The Most Iconic Cars in Film History, Ranked

The DeLorean DMC-12 might have tanked when it first came onto the market, but add a flux capacitor and you’ve got the ultimate time machine. With its stainless steel body and those wild gull-wing doors, it already looked like it belonged in another decade. Once Back to the Future hit theaters in 1985, everyone suddenly wanted to hit 88 miles per hour in this iconic movie car.

While it’s more well-known for its TV appearances, the General Lee did technically appear in a couple of movies, so we couldn’t resist including it here. The bright orange 1969 Dodge Charger was built for chaos, and it spent almost as much time flying through the air as it did on the road. The controversial paint job on its roof aside, the General Lee is still one of the most famous cars of all time.

Burt Reynolds made this black Trans Am an instant superstar in 1977. With gold trim, a roaring V8, and a T-top roof, the Smokey and the Bandit car oozed cool from every angle. The Bandit used it to outrun cops, haul beer, and basically turn the open road into his own playground.

Steve McQueen set the standard for movie car chases in a green Mustang GT in this 1968 film. The famous Bullitt car chase through San Francisco is gritty, fast, and full of flying hubcaps, and McQueen actually did some of the driving himself, adding to the realism.

The Aston Martin DB5 is pure James Bond: smooth, stylish, and secretly armed to the teeth. Hidden machine guns, a passenger-ejecting seat, and revolving plates made it more than just a pretty ride. This car set the template for every Bond gadget vehicle that followed.

While every version of the Batmobile has been pretty incredible, Adam West’s Batmobile was over the top in the best way. Built from a 1955 Lincoln concept car, it had giant fins, flashing red lights, and more buttons than a spaceship. It matched the goofy, colorful tone of the TV show and movie and quickly became a fan favorite.

The Ghostbusters could have driven anything, but a beat-up old Cadillac ambulance turned out to be perfect. With sirens howling and ghost-busting gear strapped to the roof, Ecto-1 rolled through New York looking both ridiculous and awesome. Even parked, it screams, “Who ya gonna call?”

Few cars look meaner than Max’s Pursuit Special, better known as the V8 Interceptor. The most famous Mad Max car, a black 1973 Ford Falcon with a supercharger sticking out of the hood, was raw, loud, and terrifying. It was the perfect match for a world falling apart and helped define the look of the entire Mad Max series.

This silver 1967 Ford Shelby GT500 was the one vehicle Nicolas Cage’s crew couldn’t resist stealing out of all of the amazing cars in the movie Gone in 60 Seconds, no matter how many times it slipped through their fingers. Sleek, powerful, and impossible to forget, Eleanor is still a dream car for countless fans.

This movie is basically one long chase across the desert, with Kowalski’s white 1970 Dodge Challenger tearing down open highways while cops scramble to keep up. Stripped of gadgets or flash, it became a symbol of rebellion and the endless American road.

Dom’s black 1970 Dodge Charger is raw, loud, and intimidating, which makes it the perfect reflection of Vin Diesel’s character. Every time it launches off the line, it feels like the laws of physics are holding on for dear life. Of all of the cars from the Fast and Furious movies, this one is a standout.

Of course, with so many iconic cars from movies in this series, we couldn’t settle for just one on our list: Brian’s Toyota Supra deserves a spot, too. Bright orange and covered in decals, it was sleek, fast, and over the top in all the right ways. The Supra’s final drag race with Dom’s Charger is still one of the most talked-about moments in the franchise.

When gangsters stole this 1969 Mustang from John Wick, movie history was set in motion. What might have looked like just another muscle car turned out to be the trigger for one of the most relentless revenge stories ever filmed. Sleek, loud, and dripping with classic style, the Mustang became more than just a ride: It became the symbol of everything Wick had lost and everything he was willing to fight for.

Few vehicles say “adventure” like the gray-and-red Jeep Wranglers rolling through Jurassic Park. They were rugged enough for the jungle, open-air enough for sightseeing, and unlucky enough to end up face-to-face with a T. rex. If you wanted to outrun a raptor in the 1990s, this was the ride you needed.

Milner’s bright yellow 1932 Ford Model 18 is pure hot rod Americana, representing teenage freedom and the thrill of cruising around with nothing but time to kill. This famous movie car’s classic looks and roaring engine made it the centerpiece of George Lucas’s 1973 love letter to small-town car culture.

This little Volkswagen Beetle had more charm than horsepower, but with its racing stripes, the number 53, and a mind of its own, Herbie turned into a star who could win races and melt hearts. Generations of kids grew up watching this car movie and wishing their first car had a personality like this.

Bumblebee ditched his classic Beetle form and showed up as a Camaro in this 2007 film, ultimately upgrading into a sleek concept car that gave audiences its first look at the upcoming fifth-generation Camaro. The transformation made the Camaro an instant superstar and helped reignite interest in Chevy’s muscle car lineup. For a whole generation of fans, this Bumblebee was the definition of cool.

The car in Christine, a Plymouth Fury, has all the hallmarks of classic 1950s design: bold chrome, sweeping lines, and a striking red finish. In Stephen King’s story, that beauty came with a dark streak, but what really stands out is how unforgettable the car looks on screen. Christine turned a stylish piece of mid-century American muscle into one of the most famous movie cars ever built.

Quentin Tarantino gave us one of the most intimidating cars ever put on screen with this matte-black 1971 Chevy Nova. Stuntman Mike used it as both a weapon and a shield, smashing through anything in his path. This car proved that with the right look and sound, even a modest Chevy with a small-block engine could steal the spotlight in a grindhouse thriller. Quentin Tarantino gave us one of the most intimidating cars ever put on screen with this matte-black 1971 Chevy Nova. Stuntman Mike used it as both a weapon and a shield, smashing through anything in his path.

Built for the strip, not the showroom, the Driver’s ’55 Chevy was a bare-bones beast. Built from the ground up with a big-block heart and a drag racer’s soul, it wasn’t about looks or luxury — it was about eating asphalt a quarter-mile at a time.