TV and Movie Cars

[luvmysuper]

77 Sunset Strip
1922 Ford T-Bucket
"Kookie" (Edd Byrnes) drove a T-Bucket actually built by Norm Grabowski on this 1959-'64 series. It defined '60s hot-rodding.

Addams Family
1933 Packard V-12
Usually Chauffered by Lurch.

Against All Odds
1983 Porsche 911 SC This car and a Ferrari 308 GTSi race on L.A.'s Sunset Boulevard in an underrated 1984 film. Stunt coordinator Gary Davis doubled Jeff Bridges.

Against All Odds
1983 Ferrari 308 GTSi
In this great race action, the legendary stunt driver Carey Loftin drove the Ferrari. He was 68 years old at the time.

American Graffiti
1932 Ford Coupe
When this movie appeared in 1973, street-rodding was almost dead. John Milner's yellow '32 five-window made it relevant again.

American Graffiti
1955 Chevy 210
Bob Falfa's '55 challenges John Milner's self worth. It's the same '55 from Two-Lane Blacktop, painted black and with Harrison Ford driving.

American Graffiti
1958 Chevrolet Impala
It's Steve's car, but it's Terry the Toad who gets this ride in George Lucas' 1973 film about one summer night in 1962.

American Graffiti
1956 Ford Thunderbird
Suzanne Somers white beauty.

Back to the Future
1981 DeLorean DMC-12
1985's futuristic hit.

Bad Boys
1993 Porsche 911 Turbo 3.6
Director Michael Bay used his own car as the lead vehicle in this 1995 movie. Wound up making Will Smith and Martin Lawrence movie stars.

 

[luvmysuper]

Batman
1955 Lincoln Futura Batmobile
George Barris' crew reworked and restyled an old Ford concept car into the great Batmobile for the campy 1966-'68 TV series. Turbines to speed.

Bearcats
1914 Stutz Bearcat
Short lived series starring Rod Taylor and Dennis Cole

Better Off Dead
1967 Camaro
In this 1985 John Cusack film, it was the black Camaro that spoke the international language of love.

Beverly Hillbillies
1921 Oldsmobile Model 46
This car had nearly as much screen time as the actors in the show.

Bullitt
1968 Dodge Charger
This Dodge chased Steve McQueen's Mustang through San Francisco in this 1968 cop drama. Bad guys have been driving Chargers in movies ever since.

Bullitt
1968 Ford Mustang GT 390
Even before the legendary chase begins, it was dented and tough-looking. This Mustang has defined cool for more than 40 years.

Cannonball
1970 Pontiac Trans Am
Pure mayhem from the Death Race 2000 director. Based on the Cannonball race, it beat The Gumball Rally into theaters by a month in 1976.

Casino Royale
2007 Aston Martin DBS
Few gadgets, but James Bond's DBS (a redressed DB9) performs a spectacular seven barrel rolls meeting its demise in the 2006 film.

Christine
1958 Plymouth Fury
It's a Mopar, so of course it's evil. John Carpenter's 1983 film is rumored to have destroyed more than 20 '58 Plymouths depicting Christine.

Cobra
1950 Mercury
Eddie Paul reportedly built four '50 Mercs for this 1986 Sylvester Stallone movie. The movie is lousy, but the car is outstanding.

 

[luvmysuper]

Corvette Summer
1973 Corvette
Converted to right-hand drive and drowned in overstyled fiberglass. Mark Hamill spends this 1978 movie getting it back after it's stolen.

Days of Thunder
1990 #46 City Chevrolet Lumina
The movie that launched NASCAR's most successful decade. It was Cole Trickle's (Tom Cruise) Lumina that made good ol' boys cool.

Death Race 2000
1975 Shala-Vette
Dick Dean's VW-based kit twisted by Dean himself and Dean Jeffries for "Frankenstein." 1975's Death Race 2000 is the best Death Race.

Demolition Man
1970 Olds 442 W30
Stored for decades underground and started right up for Sly Stallone

Diamonds Are Forever
1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1
James Bond rips Vegas apart in a great chase from 1971. Goes into an alley up on its right wheels, comes out on its left. So what.

Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry
1969 Dodge Charger
Sometimes a '68 or a '69 in this 1974 movie, the Charger's explosive fame came in the explosive credits for TV's The Fall Guy.

Family Matters
1960 BMW Isetta
Known as the "Urkel Car" BMW's Isetta gets a spot on this list, as it is perfectly cast. Possibly the ugliest car of All Time.

