These Are Your Favorite Movie Cars

Things are super bad out there, which means its a great time to sink into an old movie and forget about the world outside. Might I suggest something from the pre-internet days? They always have the best cars. Whether your tastes tend towards American classics or British sports cars, movies have you covered. Earlier this week I asked about your favorite movie cars. Your answers stretched from horror movie favorites like the Plymouth Fury in "Christine" and the Valiant from "Duel" to comedy cars in "Blues Brothers" and "National Lampoon's Vacation." Someone even threw in a shout out to "The Wraith," and it's always a good day when I remember that movie exists. 

Scroll through for a trip down memory lane, but be careful, I just got a smokey report on memory lane and we're eastbound and down. 

As mainstream as it comes (from a '70s perspective), but the 1977 Pontiac Trans Am SE from Smokey and the Bandit was my first automotive crush. But for obscure and as an homage to my first car, let's take the 85 Chevy Impala from To Live and Die in L.A.

and

Oh yeah that trans am. I had a friends dads who would put a dollar on the dash, then let you try to grab it as he launched it. So much fun as kid. Awesome car.

From Madkap42 and Joe Joe

Christine of course.

The appeal was the kid getting his hands dirty to restore it using junkyard parts. Built not bought. It also had a stunning dash cluster with haunting green glow to light up the instruments.

In real life those classic cars drove very poorly. Floatly ride, poor brakes, handling where the whole body tilted, etc. The ending had a bit of artistic license with the kid pulling a shard of glass out of his body since safety glass was mandated in the 1930s. Beautiful car though and fun movie.

From Tex

BluesMobile (1974 Dodge Monaco), notably the sound of the engine when Elwood races it through the park to make the n^zis jump off the bridge. I watch that clip just for the sound when I need a pick-me-up.

From BossLinco

The Wagon Queen Family Truckster.

If you grew up in the 70s and 80s I can guarantee you spent time in something just like this. Bloated. Poorly made. Indifferently designed. There's a level of knowing horror all the way through that movie starting with picking the car up at the dealership to breakdowns in the middle of nowhere.

The wagon Queen Family Truckster is the car we got, not the car we wanted. It's a perfect encapsulation of why we all bought Japanese cars for the rest of our lives.

From Buckfiddious

Ford Falcon V8 "Interceptor" from Mad Max and all of its iterations.

From towman

Aston Martin DB5 from Goldfinger

From IB007

1968 Ford Mustang Fastback driven by Steve McQueen in the movie Bullitt!

From Don C

Reaching WAY back – Dennis Weaver's 1971 Valiant in Duel. First time I saw the movie was in 5th grade on the last day of school. Our teacher had brought in the 35mm projector and a stack of films for us to finish out the day. No clue what else played that day, but seeing the Valiant battle the truck and both go over the cliff at the end was pretty great. Chef's kiss was when Mr. Buckner threw the projector in reverse and we watched them fall up – pretty great when you're 10 and ready for summer.

Close second was Corvette Summer. Such an ugly ass car but YEAHHHHHHHH

From Carey Mahoney

the wraith, charlie sheens finest hour

From MTmanual2

Our fine four fendered friend, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, obviously. Who doesn't love an early 1900's former race car? Plus, it could fly.

From Papa Chris