Back to the Future, The Love Bug, Mad Max, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Smokey and the Bandit — there are countless memorable cars in films and TV shows. Unforgettable car chases aside, these automobiles often times become the stuff of dreams and create a car culture for a particular brand. So without further ado, here are some of my favorite movie cars of all time:
Aston Martin
This British sports car manufacturer is synonymous with James Bond — particularly the 1964 Aston Martin DB5 from Goldfinger. Replete with a ram bumper, machine guns, ejector seat, smoke screen and oil-slick sprayer, this Aston Martin features everything an iconic spy would ever need! The original movie car used in Goldfinger and Thunderball was sold by RM Auctions in 2010 for $4.6 million.
Audi
The go-to vehicle for Marvel superhero Tony Stark in Iron Man 1? Look no further than the Audi R8. And seeing as Tony Stark is a man of wealth it’s no wonder you’ll find him behind the wheel of an Audi R8. The famous Ice Silver Metallic Audi R8 Coupe is as intimidating and nearly as functional as Tony Stark’s Mark III suit.
Ferrari
The prancing horse has been featured in a spate films and TV shows but who can forget the California Spyder in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. The iconic Ferrari convertible often regarded as one of the most beautiful drop-tops ever designed takes centre stage in one of the most memorable ’80s teen movies. The Ferrari which is the pride and joy of the father of Cameron – played by Alan Ruck – is taken out for a joyride throughout the movie before being heartbreakingly wrecked at the end of the film.
Porsche
Risky Business, the movie that introduced the world to Tom Cruise, features a beautiful 1979 Porsche 928. When Tom Cruise’s character, Joel, is driving around town, he does so in his father’s incredible Porsche. Later on, the Porsche is dumped into Lake Michigan and Joel must pay to fix it. He could not simply leave a gorgeous 928 at the bottom of Lake Michigan. Without the Porsche, nothing in this movie is possible. The fact that the main part of the plot of this movies is centered on destroying and restoring this car shows how unbelievably great it truly is. It also made the Porsche in the film a true icon of the 80s. The 928 used in the movie was sold at auction for $49,000.
Alfa Romeo
Perhaps the most famous use of an Alfa Romeo is in The Graduate starring Dustin Hoffman. In the film, the red, Italian sports car which his character, Benjamin drives throughout the movie is a 1966 Alfa Romeo Spider 1600 also known as the Duetto. The movie evokes a pitch-perfect sense of place and time, and the Alfa Romeo resonates perfectly with that. A stylish but slightly gauche ‘red sports car’, it’s precisely what a wealthy 21-year-old graduate like Benjamin Braddock would drive.
Maserati
Fans of the mob movie The Godfather III, released in 1990, recognize the Maserati Quattroporte III. The 1980 model of the vehicle made a big impression on Maserati fans, and inspired the use of the vehicle in other movies later on. Because of the introduction of the Quattroporte in The Godfather, this model has become the most popular Maserati vehicle in movies today.
Jaguar
Austin Powers’ most iconic 1970 Jaguar E-Type roadster first appeared in the original 1997 picture featuring Mike Myers as the thawed-out British secret agent. This particular machine was actually used as a promotional vehicle for the first film, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.
McLaren
Arguably the most popular auto enthusiast movie franchise to date, The Fast and the Furious, features the McLaren. Actress Michelle Williams speeds around in a MP4-12C in the seventh installment of the film series.
