Image via Complex Original
Take a second and think of your favorite car. Got it? Aight, now think to yourself why it's your favorite car. We're sure the majority of you found your favorite cars on a movie or TV screen. That's because movies and cars go together like Michael Steele's foot and his mouth. Whether it was a ride in an awesome car chase scene or just a dope whip that your favorite character drove (or was driven in), cars have become just as important as people. Think about it: Didn't the DeLorean play just as big a role as Michael J. Fox? Wasn't the Ecto-1 the coolest part of Ghostbusters? And what would James Bond be without his tricked out Aston Martin? There's been no better sidekick in movie history than the automobile, and for that reason, we're paying homage to The 50 Coolest Movie Cars of all time.
50. Initial D: 1985 Toyota Sprinter Trueno GT
Movie Year: 2005
The Initial D manga and anime series made Drift King, Keiichi Tsuchiya's car of choice popular among a new generation of gear heads. But seeing the AE86 slide around corners was way better in live action. After watching the Hong Kong based film, we couldn't help but think, Why couldn't The Fast and the Furious be this good?
49. Good Burger: AMC Pacer
Movie Year: 1997
What can make the AMC better than orange flames? A burger!
48. The Fast and the Furious: 1994 Toyota Supra
Movie Year: 2001
Everyone hated on The Fast and the Furious when it came out. Mainly because of the mind numbing combination of walking mannequins, Paul Walker and Vin Diesel. But no one can doubt that they were feeling the cars, even as gaudy as they were. Our favorite? Brian's '94 t-top Toyota Supra. 13 second car? We're not sure. 13 second career? Man, do we wish.
47. C'était un rendez-vous: 1976 Mercedes-Benz 450SEL 6.9
Movie Year: 1976
OK, so you don't actually get to see the Mercedes 450SEL 6.9 in Claude Lelouch's classic 1976 short film, but you get to see what it's capable of. The film was shot in one take with a camera attached to the bumper of Leouches own Mercedes and dubbed over with engine sounds from a Ferrari. They just don't make 'em like they used to.
46. Tommy Boy: 1967 Plymouth Belvedere GTX
Movie Year: 1995
One of Chris Farely's best roles has him traveling with David Spade in attempt to sell enough auto parts to save his fathers business. Like we learned in a couple other movies on this list: wild animal + soft top = comic gold.
45. Danger: Diobolik: 1961 Jaguar E-Type
Movie Year: 1968
Never heard of Diobolik? Don't blame you. He's like a dominatrix version of James Bond that always drives a Jaguar E-Type. Not sold? Costume aside, check out Danger if only for the car chase scenes and the love interest TK. DO that then come holler at us.
44. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby: 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu
Movie Year: 2006
When Ricky Bobby loses his nerve after a severe crash, his absent father comes back into his life to show him how to get his balls behind the wheel. To do that he makes him drive a 69 Malibu with a Lion riding shotgun. Awesome.
43. Kill Bill: 1997 Chevrolet 2500 Silverado Fleetside
Movie Year: 2003
Ironically, we can't see anyone who drives a car with Pussy Wagon slathered across the side of it actually getting any. But, the fact that Quentin thought to create it is awesome.
42. Boiler Room: 2000 Ferrari 355 Spider
Movie Year: 2000
Ferrari's played the signifier of new money in Boiler Room. Ben Affleck bragged about his in the infamous board room scene and Nick Kratt schooled TK TK on the game in his bright yellow 355 Spider. What exactly did he tell him? Not to be "nigger rich." His words, not ours.
41. Death Proof: 1970 Chevy Nova
Movie Year: 2007
Thanks to Quentin Tarantino, no girl will ever date a dude driving a 1970 Chevy Nova. When Stuntman Mike comes across a bunch of free wielding girls on a road trip, he decides to run them off the road with his reinforced Chevy. Luckily, these girls had better wheel game than Danica Patrick.
40. The Transporter 2: 2005 Audi A8 L
Movie Year: 2005
The CIA should give all their spies Audi A8s. They're just sick. Long (pause), sleek and cool, the A8 was a major upgrade to the BMW 7 series dude drove in the The Transporter. Oddly enough, the CEO of Toyota thought so too when he was in Europe as he opted to ride in the back one instead of a Lexus.
39. XXX: 1967 Pontiac GTO
Movie Year: 2002
xXx was supposed to be the Playstation generation's James Bond. We're not sure how an action sports junkie turned spy is supposed to be on the same level as highly trained super spy, but at least the car was cool: a '67 GTO with more gadgets than gadgets and weapons than an Al-Qaeda base camp.