Ferris Bueller's Day Off
1961 Ferrari 250 GT California
Yeah, the Ferrari in the 1986 movie was just a replica, and the one rolled through the window off a cliff was just a fiberglass shell.

Fireball 500
1966 Plymouth Barracuda
In this 1966 film, Frankie Avalon used this Barris custom to tow Richard Petty's stock car. It was a Popular AMT model kit.

Get Smart
1965 Sunbeam Tiger
The spy car for the spy who isn't James Bond. Driven for seasons one and two (1965-'67), then replaced by a VW Karmann Ghia.

 

[luvmysuper]

Ghostbusters
1959 Cadillac Ecto-1
Who you gonna call in the 1984 film? The Ghostbusters showed up in this modified Miller-Meteor Futura ambulance.

Goldfinger
1963 Aston Martin DB5
The greatest James Bond car is fitted by Q with "modifications" for this 1964 movie. The standard against which all spy, movie and TV cars are judged. Last year it sold at auction for $4.6 million.

Gone in 60 Seconds
1973 Mustang Mach 1
Toby Halicki wrote, directed, starred in and was the stunt driver for this 1974 chase film. What everyone remembers is Eleanor the Mustang.

Gone in Sixty Seconds
1967 Shelby GT500
Steve Stanford designed this exaggerated GT500 "Eleanor" and it's been copied and copied ever since the 2000 movie hit.

Gran Torino
1972 Ford Gran Torino
The pristine Gran Torino everybody wanted

Grease
1948 Ford Deluxe Convertible
Greased Lightning

Green Hornet
1966 Black Beauty Imperial
Dean Jeffries modified two Imperials as the Hornet's ride in this short-lived 1966 TV series. Perfect with Bruce Lee as the driver. Also the one thing the 2011 movie got right.

Harry Potter
1962 Ford Anglia 105E
The flying Anglia

Hollywood Knights
1957 Chevrolet
Popular Hot Rodding's then supercharged "Project X" is driven by Tony Danza in this 1980 film. The always yellow '57 was recently rebuilt by GM Performance.

Hooper
1978 Pontiac Trans Am
Unlike Burt's other Trans Am exploits, this Pontiac is red, rocket-propelled and drives under falling smokestacks. Car is cool, but the rocket car gorge jump is a joke.

 

[luvmysuper]

I Dream of Jeannie
1967 Pontiac GTO
He's an Astronaught. Of course he drives a GTO.

Iron Man
2008 Audi R8
Product placement or not, it's the perfect car for genius Tony Stark (Robert Downey) to drive in this huge 2008 superhero hit.

John Wick
1969 Mustang Mach 1
Though referred to as a Boss 429 in the movie, those cars are so rare that the model used was actually a tweaked Mach 1.

Jurassic Park
1992 Ford Explorer
Self-driving, panorama glass roofs, high-tech information systems and the most iconic automotive paint job of the last 20 years.

Knight Rider
1982 Pontiac Trans Am
The Knight Industries Two Thousand (KITT) was a supercar that talked to David Hasselhoff for four seasons between 1982 and 1986.

Le Mans
1970 Ferrari 512S
By Ferrari standards, it wasn't a successful racer. But it looked spectacular running alongside Porsche 917s in Steve McQueen's 1971 racing film.

Le Mans
1970 Porsche 911S
In Steve McQueen's 1971 racing epic, the Porsche his character drives in the film's opening scenes is this 911S. It recently sold for $1.37 million.

Le Mans
1970 Porsche 917K
The greatest Porsche of them all, running full speed down the Mulsanne Straight with McQueen at the wheel. Then he destroys it in a spectacular wreck.

Mad Max
1973 Ford XB Falcon
Australia's greatest export is George Miller's 1979 vision of a dystopian future, which includes the last of the V8 interceptors. Everyone wants a blower that can be turned on and off.

Magnum, P.I.
1978 Ferrari 308 GTS
Thomas Magnum (Tom Selleck) drove three different red 308 GTSs through eight seasons on this Hawaii-based detective show from 1980-'88.

 

[luvmysuper]

McQ
1973 Pontiac Trans Am SD455
One of the few cars John Wayne drove in a film. This green beast tours Seattle and is ultimately crushed in an alley.

Miami Vice
1972 Ferrari Daytona Replica
It's a rebodied C3 Corvette. So what. This black car and Phil Collins' "In the Air Tonight" made the show a hit in 1984.

