Cars are Heroes too!
It’s no secret that all of us here love comic book, sci-fi, and action movies. We love to watch our heroes of these films struggle and succeed. Supporting every great hero is a character that can become so legendary, so unforgettable, as to eclipse the hero and become the icon that everyone in the world can recognize. No, it’s not a boy-hostage in tights! It’s all the pimped out rides, yo!
Here is a list of what I consider the most unforgettable cars in action film history. At least it’s MY action film history. I would like to start with what I consider #1, the Batmobile, the rest are in no particular order. No matter how bad the Bat-movie is, the Batmobile is always one of the best designed objects in the entire film. Since there are so many Bat-films, I included only the ones I like the most. Amazingly they are also the best Bat-films, go figure?! I will also include any fun facts I might have dug up about each vehicle. Enjoy!
The 60s Batmobile
Yeah yeah, you don’t like the 60s Batman because it’s silly. I’ll have you know I dreamed about driving that car when I was a kid. Drive around Gotham, pick up Catwoman and a slushy and fly away to the moon. I thought the 60s Batmobile could fly since it had the wing design on the back.
The 60s Batmobile was actually a 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car. In 1966 George Barris was requested to design a theme car for the Batman television series. Starting first using a 1959 Cadillac, Barris later switched to the Futura because the first design was too heavy and couldn’t achieve the speeds the studio wanted. Barris hired Bill Cushenberry to do the metal modifications to the car.
The Tim Burton Batmobile
Still one of my favorite Batmobiles from the live-action films Batman and Batman Returns presented a different version of the Batmobile. It reflected the environment of Burton's Art Deco Gotham City. It was long, low and sleek, and was built on a Chevy Impala chassis. Reputedly, every gadget seen on the Batmobile used in these films was fully functional, including the jet engine, which consumed fuel at such a high rate that there was only enough fuel capacity to run it for the approximately fifteen seconds of the longest shot in which the viewer can see it operating.
The Bale-Mobile (the tumbler)
I liked this departure from the long sleek phallus-like Batmobile. It has a more functional look to it and is more compact which actually makes sense while trying to maneuver in a tightly compacted, highly populated big city like Gotham.
The Tumbler appears in “Batman Begins” and “The Dark Knight Returns”. It owes more to the tank-like vehicle from Frank Miller's Batman: The Dark Knight Returns. In the Nolan films the vehicle is never referred to as the "Batmobile". Six vehicles were built for the production of the film. Two full-sized, driving versions were used in exterior shots. One full-sized model with hydraulic enhancements was used in jump sequences. One full-sized, functional version carried propane tanks to fuel the rocket blast out of the rear nozzle. A radio-controlled, 1/3-scale electric model also performed stunts in the film (e.g., the roof-top chase sequence).
“The Green Hornet” – Black Beauty
The Green Hornet’s “mobile”, Black Beauty is actually a 1966 Chrysler Crown Imperial sedan customized by Dean Jeffries. In 1992, Green Hornet enthusiast Dan Goodman, purchased the "number one" Black Beauty from the former transportation director of Twentieth Century Fox for the sum of US $10000 and commissioned Jeffries to restore it; two cars had been built for the series and Goodman's was the primary car.
“Speed Racer” – The Mach 5
An actual race car that most closely resembles the Mach Five would be an early Ferrari 250 Testa Rossa , which has an eerily similar body, designed by Scaglietti around 1958 through 1961. Another possibility of inspiration could be the Ford GT40, which was a very popular and successful racecar, mainly in Le Mans and other Touring series, in the 1960s. Retrospectively, the Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray of the 70's and the McLaren M1A also have a similar shape.
James Bond’s 1964 Aston Martin DB5
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. Among the most noteworthy gadgets Bond has been equipped with have been various vehicles that have numerous modifications to include weapons systems, anti-pursuit systems, alternate transportation modes, and various other functions.
The 1963 Aston Martin DB5 was an improved DB4. The DB5 is famous for being the first and most recognized James Bond car. It has been featured in several films, most notably Goldfinger, Thunderball, GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, and Casino Royale.
The Shaguar
Everyone may be a little tired of Austin Powers but his car is still highly “shagadelic”. The Jaguar E-Type (UK) or XK-E (US) was a British automobile manufactured by Jaguar between 1961 and 1974. Emblazoned with the Union Jack this convertible Jaguar is guaranteed to get you… attention.
"Smokey and the Bandit"-- 1977 Pontiac Trans Am
The mission seemed simple enough: Get a truckload of bootleg beer from Texarkana, Texas, to Atlanta while Bo "Bandit" Darville runs interference in his Trans Am. The combination of the comical car chases and Burt Reynolds' mustache sold more than a few black and gold versions of Bandit's car.
That “bootleg beer” was none other than the deliscious, highly sought after, Coors.
"Bullitt"--1968 Ford Mustang GT 390 fastback
Never mind the continuity mishaps; just tell yourself there were a lot of green Volkswagen Beetles in San Francisco that day. The seven-minute chase scene between Frank Bullitt's Mustang GT 390 and a hit man's 1968 Dodge Charger is among the best of its kind. Give Steve Mcqueen something cool to drive = action gold.
Mad Max - The Interceptor
The car started life as a standard 1973 XB GT Ford Falcon Coupe, a car exclusive to Australia. And for the first few years of its life, this is pretty much how it stayed. Then in 1976, film makers Byron Kennedy and George Miller began pre-production on Mad Max. They needed a vehicle to feature in the film as the black police 'Interceptor' - a high performance, evil looking Australian car.
