Sometimes the cars in a movie become as famous as the movie does. Perhaps the best example is the movie Back to the Future? Today is there anyone who doesn’t know what a Delorean is? If Back to the Future was never made, Deloreans would be just interesting cars from the past. Let’s have some fun and take a look at several other cars made famous by Hollywood movies.
1958 Plymouth Fury
Christine was a big, red 1958 Plymouth Fury and the star of the 1983 Stephen King horror movie of the same name. Here’s the plot: Arnie Cunningham (Keith Gordon) is a misunderstood teenager who purchases a wrecked 1958 Fury to restore. After he finishes it, he catches the attention of Leigh Cabot (Alexandra Paul.) When the two start to date, Christine becomes jealous and starts to disrupt their relationship.
1932 Ford Deuce Coupe
It’s the early 1960s and the end of the summer in a small California town. Several of the young residents are leaving for college the next day and the angst of leaving their familiar home behind starts to sink in. American Graffiti is basically a movie about dealing with the anxiety of saying goodbye to the “familiar” and embracing change. A sub-plot in the movie is actor Paul Le Mat behind the wheel of his bright yellow 1932 Ford Coupe being taunted by Harrison Ford in his ’55 Chevy. Director George Lucas grew up in southern California’s car culture and this permeates American Graffiti.
1982 Pontiac Trans Am
KITT (Knight Industries Two Thousand) was a high-performance 1982 Pontiac Trans Am that co-starred along with David Hasselhoff in the series Knight Rider. It was a souped-up sports car that offered artificial intelligence to assist David Hasselhoff in his escapades. In the series, KITT could hold a conversation, shoot weapons and transform into other vehicles. Although Pontiac never released a Trans Am in “Kitt trim,” the series undoubtedly sold a lot of Trans Ams for them.
1973 Gran Torino Sport
A 1973 rusty, green Gran Torino appeared in the Coen Brothers classic movie “The Big Lebowski.” Owned by “The Dude” (Jeff Bridges), the Torino shows up in many scenes. It’s a real wreck of a car that is stolen, crashed and abandoned by thieves, used to deliver ransom money. When researching this article, we spoke with The Patrick Dealer Group of Schaumburg, IL and they said the Torino wasn’t the first choice for the movie; another car was originally planned but a 1973 Gran Torino Sport was chosen so that actor John Goodman could fit in it!
1969 Chevelle Malibu
In “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby,” Ricky Bobby (Will Ferrell) drives a black and gold 1969 Chevelle Malibu. After major competition with Jean Girard (Sacha Baron Cohen), and a serious wreck on the track, Ricky has to find a way to make it to the top again. This is a race movie and the hero of the movie, without question, is the 1969 Chevelle Malibu.
Image Source: boldride.com