38. Jackie Chan's Who Am I?: 1998 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IV
Movie Year: 1998
Jackie Chan is mostly known for his martial arts moves. But in his mostly unknown Who Am I flick, he displays some pretty crafty car control with one of the best cars to come out of Japan: the Lancer Evo IV.
37. Paid in Full: 1986 BMW 315 Convertible
Movie Year: 2002
Doughboy from Boyz in the Hood may have copped a '64 Impala with his dope money, but over on the east coast, if you were doing it big, you copped something European, kitted it out and threw some rollers underneath it. That's exactly what TK did in the thinly veiled Rich Porter story, Paid in Full. His ride of choice? A coke white BMW convertible.
36. The Green Hornet: 1965 Chrysler Imperial Crown
Movie Year: 2011
When it comes to coolest movie cars, we try to keep connected to reality. But, when something fictional is this memorable, we can't avoid listing it. Maintaining much of the original body, this '65 Imperial Crown features .30-caliber machine guns and flame-throwers. Sometimes (often) we wish we had these tools on the Jersey Turnpike.
35. The Dukes of Hazard: 1969 Dodge Charger
Movie Year: 2005
The movie wasn't nearly as good as the TV show-what do you expect with Jessica Simpson on the marquee?-but what it lacked in star power, good direction and a coherent dialogue, it made up for in the two places that matter: Jessica Simpson's two's and legs and the General Lee. It wouldn't be Dukes without the orange Charger sliding around corners and jumping off of shit.
34. The French Connection: 1971 Pontiac Lemans
Movie Year: 1999
French Connection - 1971 Pontiac Lemans1971 was a big year for the Pontiac LeMans. Not only did it become a full-series nameplate-no longer just a Tempest trim level-it starred in one of the greatest car chase scenes in movie history. Dodging through the streets of Brooklyn while trying to catch an elevated train line while getting wrecked in the process it made an already good crime film and straight up car flick.
33. Fast Five: 2010 Koenigsegg CCXR
Movie Year: 2011
Though it only features ever so briefly, the appearance of the Koenigsegg CCXR is memorable. Why? Well, for one we're all for eco-friendly supercars. And secondly, rarity still gets us kind of hyped.
32. Mad Max: 1973 Ford Falcon XB GT351 Coupe
Movie Year: 1979
Australia is the real Wild Wild West. If you have criminals high off sherm running loose on your roads, you don't go after them in regular police cars. Nah, you call the dude with the reinforced Ford Falcon GT. He's the same dude with a disregard for protocol and personal safety. They go hand in hand.
31. Gran Torino: 1972 Ford Gran Torino Sport
Movie Year: 2008
Want to piss off an old white guy with shaky memories of minority relations? Try to steal his highly beloved Ford Gran Torino as part of a gang initiation. That's exactly what Thao, a young Hmong that lived next door to Clint Eastwood. He's just lucky it they didn't in Texas. He would have had a hole through his chest the size of a sunroof.
30. Minority Report: Lexus 2054 Concept
Movie Year: 2002
Seinfeld drives Porsches, Larry David drives Toyota Prius', and apparently Steven Spielberg drives Lexus'. Or at least he did when he was making Minority Report. He reportedly asked Lexus to design him a car that would look at home in the year 2054. What he got was a self-driving Lex bubble that would look right at home at the Detroit Auto Show. Whatever Steven Spielberg wants, Steven Spielberg gets.
29. Waynes World: 1976 AMC Pacer
Movie Year: 1992
Wayne and Garth couldn't find their way between a girls legs if they were a licensed OB-GYN's, so what? We still rocked with them. Even when Wayne tried to sell out. Was it because he started dating Cassandra Wong? Maybe. Or was it because Garth drove a 1976 AMC Pacer with fucking flames on the side? Hell yeah. We wish companies built cars like the Pacer still. Not looks-wise; set up wise: it was a rear-wheel drive hatchback that comfortably sat four people. It was so cool it sold for $15,000 back in 2004. Excellent!
28. The Cannonball Run: 1980 Lamborghini Countach LP 400S
Movie Year: 1981
You would expect such a sadistic looking car to be owned by some crazy leather clad rocker dude, but no. It was pushed by the two-riffic Adrienne Barbeau. Who knew she was so good with the stick?
27. A Bronx Tale: 1968 Cadillac DeVille Convertible
Movie Year: 1993
Now that every car has powered door locks, Sonny's door test is a little obsolete, but we all attempted it at least once in our lives. What we didn't attempt was driving backwards like Sonny did in his topless Cadillac Deville. Now that's gangsta.
26. The Avengers: 2012 Stark Industries Super Car (2015 Acura NSX Concept)
Movie Year: 2012
Isn't it great when product placement works out for the best? The new and improved Tony Stark stunts on everybody after switching out his then-brand new Audi R8 for the Stark Industries Super Car, or in real life, the 2015 Acura NSX Concept. So what if Audi paid for it? Don't hate the player, my dude, hate the game.
