13 Iconic Vehicles in Timeless Films

      Classic cars and classic films have an inseparable bond, much like gas stations and squeegees.

      Here are 13 legendary cars that have appeared in timeless movies.

      What constitutes a classic car? It’s subjective. So if you feel we’ve overlooked a significant entry, please share your thoughts in the comments.

      The 1963 Aston Martin DB5 in Goldfinger

      United Artists

      Let's begin with perhaps the most famous classic car in cinema: the modified Aston Martin DB5 that James Bond (Sean Connery) first drove in 1964’s Goldfinger. What modifications were made? For starters, the original DB5 didn’t come equipped with a Browning .30 caliber machine gun in each fender or wheel-hub mounted tire-slashers.

      A fully restored Goldfinger Aston Martin DB5 fetched $6.4 million at auction in 2019, and RM Sotheby’s highlighted features such as “hydraulic over-rider rams on the bumpers, a Browning .30 caliber machine gun in each fender, wheel-hub mounted tire-slashers, a raising rear bullet-proof screen, an in-dash radar tracking scope, dispensers for oil, caltrops, and smoke screens, revolving license plates, and a passenger-seat ejection system.”

      Additionally, Sotheby’s ensured that “all gadgets are in fully functioning order.”

      The Lamborghini Miura in The Italian Job

      Paramount Pictures – Credit: C/O

      In a delightful revelation for lovers of classic cars and classic movies, Lamborghini announced in 2019 that the Miura showcased in the opening of The Italian Job, with chassis #3586, had been found.

      Lamborghini disclosed that collector Fritz Kaiser from Liechtenstein acquired the long-lost vehicle in 2018, and their restoration initiative, Polo Storico, immediately began restoring it to its former magnificence.

      The 1966 Alfa Romeo 1600 Duetto Spider in The Graduate

      Embassy Pictures – Credit: C/O

      By the time The Graduate premiered in 1967, the 1966 Alfa Romeo 1600 Duetto Spider was already considered a classic.

      Benjamin (Dustin Hoffman) had the ideal convertible for taking his girlfriend (Katherine Ross) around town.

      Plus, he could easily raise the top when sneaking around with her mother, played by Anne Bancroft.

      The 1958 Chevrolet Impala in American Graffiti

      Universal Pictures – Credit: C/O

      American Graffiti features a stunning array of classic cars, but in our opinion, the most striking is the 1958 Chevrolet Impala driven by Steve Bolander (Ron Howard).

      It left the street racing for others.

      The film also made it evident that George Lucas's passion for spaceships in the Star Wars saga has roots in his youth spent as a car enthusiast in Modesto, California, making it one of the most car-centric classic movies of the 1970s.

      The 1958 Plymouth Fury in Christine

      Columbia Pictures – Credit: C/O

      1958 was indeed a fantastic year for stunning automobiles, wasn’t it? John Carpenter’s 1983 adaptation of Stephen King’s Christine — based on the novel released the same year — utilized many cars to create the murderous vehicle featured in the movie.

      Christine may have been deadly, but she always looked gorgeous while wreaking havoc because beautiful cars can get away with almost anything.

      You can argue over which car on this list is the most aesthetically pleasing, but there’s no denying that Christine is the most lethal.

      The 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429 in John Wick

      Lionsgate

      Speaking of deadly vehicles: A chance meeting between John Wick (Keanu Reeves) and a mobster's son, who admires Wick's 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429, leads to a significant amount of bloodshed.

      Also worth noting: The car featured in John Wick isn’t a true Boss 429; it's a different model that appears later on this list, though from a different year.

      Is John Wick a classic film? Absolutely.

      The Modena GT Spyder in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off

      Paramount Pictures – Credit: Paramount

      The stunning vintage “Ferrari” taken for a joyride and wrecked in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off wasn’t actually a Ferrari. The film employed three 1985 Modena GT Spyders, crafted by Modena Design and Development in California.

      Why not use a real Ferrari? Reportedly, only 56 of the 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California purportedly shown in the film were produced. Destroying one would have been prohibitively expensive and a considerable crime against classic cars.

      The Tucker 48 in Tucker: A Man and His Dream

      Paramount Pictures – Credit: Paramount

      Released 40 years after the Tucker sedan’s introduction, the largely overlooked 1988 drama Tucker: A Man and His Dream by Francis Ford Coppola deserves a spot on any