The 100 Greatest Movie and TV Cars of All Time

[usmusclecars]

The 100 Greatest Movie and TV Cars of All Time
Hollywood's Real Superstars
 
Our love of cars started right here. Movie and TV cars are literally the stuff of dreams. We're all let into theaters and plopped in front of the tube long before we're issued driver licenses.

Then we all dream of doing reverse 180s like Jim Rockford escaping thugs, or fleeing the po-po in a Shelby Mustang named Eleanor. We all want a best friend like KITT. And every orange Dodge Charger can fly, right?

These are the 100 movie and TV cars that built that passion.

 
100. 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.

99. 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.

98. Easy Rider Captain America Harley-Davidson: The ultimate biker road trip movie. Made in 1969. Made Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, Jack Nicholson, and they're Harley's icons.

97. Get Smart's 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.

96. 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.

95. 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.

94. 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.

93. Viva Las Vegas 1962 Elva Mk. VI: In Elvis Presley's best movie (released in 1964) he drove this lay-down, midengine Elva to victory in a wildly destructive race.

92. The Thomas Crown Affair 1968 Shelby Mustang GT500: Seen for a fleeting moment in this 1999 remake. A Shelby GT500 convertible modified for off-road work. One of a kind. Wicked.

91. The Prisoner 1967 Lotus 7 Series II: "Number Six" is seen driving this Lotus before his deportation to the island in Patrick McGoohan's 1967 British cult classic.

 
90. Scooby-Doo 1969 Mystery Machine Van: Without the Mystery Machine, Fred, Daphne, Velma, Scooby and Shaggy go nowhere. They've been going since 1969. That's 42 years.

89. Speed Racer 1966 Mach 5: The Mach 5 was the first truly awesome Japanese car. The 52 original episodes ran between 1966 and 1968. Over time, they've gotten no better.

88. 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.

87. 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.

86. Columbo 1959 Peugeot 403 Convertible: The perfectly rumpled car for rumpled Lieutenant Columbo (Peter Falk). For 69 episodes from 1971 through 2003, this is what he drove.

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

84. 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.

83. The Munsters 1965 Drag-U-La: Built at George Barris' shop by Korky Korkes, the coffin-based Drag-U-La first appeared in the 1965 episode "Hot Rod Herman."

82. Animal House 1964 Lincoln Continental Deathmobile: Flounder's brother's car in the 1978 classic comedy. Becomes the Deathmobile in the film's climax. Road trip!

81. 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.

 
80. 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.

79. Against All Odds 1984 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.

78. Against All Odds 1984 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.

77. 48 Hrs. 1964 Cadillac DeVille: This is the 1982 movie that made Eddie Murphy a star. But it's the ratty Caddy that Nick Nolte drove that everyone remembers.

76. 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.

75. 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.

74. Spenser: For Hire 1966 Ford Mustang GT: Underrated detective series ran for three seasons and four movies. Starred Robert Urich and a green fastback Mustang from 1985-'88.

73. 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.

72. 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.

71. 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.

 
70. Cars Lightning McQueen: Cars, released in 2006, isn't Pixar's best, but it has sold the most toys. Lightning McQueen is a cuddly version of a stock car.

69. Batman Begins 2005 Tumbler: The latest Batmobile is an amazing prop built for this 2005 film. Yes, it really drives even if it doesn't leap across buildings and rivers.

68. Laurel & Hardy 1908 Model T: The great movie duo practically invented the movie gag car with a series of Model Ts used in their films between 1919 and 1945.

67. 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.

66. 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.

65. 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.

64. 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.

63. 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.

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

61. 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.

 
60. 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.

59. 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.

58. 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.

57. 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.

56. 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.

55. Transformers 1976 Chevrolet Camaro "Bumblebee": Sure, Bumblebee became a 2010 Camaro in this 2007 megahit. But really, he was better off as the clapped-out '76 on Cragars.

54. 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.

53. White Lightning 1971 Ford LTD: The 1973 film that was the prototype for Smokey and the Bandit. A stripped LTD sedan with a 429, a bench seat and four-speed is always cool.

52. Fast Five 1969 Nissan Skyline GT-R: This gorgeous, worn-down car does nothing but drive through Rio and park. And with that alone, it steals the 2011 movie.

51. 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.

 
50. 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.

49. 2 Fast 2 Furious 1998 Nissan Skyline GT-R: Forgive the neon lighting; it was 2003. The R34 is the best 2F2F car. The on-screen R34s ran with disconnected front differentials for drifting.

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

47. 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.

46. The Fast and the Furious 1993 Toyota Supra Turbo: It beats a Ferrari on PCH. Then chases a motorcycle. And is given away to Vin Diesel at the end of this 2001 film.

45. 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.

44. 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.

43. Risky Business 1981 Porsche 928: Four 928s were used in filming and two more in post-production. The 1983 movie made Tom Cruise a star. Who's the U-boat commander?

42. 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!

41. 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.

40. 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.

39. 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.

38. 77 Sunset Strip T-Bucket: "Kookie" (Edd Byrnes) drove a wild T-Bucket actually built by Norm Grabowski on this 1959-'64 series. It defined '60s hot-rodding.

37. 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.

36. 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.

35. 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.

34. 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."

33. 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.

32. 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.

31. 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.

 
30. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 1910 Chitty Chitty Bang Bang: Musical about a miraculous car based on an old Grand Prix racer. Has made car guys out of millions of kids since 1968.

29. Back to the Future 1981 DeLorean DMC-12: Doc Brown: "The way I see it, if you're gonna build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style?" It is 1985's best movie.

28. 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.

27. 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.

26. The A-Team 1983 GMC 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.

25. 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.

24. Hardcastle and McCormick Coyote X: Originally a Manta Montage kit car, and later seasons used a rebodied DeLorean. Swung its tail around every corner in this 1983-'86 TV series.

23. 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.

22. 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.

21. 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. ROBIN1.

 
20. National Lampoon's Vacation 1983 Wagon Queen Family Truckster: Clark Griswold's indignities start when he doesn't get the Sport Wagon he ordered in this 1983 film. Wally World, here we come.

19. 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.

18. 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.

17. 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.

16. The Fast and the Furious 1970 Dodge Charger: The iconic car from this movie series is so intimidating that Vin Diesel is scared to drive it in the original film.

15. 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.

14. Ferris Bueller's Day Off 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California: Yeah, the Ferrari in the 1986 movie was just a replica. But it's the first Ferrari many of us ever lusted after. You fellas have nothing to worry about. I'm a professional.

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

12. 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.

11. 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.

10. 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.

9. 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.

8. 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.

7. 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. At least KITT didn't have to listen.

6. 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.

5. 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.

4. 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.

3. The Spy Who Loved Me 1977 Lotus Esprit: In this 1977 film, it's a Lotus that turns into a submarine. That's enough to make it the third greatest movie/TV car of all time.

2. 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.

1. 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.

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