10 of the Most Famous Movie Cars from the Past 50+ Years
Updated: Jun. 14, 2020When movies make cars the stars, you can bet fans will daydream about getting behind the wheel. At least one of these is sure to make you swoon.
The Gigahorse, Mad Max: Fury Road
A custom vehicle driven by Immortan Joe in 2015’s Mad Max: Fury Road, the Gigahorse is among the wildest famous movie cars to look at. It was constructed on a custom chassis, with its body built of two 1959 Cadillac Coupe de Villes sitting on top of each other. Some extreme attributes include the harpoon gun and flamethrower. From a James Bond car to the Batmobile, these are some of the coolest, funniest, and weirdest cars in entertainment history.
The Tumbler, The Dark Knight Rises
The Tumbler was a prototype armored tank created as a bridging vehicle for the military. It became Batman’s mode of transportation for smashing through concrete walls, shooting cannons, launching rockets, and more. Can you guess the year, make, and model of some of these lesser-known vintage cars?
1970 Dodge Charger, The Fast and the Furious
Driven by Dominic Toretto in The Fast and the Furious franchise, the classic Dodge Charger served as a street-racing force to be reckoned with. It featured a massive engine, enormous tires, and a supercharger sticking out of the hood. Here are some weird features you probably didn’t know your own car might have.
The Ectomobile, 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor, Ghostbusters
One of the most famous movie cars, the Ectomobile was featured in the first and second Ghostbusters films. Made from a 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor, it featured an ambulance/hearse combination of the end-loader variety. It had a 6.3-liter V-8, good for 320 hp.
Greased Lightning, 1948 Ford De Luxe Convertible, Grease
Every car featured in Grease was dreamy, but the dream car of Danny Zuko was surely a standout. Beginning as scraps and ending as a souped-up car with chopped front fenders and tail fins, it won races and stole the heart of Sandy. Check out these seriously cool tech add-ons for your car.
The Striped Tomato, 1976 Ford Gran Torino, Starsky & Hutch 2004
While none of the 1,300 replica Gran Torinos from the ’70s Starsky & Hutch TV show glory days were available to use for Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson’s 2004 movie version, the team got creative by using one of the special-edition replicas as a template, alongside tapes of the show, old photos, and model cars. Various other vehicles were used for the action scenes, including a 1974 car that remained intact after filming. It had just over 21,000 original miles, a hot-rodded 435-hp, and a 360-cubic-inch Ford Windsor pushrod V-8.
2008 Audi R8, Iron Man
The 2008 Audi R8 is a looker. The sidekick to genius billionaire industrialist Tony Stark, it was built with a mid-mounted, 420-hp, 4.2-liter V-8 engine, capable of reaching 62 mph in 4.6 seconds. For a cool car like Tony Stark’s, you may want to invest in some of these car accessories that will change the way you drive.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
The 1968 British-American musical adventure fantasy film was inspired by real-life racing driver Count Louis Zborowski, the designer and builder of four aero-engine cars based on Mercedes models. The intriguing name “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” was a nod at the sound cars made while idling. The film used six cars, among them a transforming car, a hover car, and a flying car. Check out these insanely expensive movie props that people have actually bought.
Shaguar, 1967 Jaguar E Type, Austin Powers
In Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, a classic ’60s E Type Jaguar was used to lure the ladies. A Union Jack paint job made it stick out among the crowd, just like the secret agent intended. If you made a list of famous movie cars, would this one be on it?
Lamborghini Countach 1980 Series II LP500S, Cannonball Run
Surely you’d have no problem hopping behind the wheel of any famous movie car, including the Lambo in 1981’s Cannonball Run. The vehicle was modified for the film, including a front wing that was added to meet U.S. regulations, which said the front bumper had to be above a specific height and had to withstand a five-mph impact. It was also modified to have 12 exhaust pipes! Get a look at some more cool sets of wheels with the craziest cars ever built.
