Star cars: 7 famous on-screen automobiles

Many cars have made a name for themselves in film and television, including Lightning McQueen, the Batmobile, the General Lee, and the Mystery Machine. Here are seven kinds of cars that became famous on the big screen.

1. The 1963 Volkswagen Beetle
Since making his first appearance in the 1968 feature film The Love Bug, the sentient race car Herbie went on to star in several sequels and remakes, garnering adoration from fans of all ages.

2. The 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor ambulance
With lights flashing and sirens blaring, the Ectomobile, or Ecto-1, sped down New York City streets in search of paranormal activity in the original Ghostbusters films.

3. The DeLorean DMC-12
This pop culture icon is known for reaching speeds of 88 miles an hour during its stint as the retrofitted time travel machine in the Back to the Future movie trilogy.

4. The 1976 Ford Gran Torino
Nicknamed the Striped Tomato because of its bright red paint job, this car featured in the 1970s action-crime drama Starsky & Hutch and made its big-screen debut in 2004.

5. The Aston Martin DB5
This weaponized luxury vehicle is one of the most iconic cars in cinematic history, first driven by Sean Connery as James Bond in the 1964 film Goldfinger.

6. The 1993 Toyota Supra
One of many vehicles featured in the Fast & Furious franchise, this flashy orange race car was driven by Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) in the final showdown of the original 2001 film.

7. The 1968 Ford Mustang GT
Bullitt star Steve McQueen gunned this green muscle car through the streets of San Francisco and sent it, tires screeching, into one of the most iconic car chase scenes in film history.

Of course, there are many other famous Hollywood cars including the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder featured in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and the 1973 Ford Falcon XB GT from the original Mad Max movie. All these vehicles have inspired car culture and continue to influence collectors of all ages.