25 best TV and movie cars ever
We've compiled the most iconic motors to grace the screen. Warning: this much cool may actually hurt
Buckle your seatbelts, you’re in for one hell of a ride. Here are the 25 best TV and movie cars of all time.
1938 VW Beetle (The Love Bug, 1968)
The loveable anthropomorphic bug has a wacky adventure. And there’s no mention of Hitler’s involvement in the design of the VW Beetle anywhere.
1952 Reliant Regal (Only Fools and Horses, 1981-2003)
The most famous three-wheeler on the planet, filled with unsellable tat. And a pair of geezers in Batman and Robin get-up. In reality the Regal is notorious for flipping in corners and giving up on the slightest of hills.
1963 Aston Martin DB5 (Goldfinger, 1964)
Sexy, isn’t it? Yes, James Bond is too but we meant the DB5. Definitive Bond and equally cool. All Astons, until Ford bought the company, were hand-made in one factory near Oxford.
1968 V8 Ford Mustang (Bullitt, 1968)
One of the most famous drifts in any car on screen, Steve McQueen put the V8 through its paces for the nine-minute chase scene, which took three weeks to film. The famous reverse burnout wasn’t planned – Steve McQueen just got carried away and the producers (rightly) decided to keep it in.
1969 Dodge Charger (Dukes of Hazzard, 1979-1985)
Better known as The General Lee, the orange Charger used by the Duke family appears in every episode but one. At least 256 Chargers were used and abused while filming the series.
1981 DeLorean DMC-12 (Back to the Future, 1985)
The flux capacitor-equipped, gull-wing time machine is one of the most iconic cars ever to grace the screen. It’s also one of the worst, and as a result only 9,000 were made. For a good condition original you can expect to pay about £35,000 – over double its original sale value. Flux capacitor not included.
1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am (Knight Rider, 1982-1986)
Quite possibly the coolest car ever, KITT was able to drive itself, jump, take a beating and talk. Having a car you can call from your watch still hasn’t materialised, though you can buy the glowing red light to stick to the front of your Trans Am. Not recommended unless you already wear very tight jeans and blow-dry your hair.
1976 Lotus Esprit World (The Spy Who Loved Me, 1977)
The Lotus Esprit World made a splash in The Spy Who Loved Me. Quite literally – it converted into a torpedo-firing submarine. The underwater model was actually built, could reach speeds of 15 knots and had no means of stopping.
1988 GMC Vandura (The A-Team, 1983-1987)
Mr T’s wagon became an extension of its driver – feared and respected as much as the plane-fearing slugger himself. Now you can even hire a clone of the A-Team van for your more image-conscious mercenary missions.
1966 Ford Futura Batmobile (Batman, 1966-1968)
The original Batmobile was converted with great haste from a 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car. Today its estimated worth is US$2 million. With a fully functional gas-turbine jet-propulsion system it might even be worth it, even if it does only give a 15-second burst before running out of fuel.
1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor (Ghost Busters, 1984)
The Ectomobile (or Ecto-1) was a converted ambulance that transported the undead to be trapped in the Ghostbusters vault for eternity. In an early version of the script the car was able to travel interdimensionally. That was scrapped in favour of a more, erm, believable film.
1966 Ford Thunderbird (Thelma and Louise, 1991)
Feminism takes a trip in a decidedly masculine America muscle car, but disaster strikes when the titular characters attempt to reverse park next to a canyon.
1967 Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Fastback (Gone in 60 Seconds, 2000)
An old car that’s still mean and scary – like the Clint Eastwood of the motor world. Fastback refers to the shape at the rear while GT500 is the moniker given to the top-end model with a 7-litre V8 engine that makes it sound like a roaring animal.
1966 AC Shelby Cobra 427 (Gumball Rally, 1976)
The 485bhp engine throttled the Cobra to 185mph, making it one of the fastest and most powerful automobiles of its day. There are plenty of replicas about today but an original will cost you dearly – one recently sold for £2.8 million at auction.
1975 Ford Gran Torino (Starsky and Hutch, 1975-1979)
Such was the greatness of the Gran Torino, Clint Eastwood made a film named after it. The Gran Torino provided a nice big hood for plenty of Starsky and Hutch cop sliding action as well as a great shield for shoot-outs. The Torino also appeared in the first episode of The Dukes of Hazzard before being ousted by The General Lee.
1974 Dodge Monaco (Blues Brothers, 1980)
When you have to pick your brother up from prison, buy a cop car on the cheap, don your dark glasses and hit the road. Sensitive choice, Elwood.
1961 Ferrari 250 GT California (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, 1986)
Ferris inevitably stole the Ferrari from his dad’s garage on his famously rebellious day. His best mate chucked it out of a large window. Oops.
1966 Alpha Romeo Spider 1600 (The Graduate, 1967)
Not the worst car to come of age in. Ben’s model runs out of gas at the crucial moment. Surprising, as most Alpha Romeos of this era would have broken down long before they burnt through a tank of petrol.
1977 Ferrari 308 GTS (Magnum PI, 1980-1988)
These Ferraris can’t be bought without at least a one-inch thick moustache. That’s not true, but the fact that this is one of the most recognised and iconic Ferrari road cars is widely accepted.
1989 Ferrari Mondial (Scent of a Woman, 1992)
Al Pacino’s Frank Slade drove this Ferrari blind. Luckily it was Ferrari’s most commercially successful model with over 13 years of production, so there were plenty of spares.
2000 TVR Tuscan Speed Six (Swordfish, 2001)
The British-made motor that’s notorious for its throaty roar. After the film’s release TVR received around 50 emails a day from Americans asking how they could buy the car.
1976 AMC Pacer (Wayne’s World, 1992)
If ever there was a car to headbang to Queen in, this is it. The Mirthmobile had a red liquorice dispenser and a beer. Party hard.
1980 Corgi 342 Ford Capri (The Professionals, 1977-1983)
Despite being a decidedly British show, the decline of the English car manufacturing industry at the time was clear from the abundance of Ford vehicles in The Professionals. The best of these? Ford’s Capri MK II 3.0s.
1961 Jaguar Mk II (Withnail & I, 1987)
A cantankerous old cacophony of rust and squeals. But good old Jag sure knew how to build them, as this battered beast managed to carry Withnail & I into the countryside on the newly built, and refreshingly empty M40.
1969 Mini Cooper S (Italian Job, 1969)
Featured in red, white and blue versions, the Minis had the speed and handling for one of the most famous heists on film and easily the best getaway chase ever shot in Turin. The scene where Rozzer’s rear differential gets fixed is a gag; Mini’s were front wheel drive and didn’t have a rear differential.
Will Dunn
Former magazine editor 
