Good Movies about Great Cars
Reminisce about great movies from your past and discover some that you might not have seen before.
The Fast and the Furious - 2001
The Fast and the Furious Cars:
1995 Mitsubishi Eclipse RS 420A
1993 Mazda RX7
1994 Toyota Supra
1995 Volkswagen Jetta
2000 Honda S2000
1970 Dodge Charger
Many more Fast and Furious Cars
The Fast and the Furious Cast:
Vin Diesel
Paul Walker
Michelle Rodriguez
Chad Lindberg
Jordana Brewster
Great Movie
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
The Fast and the Furious delivers heavy doses of what car enthusiast want to see in a movie:
- cars - lots of heavily-modified, sleek, fast cars
- girls - also heavily modified... sleek... you get the idea
- high-speed action
- gear head jargon
This movie impacted a generation and put feet to the tuner-car genre with its bold, aggressively designed cars and thumping soundtracks. Special FX inside-the-engine shots following the NOS streams are recognizable to car-tech novices and exhilarating to horse power junkies.
An LA policeman goes undercover to infiltrate a gang of suspected high-jackers. Split loyalties lead to some hard decisions but, in the end,nobody goes to jail and somehow both the cop and the King of the street racing scene come out heroes.
Don't let the cliche of a story line fool you, this is a must see that spawned four sequels ( although the franchise did decline significantly after the second movie - 2 Fast 2 Furious ).
Watch "The Fast and the Furious" instantly.
Fast and the Furious Series
The Road Warrior - 1979

Road Warrior Car:
1973 XB GT Ford Falcon with nitrous oxide and an on-demand Weiand Supercharger.
Road Warrior Cast:
Mel Gibson
Joanne Samuel as Jessie
Hugh Keays-Byrne as Toecutter
Steve Bisley as Jim Goose
Tim Burns as Johnny the Boy
Vincent Gil as Nightrider
Great Movie
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
Mad Max The Road Warrior started the "Survivor" theme that has become a popular subculture within the custom car and custom motorcycle circuit. What was Ford thinking when they decided that the XB GT Falcon (351 Cleveland engine, 9 inch rear differential and front disc brakes all being standard equipment) wasn't right for the American market? Come to think of it, what's Ford thinking now by keeping the Falcon out of the U.S.?
Cult Classic film showcasing the futuristic degradation of society and the lone man still willing and able to stand up for what's good. Great crash scenes. To American eyes, the cars and motorcycles look bizarre, yet strangely familiar - and totally Bad A$$. Check out these Mad Max Road Warrior clips.
Watch "Road Warrior/Mad Max" instantly.
Smokey and the Bandit - 1977
Smokey and the Bandit Cars:
1977 Pontiac Firebird Special Edition
Kenworth W900A
Smokey and the Bandit Cast:
Burt Reynolds as Bo "Bandit" Darville
Sally Fields as Carrie "Frog"
Jackie Gleason as Sheriff Buford T. Justice "Smokey Bear"
Jerry Reed as Cledus "Snowman" Snow
Great Movie
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
Some movies don't age well; Smokey and the Bandit is not among them: Burt Reynolds wears his best mustache, Sally Fields never looked better, Jerry Reed is just being Jerry Reed and nobody can cuss better than Jackie Gleason could cuss. Add in some 1970s trucker CB slang and an hour and a half of "high speed pursuit" and you've got a timeless classic.
The Bandit and Snowman are hired to run a truckload of bootleg Coors from Texarkana to Atlanta in just 28 hours. The only way they can make it in time is if the Bandit gets in a speedy car and runs blocker.
Watch "Smokey and the Bandit" instantly.
Gone In 60 Seconds - 2000
Gone In 60 Seconds Cars:
There are a lot of cars and the 50-car pick list changes throughout the movie but, the one that everyone remembers is the 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500 - code name "Eleanor."
