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Moss at the movies

 

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By Beth Judd, 12th December 2016

 

To celebrate the New Year, we take a look at our favourite iconic cars seen on the silver screen and hopefully give you some inspiration as to what movie to watch this New Year ...whilst you're lazing around in your PJs!

 

25. Tan Ciera
Fargo - 1987 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera


Tan Ciera Fargo 1987

Credit: Still from Fargo © Gramercy Pictures/PolyGram Filmed Entertainment (1996) Image by http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_4816-Oldsmobile-Cutlass-Ciera-1987.html

 

People often forget the importance the Tan Ciera plays in moving the plot along in Fargo. Perhaps this is because it’s such a painfully boringly and ordinary car, so typical of the kind seen in the mid 90s in Midwest America. But this car plays a vital role in the dark comedy by the Cohen Brothers, connecting all of the characters and being the location for some of the most iconic scenes from the film. For this reason, the car rightly deserves a place on our list.

 

24. Ecto-1
Ghostbusters, Ghostbusters 2 – 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor


1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor Ghostbusters & Ghostbusters 2

Credit: Still from Ghostbusters © Sony Pictures Home Entertainment/ Columbia Pictures (1984) Image by http://relic.be/accueil/about%20me/moviecars.html

 

This beat up old ambulance didn’t need too many repairs made to it, it just needed some suspension work and shocks. Brakes, brake pads, lining, steering box, transmission, rear-end. Also new rings, mufflers and a little wiring. After all that it was finally ready to help bust some ghosts.

 

23. The A Team Van
The A Team – 1986 GMC Vandura


1986 GMC Vandura A-Team

Credit: Still from The A Team© NBC (1983-1987) Image by http://www.superchevy.com/news/1602-got-40-grand-to-join-the-a-team-buy-this-tribute-van/#photo-01

 

What to do when you and your friends are on the run from the US Army? Jump in a van and carry out vigilante justice for the good people of Los Angeles of course! We love the van from The A-Team for its sheer resilience, it endured being blown up, multiple gun shots and landing crazy jumps, yet every week it came back as good as ever.

 

22. Milner’s Deuce Coupe
American Graffiti – Customised 1932 Ford Coupe


American Graffiti – Customised 1932 Ford Coupe

Credit Still from American Graffiti © Lucasfilm Ltd, (1973) Image by http://www.musclecarszone.com/1932-ford-coupe-from-the-movie-american-graffiti/aa_1932_ford/

 

American Graffiti was inspired by director George Lucas’s own teenage years growing up in Modesto, California. It’s one of his earliest films and is a million lightyears away from Star Wars which he went on to create only a few years later. American Graffiti beautifully captured the post-World War II baby boomer’s era and introduced a whole new generation to these old school hot rods.

 

21. The Shaguar
Austin Powers – Jaguar E-Type


Austin Powers – Jaguar E-Type

Credit: Still from Austin Powers © New Line Cinema (1997-2001) Image by http://www.telegraph.co.uk/cars/features/top-10-movie-cars--ranked/austin-powers-shaguar/

 

The Shaguar loses a few points for the horrendous union jack paintwork on such a beautiful car, its anything but subtle, just like the man himself. Then again when we think about it, no car better represents the man who drives it better that the Shaguar, it is simply Austin Powers in car form.

 

20. Greased Lightening
Grease – 1948 Ford Deluxe


Grease – 1948 Ford Deluxe

Credit: Still from Grease © Paramount Pictures (1978) Image by https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=21130130

 

“Greased Lightning”, a karaoke song love by all, and what’s not to love when the car is not just Automatic, it’s Systematic and it’s Hydromatic! Grease may slightly miss the mark on some of its references back to 1950s America but they got the cars right and the race between the T-Birds and the Scorpions is a thrilling spectacle.

 

19. Cruel Intentions
Jaguar XK140 Roadster


Cruel Intentions – Jaguar XK140 Roadster

Credit: Still from Cruel Intentions © Columbia Pictures (1999) Image by http://uk.complex.com/sports/2012/05/the-50-coolest-movie-cars-new/cruel-intentions-jaguar-xk140-roadster

 

If you haven’t seen this movie, but have always loved and wanted this car, then I recommend you don’t watch this movie! Essentially a very rich step brother and sister decide to place a cruel bet and the very rare and priceless Jaguar is put up as a wager. However, you do get to see the car run around Upstate New York, with the sun shining with is simply stunning. If the crazy amount of money these kids have doesn’t make you jealous then car certainly will.

