A Timeline of 50 Iconic Cars Throughout Film History
Cinema is brimming with beautiful vehicles, from classic cars like the elegant 1949 Mercury Coupe in Rebel Without a Cause to futuristic beasts like the Batmobile in Batman Begins. Movie cars can become characters in their own right, vehicles for propelling the plot, and symbols for characters and settings. This sophisticated chart by TitleMax showcases 50 iconic cars from film history, starting from 1955 all the way to 2020. While a list of best movie cars of all time is completely subjective, we believe this list encompasses many of the coolest movie cars that have blazed across the silver screen:
A Timeline of 50 Iconic Cars Throughout Film History infographicA Timeline of 50 Iconic Cars Throughout Film History Transcript
| Source and Date | Car |
|---|---|
| Rebel Without a Cause, 1955 | 1949 Mercury Coupe |
| Goldfinger, 1964 | 1964 Aston Martin DB5 |
| The Love Bug, 1968 | Herbie (1963 Volkswagen Beetle Model 117 Deluxe Sunroof Sedan) |
| Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, 1968 | Chitty Chitty Bang Bang |
| Bullitt, 1968 | 1968 Mustang GT 390 |
| The Italian Job, 1969 | Mini Cooper |
| American Graffiti, 1973 | 1932 Ford Coupe |
| Vanishing Point, 1971 | 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T |
| The Spy Who Loved Me, 1977 | 1976 Lotus Esprit Series I |
| Smokey and the Bandit, 1977 | 1977 Pontiac Trans Am |
| Grease, 1978 | Greased Lightning (1948 Ford Deluxe Convertible) |
| Mad Max, 1979 | 1973 XB GT Ford Falcon |
| The Blues Brothers, 1980 | Bluesmobile (1974 Dodge Monaco) |
| Tron, 1982 | Light Cycle |
| Knight Rider, 1982 | KITT (1982 Pontiac Trans Am) |
| Christine, 1983 | 1958 Plymouth Fury |
| National Lampoon’s Vacation, 1983 | Wagon Queen Family Truckster (1979 Ford LTD Country Squire) |
| The A-Team, 1983 | A-Team Van (GMC Vandura) |
| Ghostbusters, 1984 | Ectomobile (1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor) |
| Back to the Future, 1985 | 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 |
| Better Off Dead, 1985 | 1967 Chevy Camaro SS |
| Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, 1986 | 1985 Modena GT Spyder California |
| Robocop, 1987 | 6000 SUX |
| Thelma & Louise, 1991 | 1966 Ford Thunderbird |
| Wayne’s World, 1992 | Mirthmobile (1976 AMC Pacer) |
| Jurassic Park, 1993 | 1992 Ford Explorer XLT UN46 |
| Pulp Fiction, 1994 | 1974 Chevrolet Nova |
| The Magic School Bus, 1994 | Magic School Bus |
| Good Burger, 1997 | 1975 ACM Pacer |
| The Big Lebowski, 1998 | 1973 Ford Gran Torino |
| The World Is Not Enough, 1999 | BMW Z8 |
| The Fast and the Furious, 2001 | 1970 Dodge Charger |
| Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, 2002 | Flying Ford Anglia |
| Minority Report, 2002 | Lexus 2054 |
| Kill Bill: Vol. 1, 2003 | “Pussy Wagon” (1997 Chevrolet Silverado 2500) |
| The Dukes of Hazzard, 2005 | General Lee (1969 Dodge Charger) |
| Batman Begins, 2005 | Batmobile/Tumbler |
| Cars, 2006 | Lightning McQueen |
| Little Miss Sunshine, 2006 | 1971 Volkswagen T2 Microbus |
| The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, 2006 | Mazda RX-7 |
| Transformers, 2007 | Bumblebee (2007 Chevrolet Camaro) |
| Iron Man, 2008 | 2008 Audi R8 |
| Drive, 2011 | 1973 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu |
| The Green Hornet, 2011 | Black Beauty (1965 Chrysler Imperial Crown) |
| The Avengers, 2012 | Acura NSX Roadster |
| John Wick, 2014 | 1969 Mustang Mach 1 |
| Mad Max: Fury Road, 2015 | The Gigahorse |
| Baby Driver, 2017 | Subaru Impreza WRX |
| Blade Runner 2049, 2017 | Spinner |
| Bad Boys for Life, 2020 | Porsche Carrera 4S |
Sources:
What was the car in Goldfinger?
The car in the 1964 film Goldfinger was an Aston Martin DB5. It is considered one of the most iconic vehicles in Bond history. If you are a Bond buff or just enjoy admiring beautiful cars, check out this complete collection of all James Bond cars.
What kind of car is the Knight Rider?
The car in the 1982 series Knight Rider is a modified Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. In the movie, the car is known as K.I.T.T., which is capable of speech, self-driving, and has an impressive arsenal of weapons and other crime-fighting technology. In January 2021, David Hasselhoff (who played Michael Knight, the protagonist of the series) auctioned off his own personal Knight Rider vehicle. How much did K.I.T.T. sell for? According to CBS17, Hasselhoff’s Knight Rider went for $300,000 at auction.
What kind of car does John Wick drive?
In the 2014 neo-noir action thriller John Wick, Keanu Reeve’s character drives a 1969 Mustang Mach 1. However, in the film it is referred to as a 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429. The Boss 429 was a high-performance Mustang variant that was sold between 1969 and 1970. Just 1,359 units were built during its brief production run, making it one of the most sought-after classic cars in the world. In the film, the Mustang Mach 1 was dressed up to resemble the Boss 429, but there are some subtle clues that give it away.
What kind of car is Bumblebee from the Transformers Movies?
In the original toy line and animated series, Bumblebee transformed into a small yellow Volkswagen Beetle. When Michael Bay delivered the franchise to the big screen, he chose Bumblebee’s car form to be a Chevrolet Camaro SS. One of the main incentives for this change was that Michael Bay considered the VW Beetle too evocative of Herbie, the self-driving race car in Love Bug. Bay pays tribute to the old Beetle form several times throughout the movies; in the first Transformers film, Bumblebee is found at a used car dealership right next to a yellow Beetle. Imagine getting a car title loan for Herbie or Bumblebee!
What kind of car is in Back to the Future?
The answer to “what of car is the DeLorean” is simple; it is a DeLorean DMC-12! The DeLorean DMC-12 were produced from 1981-1983 – during these two years, around 9,000 cars were manufactured. The history of the DeLorean is chaotic and peppered with glamour, fraud, and even political drama!
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