Gone In 60 Seconds Cast:
Nicholas Cage
Angelina Jolie
Giovanni Ribisi
Chi McBride
Robert Duvall
Scott Caan
Will Patton
Timothy Olyphant
Christopher Eccleston
Vinnie Jones
Good Movie
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
Imagine being able to drive any car that you want: the hottest, fastest, most exotic cars ever made, all for the taking. That's what makes Gone in 60 Seconds
A retired car jacker reunites his team for one last, huge score. They have 72 hours to steal 50 specific cars in order to save Memphis Raines' kid brother's life. Memphis stares down the-one-that-got-away so many times before - Eleanor.
Watch "Gone in Sixty Seconds" instantly.
(Herbie) The Love Bug - 1968
The Love Bug:
1963 Volkswagen Beetle
the Love Bug Cast:
Dean Jones
Michele Lee
Buddy Hackett
sequels included:
Helen Hayes
Stefanie Powers
Don Knotts
Cloris Leachman
Lindsay Lohan
Michael Keaton
Matt Dillon
Breckin Meyer
Justin Long
Cheryl Hines
Good Movie
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
I know that I'll get flack for this but I don't care; I like Herbie The Love Bug! If you don't like him, then make your own list. Ok, maybe I don't like all of the Herbie movies, but I like them enough to recommend the first - The Love Bug (1968) and the last - Herbie - Fully Loaded (2005).
Through the magic of Disney, a Volkswagen Beetle comes to life and becomes a world-class race car. Refreshingly, the last Herbie sequel carries all the charm and fun that the first had thirty seven years earlier. Unfortunately, I find the three in between to be a little repetitive - even Disney can only get so much mileage out of a good idea.
Watch "The Love Bug" instantly.
Death Proof - 2007
Death Proof Cars:
1970? Chevy Nova
1969 Dodge Charger
1970 Dodge Challenger
1972 Ford Mustang
Death Proof Director:
Quentin Tarantino He also wrote the movie and played Warren the Bartender.
Death Proof Cast:
Kurt Russell
Rosario Dawson
Rose McGowan
Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Eli Roth
Good Movie
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
Full of fast action, gratuitous violence and hot chicks that love muscle cars - but in Death Proof, the flat black Nova with white death-head STEALS the show. Tarantino is a master at balancing the realistic and the totally bizarre. If you've ever wanted to see Kurt Russell play the bad guy, then this is the movie for you.
Three women borrow a souped-up muscle car and set out to have a little fun. A serial killer that's also fond of American muscle gives chase... until the women turn the tables and start chasing him. ***Spoiler Alert: the women win.***
Watch "Grindhouse: Death Proof" instantly.
Death Race 2000 - 1975
Death Race 2000 Cars:
Mostly VW based Kit Cars themed to resemble a bull, a rocket powered missile, a gangster-style car, etcetera. The star is a Shala Vette kit car themed to resemble a green scaly monster with red eyes. This was the 70s, folks.
Death Race 2000 Cast:
David Carradine
Sylvester Stallone
OK Movie
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
You know those games where you earn points for running over innocent pedestrians? Death Race 2000 started it all way back in 1975. The original Death Race 2000 is a Sci-Fi cult classic deserving of a better remake than the 2008 Death Race sequel, which shares little more than a name with the original. This is not the kind of movie that you'll watch over and over again, but it's worth having in your collection.
In the futuristic year 2000, a jaded and moral less society craves a new form of entertainment - the Death Race. Competitors gain points by using machine-gun laden race cars to kill spectators, geriatric patients (or the doctors and nurses), helicopter-flying terrorists and any random pedestrian that's unfortunate enough to come within range. It's fun for the whole family.
Goldfinger - 1964
Goldfinger Car:
Aston Martin DB5
Goldfinger Cast:
Sean Connery as James Bond
Gert Frobe as Goldfinger
Harold Sakata as Oddjob
Bernard Lee as M
Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny
Goldfinger Bond Girls:
Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore
Shirley Eaton as Jill Masterson, the girl who's painted gold
Great Movie
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
No other car capture the spirit of 007 better than the Aston Martin DB5 in Goldfinger - equipped with: bullet-proof windshield/rear glass, tire-slashing extending wheel caps, machine guns, homing missiles, smoke screens, oil sprayers and an ejector seat. Oddjob, with his statue-decapitating hat, makes one of the greatest henchmen of all time. Pussy Galore is just legendary.