 

18. The Driver’s Malibu
Drive – 1973 Chevy Malibu


Drive – 1973 Chevy Malibu

Credit: Film Poster from Drive, ©FilmDistrict, (2011) Image by http://www.impawards.com/2011/drive_ver4_xxlg.html

 

Drive is a cool modern classic that stars Ryan Gosling as the Driver, by day he is a regular mechanic and occasional Hollywood stunt driver. But by night he is a getaway driver for hire. The film is stylish and gives references back to all the classic drive films of the 60s and 70s. It’s great to see a modern film that focuses on the relationship of and man and his car without being over the top with macho and bravado.

 

17. KITT
Knight Rider – 1982 Pontiac Trans AM


Knight Rider – 1982 Pontiac Trans AM

Credit: Knight Rider © NBC (1982-1986) Image by Morn the Gorn - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=472221

 

Who didn’t want this car when they were a kid! It could do everything and you could even have a decent conversation with it, KITT stood for Knight Industries Two Thousand and was a car with advanced artificial intelligence, was self-aware and almost indestructible.

 

16. The T-Bird
Thelma and Louise – 1966 Ford Thunderbird Convertible


Thelma and Louise – 1966 Ford Thunderbird Convertible

Credit: Thelma & Louise © Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studio Inc. (1991) Image by http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103074/mediaviewer/rm2741353216

 

Two women on the run speed along the desert highways of America trying to get to Mexico. The film keeps you on tenterhooks the whole time wondering if they will escape. But sadly the getaway falls short and rather than give themselves up and spend the rest of their lives in prison they decide to drive the T-bird over the Grand Canyon. The classic T-bird on the open road symbolises the freedom both women so sorely want but never achieve.

 

15. Max’s Pursuit Special
Mad Max – Modified 1973 Ford Falcon +B, GT Coupe


Mad Max – Modified 1973 Ford Falcon +B, GT Coupe

Credit: Mad Max © Kennedy Miller Productions (1979) Image by http://madmax.wikia.com/wiki/Ford_Falcon_XB_GT_Coupe_1973_%22V8_Interceptor%22?file=V8_interceptor_4.jpg

 

The last of the V8 interceptors is a cop car used by Max to run down an evil biker gang that killed his family. The car is loud, fast and mean, if you saw this cop car heading your way you should very rightly be terrified.

 

14. Eleanor 1
Gone in 60 Seconds – 1973 Ford Mustang Mach 1


Gone in 60 Seconds – 1973 Ford Mustang Mach 1

Credit: Gone in 60 Seconds ©H.B. Halicki Junkyard and Mercantile Company (1973) Image by Juanyo at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=17734362

 

Gone in 60 Seconds is legendary for being a terrible movie with one of the best car chases in film history. The plot may be hard to follow, as there was no script or professional actors, but the car chase between a stolen 1973 Mustang Mach 1 named Eleanor and a dozen police cars goes down in history as the longest car chase on film. A whopping 34-mins, the chase shows some amazing driving and lets the real star of the film, Eleanor to really shine.

 

13. Starsky’s Gran Torino
Starsky & Hutch – 1976 Ford Gran Torino


Starsky & Hutch – 1976 Ford Gran Torino

Credit: Still from Starsky & Hutch Series © ABC(1975-1979) Image by http://relic.be/accueil/about%20me/moviecars.html

 

The iconic red Gran Torino with white stripes was hardly a discreet car for two undercover cops to drive. But that can be excused because the car performed some of the greatest stunts ever seen on a TV show.

 

12. The Batmobile
Batman, Batman Returns – 1989 GM Batmobile


Batman, Batman Returns – 1989 GM Batmobile

Credit: Still from Batman © Warner Bros, PolyGram Picture (1989) Image by http://batman.wikia.com/wiki/File:PromoPhoto.jpg

 

We have discussed this in the office and out of all the Batmobiles we feel this is the best, it’s overwhelmingly stunning, so slick and a massive step away from the camp 1960s Batman TV show.

 

11. The Bluesmobile
The Blues Brothers – 1974 Dodge Manaco


The Blues Brothers – 1974 Dodge Manaco

Credit: The Blues Brothers © Universal Pictures (1980) Image by https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=7965794

 

What starts as a mission from god to reunite the greatest ever blues band back together and raise enough money to save the orphanage where Elwood and Jake Blues were raised. Turns into one of the zaniest car chase films going. They encounter a few issues along the way such as the police, a scorned ex-girlfriend and some Illinois Nazis all accumulating in setting the record for most cop cars destroyed in a film.

