Motoring
Marvel at the coolest movie cars ever
Here’s our list of the top 10 cars that have set the silver screen on fire over the years.
Movies have a number of elements to them such as acting, scripting, direction, editing, music production and number of other things. But when you look at it from a petrol head’s lens, the first thing that comes to focus is the cars and high-speed car chases. Today, we look at the former – the cars.
Over the decades, there have been a few cars which have stirred such strong emotions for fans that they’ve been as much a part of the show as any legendary movie character. Here’s a list of the some of the best cars to have graced the silver screen.
1963 Volkswagen Beetle aka Herbie (The Love Bug)
Paint job: White with blue, white and red racing stripes.
USP: It can be your best friend.
The Love Bug - Herbie
© Getty Images
Herbie, the Love Bug, is the most adorable and human-like car in this list. Herbie is no armour-plated, fire breathing monster. This everyday car resembles the aspirations and spirit of every common man. The 1963 VW Beetle first appeared as Herbie in the movie The Love Bug (1968). Donning the number 53, this pearl white car with red, white and blue racing stripes found instant fandom. Herbie starred in a series of movies and TV shows and grossed hundreds of millions of dollars at the box office. In fact, Herbie was one of the first to kick-start the “movie franchise” concept.
The Herbie that starred in Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo and Herbie Goes Bananas broke the auction record for a Volkswagen Beetle by going under the hammer for $126,500 in 2015.
Chevrolet Camaro aka Bumblebee (Transformers series)
Paint job: Yellow with Black racing stripes.
USP: Can defend you from other alien robots, the bad kinds.
Bumblebee: Your neighbourhood friendly alien robot
© Getty Images
The Transformers movie franchisee is inspired from the line of toys created by Hasbro and Tomy. In 2007, when the first Transformer movie was released, the fifth generation of Chevy Camaro was a good two years away from getting into production. Hence, the film makers used the 2006 concept version which became an instant hit and the car’s launch anticipation hit the roof.
Every Transformer movie since has seen the Bumblebee being upgraded to the latest version of Camaro. While it’s difficult to pin point a single model year of Camaro to be the favourite, it’s easy to say that the yellow Camaro with black racing lines is the quintessential Bumblebee for one and all.
'60s Mini Cooper (The Italian Job)
Paint job: Blue, white or red.
USP: Can carry a tonne of gold in case you're in the profession of bank robbery.
Mini Cooper trio of The Italian Job
© Getty Images
Three Mini Cooper’s running rampant through the streets of Turin like little minions was a sight to behold. Part of the cutest car chase sequence of all time; draped in the Union Jack colours red, white and blue – the ’69 Mini Coopers of 1969 The Italian Job broke an automobile stereotype well ahead of their time.
The Mini Coopers didn’t just pull off a bank heist but also stole hearts of all the automobile enthusiasts. The movie kick-started a customisation craze among the Mini owners all over the world.
'59 Cadillac Miller-Meteor Ambulance aka Ecto-1 (Ghostbusters)
Paint job: White with red accent. And the Ghostbusters logo.
USP: The perfect car for every Ghostbusting professional.
Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters!
© Getty Images
Draped in red and white livery, rushing through the busy New York streets busting out ghosts; Ecto-1 first appeared in the 1984 cult supernatural comedy Ghostbusters. Based on 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor ambulance, this highly modified car remains one of the most iconic aspects of the movie. Ecto-1 was modified to contain all the bells and whistles (literally!) for its paranormal crime fighting crew; the rear-loading ambulance belly of the car was modified to store Proton Packs, Ecto Goggles, P.K.E. meters and Ghost Traps.
Iterations of the Ecto-1 appeared in the subsequent movie and video game, Ecto-1a and Ecto-1b respectively, with upgraded features to combat more dangerous spirits; however, Ecto-1 remains the granddaddy favourite even after three decades since it first captured supernatural baddies in ‘80s. One of the Ecto-1 replicas used by Universal Studios for marketing purposes (not used in the movie) went for $80,000 in an auction in 2010.
DeLorean DMC-12 aka Time Machine (Back to the Future series)
Paint job: Unpainted stainless steel body.
USP: Can perform time travel.
Back to the Future's time machine - DeLorean DMC12
© Getty Images
Wedge-shaped DeLorean DMC-12 was the only car ever built by the parent company DeLorean DMC-12. In its three-year short run, the car enjoyed stratospheric popularity owing to its appearance as the time machine in the Back To The Future series.
The angular design was the right fit for the futuristic movie and its gullwing door make it look like a UFO. Also, as per the time machine’s creator Dr. Emit Brown, the stainless steel exterior of the car has a direct effect on the flux dispersal which makes the time travel possible. Time travel or not, the DeLorean is one for the ages. Only three of the six original DeLoreans used in the movie are still in existence. One of them is a part of a private collection. But you can still see the other two in flesh – one of them is at Universal Orlando while the second one is at Peterson Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.
