When we think of characters in films that are cars, we immediately think of Lightning McQueen and his group of friends in the Disney Pixar animated film trilogy. But we will exclude him, Mater, Luigi, and the rest of the colorful characters in Cars, which also includes all other animated films out there.
We will be listing 10 real-life cars that were so memorable in their respective films that everybody who sees a car like that would say "Hey, isn't that the car from the film..." This is ten of the most memorable characters, and mostly iconic, in movies that were automobiles.
10 Herbie
The Volkswagen Beetle is such a lovable car that it always comes to life in movies. We all know that before he was a Camaro, Bumblebee was a VW Beetle. Herbie is another Beetle that's come to life for some reason. This adorable car first appeared in the 1968 film The Love Bug, then Walt Disney made three more sequels through 1980.
What most of us know is Herbie: Fully Loaded, the fifth sequel starring Lindsay Lohan that was released in 2005. Herbie looks the same here, except for some technological advances that had him making facial expressions.
9 Christine
This is the one car that we will never accept, even if it was given to us for free. The mind of Stephen King is really twisted since he took an innocent-looking and regular 1958 Plymouth Belvedere and turned it into a ruthless killing machine. This car definitely scares us all. Christine is such an iconic and horrifying vehicle that he would be Satan's car if he ever had one.
The film is based on one of Stephen King's macabre novels of the same name. Christine is a possessed car owned by teenager Arnie Cunningham and seems hell-bent to murder anyone that crosses its path.
8 The DeLorean
When you put aside the amazing features of this car that allows it to travel through time, the vehicle itself is one that we wished we owned in the 1980s. The DeLorean is a car manufactured by DMC (DeLorean Motor Company) in the early '80s. Instead of the common doors opening sideways, the DeLorean opens vertically and ends up looking like wings.
It's such a beauty during that time that it became a crucial character in the Back To The Future film franchise. Doc and Marty and the DeLorean, it's a trio of time travelers changing their fate, and ruining something else along the way.
7 Mini Coopers
Most people will say that the Mark Wahlberg 2003 Italian Job doesn't hold a candle to the original that starred Michael Caine. These cars played a very crucial role in the films, making for a tight and speedy getaway.
They could go on the sidewalks, stairs, and inside the subway too. These subcompact cars are a joy to watch in both films, making the heist more believable and warranting a standing ovation when their scenes were done. Wahlberg or Caine? The answer is MINI.
6 Mutt Cutts Van
Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels not only made comedy gold, but they also helped the mobile pet-grooming business get a boost with their cuddly Mutt Cuts van in the film Dumb and Dumber. Directed by Peter Farrelly and released in 1994, the genius duo of Carrey and Daniels was almost overshadowed by their awesome ride.
It was a 1984 Ford Econoline van completely upholstered to appear like a dog. It kind of looks like a giant Saint Bernard or sheepdog, complete with a tail and a tongue hanging from the grill. After the film, people copied the van and it helped with their own business profits.
5 Wet Nellie
No car has topped the Lotus Esprit S1 in all of the James Bond, Ian Fleming-based motion pictures since they started in 1962. A lot of people would disagree with this statement, making a case that includes the words Aston, Martin, and DB5. We agree it's an amazing car with lots of features, but it simply can't be driven underwater.
Wet Nellie, the Lotus Esprit S1's nickname, is apparently an amphibious vehicle. It can submerge in the water and navigate itself like a submarine. To feature a car like this in a film made in 1977 is a bold and ingenious move, and it worked.
4 Batmobile
Throughout film history, there have been 10 Batman films and two ensemble films that included the caped crusader (Justice League & Suicide Squad). There have been twelve films with eight different actors that played Bruce Wayne, and soon to be an eleventh played by former sparkling vampire Robert Pattinson. Batman's iconic Batmobile has also had many changes over the years, but the best by far is the Tumbler.
This monster car appeared in the Christopher Nolan-Christian Bale trilogy and it was truly a beast. It was a military-grade assault-type vehicle before Lucius Fox pimped it up for Bruce. And just how exciting was it that the Bat-cycle popped out of the Tumbler itself?!
3 Eleanor
Eleanor is the perfect name for a car that Nicolas Cage's character adores, loves, fears, and hates all at the same time in the 2000 film remake of Gone in Sixty Seconds. We don't much care how this reboot pales in comparison to the original one, Nicolas Cage, Angelina Jolie, and Giovanni Ribisi are just entertaining.
Then, there are the cars as well. In the original, Eleanor was a 1973 Ford Mustang, and in the 2000 film, she was a 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500. She was such an important character in the film that they put her name in the end credits.
2 Bumblebee
To be able to spin-off from a successful movie franchise and establish its own is a rare feat. That's just what Bumblebee from Transformers did in his own film released last year. But what we are talking about here is the first time we saw Bumblebee in the 2007 movie Transformers.
Theaters just erupted when they saw him transform from the old beat-up 1977 Chevrolet Camaro to the shiny new Bumblebee-yellow Camaro that it would be for the rest of the Transformers saga. Bumblebee is such a charming character that we like him as an Autobot but we love him more when he's a car.
1 Ecto-1
The last car that's arguably the most memorable character car in movies is the Ecto-1 in the Ghostbusters films. This vehicle shows nothing less than confidence and bravado on the big screen. Modeled after a 1959 Cadillac Meteor, it was made to be an ambulance or a hearse. Fitting since Peter, Egon, Winston, and Ray come to the rescue and deal with ghosts and beings beyond dead. It just feels wrong to ever see the boys get their gear out in a different vehicle.
That's what's lacking in the 2016 Ghostbusters remake, a more confident and sexier Ecto-1. But props to McCarthy, Wiig, McKinnon and Jones, they did well.