Americans love their cars – so much that entire television and movie franchises have revolved around a car. Would the Dukes of Hazzard or K.N.I.G.H.T. Rider been half as cool without the cars? Probably not.
Cars have been the stars of plenty of movies, too. In fact, some cars are so cool that they made the movie better just by being present. And while plenty of movies feature cars that look cool – the mythical “Eleanor” in Gone in 60 Seconds is a prime example of that – some movie cars are more than just pretty faces.
De Lorean DMC 12—Back to the Future
So you want to go back in time and get a do-over? Hop into the 1981 De Lorean DMC 12 featured in all three Back to the Future movies, set the date, drive 88 miles per hour and you’ll be magically whisked to the time and place you desire. Of course, you have to watch the pesky flux capacitor, not to mention there’s always the chance you could disrupt the space time continuum, but those are just details when you think about how cool this car was (is). Admit it – the doors that opened vertically were pretty rad, even without the time-travel capabilities.
VW Beetle—Herbie the Love Bug
While not as sleek and stylish as Marty McFly’s ride, Herbie the Love Bug was still pretty magical. Who would expect a VW Beetle to compete on the race track? And if Herbie’s unbelievable (for a bug, anyway) feats of incredible speed and agility weren’t enough, who can resist the adorable expressions that number 53 was capable of making?
1975 Lotus Esprit—James Bond, The Spy Who Loved Me
James Bond has had some seriously cool gadgets over the years, but is there any cooler than the 1975 Lotus Esprit that was not just a car, but could turn into a submarine? It might have been the coolest gadget that Q ever invented; who wouldn’t want a hot-looking car that could go under water? Oh, and it can shoot down helicopters too, in case you were wondering. No big deal.
1958 Plymouth Fury – Christine; 1971 Lincoln Continental mk3 – The Car; big rigs—Maximum Overdrive
Okay, so maybe Christine wasn’t all that cool, unless of course you’re in the market for an attacking, murderous car. But she looked nice! Leave it to horror master Stephen King to turn something so classic into something so evil. On the plus side, Christine could repair her own damage – which was considerable given her regular rampages. The possessed Lincoln Continental in the 1977 film The Car, which mysteriously appeared in a Utah town and started running people down, preceded Christine, of course. Lesson learned? Always ask about any possible demon possessions before grabbing that great deal on Craigslist.
Stephen King must have had some serious car trouble in his life, because he returned to the land of demon vehicles in Maximum Overdrive, about a group of big rigs that come to life (possibly taken over by aliens?) and set out to kill a group of people trapped in a truck stop. As if truck stops aren’t scary enough.
1967 Pontiac GTO—XXX
Yes, it was purple and the movie was kind of silly. But Vin Diesel’s ride in the action flick XXX was pretty sweet. It was chock full of gadgets and gizmos that made the chases and action sequences fun to watch – if not entirely believable.
Grand Prix Racer—Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
How many times have you been stuck in traffic and wished you could just fly above it all? If you have the chance to hang out with Professor Caractacus Potts, played by Dick van Dyke, you probably could. In the 1968 classic, Potts’ children convince him to buy a decrepit old race car, which becomes the centerpiece of a fanciful story when it floats on the sea and flies through the air on wings. Even James Bond couldn’t pull off the flying car trick.
Camaro Bumblebee—Transformers
Say what you will about the Transformers movies (it seems everyone has an opinion), but they featured some pretty sweet rides. One of the best is definitely the ultra-cool Camaro Bumblebee. The car model changes throughout the franchise, but take your pick – they all looked great. As a bonus, this literally smart car communicated through the radio. When Bumblebee isn’t saving the world, he’d make a great road trip companion.
The Batmobile—All of the Batman films
Quite possibly the coolest car ever made. Ever. It’s the Batmobile. Enough said.
From cars that fly to cars that float, from helpful robots to evil aliens, from time travel to super fast travel, Hollywood has certainly pushed the envelope when it comes to cars on film. Who knows what’s ahead, but Hollywood is sure to provide plenty of dream cars for generations to come.
This guest post article was written and provided by David Brenner who is a freelance writer and online consultant for The Hartford and many auto industry websites. David has many years of experience helping people with their auto insurance needs.