25. Italian Job: 1968 Mini Cooper S
Movie Year: 1969
The Mini Cooper is one of the most fun cars to put through the paces. They're light, agile and peppy. They're also tiny, making it super manageable in cities strapped for parking spots. Oh, yeah, if, for some reason, you ever need to whip through the subways, they can do that too. Just make sure you got a monthly.
24. Starsky and Hutch: 1976 Ford Gran Torino
Movie Year: 2004
So Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson couldn't recapture the magic of Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul, we know. However, we'll take any reason to include the red Gran Tornio with the white graphic. Besides, the car chase at the end wasn't that bad. Ok, it was. But it was funny!
23. The Hangover: 1969 Mercedes-Benz Cabriolet
Movie Year: 2009
The funniest movie of 2009 starred one of the classiest rides. Is it bad the we felt pain when the Escalade ran into it and the sign fell onto it tearing a whole in its targa top? For the car, not for the crew. What's the lesson learned here? When you're going to Vegas, rent a car.
22. The A-Team: 1986 GMC Vandura
Movie Year: 2010
There are more than a couple remakes on this list. Most, if not all, of them bad. The A-Team movie, based on the popular TKs TV show, looks to be the exception. The cast looks strong (well considering the fact that no one could replace Mr. T), the action in the trailer looks dope and, most importantly, they brought back the A-Team van. That black and red GMC Vandura made everyone want a van with a tail on top. Say you didn't, I dare you!
21. Gone in 60 Seconds: 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500
Movie Year: 2000
The remake may not have been as good as the original, but we think the star-Elanor, the 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500-was a little sexier than the yellow Ford Mustang Mach 1. Cry blasphemy all you want, but Elanor + Angelina Jolie = Win.
20. Bad Boys: 1994 Porsche 911 (964) Turbo 3.6
Movie Year: 1995
It may not have had enough cup holders for his partner Marcus, but Mike Lowry's black Porsche 911 Turbo got the job done. Especially when it mattered, like at the end when it somehow beat a Cobra Roadster in a drag race. What, you don't believe that a TKT hp Porsche beat a TKT hp Cobra Roadster? Write Michael Bay a letter.
19. Speed Racer: Mach V
Movie Year: 2008
Has anyone noticed that the Mach 5 shares an uncanny resemblance to the 1959 Chevrolet Corvette “Bill Mitchell” Stingray prototype? Anyway, we've been in love with Speed's Mach 5 since the days when we used to wake up early on Saturday mornings to watch Speed Racer cartoons in our pajamas while eating Captain Crunch. It represented everything we wanted in a car: good looks, speed, weapons, a TK. Dare we say it's the best cartoon car ever?
18. Cobra: 1950 Mercury Monterey
Movie Year: 1986
Mercury's big-body coupe was meant as a statement of luxury when it was introduced in 1950. However, Sly Stone saw it as the perfect vehicle for a member of the LAPD's Zombie Squad. Granted, if you strip and paint it matte grey, it looks less like a luxury cruiser and more like a stylish army vehicle. If you see it in your rearview, get the fuck out the way.
17. Dazed and Confused: 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS 454 "Melba Toast"
Movie Year: 1993
Sure, he wasn't even in high school anymore. And yeah, he used his car as a mobile pimp station. But Wooderson stands as one of the coolest characters in movie history thanks in part to his sick Chevelle SS 454.
16. The Graduate: 1966 Alfa Romeo 1600 Spider Duetto
Movie Year: 1967
We hope Alfa Romeo cut Dustin Hoffman a check after The Graduate. He single handed made the slippery and smooth Duetto a lusted after car. And all he had to do was use it to bed his teacher. Hey, it can happen.
15. American Graffiti: 1932 Ford Coupe
Movie Year: 1973
Who knew George Lucas liked hot rods? If we're to believe American Graffiti was what his life was like growing up in Cali, George wasn't as big of a geek as we think he is. Sorry, space battles and bored out V8s just don't go together.
14. Cruel Intentions: Jaguar XK140 Roadster
Movie Year: 1999
Don't you hate rich kids? It's hard not to when they drive rare Jaguar Roadsters that they offer to give up in a bet! Especially a bet where if they win, they only get to have sex with their step sister. Where they do that at?
13. SwordFish: 2002 TVR Tuscan Speed-6
Movie Year: 2001
You're an international arms dealer with a taste for the extreme, exclusive and expensive. What do you tool around in? A TVR Tuscan. One of the best sports cars to ever come out of the UK, fit the bill perfectly for John Travolta's demented, moneyed criminal character in SwordFish. Cop one and maybe, just maybe you can get a Halle Berry look-a-like to show you the twos.
