In some of the most iconic movies of our times, sometimes the cars even out-star the lead actors. Here is a quick look back on some of the most influential vehicles we have seen hit the big screen.
1964 Aston Martin DB5 from Goldfinger
James Bond has always had an impressive collection of cars, many as memorable as the films themselves, but perhaps the most memorable is the DB5. Like many of his autos, the DB5 was kitted out with a whole plethora of different gadgets including machine guns, ejector seats, oil-slick spray, smoke screens and a ram bumper. One of the vehicles used in both Goldfinger and Thunderball was sold at an auction in 2010 for £2.6 million.
The car was originally released in 1963 as a development of the DB4. The DB series was named after the owner of Aston Martin between 1947 and 1972, Sir David Brown.
'32 Ford Coupe from American Graffiti
American Graffiti was directed by George Lucas before the blockbuster Star Wars enterprise. It is a reflection of his memories of the car culture in California in the 1960s. Painted in Canary Yellow and powered by a Chevy 327 V8, the most memorable scene featuring the “Deuce Coupe” is a drag race where it competes against a '55 Chevy and wins.
Originally, when the car was released in 1932, prices ranged between $490 for the standard coupes up to $650 for a convertible sedan. Today, it is a highly collectible car that some people pay thousands to restore to it's former glory.
DeLorean Time Machine from Back to the Future
This classic movie features a DeLorean DMC-12 car that has been converted by the character Dr. Emmett Brown into a time machine that is very much central to the narrative of the film. The operator of the time machine first selects the dates and destination before accelerating to 88 mp/h which activates the flux capacitor before the car disappears in a blue and white flash, leaving only a pair of flaming tire tracks in it's wake.
The DMC-12 was the only model ever produced by the DeLorean company, manufactured by John DeLorean for the American market between 1981 and 1983. Some of it's more unique features are the gull wing doors that open vertically, it's fibreglass body structure with a steel backbone chassis, and it's brushed stainless steel external body panels.
1968 Mustang GT 390 from Bullitt
Driven by Steve McQueen, the highland green 1968 Mustang from the movie Bullitt has become very iconic. Perhaps the most memorable scene is the chase throughout the streets of San Francisco in pursuit of a 1968 Dodge Charger and are arguably some of the best ever recorded on film. Sales of the car were so good, Ford created limited edition versions of the vehicle not once, but twice.
The 1968 was a development of the 1967 model, and improvements included better safety features such as an energy absorbing steering wheel and shoulder belts. It is one of the First-Generation Ford Mustangs which were manufactured by Ford from 1964 until 1973.