12 Epic Movie Cars That Make Every Car Lover’s Heart Race
Many cars are famous alone, but a good number achieve that fame by appearing on the big screen. Sometimes, films can take what is quite an average or terrible car and turn it into a cult icon of its time.
Think of cars such as the DeLorean DMC-12 or the Bullitt Ford Mustang famously driven by Steve McQueen. These stars on the big screen can make any car fan's heart race.
Our list contains some of those finest cars, each guaranteed to stir emotions as we reflect on their starring roles. Only the fame they achieved is needed for them to make this list.
DeLorean DMC-12
On paper, and as history shows us, the DeLorean DMC-12 is a terrible sports car. Under the hood, it only had a 2.85-liter Peugeot-Renault-Volvo engine and produced only 130 horsepower. The DMC-12 was also caught up in quality control issues and the infamous controversy surrounding company founder John DeLorean.
What saved the DMC-12 was its use as Doc Brown's iconic time machine in the Back to the Future franchise. When the car hit 88 mph, it would travel backward or forward in time. The film cemented the car as an automotive legend.
Porsche 917
The Porsche 917 was one of the finest cars ever raced at Le Mans. It also gave the German manufacturer its first victory at the 24-hour race, and it made a name for itself in the United States as a Can-Am racing car in the 1970s.
But its fame was cemented when it appeared in the 1971 Steve McQueen film Le Mans, wearing the iconic Gulf Racing colors of blue and orange. The film features actual acing footage shot at the 1970 race and remains a cult classic.
Lightning McQueen
While he might not be an actual car, Lightning McQueen is easily one of the most famous cars in movie history. The star of Cars, Lightning McQueen, is a race car who aims to win the Piston Cup before a mishap during his journey from the race track sees him end up in the small town of Radiator Springs. This changes McQueen from a cocky rookie to a humble, friendly car.
Owen Wilson voices McQueen in the Cars movies, and the character is central to the story in Cars 2 and Cars 3. Cars 2 sees him compete in the World Grand Prix, while he becomes the mentor to Cruz Ramirez in Cars 3.
Tow Mater
We have to include McQueen's best friend in the Cars films, Tow Mater. Mater is an old, rusty tow truck that lives in Radiator Springs. He is voiced by Daniel Lawrence Whitney, also known as Larry the Cable Guy.
Mater becomes McQueen's best friend, and he operates and owns his own towing and salvage yard in the small town. In Cars 2, Mater becomes inadvertently involved in a spy mission while assisting McQueen as he tries to win the World Grand Prix, and he plays more of a supporting role in the third Cars film.
Aston Martin DB5
An iconic car in its own right, the Aston Martin DB5 is renowned as the most famous James Bond car, and it quickly became THE car for the fictional British spy to have. Bond first drove the car in the 1964 film Goldfinger, but there is more to the DB5 than its starring film roles.
The DB5 was the successor to the earlier DB4, and Aston Martin produced the new car from 1963 to 1965. Powering the DB6 was a DOHC straight-six 4.0-liter engine, producing 282-325 horsepower and up to 288 lb-ft of torque. The DB5 became renowned not just for its striking design but also for its high level of comfort and luxury.
Ecto-1/Ectomobile
Ecto1, also known as the Ectomobile, is the fictional vehicle that appears in the Ghostbusters franchise. The whacky-looking machine is, in reality, a 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor Sentinal in ambulance conversion form, and its appearance in the 1984 original instantly made it a classic.
The 1959 Cadillac was fitted with its ambulance body by the Meteor Motor Car Company, owned by Wayne Works. Wayne also bought A.J. Miller's professional car-building company, hence the Miller-Meteor name.
Bullitt Mustang
Several Ford Mustangs have had the Bullitt name, most of which are tributes to the original 1960s classic. The real Bullitt Mustang was used in the film of the same name and driven by Steve McQueen in what is possibly the best car chase in movie history.
In the original film, the producers used two GT390 Fastback Mustangs, and due to their fame, they are now precious. In January 2020, one of the two 1968 Mustangs sold for a whopping $3.4 million, with the car leading a varied life after the film wrapped, including as a family's daily driver.
Mini Cooper
The small, British Mini Cooper shot to fame thanks to its starring role in the 1969 classic The Italian Job. The British comedy starred various actors, including Michael Caine, Noel Coward, and Benny Hill. The plot involved a criminal gang stealing $4 million of gold bullion from a security convoy.
Iconic scenes from the film involve the three Minis driving down a sewer tunnel, and towards the end, there is an incredible car chase involving the three cars. The film also features one of the most iconic endings in cinematic history.
1970 Dodge Challenger R/T 440 Magnum
Of all the films featuring a car, perhaps the greatest is the 1971 classic Vanishing Point. This Richard C. Sarafian masterpiece follows the story of a disaffected ex-policeman and race driver who attempts to deliver a muscle car while he's high on speed and chased by the police along the way.
The film ends in disaster for the main character, Kowalski, but the Dodge Challenger used in it became an automotive icon. The white color chosen for the Challenger made it an even bigger star. Sadly, Dodge decided to have all cars used in the film crushed and sold as scrap.
Ford Grand Torino
Starsky & Hutch became a pop culture classic during the late 1970s, helped in part by the incredible 1976 Ford Grand Torino that the two detectives used as their ride. Amazingly, the Torino wasn't the first option for the film, with the producers initially hoping to use a green and white Chevrolet Camaro.
However, the red and white Grand Torino got the nod instead. These all varied in spec, with some having a 400 ci V8 under the hood, others having the 351 Windsor V8, and some allegedly having a 460 ci V8. Ford sold 1,305 Gran Torino Starsky & Hutch Special Editions to capitalize on the show's success.
1969 Dodge Charger The General Lee
The iconic General Lee is a 1969 Dodge Charger used in the TV series The Dukes of Hazzard. It is one of the most recognizable cars ever used in both TV and film. The 1969 Camaros used during production all varied in specification.
Some had a 383 ci 2bbl B v8, while others had the 4bbl V V8. Some of the Chargers had a 426 ci, 7.0-liter Hemi V8 under the hood. Helping the car stand out was its incredible, bright orange paintwork with the Confederate battle flag painted on top of the roof.
Lotus Esprit
The Aston Martin DB5 isn't the only car that became famous thanks to the James Bond films. In 1977, the Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me used a Lotus Esprit S1 and turned it into a custom-built submarine, creating one of the most iconic scenes in Bond history.
The production crew called the Esprit “Wet Nellie,” and it cost them around $100,000 to produce. The wedge shape of the Esprit provided extra downforce and helped it to submerge, and inside, the Esprit had a “wet interior” requiring the users to wear scuba diving equipment. The car still survives today and is owned by Elon Musk.