Miami Vice
1986 Ferrari Testarossa
Ferrari didn't like the black Daytona replica the 1984-'89 NBC series was using, so it provided two white Testarossas for Season Three.

My Favorite Martian
1962 Triumph TR4
The first car owned by Bill Bixby in the series

National Lampoon's Family Vacation
1983 Wagon Queen Family Truckster (1973 Ford LTD Country Squire)
Clark Griswold's indignities start when he doesn't get the Sport Wagon he ordered in this 1983 film. Wally World, here we come.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles
1986 Chrysler Town & Country
The misery of travel exacerbated by renting a K-Car convertible in this 1987 film. It's eventually smashed between two semis and burns.

Pulp Fiction
1974 Chevrolet Nova
Bloody rear window not included

Raiders of the Lost Ark
1937 Mercedes-Benz 300
Classic Benz from the chase scene

Rain Man
1949 Buick Roadmaster
The three stars of this 1988 drama are Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise and this big Buick convertible. Ten minutes to Wapner.

Rebel Without a Cause
1949 Mercury
James Dean's ride in this 1955 drama of teen angst and delinquency. Released a month after Dean's death while driving a Porsche.

 

[luvmysuper]

Risky Business
1979 Porsche 928
Four 928s were used in filming and two more in post-production. The 1983 movie made Tom Cruise a star.

Ronin
1998 Audi S8
In John Frankenheimer's 1998 chase film, it's this big green sedan that does most of the pushing in its best chase.

Route 66
1961 Chevrolet Corvette
GM put Martin Milner and George Maharis (then Glenn Corbett) in a new 'Vette every year for this road adventure series between 1960 and 1964.

Simon & Simon
1979 Dodge Power Wagon
From 1981-'89, this red pickup was detective Rick Simon's intimidating ride. All dull paint and big bumper.

Smokey and the Bandit
1977 Pontiac Trans Am
1977's second most popular film. But you couldn't buy a Millennium Falcon, and Pontiac dealers had plenty of T/As. Speedy car.

Starsky & Hutch
1975 Ford Gran Torino
The "striped tomato" may be the world's worst undercover cop car. But for four seasons on ABC from 1975-'79, it was awesome.

Stingray
1965 Chevrolet Corvette
For two seasons (1985-'87) on NBC, if you needed help you called Nick Mancuso as "Ray" and he showed up in a black '65 Corvette Coupe.

Stripes
The EM-50 Urban Assault Vehicle
Built off of a 1970 GMC Motorhome, the EM-50 Urban Assault Vehicle is the heavily armed recreational vehicle you need to bash through the Czech border.

Take This Job and Shove It
1974 Ford F-250 Bigfoot
The 1981 movie, starring Robert Hays, is forgotten. But Bigfoot's appearance made monster trucks a big deal.

The A-Team
1983 GMC Vandura Van
Fugitive mercenaries hide in a van with a big red stripe. But on NBC between 1983 and 1987 it made perfect sense. At least it did if you were 12.

 

[luvmysuper]

The Big Lebowski
1973 Ford Gran Torino
A far cry from the pristine Gran Torino in the Eastwood movie of the same name.

The Blues Brothers
1974 Dodge Monaco
The 13 different Dodges that portrayed the "Bluesmobile" in this 1980 film were bought from the California Highway Patrol. Hit it!

The California Kid
1934 Ford Coupe
This 1974 TV movie made the '34 Three-Window built by Pete Chapouris one of the most famous hot rods of all time. It's still beautiful.

The Cannonball Run
1980 Lamborghini LP400S
A black Lambo with Adrienne Barbeau and Tara Buckman aboard? Wicked. The great Brock Yates wrote this 1981 movie.

The Dukes of Hazzard
1969 Dodge Charger
More than 300 Chargers portrayed the General Lee during the series 145 episodes (1979-'86). Today it's the ultimate Hollywood star car.

The Fall Guy
1982 GMC Sierra
Stuntman/bounty hunter Colt Seavers (Lee Majors) always had to jump his big GMC pickup. The ABC TV series destroyed dozens between 1981 and 1986.

The Godfather
1941 Lincoln Continental
Sonny Corleone dies in a hail of machine gun fire outside his special Lincoln. It's the best car in this all-time-great 1972 movie.

The Gumball Rally
1966 Shelby Cobra 427
Two genuine Cobras were used in this 1976 comedy that remains the best movie made about transcontinental street racing.

