Most Iconic Movie And TV Cars
What are the most iconic movie and TV cars? This article looks at iconic vehicles from classic television and film to discover the most popular cars used in entertainment.
1981 Delorean DMC-12
A Time Machine or a Car? The 1981 Delorean DMC-12 is cherished by science fiction lovers and car-lovers alike worldwide, first bursting onto our screens in December 1985 when the first of the Back to the Future movie Trilogy was released.
Six DeLorean cars were used throughout the three movies and 5 years of production time, along with one fibreglass version for the 'flying' scenes. The Delorean is so intertwined with the Back to the Future franchise that it appears on every movie's cover.
This placement enabled the car to gain a strong following. The DeLorean was known for its poor build quality and lower than satisfactory driving experience solidifying its place as a cult classic icon. To this day, an estimated 6,500 1981 DeLoreans are on the road.
Universal Studios still own only two out of the six cars used during production, with the vehicles occasionally put out for display or other productions. The third DeLorean that was used in Back to the Future Part III was restored and sold at the Auction for a whopping $541,200 (£453,605). One fully restored DeLorean is available for viewing at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, USA.
Aston Martin DB5
Aston Martin is a car brand well recognised for being closely associated with the movie franchise James Bond. The Bond film series even has a dedicated section on Aston Martins' homepage.
The DB5 was first seen in the third film, "Goldfinger", in 1964, with upgraded gadgets from the books version.
It was loved so much that the DB5 also appeared in Thunderball, GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, Casino Royale, Skyfall, Spectre and most recently, No Time To Die.
In 2018, Aston Martin recreated the original with all the tricks and gadgets, selling for a hefty $3.5 million each (£2.7 million).
1968 Ford Mustang GT Fastback
No average sports car, the 1968 Ford Mustang GT Fastback is recognised as the mythical vehicle driven by Steve McQueen in the 1968 movie "Bullit".
The Mustang became a cult classic, and grown men lusted over the mysterious and supernatural car.
During the filming of Bullit, two Mustangs were used, one for action shots and the other for more serene driving moments.
The car is shrouded in unique history, with the vehicle 'disappearing' and more recently 'reappearing', the life of the 1968 Mustang used for Bullit has been an interesting one.
1993 Toyota MK IV Supra
2 Fast 2 Furious? During the second of nine movies, 'Slap Jack' (Michael Ealy) takes part in one of Tej Parker's races, driving the ruthless 1993 Toyota Supra previously owned by Paul Walker's famous character 'Brain O'Connor'.
The famed Supra has a twin-turbo 3-litre 2JZ-GTE inline-six-cylinder engine, "Nuclear Gladiator" graphics (Troy Lee Designs), 19-inch Racing Hart M5 wheels, Bombex body kit, GReddy strut tower bar and momo steering wheel, among various other upgrades.
The Fast and Furious supercar was sold at auction for a record $560,000 (£473,727)
1949 Buick Roadmaster
Unlike many other movie cars, the 1949 Buick Roadmaster from 'Rain Man' was quickly acquired by one of the movie's main actors, Dustin Hoffman, after the movie was wrapped up.
Facts about the car are given in the movie, namely its "straight-eight" engine with straight-line cylinders rather than the standard V angle.
There were two cars used for the movie. The one acquired by Hoffman was restored and kept in his private collection for over 34 years, creating its legendary status amongst automotive circles as the 'unicorn' of movie cars.
Finally, in January 2020 the vehicle went up for auction and brought in a whopping $335,000 (£255,097).
1961 Ferrari 250 GT
'Ferris Bueller's Day Off' begins by swiping his friend's dad's car: a shiny red 1961 Ferrari 250 GT.
Calling in sick to School, he encourages his best friend and girlfriend to go with him to explore Chicago. Four 'Ferrari' cars were used for the movie, three being Modena Spyders for wider shots and one being an actual Ferrari when close-ups were required.
The original 1961 Ferrari 250 GT was extremely rare, with only 56 being made, making it one of the most expensive, rarest and most desired Ferrari models.
Ultimately, Modena was sued by Ferrari for using the official badges on the fakes.
1967 Austin Mini Cooper S
Famed for its memorable chase scenes, the 1967 Austin Mini Cooper S can be seen racing in "The Italian Job" (1969).
Speeding through the Italian streets, the Mini Cooper can be seen flying over ramps and racing down marble steps whilst eluding the police.
During production, a total of sixteen cars were used, with most scrapped owed to great damage, yet some of the cars were supposedly restored by a British Collector.
1982-1984 Pontiac Trans Am
The Pontiac Trans AM was famously seen in the TV show "Knightrider", driven by David Hasselhoff.
Fondly named KITT, short for (Knight Industries Two Thousand), the model was adored by gearheads, owing to the car's ability to drive, talk and even think for itself. Overall, around 20 cars were used in total.
1963 Volkswagen Beetle
Loved by generations of movie fanatics, Herbie was the original loveable Volkswagen Beetle.
First seen on our screens in the classic movie "The Love Bug", the famous car starred in 5 movies in total and a short TV series.
Herbie was mainly distinguishable by his red, white and blue stripes and even more so by his 53 racing number on the front.
