Even those with even the slightest passing interest in Hollywood movies know that the Oscars were doled out last night at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Films are fine, but anytime a screenplay involves copious (and sometimes gratuitous!) volumes of cars, well, gearheads like us tend to sit up and take notice.
Never mind Best Actor or Best Screenplay. What’s your pick for Best Car?
In case you’re suffering from a weekend hangover a bit worse than normal this morning, here’s a refresher of some notable movie cars provided by — of all people — Walmart.
Selecting one of the machines from this series of flicks is totally cool but also totally easy. There are plenty of more obscure options from which to choose.
Gearheads like us certainly know of the BMW M5 from Ronin but I doubt anyone who’s not totally into cars will recall this as one of the greatest chase scenes of all time. The casual observer wouldn’t have called this movie a car flick.
Of course, there are plenty of obvious answers such as all 492 Fast & Furious movies and stuff like Gone in 60 Seconds. We’ll stick to car selections from the big screen this week; next Monday, I’ll ask you about your faves from television.
“Even those with even the slightest passing interest in Hollywood movies know that the Oscars were doled out last night at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles.”
Well, that counts me out. I honestly had no idea until I read it here, just now.
Best movie car: Steve McQueen’s Mustang in Bullitt.
I didn’t know the Oscars were last night either. I used to know some people who cared, but they left the rails for good a few years ago.
The Charger in Bullit was better. They had to use all sorts of movie magic to make a Mustang keep up with it.
Cant resist, can you? Sad.
Just history lesson John. Max Balchowsky had to soup up the two 390 powered Mustangs used in the movie so the Chargers wouldn’t perform horizon jobs on them on every straight away.
Charger… Mustang… meh… did you even watch the movie? The teleporting green Beetle stole the show!
The conspicuous reality of smashing their suspensions on the hills was the standout feature for me.
Well, that and the black Falcon-Ranchero
I wouldn’t watch Oscars. I don’t even go to movies. I watch them when they are free.
Each passing year Oscar is more boring than previous year. It become all about PC and has little to do with films per se – outcome was totally predictable. But this year Oscar was at its worst in its tediousness.
The Oscars have become a bunch of vapid airheads who break their arms patting themselves on their backs!
Does anyone still watch these awards programs?
But this is what the Oscars have always been about. Hollywood set them up to raise the perception of the motion picture and the people within the Society.
Steve McQueen’s Mustang also gets my vote.
But of course Ronin’s M5 is a close runner-up.
The Mustang from Bullitt.
Bond’s DB5.
Doc Brown’s DeLorean from Back to the Future.
The Mini’s from the original Italian Job.
The Batmobile.
Each of these were as important to the movie as the human actors.
Can use a similar question for another QOTD regarding the Emmys (TV show cars).
My favorite Bond car was the Cougar convertible that Tracy drove in “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.”
Didn’t know, don’t care, ’58 Impala from American Graffiti.
How about James Bond’s “modified” Renault 11? I mean the chop top/front clip.
(And to think people don’t like the Dalton movies.)
Wasn’t that a Roger Moore movie?
Anyway, I vote for the Lotus Esprit submarine.
You are correct! View to a Kill was the last Moore Bond. Somehow I mixed it up with Living Daylights.
The Leslie Special in The Great Race – Blake Edward’s fantastic movie loosely based on the 1907 New York to Paris race won by a Thomas Flyer.
Now, pay attention, 007…the greatest movie car EVER is this DB5, with modifications.
I beg to differ, sir. Seymour Goldfarb’s DB5 (cigar lighter, ejection seat, and all) was the better car.
LOL
The obnoxiously huge 1970 Galaxie coupe from ‘Roma’ really made the movie for me.
We’re doing movies from 2018 only, right?
Don’t forget the VW kit cars and Frankenstein’s modified Corvette from (the original) Death Race 2000.
If we are talking where the LEAD ACTOR is actually a car, nothing can beat Herbie, the VW Beetle in The Love Bug.
Yeah, but the character Herbie was what you’d call a “good” person. In storytelling and character studies, the morally ambiguous characters invariably invariably richer, more interesting entertainment. I counter your nomination of movie Herbie for the television car character K.A.R.R., the prototype intelligent Trans-Am.
If the car needs to be the lead actor, the Oscar must go to Christine. Besides, can you name ANY other actor from that flick? The Plymouth stole the show.
Agree! There was that ’70 Charger that the jock drove. But, man-o-man, Christine is a beauty!
Dang… edit button is gone.
The Peterbilt from Duel.
James Bond’s Aston Martin db5
General Lee Charger
Ghostbuster’s ’59 Cadillac Ambulance
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car
I could do this all day…
I vote we stick to the 2018 Oscar nominees as salmonmigration suggested, so all the usual suspects from decades past aren’t brought up again. The 70 Galaxie from Roma is a good one, and I’ll nominate the 62 Cadillac Sedan DeVille from Green Book.
Cuaron’s #ROMA movie was great visually, and all the cars featured are on-point, period correct for Mexico in 1970:
70 Ford Galaxy Coupe
69 Dodge Valiant Coupe
68 Renault 16 sedan
60’s VW Bug
I cringed when the lady was trying to Fit the Galaxy in her home’s tight garage. When she finally messed up the car during parking I felt really bad.
Amazed at how well it captured a tiny slice of Mexico City life. It was like traveling back in time.
So many great choices here beyond the obvious ones…The Black ’77 Trans Am, Elwood Blues’ ’74 Dodge Monaco, Brosnan Bond’s remote-controlled Bimmer, Louise’s ’66 T-Bird.