The Gumball Rally
1972 Ferrari Daytona Spyder
"The first rule of Italian driving," says Raul Julia as he rips off the real Daytona Spyder's rearview mirror. "What's behind me is not important."

The Italian Job
1967 Lamborghini Miura
Reportedly, the Miura wrecked here was already destroyed before filming. That doesn't make its fate any less painful to watch.

 

[luvmysuper]

The Italian Job (1)
1968 Mini Cooper
Britain's greatest heist involves stealing gold through a traffic jam under and over Turin, Italy. Michael Caine was at his peak in 1969.

The Italian Job (2)
2003 Mini Cooper
This movie introduced Americans to the concept of small cars being awesome. Charlize Theron behind the wheel didn't hurt, either. Thanks to an epic chase scene, more Minis have used the L,A. subway than residents.

The Living Daylights
1987 Aston Martin V8 Vantage
"Winterized" by Q into a hardtop, 007's Aston features missiles, skis and a rocket engine in the 1987 film.

The Love Bug
1962 Volkswagen Beetle DeLuxe Ragtop
A very good Disney movie that opened in 1968 and became the highest-grossing film of 1969. Herbie was a star from the start.

The Monkees
1966 Pontiac GTO
Dean Jeffries turns a GTO into a massive T-Bucket with a blown engine. The TV show ran two seasons between 1966 and 1968.

The Munsters
1964 Munster Coach
George Barris' shop used three Model T bodies and a 289 Ford V8 to construct this for the TV series that ran from 1964-'66.

The Rockford Files
1974 Pontiac Firebird Esprit
P.I. Jim Rockford drove his tan coupe brilliantly between 1974 and 1980. He got a new one every year between 1974 and 1978. Made the reverse spin famous.

The Saint
1962 Volvo P1800
From 1962-'69 Simon Templar (Roger Moore) showed up for no apparent reason in his white, British-built Volvo to help those in distress.

The Spy Who Loved Me
1977 Lotus Esprit
In this 1977 film, it's a Lotus that turns into a submarine. Don't try this at home.

The World is Not Enough
1999 BMW Z8
Bond Car. What else needs to be said.

 

[luvmysuper]

Thelma and Louise
1966 Ford Thunderbird
Don't get too attached. The blue convertible meets its iconic end in this 1991 flick.

Thunder Road
1950 Ford
Robert Mitchum's 1958 moonshine drama features this hot-rodded '50. It runs from the Feds, who have a '57 Chevy that grabs bumpers.

Transformers
1977 Chevrolet Camaro "Bumblebee"
Sure, Bumblebee became a 2010 Camaro in this 2007 megahit. I personally prefer the '77 with Cragars.

Tucker- The Man and His Dream
1948 Tucker Torpedo
Great 1988 Francis Ford Coppola movie all about cars. Fully 21 of the 47 surviving Torpedoes were used in filming.

Two-Lane Blacktop
1955 Chevy 210
Solid front axle, 454 with tunnel ram, glass nose and deck lid, Plexiglas side windows; it was nasty in 1971 and it's nasty now.

Two-Lane Blacktop
1970 Pontiac GTO Judge
This 1971 movie doesn't make much sense if you think about it. So don't think and appreciate the classic Pontiac muscle driven by Warren Oates.

Vanishing Point
1970 Dodge Challenger
440 and a pistol-grip four-speed. The cops chasing Kowalski in this 1971 film don't know his first name. A '67 Camaro doubles the Dodge in the explosive climax.

Vega$
1957 Ford Thunderbird
In this series Robert Urich played Dan Tanna, a Las Vegas detective who lived at the Desert Inn and drove a classic T-Bird from 1978-'81.

Waynes World
1976 AMC Pacer
The Mirthmobile

You Only Live Twice
1967 Toyota 2000GT Convertible
Not driven by Bond, but by Aki, a beautiful Japanese spy. Toyota never offered the 2000GT as a drop top. Two were made for the 1967 film.

 

[Rhody]

Wow fantastic thread thanks for posting what looks like a definitive expose on tv cars wow
Brings back memories for sure.

 

[luvmysuper]

I didn't get in to the whole Fast and Furious genre, as the whole purpose of those movies is to showcase cars.

 

[Rhody]

I didn't get in to the whole Fast and Furious genre, as the whole purpose of those movies is to showcase cars.

