Form the Batmobile to the Mystery Machine, throughout the history of movies, iconic cars have made their way to the big screen! In fact, movies are one of the ways through which many of us became die-hard automobile enthusiasts. Thrilling chases and nerve-racking street races are two of the many things that we love about these cars in movies; some of them can travel time, some are classics, and a few others are laden with futuristic tech. Even though a lot of these superpowers cannot translate to real life, the beauty and performance of these cars in real life cannot be questioned. Without further delay, Here are the 10 most iconic cars in movie history.
10 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor — Ghostbusters
Famously known as the Ectomobile or the Ecto-1, the automobile of the Ghostbusters is none other than the heavily modified 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor. This reskinned Cadillac station wagon was one of the rarest cars ever made. There were only 25 of the 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteors produced.
While its design, like the, concealed rear wheels, prominent foglamps, and long bonnets were inspired by Cadillac passenger cars such as the Eldorado, the 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor ambulance was based on the “Pro Chassis” Cadillac. With ghost-capturing capabilities, the Ecto-1 will go down in history as one of the most recognizable movie cars of all time.
9 1970 Dodge Charger R/T — The Fast and The Furious
The Fast and the Furious franchise is known for having a barrage of iconic cars in its movies. But not all of them can stand on the same level as the 1970 Dodge Charger R/T that made its appearance in the very first installment of “The Fast and The Furious.” The 1970 Dodge Charger R/T was one of the most unique cars of its era. It came with a 440 Magnum V8 engine (dual exhaust) and also came equipped with a steering column ignition, heavy-duty brakes, and high-back bucket seats. The favorite car of Vin Diesel a.k.a. Dominic (the protagonist), the 1970 Dodge Charger R/T featured on screen came with quite a few note-worthy modifications, like nitrous oxide, a supercharger, centerline wheels, and much more, turning it into a street-racing beast.
8 1977 Lotus Esprit S1 — The Spy Who Loved Me
A classic car in a classic action movie, the 1977 Lotus Esprit S1 featured in the Bond classic “The Spy Who Loved Me”. The 1977 Lotus Esprit S1 was an amphibious car, meaning it could also go underwater, much like a submarine. Apart from having no dearth of spy tech, being an amphibious car added to its sterling personality, making it immensely popular. The 1977 Lotus Esprit S1 was fondly named “Wet Nellie,” which was inspired by the AutoGyro used in another Bond classic, “You Only Live Twice.”
7 1963 Volkswagen Beetle — Herbie
Hands down one of the most iconic cars of all time, the 1963 Volkswagen Beetle left quite the impression. The 1963 Volkswagen Beetle also affectionately came to be known as The Love Bug.
Made famous in the 2005 movie Herbie: Fully Loaded, starring Lindsay Lohan, The Love Bug first appeared in the 1968 Classic titled “The Love Bug” and since then starred in every movie in the Herbie series. The white 1963 Beetle with blue & red racing stripes dawned the number 53, although the number has nothing to do with the model as this Beetle is a 1963 model. The number 53 was included as a tribute to Bill Walsh’s (producer, The Love Bug, 1968) favorite baseball player, Don Drysdale.
6 Mini Cooper S — The Italian Job
Not your typical getaway car, but the Mini Cooper S seemed to do a good job in the action-packed blockbuster, The Italian Job. An iconic British car, the Mini Cooper, is seen zipping across streets! Its speed wasn’t just for show, it translated from reel life into real life when it won the 1964 Monte Carlo Rally for the first time and went on to do the same multiple times. The Mini Cooper may not be a menacing-looking car, but its thin body panels and simple design helped make it light and faster than a V8 studded car in touring rallies/races. The BMW-made MINI was chosen for the movie's remake in 2003.
5 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 — Back To The Future
One of the most famous movie cars yet one of the most flawed cars ever made in real life. The 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 wasn’t the best car to drive, and it was short on power (0 mph - 60 mph in 10 seconds) — but what it lacked, it made up with its stunning looks, as seen in the movie Back To The Future. The wedge-shaped car with gullwing doors dawning a futuristic look, the 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 was famous for being Doc’s time machine. In the movie, in order to travel through time, the car needed to reach 88 mph before the “flux capacitor” was activated. Although an underperforming car in real-life, the 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 is a car adored by all!
4 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California — Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
With only 56 of these beauties ever made, the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California is as desirable as it is rare. Made famous in the 1986 movie Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California wasn’t actually used in it, they used replicas of the car. This replica was intended to be a high-performing sports car and almost similar to an actual Ferrari even in terms of specs, although the parts were sourced from various different cars. The real 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California can be quite expensive — it can go for as high as $15 million.
3 1968 Ford Mustang GT Fastback — Bullitt
Making its appearance in the 1968 movie “Bullitt,” the 1968 Ford Mustang GT Fastback was a part of the most iconic car chase sequence in movie history, with Steve McQueen behind the wheel.
Two olive green 1968 Ford Mustang GT Fastbacks were used for the movie, and they underwent quite a few modifications and were later named “Bullitt Mustang.” The ‘68 Mustang is powered by a V8 (390 Cubic inch) engine. The 1968 Ford Mustang GT with a 390 GT engine as well as a 4-speed manual transmission could complete a quarter-mile in 13 seconds.
2 1994 Toyota Supra MK IV — The Fast and The Furious
Another car from “The Fast and The Furious” franchise, the 1994 Toyota Supra MK IV was the car Brian O’Connor fell in love with. This car first appeared in 2001's The Fast and The Furious and again in the third installment of the Franchise in 2003. The 1994 Toyota Supra MK IV is shown as a sports car with a Lamborghini-inspired paint job. The Supra MK IV comes with some serious power, with a 3.0L inline-6 engine but in the movie, a 2JZ-GTE turbocharged inline-6 (320 hp) engine is used in its place. Although the Supra comes with a 4-speed automatic transmission, the 5-speed manual transmission was available on certain models. Shown to have outstanding performance, the 1994 Toyota Supra MK IV can reach 60 mph in 4.3 seconds.
1 1964 Aston Martin DB5 — Goldfinger
The 1964 Aston Martin DB5 isn’t just a car, it's a beautiful work of art and quite possibly the most famous car in movie history. The 1964 Aston Martin DB5 first appeared in the 1964 James Bond classic Goldfinger. Equipped with machine guns, revolving number plates, bullet-proof glass, ejector seats, tracking equipment, and a slew of other spy tech, the Aston Martin DB5 is the ultimate spy car. Although it does not have guns or smoke bombs in real life, the 1964 Aston Martin DB5 is synonymous with luxury and can perform quite well too! It can go from 0 MPH to 60 MPH in 7.1 seconds. With beautiful performance & design coupled with the legend of 007, it is not difficult to see why the Aston Martin DB5 is much sought-after.