1966 Ford Thunderbird
Cult classic "Thelma and Louise" broke the mould, presenting strong female leads in a road and car movie.
In 1991 the film depicts friends racing through the desert in a Ford Thunderbird Convertible (1966) away from encroaching authorities.
Unlike many other movie cars with a starring role, the Thunderbird was kept original with no modifications, with a total of five being used during filming.
1979 Ford LTD Country Squire
The classic road trip movie National Lampoon's Vacation depicts the Griswold family travelling cross-country, from Chicago to LA, in the 1979 Ford LTD Country Squire.
Referred to by the family as the 'Wagon Queen Family Truckster', it was heavily modified to be the most unattractive as they could make it.
This included a pea-green paint job, numerous wood panelling and eight square headlights obnoxiously pointing out the front.
Interestingly, around the time of the movie, station wagon sales dramatically decreased, most likely due to the off-putting image of the movie car modifications.
Porsche 928
The Porsche 928 is not only the famous vehicle that Tom Cruise learnt to drive manual but also the star car used in the coming-of-age movie "Risky Business".
During the movie, five original Porsche 928's cars were used, although the one famously driven into Lake Michigan was just a shell.
The starring car used in most chase scenes was recently sold at auction for $1.98 million (£1.45 million).
1974 Dodge Monaco
The 1974 Dodge Monaco achieved Hollywood fame after starring in the 1980 cult classic- "The Blues Brothers".
Dubbed the Bluesmobile, the 'rough around the edge' car performed various tricks, from backflips to jumping over an open drawbridge.
The popularity of the film skyrocketed the Dodge Monaco as a unique and desired collectable, with even Universal Studios not owning a model.
And with 103 cars being destroyed during filming, it's not surprising they're hard to come by!
1976 AMC Pacer
The 1976 AMC Pacer was the sweet ride from "Wayne's World" known for blasting Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" and having a liquorice dispenser on the roof.
Although the AMC Pacer is generally a model recognised for its beauty, the baby-blue paint job and graphic flames in the movie made it an icon.
In 2016, "Pawn Stars" Rick Harrison restored the original model and sold it at auction for $37,400 (£28,476), with the second auction in 2022 doubling the price reaching $71,000 (£54,056).
1969 Dodge Charger
"The Dukes of Hazard" is a well-loved TV show, with the respective movie released in 2005.
The famous Dodge Charger dubbed "General Lee" can be seen flying over the hills during opening credits and speeding through various comedic situations.
Over 300 Charger models were used during filming; this eventually led to the production team being unable to find any more models and using AMC Ambassadors instead.
1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am
The classic 1977 movie "Smokey and the Bandit" used around a dozen Pontiac Trans.
Unfortunately, there are none of the iconic black and gold cars around today, apart from one promo car used by Universal Pictures.
The promo car was put up for sale on eBay in 'poor condition' however failed to sell; instead, the owner restored the car and sold it at auction for a sum of $550,000 (£418,828).
1974-1976 Ford Gran Torino
In the "Starsky and Hutch" TV series, a distinctive red Ford Gran Torino can be seen cruising the streets of California.
The two streetwise cops chase down criminals with the help of "Huggy Bear", a police snitch. During the movie, various models of the Ford Gran Torino were used, with modified engines and gears for the various chase scenes.
The success of the TV series led Ford to produce around 1,250 limited edition replicas, although this makes it difficult for collectors to know they've got the real deal.
1967 Ford Mustang GT500
Nicolas Cage and Angelina Jolie starred in the 2000 remake of "Gone in 60 Seconds", a movie about a retired car thief who returns to his old ways to steal fifty cars in one night, all to save his brother's life.
The prominent car from the movie is certainly the black-striped 1967 Ford Mustang, one of 11 Mustangs used.
Eight of the mustangs were, in fact, shells, with only one true model remaining today. This sold for an eye-watering $1 million in 2013.
1973 Ford Falcon GT
Nicknamed the "Pursuit Special", the black 1973 Ford Falcon GT can be seen heavily modified for the dystopian Mad Max cinematic universe, instantly recognisable by its Weiand 6-71 supercharger on the bonnet.
The car can be seen in the original Mad Max film, Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior, Mad Max: Fury Road and both video games. Although the car was supposed to be scrapped, it wasn't and instead sits in the Florida auto museum collection.
1976 Lotus Esprit S1
Yet, another James Bond cult classic, the 1976 Lotus Esprit, can be seen in "The Spy Who Loved Me" (1977).
Most famously recognised for driving off a pier only to convert into a submarine after a wild car chase scene.
Only two Lotus Esprits' were used during filming, with one being heavily modified to be water-tight and later dubbed "Wet Nellie" you can probably guess why.
In 2013, the famed car sold at auction for $864,600 (£550,000) to none other than Tesla founder Elon Musk.
1989 Chevrolet Lumina Z34
"Days of Thunder" is a cult classic for any NASCAR fan, with Tom Cruise racing in the 1989 Chevrolet Lumina and performing his own stunts.
The car sported a beastly 650-horsepower V8 engine and proved to be beneficial for car brand Lumina as they released non-racing models to the public in 1990.
The original 46 Chevrolet City Lumina is supposedly in the possession of Rick Hendrick, who fabricated the cars used for filming.
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