People have had a love and fascination for cars since they first started rolling off the assembly line. These classic automobiles are iconic for their ingenuity, design and long-lasting legacies. Some of these radical designs even found their way into films and television. Do you remember the make and model of these legendary vehicles?
People have had a love and fascination for cars since they first started rolling off the assembly line. These classic automobiles are iconic for their ingenuity, design and long-lasting legacies. Some of these radical designs even found their way into films and television. Do you remember the make and model of these legendary vehicles?
The VW Beetle is called the "Bug" in the U.S., but in other countries it was nicknamed the Turtle, the Bubble, the Flea and the Frog.
Chevrolet produced three generations of Chevelles from 1964 to 1977, and then the brand was sent to Car Heaven, R.I.P. in peace, Chevelle.
It's possible that Jonathan Richman was singing about this car, but I prefer to think Jonathan Richman isn't a sellout like that.
The Tempest came with a 4-cylinder engine and offered a 2-speed rear-mounted transaxle automatic tranmission. Whatever that means.
Ford eventually replaced the Pinto with the Escort. My buddy Chris drove a Ford Escort in high school and it always reeked from the ditch weed he smoked.
Iconic as the "hippie van," the Type 2 is officially known as the Transporter, the Kombi or the Microbus.
This mid-engine grand tourer was developed by the German automaker Volkswagen and was named after French racing driver Pierre Veyron. Production on these bad boys ended in 2008, with only about 200 being produced.
The Rolls Royce Phantom was the auto maker's replacement for the original Silver Ghost. Constructed in both the United States and the United Kingdom in the ‘20s, this car had a record breaking top speed of 87 miles per hour.
This car was featured in a lot of classic films. A black 1941 Packard Super Eight was featured in “The Godfather,” and miniature die-cast collectable cars of this model were produced. A yellow convertible version was featured in the “Back to the Future” films as Doc Brown’s car.
Even though Prince had his biggest hit singing about a little red Corvette, he wrote those lyrics in his band member’s pink Mercury Marauder. Maybe everything you’ve been told is a lie.
Of course, this is the Delorean. No other car could be mistaken for the “Back to the Future” time machine. But, when the car was first released it was known mainly for its disappointing lack of power and performance.
The Cadillac Eldorado was part of the Cadillac line from 1953 to 2002, making it the longest-running American personal luxury car. Its long and extensive history has made it a favorite of sports car enthusiasts. A custom make Cadillac Eldorado ambulance was featured in the “Ghostbusters” film.
The Jaguar S-Type cars were produced from 1963-1968 and were seen as more sophisticated and advanced versions of the Jaguar Mark 2. Even thought the Mark 2 wasn’t nearly as powerful as the newer S-3’s, it continued to outsell them.
This Jeep is a take on the model of military vehicles that were used primarily during World War II. The first CJ was introduced in 1944 and the same basic vehicle stayed in production until 1986, making it one of the most popular off-road vehicles for consumers.
The name Quattroporte translated from Italian literally means “four doors.” The first version of this car was introduced in 1963, and it has continued to spawn new versions, up to the present Quattroporte VI model.
The name Thunderbird is a reference to a legendary creature in Native American spirituality, but this car came to be known as the epitome of ‘50s culture. The Beach Boys are still making money singing about the T-birds of the boomer generation.
This roadster was produced from 1966 to 2003 and during its decades of production, the Spider only saw minor aesthetic and functional changes because of its popularity. The iconic car was featured in the 1967 film “The Graduate,” giving it more widespread visibility.
When the Bel Air came onto the scene, its style was revolutionary and unmatched. Many other car manufacturers sought to create their vehicles in its image and it was dubbed the “Hot One” in advertising campaigns. Production for this model lasted over 20 years.
This car was based loosely on Mercedes-Benz’s highly successful competition-only car of 1952 and it was the fastest production made car of its day with a top speed of 162 miles per hour, meaning speed demons beware.
Jaguar’s first post-World War II car set records in Britain for speed in 1949 for reaching 132 miles per hour. The XK120 was manufactured from 1948 to 1954 and also set other records for endurance and won many racing competitions.
Originally manufactured in response to the success of the Ford Ranchero, the El Camino was in production from 1959 to 1960 and again from 1964 to 1987. For the past decade, General Motors has considered bringing the El Camino back into production.
Studebaker used the Commander label on automobile models from 1927 until 1964. This ‘50s model had a distinctive jet-style hood ornament and featured more trunk space than previous models to accommodate American family’s growing needs for a roomier vehicle.
The iconic silhouette of this car is in part the reasoning behind it being an integral piece of ‘80s culture. Sports Car International named this car number two on the list of Top Sports Cars of the 1980s, just behind its German rival the Porsche 959.
