Over the years, cars have become just as important in movies as they are in real life. There's something about cars that takes a film to a whole new level. In fact, some of the most memorable scenes in filmmaking history have involved a vehicle in some way, whether it's two people having a conversation as they cruise around, getaway cars in crime scenes, or even multiple cars getting destroyed in a fight scene.
But, while thousands of cars have appeared in films, only a few have remained etched in gearheads' memories. Some of the coolest vehicles featured in movies end up being the film's face, overshadowing even the human stars. The following are ten of the most iconic cars ever featured in films.
10 1964 Aston Martin DB5 - Goldfinger
When the name 'James Bond' is mentioned, one of the first things that pop into most people's minds is Aston Martin. The British automaker is so tied to the James Bond franchise, largely thanks to the DB5's appearance in the third film, Goldfinger.
The beautiful Aston Martin DB5 from Goldfinger had a long list of tricks that make it one of the most beloved film cars of all time, including an ejector seat, machine guns, missile launchers, and smoke screens. As a matter of fact, the DB5 is the most awesome James Bond car ever! Interestingly, the DB5 featured a navigation screen in the dash a decade before appearing in real-life vehicles. The car became so popular after Goldfinger that Aston Martin made 25 recreations of the Bond DB5 and sold each for $3.5 million.
9 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 - Back To The Future
The DeLorean DMC-12 is not nearly as good-looking or powerful as the Aston Martin DB5, but it's still an awesome movie car everyone wishes they owned. This stainless-steel beauty was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and had a retro-futuristic design that many love to this day.
Initially, the DMC-12 had a sluggish 2.9-liter V6 producing 130 hp, but the movie crew replaced it with a more powerful V8 sourced from a Porsche 928. This helped Marty McFly hit 88 mph faster, after which he could fire up the Flux Capacitor and travel a century back in time.
8 1973 XB GT Ford Falcon - Mad Max
When it comes to muscle cars, Australians have always been just as power-hungry as Americans. This is clearly shown by the 1973 Ford Falcon, which belongs to a group of fairly brutal muscle machines never sold in the North American market.
The 1973 Falcon XB GT initially had a 351-CID V8 and looked super cool, but the Mad Max crew still wanted to transform it into a car that would forever remain in every viewer's memory. They emblazoned the body with massive flares to achieve the Mad Max look, tucked the fattest tires they could find underneath, and plastered on a new nose upfront. They also strapped on a massive supercharger on the hood making the Falcon look even more badass.
7 1976 Lotus Esprit Series I - The Spy Who Loved Me
Another James Bond car, the 1976 Lotus Esprit Series I will forever be etched in the memories of those who watched the scene in the film The Spy Who Loved Me where Bond drove it off a pier only for it to transform into a submarine.
Two Esprits were used for the film, including a heavily modified car nicknamed "Wet Nellie." According to Hagerty, Wet Nellie was water-tight, with underwater motors and articulated fins. It sold at a 2013 auction to the founder of Tesla, Elon Musk.
6 Ecto1 - Ghostbusters
The Ectomobile, or Ecto1, is just as famous as the actors that drove it in Ghostbusters. A converted 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor, the Ectomobile was a hearse/ambulance combination with a 6.3-liter V8 cranking out 320 hp.
The Ghostbusters film crew initially purchased two Ectomobiles, naming one Ecto1 and the other Ecto1A. After filming, the Ectomobiles went around New York City to promote the film before being dumped on a Sony backlot. Thankfully, both cars were eventually refurbished, one by a dedicated group of Ghostbusters fans and the other by Sony.
5 1968 Mustang GT 390 - Bullitt
Any vehicle driven or even parked next to Steve McQueen instantly got cooler. However, the 1968 Ford Mustang GT 390 didn't need the legendary actor's help. Regarded as one of the greatest Mustangs of all time, the GT 390 was a powerhouse muscle car with an aggressive stance and a mighty V8 under the hood to go along with it.
The stripped-down version used in Bullitt was leaner and meaner-looking, which explains why Ford made a limited-edition version twice.
4 1993 Toyota MK IV Supra - The Fast and the Furious
Every movie in The Fast and the Furious franchise has become a modern classic for car lovers. However, most franchise fans consider the first film the greatest, largely thanks to the late Paul Walker and his head-turning souped-up orange Toyota Supra.
The Supra was an awesome-looking car fitted with a monstrous turbocharged V8, allowing it to smoke a Ferrari in one of the street race scenes. According to a report by Motor Authority, one non-turbo Supra used in the film was sold at a 2015 auction for $185,000.
3 2008 Audi R8 - Iron Man
The persona that Tony Stark had in the first Iron Man movie needed a technologically appropriate car. And Audi managed to convince director Jon Favreau that the R8 was it. Audi took its minimal screen time in the film so seriously that it created a microsite solely devoted to the R8s that were going to be used.
The 2008 Tony Stark R8 had a mid-mounted 4.2-liter V8 with 420 hp, allowing it to go from 0 to 62 mph in 4.6 seconds. It had a magnesium and aluminum space frame that looked great next to Iron Man's iconic suit.
2 1967 Shelby GT500, Eleanor - Gone In 60 Seconds
The remake of Gone in 60 Seconds dazzled every gearhead with its huge car lineup. However, only one car stood out from the crowd; the black-striped 1967 Mustang GT500, nicknamed "Eleanor."
The GT500 had a 351 Ford V8 crate engine pumping out 400 hp and featured central-mounted driving lights, lowered suspension with coil-overs, a four-speed manual transmission, pumped fender flares, 17-inch wheels with F1 tires, and a faux nitrous kit. The GT500 that Nicholas Cage drove as the movie ended sold for $1 million at a 2013 auction.
1 1971 Chevrolet Nova SS - Death Proof
For the film Death Proof, Kurt Russell wanted to drive an all-American car, so the film crew chose the 1971 Chevrolet Nova SS. The Nova SS was a small muscle car produced by Chevrolet as GM's answer to the Ford Falcon.
Under the hood was a 350cid v8 paired with heavy-duty suspension and high-performance tires. Four cars were built for the film, and the only caged one that was good enough for the driving scenes was nicknamed "The Jesus."