For pretty much as long as we’ve had movie stars, we’ve had movie cars. Some of the coolest and most awesomely memorable vehicles ever conceived have thundered across the big screen, thrilling audiences since the earliest of early cinema. Some of these cars have become legacies and, in fact, as iconic as the movies from which they were born. Some even qualify as sidekicks in their own right. Today we pay homage to the top 10 coolest cars in cinema.
The Batmobile – Batman series
Forget about Robin – the Batmobile is and always has been the ultimate sidekick. The car’s many, many versions have each perfectly encompassed their own era – some being unashamedly 90s creations – and the latest evolution of the Batmobile is no exception. An undeniable product of the technological age, Nolan’s Batman trilogy features the beast that is ‘the Tumbler’. It has none of the charming gimmicky features of past designs but instead focuses primarily on function, and this car really can take a hit. When things ever get hairy for Batman, the motorbike metamorphosis feature is a real godsend. Could also be accurately named the Manmobile.
Ecto-1 Cadillac Miller-Meteor – Ghostbusters
When transporting souls back to the netherworld, you’re going to need a decent set of wheels. And we don’t see any reason why a battered old ambulance isn’t precisely the vehicle for the job. One of the most iconic and adored movie cars in history, the Ecto-1, may not have the speed, power or the manoeuvrability of some other cinematic cars, but the effortless coolness and unique functionality of the vehicle makes it a frontrunner for sure.
1968 390 V8 Ford Mustang – Bullitt
Bullitt boasts a pretty sweet combo – the (arguable) greatest ever car chase and (arguable) coolest ever actor in movie history. Steve McQueen remains a cultural icon and omnipotent overlord of cool, so it makes sense that his partner in awesome is this little beauty. With audiences unsatisfied by not being Steve McQueen, Ford began to make Bullitt versions of their Mustangs in 2001, enabling the average man to live the SanFran cop dream.
1963 Aston Martin DB5 – James Bond
Allow us to present another piece of dirty 60s eye candy. The DB5 features in a total of five separate James Bond films, including the most recent Skyfall, which was a grand entrance indeed. Special features of the DB5 include oil slick, smoke screen, ejector seat, machine guns and revolving license plates – a must-have for any motorist! The car positively oozes coolness and is as integral a part of James Bond lore as the special agent himself.
DeLorean DMC-12 – Back To The Future
The DeLorean was undoubtedly a car ahead of its time, with its Giorgetto Giugiaro designed body and gull-wing doors. The DeLorean was produced in Ireland to be sold in America, and proved the ideal model for whimsical time travelling adventures. All that needed adding was a flux capacitor with 1.21 jigowatts – and the rest is history. It’s nice to be sure that your car can definitely reach 88mph, and nicer still to know that the fabric of time itself is in your hands at the push of an accelerator.
1967 Shelby Mustang GT500 – Gone in 60 Seconds
In a film full to the brim with obscenely cool and sexy cars, the Shelby somehow still managed to stand out. Affectionately called ‘Eleanor’, the car fetched $1 million in an auction this year. Eleanor’s performance in the movie was so wonderful that she’s considered responsible for the higher pricing of late 60s Mustang fastbacks, along with a niche industry based on replicas. She’s a beauty.
1976 Ford Gran Torino – Starsky and Hutch
This red Ford Gran Torino was a staple of high-octane car chases in the original 1970s TV series, and then finally graced the big screen in the 2004 movie remake. About ten of these were destroyed during filming, leaving only a couple of the cars unscathed. The white graphic on the side puts shame to the go faster stripes of today’s boy racers.
1977/2009 Chevrolet Camaro – Transformers
The Transformers Bumblebee makes his film debut as a 1977 Camaro, but he was was given a timely (and indeed beastly) update to the 2009 Camaro version. At the Car Loan Warehouse, we reckon the movie could’ve done with a little less giant robot and a little more Camaro.
1973 Ford Falcon XB GT Coupe – Mad Max
Australian-made with plenty of extra venom, this Ford Falcon has a sinister black paint job, nose job and it’s loud. Very loud. This pursuit vehicle gave Max free reign to run down bikers in brutal fashion. Meanness and coolness aren’t necessarily the same thing, but with this Falcon, they kind of are.
2002 TVR Tuscan Speed-6 – Swordfish
And what about the best of British? If you’ve got a taste for the extreme, exclusive and obscenely expensive, the TVR Tuscan is the one for you. This car was destined to be a criminal accomplice rather than good-guy-mobile, so it definitely fits the bill for John Travolta’s demented character.
So there you have it – the ten cars with enough star quality to cross that finish line. All of these automobiles were made for the big screen, more than justifying the marriage of the movie and the motorcar – the luxury, one-of-a-kind, million dollar motorcar. But if you don’t fancy waiting for that lottery rollover, check out The Car Loan Warehouse and they’ll help you find the car finance to sort your own dream wheels without the hassle.
