These are more than mere automobiles, these extraordinary cars are movie stars in their own right.
The legendary French New Wave director Jean-Luc Godard once claimed that the only two things you need to make a movie are a girl and a gun. Well, we'd like to add one more ingredient - the car.
Here we take a quick look at a few of the greatest. Designed to do more than just look good, these incredible cars are part of movie history - and in many cases act their co-stars off the screen!
01. Mad Max
Aussie Ford Falcon was a perfect badass ride for Mad Max
Before Mel Gibson went mad, he was Mad Max. And his car was one of the most badass in movieland ever. He drove a customised 1973 Ford Falcon XB Interceptor that had been souped up to fit in with the futuristic world of the film. In reality however, the car remained relatively untouched. Aside from the modified front nosecone, everything else was fake.
02. Transformers
Bumblebee, originally a VW Beetle, became a Chevy Camaro for the Transformers movie
Talking about cars as characters; here’s Bumblebee from Transformers. For the 2007 movie, the character was created using a 2006 Chevrolet Concept Camaro. With his signature yellow chassis and black go-faster stripes, he’s become one of the most recognisable movie cars of the last decade.
03. Batman
Insanely long Batmobile needed assistance from lampposts to turn corners!
When Tim Burton gave the camp 1960s series a makeover, he really went to town on the Batmobile. The jet-engined monster was based on a revamped Chevy Impala chassis, and totally re-defined the image of the caped crusader for whole new generation to enjoy.
04. The Dark Knight
Design cues from military vehicles and modern Lamborghinis for the latest Batmobile
Without Burton’s Batmobile vision, we would have never got the 2005 incarnation driven by Christian Bale. The Lamborghini Tank takes its influences from a military vehicle known as The Tumbler; a reinforced riot-control vehicle complete with cannons and machine guns.
05. Skyfall
Aston DB5 is as closely associated to Bond as Martinis and Walther PPKs
Throughout the James Bond series of films and novels, Q Branch has given Bond a wide variety of vehicles with which to battle his enemies, but none have been more iconic than the Aston Martin DB5. Originally won by the British spy in a game of poker, the beloved vehicle makes appearances in Goldfinger, Thunderball, GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, Casino Royale, and the latest Bond movie, Skyfall.
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06. Back to the Future
John DeLorean's Irish-built steel sportscar is the world's most famous time machine
Doc Brown’s 1982 DeLorean DMS-12 is for many film-buffs the ultimate movie car. Today, the DeLorean's biggest claim to fame is still its role in the franchise. It was was the perfect fit for the feel and tone of the film; put any other car in its place and it just doesn’t work; perfect casting.
07. Ghostbusters
"Everybody can relax, I found the car!"
Forget iconic: Ecto-1 is the stuff of movie legends. This 1951 Cadillac Miller-Meteor Futura ambulance may not have played as large a role as some of our other examples, but it's one of the most recognisable movie cars ever. A wreck of a vehicle, with ear-piercing sirens and terrible suspension, it was nonetheless capable of incredible acceleration and speeds.
08. Dumb and Dumber
GMC had the A-Team van, Ford had this...
A 1984 Ford Econoline, customised to look like a giant dog. One of the most charming, ridiculous and memorable concept cars in movie history. Too bad Harry's (Jeff Daniels) job as a dog groomer didn’t last long enough to justify the motor makeover!
Words: James Stewardson
James Stewardson is a car enthusiast and writes for Driving.co.uk featuring Porsche cars and other articles about all things driving!
