Here’s a list of The Top 10 Most Famous Movie Cars from an Automotive Media Source
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Lotus Esprit – The Spy Who Loved Me
The Lotus Esprit S1 caused quite a stir when it launched in 1976. The iconic wedge shape and mid-mounted engine made it an instant hit.
Simply having the Esprit feature as a Bond car would be enough to cement it as a classic, but 007’s Lotus had another trick up its sleeve. Among the plethora of gadgets on board, this Esprit could morph into a submarine. If that’s not a cool party trick, then what is? I remember watching this movie in the theater with my dad who was an avid Bond film fanatic. I was only 12 years old, but I was obsessed with this car for the next 15 years.
#2. Toyota Supra – The Fast And The Furious
The Fast and Furious franchise is known for a lot of iconic cars, but few struck as strong a chord with the viewers as much as Brian O’Conner’s bright orange Toyota Supra. Years later, by an act of chance, my personally-owned Supra got cast in the Fast and Furious. When I saw that was rated #2, I disagreed. It was important, and famous, but this list is full of famous cars.
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3. Pontiac Firebird Trans Am – Smokey And The Bandit
The Pontiac Trans Am muscle car featured a 6.6-litre V8 engine with around 200hp. Along with this, you also got removable T-top roof panels and gold graphics over the car. Pretty cool right?
Cool enough in fact to be Burt Reynolds’ ride of choice in Smokey And The Bandit. There aren’t many cars better suited to outrunning the cops while trying to smuggle a truck-load of beer across state lines, are there?
I would argue that this car was more important to me. because it was attainable. My neighbor had one and he gave me a ride. I loved the car. I always wanted, but the price of tuition and living expenses didn’t leave enough in my account each month to afford a car that only got 9 mpg.
#4. DeLorean DMC-12 – Back To The Future
The DeLorean DMC-12 was a fairly underwhelming prospect when it was launched. While most agree that it looked fantastic, the detuned V6 engine was less impressive.
This wasn’t an issue in Back To The Future however, as it only had to get up to 88mph. It’s worth noting that not all of them came with a Flux Capacitor.
Another movie car that lit me up and I’m sure this car is more famous than my orange Supra.
#5 Volkswagen Beetle – Herbie
Sometimes we treat our cars like sentient beings, and Herbie is probably the reason why. That said, the reality of your car coming to life and going haywire is probably quite frightening.
The Volkswagen Beetle is already an iconic shape on its own. Add in the stripes and the number 53 on the side and you have the definition of a love bug. These movies catered to younger children, but by the time I saw these movies on TV, I was well into my teens and had driven VWs. They were slow, didn’t handle well and had no air conditioning, so this car never blew my skirt up.
#5. Cadillac Miller-Meteor – Ghostbusters
Now we’re talking. The Cadillac Miller-Meteor is a strange beast to behold. Built as a combination of an ambulance and a hearse, it also found its way as a poltergeist fighting machine.
Ecto 1 had a myriad of lights and sirens with decent road clearing ability, and the famous red and white color scheme made it a cult favorite.
When I first saw this car on the screen, I realized that this car was a brilliant execution – it was totally perfect for this movie.
#6. Ford Mustang – Bullitt
No action movie is complete without a good car chase, and what better car for the job than the Ford Mustang. This car oozes Americana from every angle, and the thumping V8 sweetens its presence in the movie .
#7 Aston Martin DB5 – Goldfinger
No James Bond film is complete without an impressive car, and the Aston Martin DB5 is possibly the most impressive of them all. There’s no arguing that it’s properly pretty, and this one is packing a punch.
Some of the gadgets fitted to Bond’s DB5 include machine guns, front and rear rams, an ejector seat and a radar for navigation. Sadly, these options weren’t standard fit on the DB5.
Like all Bond movie cars, the gadgets, although fake, stirred the imagination of teenage car fans, and I was no exception.
#8 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder – Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
Not many people can claim to have a Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder parked in their parents’ garage. It’s widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cars ever made, and it’s also now one of the most expensive cars in the world.
Not only was this movie one of my favorite movies from the 1980s, but the jump sequence was one of the best car scenes I had scene at the time.
250GT’s fetch prices of $70 million these days, and they were expensive back in the 1980s.
In fact, several real, live close-up shots of this vehicle were actually used in the film!
With that said, the film’s creators knew that they would have to put this vehicle through hell in order to tell the story they set out to share. For that reason, the Ferrari that appears in the movie is usually a replica, or rather one of three replicas, that are based on the original model. A firm called Modena Design handled the creation of these replicas—one of which would sell for $360,000 at an auction in 2020.
You’d be pretty miffed then if your teenage son took it for a joyride while skiving off school, especially if he then brought it back in less than ideal condition. Still, at least Ferris Bueller got to enjoy his day off in style.#
# 9 1967 Shelby GT500, Eleanor, Gone in 60 Seconds
Named Eleanor after the 1974 original movie, this Dupont Pepper Grey 1967 Ford Mustang fastback is depicted as a Shelby GT500. Eleven of the fictional Mustangs were created for the movie, with only three of them being working cars and two were ultimately destroyed during filming.
Though not an original Shelby, its power comes from a 351 Ford V-8 crate engine, rated at 400 horsepower. The car features central-mounted driving lights, pumped fender flares, a four-speed manual transmission, lowered suspension with coilovers, 17-inch wheels with Goodyear F1 tires, and a faux nitrous kit. A primary “beauty” car for the film was sold through Mecum in 2013 for a staggering $1 million.