Bond: "Do you expect me to talk?"
Goldfinger: "No, Mister Bond. I expect you to die."
Goldfinger plans to contaminate the Fort Knox gold supply with radiation, thereby causing world-wide financial collapse and a subsequent increase in the value of his personal supply of untainted gold. Fortunately, 007 saves the world once again.
Watch "Goldfinger" instantly.
Christine - 1983
Christine Car:
1958 Plymouth Fury named Christine
Christine Writer:
Stephen King
Christine Director:
John Carpenter
Christine Cast:
Keith Gordon
John Stockwell
Alexandra Paul
Robert Prosky
Harry Dean Stanton
Kelly Preston
Great Movie
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
The "possessed car goes on a killing rampage" story line is not a new one (although Christine had a much higher budget than most others). Why do we like this story, so? I think that it allows us to subconsciously and vicariously live out our otherwise pent up Road Rage. Christine makes the world a safer place to live.
From a time when most horror films were nothing more than slashers comes Christine, a true horror film and one of the best horror films of all time. Arnie, a dark and awkward teen, bears the brunt of a bully's attention - that is until Arnie finds Christine, a car with a thirst for blood going all the way back to the assembly line. Midnight hit-and-run missions (set to a classic 50s soundtrack) eliminate anyone that is perceived to be a threat to Arnie or to the relationship developing between Arnie and Christine.
Watch "Christine" instantly.
Cobra - 1986

Cobra Car:
1950 Mercury Monterey
Cobra Cast:
Sylvester Stallone
Brigitte Nielsen
Brian Thompson
OK Movie
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
Nobody will say that this is a good movie. The only memorable parts of Cobra
Marion "Cobra" Cobretti is a city cop out to catch (more probably kill) a serial killer. Lots of action, violence, guns and one real sweet ride.
Watch "Cobra" instantly.
American Graffiti - 1973
American Graffiti Cars:
1932 Ford Deuce Coupe
1958 Chevy Impala
1955 Chevy
The movie's set in 1962, so everything's vintage (although there is a Mustang shown in the background once - Oops, Mustang's weren't made until 1964 1/2).
Director:
George Lucas
Producer:
Francis Ford Coppola
American Graffiti Cast:
Richard Dreyfuss
Ronny Howard
Cindy Williams
Wolfman Jack
Harrison Ford
Suzanne Somers
Paul LeMat
Charles Martin Smith
Candy Clark
Mackenzie Phillips
Bo Hopkins
Great Movie
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
Did American Graffiti
Two all-American youths enjoy one last night of "cruisin' the circuit" before heading off to college.
Watch "American Graffiti" instantly.
Hollywood Knights - 1980
Hollywood Knight Cars:
1957 Chevy
AC Cobra
1956 Chevy Sedan Delivery wagon
1965 El Camino
1940 Ford Coupe
More... lots more.
Hollywood Knights Cast:
Robert Wuhl
Tony Danza
Michelle Pfeiffer
Fran Drescher
Great Movie
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
The Hollywood Knights is an obvious knock off of American Graffiti. They don't just share the same elements, Hollywood Knights uses basically the same story line right down to: the radio dedication that must go out tonight, the vandalism done to the police car, the car club initiation, the walk back after being stranded in the middle of nowhere, the drive-in diner and the big race.
There are some differences of course. American Graffiti is a drama focusing on the story line. Hollywood Knights is a comedy, gratuitously focusing on crude humor, shiny paint it's good-looking cast. If this were a review on cinematic merit, American Graffiti would win hands down but it's not, it's a review of Car Movies. For the average guy looking for a great Car Movie, Hollywood Knights fits the bill.
A group of all-American youth enjoy one last night of cruising their favorite hangout.