Firebirds are known for their Coke bottle style and T-top convertibles. This car also had a storied history on television crime procedurals in the ‘70s and ‘80s. This model can be seen on many episodes of “Starsky and Hutch” fleeing from the scene of a crime.
This car was first introduced at the 1933 New York Auto Show and caused a massive uproar for its futuristic design. Five of these Silver Arrows were produced in three months, a record at the time. Only three original Silver Arrows still exist today.
This car was the first to use Giorgetto Giugiaro's "folded paper" designs. Gone were the rounded curves of previous designs and in came the new, flat and angular look. This look defined the design of the ‘80s and created trends that would continue into the ‘90s.
A 50th anniversary version of the Stingray debuted at the Chicago Auto Show in 2009 and the model was so well regarded that it was developed into the character Sideswipe in the movie “Transformers: Dark of the Moon,” making it the only car on this list that is also a working actor.
The Cobra was a British sports car that was designed and built in the ‘60s. The Cobra would become a very successful car in racing circuits, even though it wasn’t meant to race. This model was so popular that automotive designer Carroll Shelby was tried for attempting to sell counterfeit Cobras.
The second generation of Dodge Chargers proved to be the most successful and over 90,000 of them were produced. The most famous of them all is the General, ridden by Bo and Luke on “The Dukes of Hazzard.” It was sold at auction in 2012 for $110,000.
The Ford Edsel may go down in history as one of the biggest failures in car history. Despite the company’s best efforts to advertise, which cost a fortune in promotion, the Edsel’s clunky design and poor reliability limited sales and made mechanics wary.
The Porsche 928 was one of the most exclusive and expensive vehicles from the Porsche brand, selling from 1978 to 1995. In 1983, it was the fastest car sold in North America. Powered by a front-mounted V8 engine, it was capable of reaching a top speed of 146 miles per hour.
Homer Simpson has had this pink car for as long as the show has been on and he still hasn’t gotten around to fixing that dent in his front fender.
This Ford Explorer was used for the safari tour rides in Jurassic Park and one was completely destroyed by a T-Rex in a rampage.
“Ferrus Bueller’s Day Off” gave many people a first glimpse at their dream car: this gorgeous Ferrari model. I'm still crying over it’s tragic destruction.
Another classic “Beverly Hillbillies” vehicle, this jalopy certainly didn’t help Jethro fit into the 90210, but this creation and build was absolutely iconic.
This Lotus Elan was featured in “The Avengers,” the fantastic 1960’s British television series, not the highest grossing film of all time.
The Mach 5 was a truly awesome Japanese car, even if it only appeared in cartoon form in "Speed Racer." Modern Japanese cars should look to this for inspiration more often.
The classic “Bluesmobile” in the SNL spinoff movies was actually portrayed by a fleet of 13 different Dodges that were all bought from the California Highway Patrol.
This car appeared in the 1988 drama “Rain Man,” which starred Dustin Hoffman, Tom Cruise and this beautiful 1949 style Buick.
The 2003 move “The Italian Job” reminded Americans that small cars can be awesome. Thanks to an epic chase scene starring Charlize Theron, the Mini Cooper got its well-deserved time in the spotlight.
Hey, hey, the Monkeemobile was as crazy as anything else on that show and it was made by established customizer Dean Jeffries. He also made Black Beauty from “The Green Hornet.”
The first significant car in the series that loved showing off some awesome ones, this look-alike Ferrari was a prop that Sonny (played by Don Johnson) used to infiltrate the sordid underbelly of Miami on “Miami Vice.”
Featured in the ‘60s comedy “Get Smart,” this spy car is for that funny detective-type, not exactly anything that James Bond would be caught taking for a cruise.
Now this is a real Bond car. This is the one Bond rode in a great chase through Las Vegas in the 1971 film “Diamonds Are Forever.”
Built at car designer George Barris’ shop by Korky Korkes, this coffin-based drag racer first appeared on “The Munsters” in the 1965 episode “Hot Rod Herman.”
“77 Sunset Strip” was a funny detective drama in the ‘50s and ‘60s and its comic relief, a character named “Kookie” drove this fantastic hot rod. It was designed by legendary hot rodder Norm Grabowski, who was also an actor.
Tom Cruise film “Days of Thunder” made NASCAR cool again for a while in the early ‘90s and may be partly responsible for launching NASCAR’s most successful decade.
Without this van, the Scooby gang wouldn’t be able to get around to solving those wacky amusement park mysteries, and for that, we love this van. Society would be in utter disarray without these meddling kids.
This fictional car is from the ‘60s sitcom “My Mother, the Car” which lasted only one season. It was about a woman who literally reincarnates as a car and communicates with her son through the car’s radio speakers, so you’re not missing much.
“Family Matters” gave us so many great sitcom moments, including the use of this BMW. Maybe Urkel was ahead of his time, because this car made a resurgence in 2016 as a fully electric vehicle.