Grandpa Munster's Dragula Car
I actually don’t remember if this car was in the newer Munster’s movies but after reading it’s stats, it’s just too badass to leave out. This car is not a Munster, It’s a Monster! Grandpa Munster, patriarch of TV's Munster clan, was not your ordinary grandfather, and neither was his ride.
The original car is hanging in Planet Hollywood in Atlantic City. Built by Barris Kustom Cars, this dragster goes from 0 to over 180 mph in a matter of seconds with a parachute for brakes. An ornate Owens-Corning Fiberglass casket, trimmed in royal purple velvet silk and embodying a very lively 350 H.P. Ford Mustang engine with a 12 volt Autolite electrical system.
The exterior of the casket, which rests on a tube chassis has a quiet antique gold finish with sedate Italian gold leaf.
Herbie - The Love Bug
Herbie is a L87 pearl white 1963 Model 117 Volkswagen Type 1 Deluxe Sunroof with yellow-on-black California license plates OFP 857. For the action clips, Herbie is fitted with a Porsche 356 engine.
Bumblebee – Transformers
Bay rejected the character's 1980s form of the Volkswagen Beetle, as it reminded him of Herbie the Love Bug. Hasbro did not mind as long as the car remained yellow. In reference to his original form, the Beetle is parked next to Bumblebee when Sam is buying him. The modern Camaro was chosen for its friendly appearance while the old model was chosen to show that Sam's father could only buy him the cheapest car he could find. In the film, Bumblebee upgrades because Mikaela calls his choice of form a "piece of crap".
Striped Tomato - Starsky and Hutch
A 1976 Ford Gran Torino, which was red with a large white vector stripe. It was nicknamed the "Striped Tomato" by Hutch in the episode Kill Huggy Bear; the nickname was subsequently adopted by the fans of the series. However, the term didn't come from the writers - it came from a real-life comment that Glaser made. When he was first shown the Torino by Aaron Spelling, Glaser sarcastically said, "That thing looks like a striped tomato!"
The General Lee - The Dukes of Hazzard
The car's name is a reference to the Confederate General Robert E. Lee, and indeed the vehicle embodies the Southern United States, bearing as it does a Confederate flag on its roof and a horn which plays a bar from the song "Dixie". The idea for the General Lee was developed from the famous bootlegger Jerry Rushing's car, which was named for General Lee's favorite horse, Traveler. Traveler was also the name of the car in “Moonrunners”, the 1975 movie precursor to The Dukes of Hazzard.
"American Graffiti"--1932 Ford coupe
Directed and written by George Lucas, it is one of his most well known and remembered films after all the “Star Wars” movies and THX 1138. Nicknamed the "Deuce," this five-window '32 Ford coupe is the quintessential American hot rod. As built, it came with a 60-hp, 3.6-liter V-8 with three-speed manual transmission, but in the movie, it's clear the coupe has been suped up. It was the car's awesome growl and the cool drag race at the end of the movie that lodged this hot rod into the hearts of American teens for a decade.
"Back to the Future"-- 1981 DeLorean DMC-12
Doc Brown's smoke-spewing DeLorean achieves time travel at 88 mph thanks to a plutonium-powered nuclear reactor and onboard flux capacitor. By the end of the first movie, it runs solely on trash — and it can fly. That's still futuristic decades after the movie debuted. You can still get a brand new Delorean for about $25,000. That’s preposterous, Marty!
"Wayne's World"-- 1976 AMC Pacer
Although this movie may not have driven thousands of people to track down a baby blue Mirth Mobile of their own, it did inspire a number of in-car, head-banging sing-a-longs to Bohemian Rhapsody. For meeeeee, for meeeeee, for meeEEEEE!
"Ferris Bueller's Day Off"-- 1961 Ferrari 250 GT
This movie is probably responsible for thousands of teens cutting class to joyride in their father's car. Of course, none hold a candle to Mr. Frye's convertible Ferrari.
“The A-Team” -- 1983 GMC G-Series (G-15)
The A-Team GMC van belonged to master mechanic B.A. Barachus and was their official mode of transportation. The van went went through numerous accidents, gun battles, insane jumps, was stripped apart and abused in just about every imaginable way - only to be put back together by B.A.
“Ghostbusters” – The Ecto-1
The Ecto-1 is actually a 1959 Cadillac Ambulance, Miller-Meteor limo-style endloader combination car (hearse). Man, what a mouth full! Originally the filmmakers planned to have the Ecto-1 be painted black. The color of the vehicle was later changed to white when it was decided a black car would be too difficult to see during night scenes. The Ectomobile was originally going to be a much more high tech vehicle, with an almost artificial intelligence. Three cars were used for Ecto-1.
"The Italian Job" -- 2003 Mini Cooper S
Larger cars would have rubbed fenders with light poles and tunnel walls, but thanks to a nimble fleet of Mini Coopers, a band of conspirators manages to escape captors down congested streets, parks and subway tunnels.
“Christine”
Christine is a 1958 Plymouth Fury. I put her last on the list because she is not only the villain of the film but also is a complete stand alone character with her own emotions and motivation. She'll possess you. Then destroy you. She's death on wheels.
Special thanks to imdb.com, wikipedia.com, and cars.com