We’ve all heard the phrase, “as American as apple pie,” but any car lover knows there’s nothing more American than a hot rod or a Hollywood movie. Fortunately, there are some genius movie minds over the years that have realized combining these two core elements is a recipe for unfathomable success.
Indeed, sometimes Hollywood actors take a back seat to the show-stealing performances of their automotive co-stars. Despite the enormous number of dream cars featured in blockbuster movies, we’ve whittled down a list spotlighting 7 unstoppably awesome autos:
1967 Shelby Mustang GT500
Movie: Gone in 60 Seconds
This gorgeous Ford Mustang was legendary before Gone in 60 Seconds came out, but after the movie’s release, it became almost mythical in stature. In the movie, Nic Cage plays a professional car thief who somehow has never been able to boost the 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500. The car haunts his character’s dreams so much he simply winds up calling it “Eleanor.”
1981 DeLorean DMC-12
Movie: Back to the Future
Great Scott! Did you know by putting a flux capacitor in a 1981 DeLorean DMC-112 and gunning it up to 88 MPH you can travel through time?!? This scientific fact was proven by the Back to the Future movie franchise and added mystique to an already mystifying car. With its gull-wing doors and futuristic design, it’s hard to imagine a more perfect car to turn into a time machine.
1963 Aston Martin DB5
Movie: Goldfinger
By far the most famous “Bond Car,” the Aston Martin DB5 epitomizes everything suave, classy, and British that James Bond is known for. With an all-aluminum 4.0 liter engine, this baby can definitely get you from points A to B, all while telling everybody the last time you had money issues was when your private jet needed to refuel mid-air and you had already reached you $25 million limits on your credit card that month.
1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor
Movie: Ghostbusters
Listen… do you smell something? It’s the exhaust spewing out the tailpipe of the Ecto-1, the trusty transport of the revered Ghostbusters. The Ecto-1 is a modified version of a 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor, which was a popular ambulance model for multiple decades. Upon the first impression, this car looks like its sole concern is functionality, but one glance at those awesome wingtips on the back lets everyone know that it’s also here to party.
2054 Lexus Concept Car
Movie: Minority Report
It’s always great to catch a glimpse of a car that won’t come out for another half-century. For the 2002 Sci-Fi thriller Minority Report starring Tom Cruise, Lexus took on the challenge of producing a car that will be popular in the year 2054. Their creation includes awesome features like a 100% electric motor, night vision windshield, and biometric security features. Just make sure you eat all your fruits and vegetables so you can live long enough to drive this beast.
1987 Ford LTD Crown Victoria
Movie: Men in Black
It looks like a car you’d expect to see a grandma driving at 15 MPH under the limit in the left-hand lane with her blinker on. In the movie Men in Black, Will Smith’s character mockingly refers to it as a “Ford P.O.S.” But when you see this sucker transform into a rocket-propelled car and zip upside-down through the Queens Midtown tunnel, it’s confirmed that this car packs some serious punch.
1961 Ferrari GT California
Movie: Ferris Bueller’s Day Off
The movie’s slogan is “One man’s struggle to take it easy,” but if you got behind the wheel of this 1961 Ferrari GT California, you’d struggle to keep your lead foot in check. This gorgeous model packs a 237 horsepower punch, and inspired this immortal dialogue between Ferris and his hapless friend Cameron:
Cameron: The 1961 Ferrari 250GT California. Less than a hundred were made. My father spent three years restoring this car. It is his love, it is his passion…
Ferris: It is his fault he didn’t lock the garage…
The car’s tragic demise ranks up there with Old Yeller and Titanic in the annals of tear-inducing endings in movie history.