Movies about cars have been a big part of cinema for as long as we can all remember, but which car movies have you seen? We have compiled a list of ten movies perfect for lovers of fast cars, car chases and adrenaline.
Our top ten is made up of both classics and recent movies featuring the coolest cars and the fastest car chases in cinematic history. From Gone in 60 Seconds to Disney’s Cars, they’ve all made it onto the list. In no particular order, these are our top ten car classics that we think you all should see:
1. The Fast and The Furious Vin Diesel’s famed franchise started in 2001, and with 8 movies so far and no confirmation that another film won’t be made, it is a name we will likely continue to see for years ahead. Fast 7 and 8 made it into the list of the few movies in history to make $1 billion dollars at the box office, which is no mean feat! This shows how incredibly popular the franchise has become over the years, and very few of you wouldn’t be able to recognise Dominic Toretto’s famed Dodge Charger if you saw it. With a wide selection of cars made famous by the movies, like the Dodge Charger, the Nissan Skyline, the Toyota Supra and the GTR,there really is something for every car lover – what’s not to like?
2. Gone in 60 Seconds The 2000 film starring Nicholas Cage and Angelina Jolie features no end of awesome cars – 50 if you want to be exact. When his brother fails to steal the 50 cars demanded by a dangerous British gangster, Randall ‘Memphis’ Raines is brought in to save the day. With the mammoth task of stealing 50 high value cars in 72 hours to save his brother’s life, the stakes are high. Memphis and his team get the job underway, famously naming each car a female name. Among the most famous is ‘Eleanor’, the Shelby Mustang GT500 stolen in the last few cars of the 50. This beautiful car appears in one of the best car chases of the movie and is damaged, much to the pain of onlooking car lovers all around the world.
3. The Italian Job This 1969 British film and it’s 2000 remake have earned their way into the history books with high speed chases and savvy driving, even with the most unlikely of getaway cars: a trio of Mini Coopers. With its literal cliff-hanger ending, you’ll remember that “you’re only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!”.
4. Baby Driver This 2017 movie stars some amazing car chases as Baby (played by The Fault in Our Stars lead, Ansel Elgort) is the music-loving getaway driver for a gang of criminals. This movie really has something for everyone, with fast-paced car chases for the adrenaline junkies in the audience as well as a sweet love plot for those less interested in cars. But something to suit everyone is this film’s soundtrack, which is full of foot-tapping classics.
5. Cars Now, maybe animated movies aren’t your cup of tea, but there’s no denying this film’s genius. It was number one in the box office on its weekend of release in the US, for more reasons than just it’s appeal to kids. Not only does this movie feature some nail-biting races, and amazing animation skills, but there are plenty of adult refences if you have your eyes peeled. Be sure to look out for them the next time you see this movie on the telly.
6. Transformers Despite the fact that these cars turn into 17-foot-tall robots, their cars forms have become particularly famous since the release of the first movie in 2007. Bumblebee, the friendly robot who is purchased as a beaten up 1977 Camero by Sam Witwicky, is among the most famous from the franchise, starring in a rumoured spin-off movie of his own later this year. However, his arguably most famous scene in the film series is where he transforms into the brand new 2006 Camero concept car, which is the form he is most famous for, inciting envy in car fans around the world.
7. The Love Bug This 1968 film and its numerous spin-offs and remakes have made ‘Herbie’ the VW beetle one of the most famous cars to ever hit the screen. This red, white and blue beetle had a mind of its own and people fell in love with this little character the moment he hit the screens! Everyone has got to love the Love Bug, which is why he remains famous even today!
8. James Bond Though the famed British spy movie franchise isn’t specifically about cars, it is undeniable that it stars some of the most famous cars and car chases in cinematic history. This fast-paced classic film series introduced the likes of the Aston Martin DB5 and the Lotus Espirit to our screens over the generations of 007. The Espirit S1 was seen to be driven underwater in ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’, and this was actually true – a fully functioning submarine was built inside the shell of the S1 specifically for this movie. However, the Aston Martin has featured in many of the films – from the classic DB5, to the DBS and DB10 which can be seen in the later movies starring Daniel Craig. The deep silver colour of the DBS that featured in the 2006 film was officially coined ‘Casino Royale’ after the movie title.
9. Back to the Future The Delorean DMC-12 featured in the Back to the Future movies has become famous all over the world, and you may even see some out on the roads today – however, unfortunately the regular, road-legal versions of this car can’t time travel. With its futuristic wing doors, this car was the perfect fit for the plutonium-fuelled time-travelling motor that heavily featured in the trilogy – taking main character Marty McFly and Doc Brown back in time, and then ‘back to the future’.
10. Bullitt This 1968 American classic starring Steve McQueen is famed for its ten-minute-long car chase between the hero of the story’s green Ford Mustang GT and the bad guys’ Dodge Charger 440 Magnum. The car chase is still famous today, and because of this, as well as the film’s immediate success in the box office, it was selected for preservation in the US National Film Registry. This makes it the perfect contender to conclude our list.
Of course, there’s numerous car movies out there – honourable mentions go to Drive, Mad Max, Christine and many more. Is your favourite on our list?