Watch "The Hollywood Knights" instantly.
Tuff Turf - 1985
Tuff Turf Car:
1968 Camaro
Tuff Turf Cast:
James Spader
Kim Richards
Robert Downey Jr.
Paul Mones
Claudette Nevins
Olivia Barash
Good Movie
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
This is the only movie I can think of where James Spader plays a good guy. Robert Downey Jr.'s character is not nearly as over the top as usual. Sometime in the 10 years after "Escape to Witch Mountain", Kim Richards got really Hot!
Then there's the car: a muscle-bound 68 Camaro with a 327, in flat black with a brown primer top coat with a smoked headlight cover.
If you're into 80s pop culture, Tuff Turf is a must-see. Complete with popped collars, lace gloves and a boom box so big that you need a red wagon to pull it in. This movie is actually better appreciated now than it was in 1985.
The new kid ( a misunderstood trouble maker who really has a good heart deep down inside) falls for the girl friend of the real local bad guy and street thug/gang leader.
Watch "Tuff Turf" instantly.
More Great Car Movie Reviews to Come
Other Great Movie Cars
- Ghostbusters
- Ecto 1 - 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor Ambulance
- The Blues Brothers
- Blues Mobile - 1974 Dodge Monaco
- National Lampoon's Vacation
- Wagon Queen Family Truckster - Ford LTD Country Squire
- Animal House
- Deathmobile - 1964 Lincoln Continental
- Back to the Future
- DeLorean DMC-12
- Dazed and Confused
- 1973 Duster
1970 Chevelle SS - Ferris Bueller's Day Off
- 1961 Ferrari GT250
- Sex Drive
- 1969 GTO Judge
- Grease
- 1948 Ford Deluxe Convertible
1949 Mercury
1949 Dodge Wayfarer Convertible
Bad Movies but Great Cars
- The Green Hornet
- 1965 Chrysler Imperial Crown
- Cobra
- 1950 Mercury
- Corvette Summer
- 1973 Chevy Corvette
- Speed Racer
- Mach 5
What's the Best Car Movie or Movie Car?
-
-
TheLifestyleChanger
Apr 26, 2012 @ 10:35 pm | delete
- I need to brush up on my car movies - thank you for the recommendations. Blessings.
-
-
-
SereneSea Jan 28, 2012 @ 1:21 am | delete
- I do not remember any movie that is without a car, however I appreciate your list and would surely want to see some of the movies listed here.
-
-
-
WriterJanis
Jan 26, 2012 @ 12:35 am | delete
- My favs here are Smokey and the Bandit, The Love Bug and, (sorry!) The Green Hornet.
-
-
-
KarenCookieJar
Dec 3, 2011 @ 11:49 am | delete
- My husband really likes car movies, I think he has seen all of these.
-
-
-
JoyfulReviewer
Nov 29, 2011 @ 6:11 pm | delete
- Nice lens idea. I really liked Herbie The Love Bug. Congratulations on getting featured in Squidoo's Car Show winners circle!
-
-
-
tammikibler
Nov 18, 2011 @ 9:26 am | delete
- Smokey and the Bandit is my favorite, I am so in love with the car, Burt, Sally, Jerry, Jackie. I probably sound like an old fuddy duddy, but I feel like they don't make movies this fun anymore.
Not that you asked, but I think Days of Thunder should be included in this lens. Not that it's a great movie, but it is a Nascar movie nonetheless.
-
ToTheBrimm
Car Movies That Just Didn't Make the Cut
Nothing against these cars, I just don't want to have to watch these movies again.
XB Falcon
The Death Proof Duck Hood Ornament
James Bond Aston Martin DB5
Christine - 1958 Plymouth Fury
by ToTheBrimm
Who doesn't like a good Car Movie?
Kick back, grab a bucket of popcorn and 60 ounces or your favorite watered-down soda product and enjoy the picture...
more »
- 122 featured lenses
- Winner of 26 trophies!
- Top lens » Biker Slang | Motorcycle Lingo