 

10. Ben’s Alfa Romeo
The Graduate – 1966 Alfa Romeo 1600 Spider Duetto


The Graduate – 1966 Alfa Romeo 1600 Spider Duetto

Credit: Still from The Graduate ©AVCO Embassy Pictures (1967) Image by https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/article/Total-Recall-50-Most-Memorable-Movie-Cars/

 

What starts as a mission from god to reunite the greatest ever blues band back together and raise enough money tThe Graduate dedicates a whole section of the film to Ben’s journey from Berkley to Santa Barbra in his Alfa Romeo accompanied by the Simon and Garfunkel song, Mrs Robinson, it’s no wonder the popularity of this car massively increased with the realise of the film and lead to Alfa Romeo introducing a graduate edition of the car.

 

09. Vanishing Point
1970 Dodge Challenger R/T


Vanishing Point – 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T

Credit: Still from Vanishin Point ©20th Century Fox (1971) Image by http://filmint.nu/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Vanishing-Point-Car.jpg

 

We’ve had a lot of muscle cars on this list but that’s because they inspire such classic and iconic car chases. Vanishing Point is no exception to this, when a cross country car delivery with a 15-hour deadline turns into a multi-state car chase between Kowalski, played by Barry Newman, and the police.

 

08. Herbie
The Love Bug-Herbie Fully Loaded – 1963 Model 117 Volkswagen Type 1


The Love Bug-Herbie Fully Loaded – 1963 Model 117 Volkswagen Type 1

Credit: Still from Herbie Rides Again ©Walt Disney Productions (1974) Image by http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/Herbie?file=Herbie-Rides-Again-2.png

 

Herbie is perhaps the most recognisable car on this list and has been the star of 5 films as well as multiple TV shows. Thanks to people’s obsession with the Volkswagen Beetle in the 60s Herbie’s popularity soured. Herbie is a megastar and a car with personality and character.

 

07. Mr Frye’s Ferrari
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off – 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder SWB


Ferris Bueller’s Day Off – 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder SWB

Credit: Still from Ferris Bueller’s Day Off © Paramount Pictures (1986) Image by http://relic.be/accueil/about%20me/moviecars.html

 

Cameron knows his father loves this car more than life itself and yet is still so easily persuaded to take it out for a ride into the city. Throughout the whole sequence when the car is out for a joyride you are just waiting for the car to get damaged. However ultimately Cameron is the one who does the true destruction. Just when the car has been safely returned he begins to vent the frustration he feels towards his father’s controlling and neglectful behaviour and kicks the car from its jack and the car rolls through the glass window and into the ravine down below. Fortunately the filmmakers did not destroy the real car and a replica was used.

 

06. The General Lee
Dukes of Hazzard – 1969 Dodge Charger


Dukes of Hazzard – 1969 Dodge Charger

Credit: The Dukes of Hazzard © CBS (1979 – 1985) Image by The original uploader was Schmendrick at English Wikipedia https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=2085188

 

The car is the best thing about the Dukes of Hazzard, without the car the show would not have had the longevity it has had, with 6 seasons of the TV show and a movie made, it’s the car people always remember.

 

05. Bandit’s Trans AM
Smokey and the Bandit – 1977 Pontiac Trans AM


Smokey and the Bandit – 1977 Pontiac Trans AM

Credit: Smokey and the Bandit ©Universal Pictures (1977) Image by http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076729/mediaviewer/rm1721995776

 

Bandit is hired by Big Enos Burdette to transport 400 cases of Coors beer from Texas to Georgia for a truck rodeo. Seems easy enough but during this time shipping alcohol east of the Mississippi was considered bootlegging. Bandit has 28 hours to get the beer to his destination or he won’t receive his $80,000 bounty. Of course things do not go to plan when he picks up a runaway bride played by Sally Field and attracts the attention of Sheriff Buford T. Justice. It sounds like a silly concept and probably wouldn’t work if he was in any other car.

 

04. Bullitt’s Mustang
Bullitt – 1968 Ford Mustang GT390 Flashback


Bullitt – 1968 Ford Mustang GT390 Flashback

Credit: Still from Bullitt © Warner Bros.-Seven Arts (1968) Image by https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8541932

 

Bullitt set the mark for all other car chases to be measured, and few have even come close to this standout chase. What makes Bullitt even more special is to watch Steve McQueen, (perhaps the coolest guy to ever exist), behind the wheel during the chase and actually doing his own driving. It’s a beautiful thing to see considering now in the era of CGI effects and production insurance it isn’t something we get to see anymore.