12. Menace II Society: 1991 Mustang GT Convertible
Movie Year: 1993
No one on the corner had swagger like Cain. Especially since he was the only dude we knew of who would throw gold 10" Dayton's on a 5.0 Mustang. Where they do that at? Cali, fool.
11. Casino Royale: 2007 Aston Martin DBS V12
Movie Year: 2006
Casino Royale brought two of the greatest movie characters back together: James Bond and the Aston Martin DB series. The first time the world saw Aston's new V12 beast was on screen, right before it flipped (and flipped, and flipped) and was completely wrecked. The writers should have co-opted the famous Hova line from "Show You How": "I cop and crash whips, Jay is a bastard!"
10. Ferris Bueller's Day Off: 1961 Ferrari GT250
Movie Year: 1986
This is why you shouldn't have children. Should you have a litter and buy a car as nice as the '61 Ferrari GT 250 California, your kids will try their best to wreck it like Ferris and his crew does. Even after Cameron says his dad loves the car more than life itself. Thankfully, the car used in a movie was a replica.
9. Training Day: 1979 Chevy Monte Carlo
Movie Year: 2001
What does a crooked cop drive when he wants to look badass but lowkey when he rides through his city? If you're Training Day's Alonzo Harris, you push a super clean, blacked out '79 Monte Carlo with 13 in rims. Before the bullets flew through it, it was nice enough to make a statement, but didn't scream: "I steal confiscated drug money!" Nah, he did that himself.
8. Batman Begins: 1964 Chevy Impala
Movie Year: 2005
Since 1943, when Batman and Robin were chauffeured by Alfred in a black Caddy, the Batmobile has gone through many iterations. Our favorite, just head of the one from the 1989 film, is the Tumbler. Besides not having any gimmicky bat designs, it looked purpose built. Something that could take a beating and keep rocking. And it was versatile. If things we awry, Bruce could slide down and turn the four wheeler into a motorbike. Adam West's whip couldn't do that.
7. Boyz In The Hood: 1964 Chevy Impala
Movie Year: 1991
Crack kills, yes. But it can also get you a topless gold '64 Impala with all the switches and gold 10 in rims. At least that's what Doughboy copped with his paper. It provided enough room to carry the crew in, made a statement at local meet ups and proved to be an ideal drive by car. We're guessing Cube liked it 'cause it allowed him to let his Jheri Curl wave in the air.
6. GhostBusters: Ecto-1 -1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor
Movie Year: 1984
What other car could Peter, Ray, Egon and Winston use when transporting souls back to the netherworld? What else but a hearse?! One of the most famous and recognizable cars in movie history, the 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor was also a straight up beater, needing shocks, brakes, lining, a transmission and all the other stuff that make cars go when Dr. Stantz brought her home. Still better than taking the Subway.
5. Class Act: GMC S-15 Sierra Extended Cab
Movie Year: 1992
This is the car we all wish we had in college. Blade Brown's TK mobile was the shit! Fast, fly and flashy. GM should have homologated this model. We would have bought three.
4. Bullitt: 1968 390 CID V8 Ford Mustang
Movie Year: 1968
As good a detective story Bullitt the only thing people remember other than Jacqueline Bisset, was the awesome car chase that made the 1968 390 CID V8 Ford Mustang GT a national icon. So what it it really couldn't have made those corners, it looked dope. So dope that Ford started to make Bullitt versions of their Mustangs in 2001.
3. An Education: 1958 Bristol 405 Sedan
Movie Year: 2009
When Peter Sarsgaard pulls up to Carrie Mulligan as she's waiting for the bus, it's no surprise that she wound up hopping in the passenger side of his beautiful Bristol 405. It's like the late, great Pimp C once said: 'When she told me i looked good, i didn't feel no pride, all the bitch want to do is just fuck my ride."
2. Back To The Future: 1981 De Lorean DMC-12
Movie Year: 1985
Made in Ireland to be sold in America, the De Lorean DMC-12 looked head of its time with it's Giorgetto Giugiaro designed body and gull-wing doors. Perfect ride to use as a time machine from the future. Too bad the past is where this failed ride stayed.
1. GoldFinger: 1963 Aston Martin DB5
Movie Year: 1964
Want some real talk? Aight, if Kim Kardashian in a thong bikini and a pristine 1963 Aston Martin DB5 were put next to each other, and were asked to pick one, we'd undoubtedly go with the Aston. We hope you would too. Not only did Sean Connery make it the most popular Bond car of all time in Goldfinger and Casio Royale, it's just absolutely gorgeous. Sex wrapped in sheet metal. And pull up in this in South Beach and we're sure you can bag something badder than Kim K.