But I gotta go with Max Rockatansky’s ’73 Falcon. The last of the V-8s! The blower! The blower!
My runner-up choice would be Moore Bond’s Lotus Esprit with the submarine feature, which was an option rarely ordered back in the day.
“Max Rockatansky’s ’73 Falcon”
I like where your mind is but I’m gonna have to stop you right there, sir.
–> The Nightrider’s ’72 Holden Monaro with the JATO bottle in the trunk.
BOOM.
Remember him when you look at the night sky.
My only defense is that I’m a rocker, I’m a roller, I’m a right-out-of-controller, baby.
^^^
“like/+1”
It’s a threshold moment, Johnny.
Trying to come up with a semi-recent nomination, I’ll go with Jeff Bridges’ Ram from “Hell Or High Water”. Not 2018, but watchable movies are few and far between these days.
They still hold the Oscars? I thought that dumb mess was canceled at least 10 years.
I actually liked the Audi S8 in Ronan. Thought the BMW in the chase scenes was kind of pedestrian. I did like Bonds 7 series in Tomorrow Never Dies and have vague memories of Jason Statham’s BMW from the first Transporter movie
and all of the Astons in Bond’s collection from the 10 on back.
I like car Punisher built.
Nice car movie here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeqdUN_-vnA
The Mustang should get the Lifetime Achievement Award, being in the most movies and TV, not just chases. They’re made for it, being sorta fast, found everywhere and aren’t disabled jumping curbs and whatnot.
Doc Hudson from Cars. ;)
If the car must be the protagonist, my vote goes to the white Challenger from Vanishing Point.
The original movie. The remake was OK thought.
The M4S is a good choice too. The cars were certainly the stars there.
What about the Dodge M4S in The Wraith?
(h/t TTAC for that obscure movie)
You want obscure movies with cars starring in them? Two Lane Blacktop. Starring a modified rat rod style 1955 Chev and a new GTO.
According to IMDB trivia, the 1955 Chev was re-used as Bob Falfa (Harrison Ford’s) car in American Graffiti. I cannot vouch for the veracity of this claim, but is the internet ever wrong?
And I take back my nomination of the Batmobile and replace it with the Bluesmobile. Again a vehicle that played a starring role in the movie.
Lotus Esprit from ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’
“Nobody does it better…”
My Mother the Car was pretty fun.
Any of the Wacky Racers— Gruesome Twosome are my favorite :)
I’m super into the Bates Motel cars— Desperate Housewives had super cute car stereotypes for all the players.
Can I pick the refit Enterprise 1701 from Star Trek: The Motion Picture? She was a marvel.
Honorable starship mentions: Excelsior or Miranda.
The Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy’s street of first-generation Dodge neons in the ‘I’m gay!’ musical number. Fsk that was brilliant.
Wait.
I forgot Bumblebee. *Everyone* forgot Bumblebee.
Bumblebee, the Beetle.
I liked just about every car in “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.”
https://www.imcdb.org/m57193.html
I am with you Todd – it’s all time best and funniest movie with a lot off cool cars and chases. My favorite always was red Dodge Dart convertible driven by Sylvester (Dick Shawn). This car was my childhood’s dream car.
“Russell why can’t we catch them, we are the ones driving an Imperial.”
Have to agree that movie has so many examples of the cars of that era. Just a joy to see them again.
The funniest “Vehicle” was the little girl’s bike with Jonathan Winters riding it though.
That and Jim Backus’ plane.
“What if something goes wrong?”
“What could go wrong with an old fashioned”
The Dude’s ’73 Gran Torino “The Big Lebowski” #2
Wayne an Garth’s Pacer “Wayne’s World” #1
Honorable Mention – Dustin Hoffman’s Alfa in “The Graduate”
NOW yer talkin’!
The Griswolds’ Family Truckster. “You think you hate it now, but just wait until you drive it.”
(Holiday rooooooooooooooooooooad…)
But what about the Arctic blue sportwagon?
If we’re just doing 2018, then it HAS to be Bumblebee right? They made a whole movie about it! It’s a Camaro that TRANSFORMS!
Nah, just kidding. The Mustang in Creed II gets my vote.
Slim pickings this year.
BMW 7-series in the Transporter.
The Simpson’s Canyonero.
OK. It is an animation. A cartoon.
But still cool as hell and an accurate depiction of America’s infatuation with badass SUVs.
Speaking of the Oscars, saw Green Book. Good movie, enjoyed it. But the two 62 Caddys in the movie looked pretty tired for a movie taking place in 1962. Smoke coming out the exhaust and very wavy sides from some angles. I think they could have done better.
The vermin scum of Hollywood wouldn’t dare pick a car unless it virtue signaled everything PC. They could probably even find something offensive with a Prius. A Bullitt Mustang, Vanishing Point Charger, Lincoln Mark “The Car” would make their collective heads explode.
So new question: What is the most PC, virtue signaling car out there?
@Kenwood: College professor Dennis Quaid’s old Saab in Smart People?
What about Hrundi V. Bakshi’s 3-wheeled Morgan in The Party?
Good call on “The Car”, a cuustomized 1971 Lincoln Continental Mark III. Scared me to death as a young teen.
Any votes yet for Ecto One? An entire generation of people can hear that weird siren and know instantly what it is.
Some other nominations that just came to me:
-Christine
-K.I.T.T.
-the truck from Duel
Well, you’re the first person to mention the Knight Industries 2000.