitt Mustang became a staple of classic Mustangs. Even now, Ford offers a Bullitt version of its newest Mustang model.
3 3. Smokey & The Bandit's Pontiac Trans Am
Before the filming of the Smokey & The Bandit had even begun, the individuals behind the scenes knew exactly which car they would use. As history has shown, they decided to go with the 1977 Pontiac Trans Am.
Ok, well, it wasn't a full-blown 1977 model. Actually, the car was the '76 model with pieces of the 1977 body bolted onto it. This didn't hinder the Trans Am's popularity, though, since the Bandit Trans Am (kind of like the Bullitt Mustang) has had its own versions sold under the same title. Its iconic black and gold paint scheme drew in thousands of customers from around the globe. Often, if you want to buy a '77 Trans Am, the Bandit version will be the most costly of them all.
2 2. Fast & Furious' MKIV Supra
Back when the car modding scene was in its infantile stage and everyone loved underglow, the Fast and Furious movie series made its way into the limelight. With its debut, came a litany of soon-to-be world-renowned movie cars.
Of the several famous cars in the Fast and Furious series, a few stand out. Specifically, Paul Walker's Mark IV Supra. Walker's Supra was heavily inspired by other tuners of that decade: Bright colors, underglow, lots of stickers, and neon all over the place. Although this look may not be popular anymore, the F&F Supra is still beloved by car enthusiasts to this day. Not only for its outstanding looks and appearance in a movie, but its power and engineering quality as well.
1 1. DeLorean DMC-12
To see one of the most iconic movie cars in history, we need to go back in time; literally and figuratively. Back in 1985, the DeLorean DMC-12 would become the coolest movie car ever after its first showing in the blockbuster movie, Back to the Future.
If any car in the '80s could be a time-machine, it was the DeLorean: A car with gull-wing doors, a supercar design, and unique characteristics. Similar to the Fast and Furious Supra, the DMC-12 was a modified version of the standard Delorean. However, it wasn't modified in terms of speed, but aesthetics, as the Back to the Future DeLorean had a time machine built into it.
If you look on the market today for DeLoreans, you will see one of three things: A standard DeLorean, an ad that references Back to the Future, or a full-blown replica of the movie car (fake time machine and all).