'67 Ford Mustang GT500 aka Eleanor (Gone in 60 Seconds)
Paint job: Pepper grey metallic with black racing stripes.
USP: Can outrun the entire Los Angeles Police Department. Including the choppers.
'67 Ford Mustang Eleanor from Gone in 60 seconds
© Mecum Auctions
In the original Gone in 60 Seconds (1974), the filmmakers used a 1973 Ford Mustang Mach-1 as the hero car. To keep the police from knowing that the crew was referring to a car while stealing it, the car was nicknamed Eleanor.
Taking forward this thought, the Nicholas Cage and Angelina Jolie Gone in 60 Seconds remake featured a resto-modded 1967 Ford Mustang GT500 Eleanor. This beefy pepper grey ‘Stang was part of one of the best chase sequence climaxes of all time. One of the three surviving cars from the movie was auctioned in 2013 for a whopping $1 million dollars (Nicholas Cage is not included). If you want to get your hands on one of the movie replicas, you can reach out to California based Fusion Motor Company who owns the official rights for building the Eleanor. You can get a movie-spec Eleanor as long as you have $200,000 pocket change.
Tumblr (The Dark Knight Trilogy)
Paint job: Black or camouflage.
USP: Don't know if you want a four wheeler or a two? This is the perfect compromise. Oh, and it can withstand a direct hit from a rocket.
Batman's Tumblr and Ghostbuster's Ecto-1
© Getty Images
Batman fans love to argue who's the best Batman of all time. A similar argument has been going on in the automotive world about which Batmobile is the best of them all. We'd like to stick our head out and say that the most iconic Batmobile of all time is the Tumblr.
The car (if we can call it that) appeared in all three instalments of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy. Flag-bearer of Gotham's auto industry, the Tumblr, was built by Wayne Enterprise’s in-house R&D division for military. It's so badass that even the Joker, played by Heath Ledger (again, the greatest Joker of all time) – couldn't completely destroy it. When an anti-tank missile did significant damage to the Tumblr, it simply morphed into a two-wheeled Batpod. In your face, Gotham underworld!
'70 Dodge Charger aka Dom's Charger (Fast & Furious series)
Paint job: Jet black.
USP: Can jump off planes.
Dodge Charger of Fast & Furious fame
© Getty Images
Every bit as muscular and badass as the F&F's male lead, Vin Diesel, the 1970 Dodge Charger has been the quintessential muscle car for decades. The nearly-indestructible Charger is living embodiment of Vin Diesel’s character Dom Toretto. The muscle car took on every challenge that came its way – whether its playing a street racer in the first movie, jumping out of a plane in Furious 7 or racing on ice in the latest instalment – The Fate of the Furious; the black Charger played its part without any fuss while maintaining its status quo as the alpha male.
Famously known as Dom’s Charger, not only has the car appeared in multiple movies in this series, it has also helped the franchise owners fill up their coffers with merchandising deals with major toy manufacturers such as Hot Wheels, Lego, Jada and others.
'68 Ford Mustang aka Bullitt Mustang (Bullitt)
Paint job: Dark highland green.
USP: It was Steve McQueen's choice of car. Need we say more?
Steve McQueen's iconic Ford Mustang from Bullitt
© Getty Images
The King of Cool, Steve McQueen, set the box office on fire with his acting in ‘60s and ‘70s. For the petrol heads however, it was the 1968 drama Bullitt which holds special significance. Even today, the 1968 Ford Mustang in dark highland green remains the embodiment of Steve McQueen's cool.
While McQueen taught the world how to be cool, the ‘Stang taught the world how to chase down a baddie. The famous 10-minute long Mustang-Charger car chase is believed to be the first proper car chase sequence of the modern era.
Two Mustangs were used during the shooting of the movie, one of which is a part of a private collection and hasn’t been seen in public since more than two decades while the second car was recently found in a junkyard in Mexico.
'65 Aston Martin DB5 aka The world's most famous car (James Bond series)
Paint job: Silver birch
USP: The looks. And also the ejector seat.
The name's DB5, Aston Martin DB5
© Getty Images
James Bond has driven dozens of cars over the years but none of them have left their mark like the Aston Martin DB5. The Aston Martin DB5 is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cars in the world; and the fact that the world’s most famous spy actually piloted one of these makes it even more special. The Aston Martin DB5 first appeared in the 1964 Bond movie Goldfinger when the car was still a concept. Since then, over the next 50 years, the car has gone on to feature in six more 007 movies. In its various avatars, the car has featured gadgets such as gun barrels behind the front indicators, bullet shield at the back, three-way revolving number plate as well as an ejector seat.
Two Aston Martin DB5’s used in the Bond movie were displayed at the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair where it was dubbed was “the most famous car in the world”. While this was done more for promotional purposes, that accolade might indeed be true in the movie world. Owning (or at least driving) a silver birch DB5, without or without the gadgets, remains a bucket list item for almost every car enthusiast out there.