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Best Movie Cars: Top 5

We are now in our 7th edition of the MM Top 5 series and I am pleased at how popular the articles have become. Over the past few months we’ve looked at Harry Potter films, Marvel films, Family Films and many more.

This fortnight, we’re going to move away very slightly from ‘films’ but still with that movie theme running in the background. This edition of MM Top 5 is going to be looking at the best movie cars of all time.

#5 VW Beetle: The Herbie films, 1969-2005

Herbie: 5

Herbie: 5

Is there a better way to start off this MM Top 5 than with the anthropomorphic Volkswagen Beetle? I certainly think not. Herbie was first brought to life in the 1969 Disney film The Love Bug and has since grown a huge following across the globe as the life-saving, money-making Beetle that everyone adores.

Of course, there was nothing special about the car itself, apart from its wacky paintjob, racing stripes and the number 53, it was just another Volkswagen Beetle; a classic car that has faded into obscurity in recent years. However, once with people Herbie trusted, he became a personality all of his own; doors, headlamps, the bonnet and even the boot could all move independently so anyone around him would know he was there and how he was feeling.

In 2005, Herbie teamed up with a pre-prison Lindsay Lohan in the critical disaster that was Herbie Fully Loaded and unfortunately for the cream bug, it was to be his last outing on film. For that reason, Herbie can only make it to number 5 on this list.

#4 Ford Explorer: Jurassic Park, 1993

Ford Explorer: 4

Ford Explorer: 4

As a standalone car, the Ford Explorer had very little going for it back in 1993. It was hideously boring, badly made and terrible to drive, but then something happened which completely changed the public’s view of the Explorer and it became a vehicle of choice for many across the United States.

Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park is what happened and with the release of the film, came the new ‘coolness’ factor that the Explorer so desperately needed.

In the film, the car was given a huge facelift. Gone were the dated exterior colours that had plagued the vehicle since its inception, instead updated with a new ‘tribal’ theme including Jurassic Park logos, bull-bars and spotlights.

Inside, a classy cream leather interior and wooden inserts dominated the luxurious cabin and even better, it drove itself meaning visitors could simply sit back and enjoy the ride. Numerous people across the world have tried to replicate Jurassic’s Explorer with differing degrees of success, but one thing is for sure – they certainly ‘spared no expense.’

#3 Aston Martin DB5: James Bond, 1964-2012

Aston Martin DB5: 3

Aston Martin DB5: 3

The Aston Martin DB5 is as much a part of James Bond as 007 himself. First appearing in 1964’s Goldfinger, the car epitomised British culture and heritage at the time and showed audiences around the world what British car manufacturing could produce.

Not only did it perfectly suit Sean Connery’s portrayal of the secret agent, it regularly stole the limelight from the veteran actor and became an integral part of every film it featured in.

It was also a car that featured more gadgets than an Apple store, here is a brief list of what can be found in the deadly DB5.

  • Machine Guns: Located in the front indicators.
  • Passenger Ejector Seat
  • Revolving Number Plates: To evade that vicious enemy.
  • Oil Slick: In case things get a little slippery.

The sheer amount of tricks this car could surprise you with kept its appearances in the films timeless and to this day it remains one of the most used vehicles in cinema history.

They may have replaced it over the years, but no other James Bond car has as much prowess and as much class as the DB5.

#2  Batmobile: The Dark Knight trilogy, 2005-2012

The Tumbler: 2

The Tumbler: 2

The silver medal in this fortnight’s MM Top 5 goes to both a car, and also to a director. Christopher Nolan not only reinvented the stale Batman franchise back in 2005 with Batman Begins, but he reinvented one of the icons of entertainment history: the Batmobile, or as it was renamed here, the Tumbler.

His take on the vehicle was a much more masculine, intimidating affair that closely resembled a tank, which is probably why Nolan chose to rename the car as the Tumbler. It was used on many occasions by Christian Bale (Bruce Wayne) who became the Dark Knight at the time.

Bruce Wayne acquired the vehicle from his own company; it was nicknamed the Tumbler, to serve as his own Batmobile. Originally, it sported desert camouflage paint, but Wayne requested that his head of research, Lucius Fox (Morgan Freeman) have it painted black.

The vehicle has become synonymous across the globe as the defining piece of machinery used in the Dark Knight trilogy and because of its global recognition, it slots into second place on this edition of MM Top 5.

#1 DeLorean: Back to the Future trilogy, 1985-1990

DeLorean DMC-12: 1

DeLorean DMC-12: 1

Here we are; the seventh edition of MM Top 5 reaches the top spot. It’s definitely been an interesting exploration into the depths of the best cars in cinema history and I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my findings.

Could there be any vehicle in the long history of film that deserves to take the top spot more than the one we have here?

The DeLorean DMC-12 is perhaps the coolest car to ever grace the silver screen and its following has grown and grown over the years. In 1985, audiences across the globe were treated to a time-travelling comedy which would become one of the most loved films of all time and whilst Robert Zemeckis’ feature will be remembered for no doubt hundreds of reasons, the DeLorean that was a part of it will be very close to the forefront of people’s minds.

The car itself was a wonder to behold; with exquisite styling, complimented by those stunning gull-wing doors it wasn’t hard to see why it garnered so many fans through the years and became arguably the most in demand car to ever feature in a film. It still remains reasonably stylish to this day, as many manufacturers like Mercedes have used features of the car in their own vehicles.

Whereas the interior of many of the other cars featured in this list has been pristine, clean and uncluttered, the DeLorean simply wasn’t and I think that only added to its charm, it had an air of the ‘homemade’ about it which obviously struck a chord with audiences.

There is no doubt in my mind that the DeLorean DMC-12 is the greatest car to ever feature in film.

As always, some cars simply can’t make the cut, but they do feature in my ‘An Honourable Mention’ list, which is below:

  • Mini: The Italian Job
  • Lotus Esprit: James Bond
  • Ecto-1 (Cadillac Miller-Meteor): Ghostbusters

What do you think of our picks for the top movie cars? Do you agree with our choices? Leave a comment in the box below or better yet, vote in our new poll feature to share your thoughts!

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4 Comments

  1. Heather

    Jurassic Park all the way!

    • Adam Brannon

      Thanks for your comment Heather. The Ford Explorer was definitely a huge part of Jurassic Park. Take a look across the internet for some really funny takes on the Jurassic vehicle.

  2. Emma

    Great topic! Also on my honorary list would be the ford anglia from HP and the ‘greased lightning’ convertible in Grease! 🙂

    • Adam Brannon

      Hi Emma! Thanks for commenting. Yes, the Ford Anglia is a fantastic car and should have featured in my Honourable Mentions. It simply slipped my mind – thanks for reminding me!

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