 

03. The DeLorean
Back to the Future – 1981 DeLorean DMC-12


Back to the Future – 1981 DeLorean DMC-12

Credit: Still from Back to the Future ©Universal Pictures (1985) Image by https://d.ibtimes.co.uk/en/full/1396036/delorean.jpg?w=736

 

In The words of Doc Brown “The way I see it, if you’re gonna build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style?” We couldn’t put it better ourselves. The DeLorean is a classic that can travel in time, what more could you ask for?

 

02. Charlie’s getaway Minis
The Italian Job – 1968 Austin MK1 Mini Cooper S


The Italian Job – 1968 Austin MK1 Mini Cooper S

Credit: Still from The Italian Job © Paramount Pictures (1969) Image by http://www.top10films.co.uk/img/theitalianjob1969.jpg

 

The Italian Job is a classic for all ages, from the wonderful comedy and that iconic line, which doesn’t even need repeating, to the fantastic getaway sequence performed by the three different coloured Minis. The Italian Job was always going to be high up on our list, ideally we at Moss would crown the Mini’s from The Italian Job number 1 for very obvious reasons… (View out Selection of Mini parts on the Moss Website). But sadly The Italian Job was just slightly piped at the post, that could be for the terrible remake in 2003 (sorry Mark Wahlberg you are not a patch on Michael Cain). But there is one certain gentleman who has been missing from this list and he rightly deserves the number 1 spot.

 

01. James Bond’s Aston Martin
James Bond Series – Aston Martin DB5


James Bond Series – Aston Martin DB5

Credit: Goldfinger, Aston Martin DB5 © United Artists (1964) Image by Chilterngreen at the German language Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3426293

 

The Aston Martin DB5 was featured in over five classic Bond films and is the most iconic car from the Bond series, which is a well contended position with hundreds of spectacular vehicles itching for the number one spot. Sadly, the DB5 was famously blown up by the bad guys at the end of Skyfall, but was miraculously restored by Q at the end of Spector. The car is remembered for its special features such as an ejector seat, machine guns, smoke screen and revolving licence plate, from its first appearances to Gold Finger.

 

 

There are so many we wish we could have included in our list but if we had we would have been here for months, so instead please comment on Facebook and tell us your top 5 or if we’ve left your favourite movie out off the list.

 

Our Top 25 List


  1. Fargo – 1987 Tan Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera
  2. Ghostbusters – 1959 Cadillac Miller Meteor
  3. The A Team – 1986 GMC Vandura
  4. American Graffiti – 32 Ford Coupe
  5. Austin Powers – Shaguar, Jaguar E-Type
  6. Grease – 1948 Ford Deluxe
  7. Cruel Intentions – Jaguar XK140 roadster
  8. Drive – 1973 Chevy Malibu
  9. Knight Rider – 1982 Pontiac Trans AM
  10. Thelma and Louise – 1966 Ford Thunderbird
  11. Mad Max – Modified 1973 Ford Falcon +B, GT Coupe
  12. Gone in 60 seconds – Eleanor, 1973 Ford Mustang Mach 1
  13. Starsky and Hutch – 1976 Ford Gran Torino
  14. Batman – GM Batmobile
  15. The Blues Brothers – 1974 Dodge Monaco
  16. The Graduate – 1966 Alfa Romeo 1600 Spider Duetto
  17. Vanishing point – 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T
  18. Herbie – 1963 Model 117 Volkswagen Type 1
  19. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off – 1961 Ferrari 250 GT
  20. Dukes of Hazzard – 1969 Dodge Charger
  21. Smokey and the Bandit – 1977 Pontiac Trans AM
  22. Bullitt – 1968 Ford Mustang GT390 Fastback
  23. Back to the Future – 1981 DeLorean DMC-12
  24. The Italian Job – 1968 Austin MK1 Mini Cooper S
  25. James Bond – 1963 Aston Martin DB5

 

Our Honourable Mentions


  1. Scooby Doo – The Mystery Machine
  2. Christine – 1958 Plymouth Fury
  3. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – Custom Paragon Panther
  4. Kill Bill Vol 1 – 1997 Chevrolet C-2500 Silverado Fleetside
  5. Dumb and Dumber – 1984 Ford Econoline
  6. Little Miss Sunshine – 1973 Volkswagen Transporter Type 2
  7. Taxi Driver – Checker Taxi
  8. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby – 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu
  9. Duel – 1970 Plymouth Valiant
  10. Grand Prix – Formula 3 McLaren M2B
  11. The Fast & The Furious – 1970 Dodge Charger
  12. James Bond – 1975 Lotus Esprit

 

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