A very good edit.
Absolutely love your context, captions and trivia like the Rockford car. Getting a new one every year.

Have always loved this quote.

“What's behind me is not important."

 

[luvmysuper]

A very good edit.
Absolutely love your context, captions and trivia like the Rockford car. Getting a new one every year.

Have always loved this quote.

“What's behind me is not important."

Most of what is written I picked up from various websites looking for information on the cars, so I'm sad to say that others are the brilliant authors rather than I!

 

[Breen]

This list is delicious @luvmysuper my compliments to the chef!

Below are my favorites of your selections, and I sprinkled some more, if you don't mind.

American Graffiti
1955 Chevy 210
Bob Falfa's '55 challenges John Milner's self worth. It's the same '55 from Two-Lane Blacktop, painted black and with Harrison Ford driving.
View attachment 1567590

Better Off Dead
1967 Camaro
In this 1985 John Cusack film, it was the black Camaro that spoke the international language of love.
View attachment 1567600

Mad Max
1973 Ford XB Falcon
Australia's greatest export is George Miller's 1979 vision of a dystopian future, which includes the last of the V8 interceptors. Everyone wants a blower that can be turned on and off.
View attachment 1567648

Death Proof
1970 Chevy Nova
Matte paint, gutted/rusty interior, full cage. Just an intimidating, formidable beast but with the smirk-inspiring charging duck hood ornament from Convoy.

Hardcastle & McCormick
The Coyote X
Built from custom molds based on the McLaren M6GT. The original Coyote X used the chassis from a Volkswagen Beetle and the engine from a Porsche 914. I'm also a distant relative of the actor who played McCormick so this car always stuck with me.

 

[mrlandpirate]

 

[luvmysuper]

1972 Ford E200 Econoline van

 

[jaro 101969]

Batman
1955 Lincoln Futura Batmobile
George Barris' crew reworked and restyled an old Ford concept car into the great Batmobile for the campy 1966-'68 TV series. Turbines to speed.
View attachment 1567598

Bearcats
1914 Stutz Bearcat
Short lived series starring Rod Taylor and Dennis Cole
View attachment 1567599

Better Off Dead
1967 Camaro
In this 1985 John Cusack film, it was the black Camaro that spoke the international language of love.
View attachment 1567600

Beverly Hillbillies
1921 Oldsmobile Model 46
This car had nearly as much screen time as the actors in the show.
View attachment 1567601

Bullitt
1968 Dodge Charger
This Dodge chased Steve McQueen's Mustang through San Francisco in this 1968 cop drama. Bad guys have been driving Chargers in movies ever since.
View attachment 1567603

Bullitt
1968 Ford Mustang GT 390
Even before the legendary chase begins, it was dented and tough-looking. This Mustang has defined cool for more than 40 years.
View attachment 1567604

Cannonball
1970 Pontiac Trans Am
Pure mayhem from the Death Race 2000 director. Based on the Cannonball race, it beat The Gumball Rally into theaters by a month in 1976.
View attachment 1567605

Casino Royale
2007 Aston Martin DBS
Few gadgets, but James Bond's DBS (a redressed DB9) performs a spectacular seven barrel rolls meeting its demise in the 2006 film.
View attachment 1567606

Christine
1958 Plymouth Fury
It's a Mopar, so of course it's evil. John Carpenter's 1983 film is rumored to have destroyed more than 20 '58 Plymouths depicting Christine.
View attachment 1567607

Cobra
1950 Mercury
Eddie Paul reportedly built four '50 Mercs for this 1986 Sylvester Stallone movie. The movie is lousy, but the car is outstanding.
View attachment 1567608

I actually got to go for a ride in the " cobra " car year ago when I was younger !! It is a Very cool car.. The "original" is now back at Stallones..

 

[luvmysuper]

Speed Racers Mach 5
(Customized 1980 Chevrolet Corvette)

 

[luvmysuper]

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
A fictional automobile from an Ian Fleming story (Ian Fleming of James Bond fame) of the same name.

Flemings inspiration was drawn from real life. A car made by Count Louis Zborowski in the early 1920's.
Zborowski, an English racing driver and automobile engineer created his real Chitty Bang Bang from a pre-War Mercedes chassis with a six-cylinder Maybach military aeronautical engine that was used to propel a Zeppelin.

Another Zborowski experimental car, the "Higham Special" was modified by John Godfrey Parry Thomas, and actually broke the World Land Speed Record 18 months after the death of its creator.