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Driving the Story - American Cars in American Movies

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Recent stories about the economic crisis afflicting the "Big Three" automakers -- Ford, General Motors and Chrysler -- make it sound as if, barring some kind of bailout package, there won't be an American auto industry much longer. Putting aside -- and it's a big aside -- what this would mean for tens of thousands of jobs, there's also the question of what this would mean for American movies. A number of movies have immortalized specific pieces of Detroit iron; are these movies going to become the most enduring record of a car culture that once roared and raced across the roads and highways of America?

Cars As Stars
There are dozens of movies in my mind -- and, I'll wager, in yours -- where the big, brawny muscle of the cars makes those inanimate hunks of metal as memorable as any of the flesh-and-blood characters; take Vanishing Point (seen above), the 1971 story of a rogue driver tasked with delivering a 1970 Dodge Charger from Colorado to San Francisco. Vanishing Point's a great driving-and-chase film, and considered such a touchstone that Quentin Tarantino's Death Proof features a similar Charger in its finale, just as Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russell) drives a Chevy Nova with the same license plate number as Steve McQueen's Ford Mustang Fastback in Bullitt. Anyone questioning the idea that a car can be a star needs to think about Bullitt and be honest with themselves: When you think of Bullitt, do you recall the tedious finale showdown at the airport -- or McQueen's Mustang tearing through the streets?

But even Detroit's less notable vehicles have been enshrined for fame, or infamy, on screen. The lowly Ford Taurus has gotten its due, as the police vehicles in Robocop and then mocked in David O. Russell's Flirting with Disaster: "Does anybody actually own a white Taurus, or are they all rentals?" But Hollywood has also celebrated even lowlier autos: The infamous Bluesmobile in The Blues Brothers, praised by the deadpan Elwood Blues (Dan Akyroyd) for its "... cop tires, cop suspension and cop motor ... a 440 cubic-inch plant ...", is a 1970 Dodge Monaco. The Blues Brothers also features footage of what may be the fastest-moving Ford Pinto ever captured on film... although, it should be noted, that's when the car's in free-fall, propelled by gravity and not its engine.

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Concept Cars
Recent years have seen some of America's best-known cars turn up in big-budget science-fiction films; Michael Bay's Transformers features the space-robot Bumblebee, who can disguise himself as a 1976 and 2009 Chevrolet Camaro, while the murderous albino twins in The Matrix Revolutions drive a custom hybrid made by combining Cadillac Escalade parts with body parts from the Chevrolet Avalanche pick-up truck. Many of the futuristic vehicles in Demolition Man were based on General Motors concept models as well.

Like the muscle cars of the past, these fanciful four-doors of tomorrow are the ones that stick in our mind. But no matter how loud the roar of the engine, or how cool the curve of some fantastic high-tech fender, that our image of America's automakers exists in a high-octane past or some fanciful far-flung future seems a little too close for comfort when you read the headlines and financial reports from the here-and-now.

What's your favorite American car moment from the movies? Let us know below.

Posted by James Rocchi
November 26, 2008 1:00am


Comments

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By adjectiveman on November 27, 2008 11:57 AM

Vanishing Point is one of the first movies I ever recal seeing as a child -certainly the first I saw in a drive-in theatre.

The car is not a Charger like that in Death Proof. It's a 1970 Dodge Challenger - a car that has recently inspired an homage retro-ride by the Chrysler folks.

Can't wait for the inevitable product placement remake. I'd even put money on Nick Cage in the Kowalski role.

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By James Rocchi on November 27, 2008 12:40 PM

Actually, Stuntman Mike drives a Charger; The Challenger, from Vanishing Point, is driven by the girls, as referenced in a wonderfully obscene line.

And there's already been a re-make of Vanishing Point, for TV; not the proudest moment in Viggo Mortensen's career, but still.

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By GUMBALL on November 28, 2008 9:06 AM

Any car scene from The Gumball Rally. GUMBALL!

Or seeing James Taylor rip through the gears in
Two Lane Blacktop.

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By Groundshaker on December 2, 2008 4:21 AM

Other Movies, some known,some not,that feature Great Cars,"The California Kid" (tv movie) Pete and Jakes 34 Ford (driven by Martin Sheen).1979's "Hot Rod" (tv movie) a 40 Willys (driven by Gregg Henry).The seemingly indestructable Mustang in 1974's "Gone in 60 Seconds" (driven by H.B.Halicki).Give us a few precious minutes to escape our realities and ride along with these Heroes of The Highways.......

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By NehemiahS on May 8, 2009 3:51 AM

In addition to the leading vehicle companies with their alluring models, one particular business owner also dares to compete with the race. Raser Technologies is taking a good thing and then doing something awesome with it. Raser Technologies just made a hybrid car out of a Hummer. The company has unveiled a plug in hybrid edition of the Hummer H3, a bold move in any case. Raser, now traded on the NYSE, is the company behind the E-REV engine, an extended range electric engine that will go up to 40 miles per charge when fully electric, and gets up to 100 mpg when using hybrid driving. It will take some hefty personal loans, though – available in 2011, and if the previous cost of a Hummer was prohibitive, it ought to take some hefty installment loans to get one from Raser Technologies.

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By EssMark on April 26, 2010 9:12 AM

What a sad time for American car industry and in particular Detroit. Detroit is synonymous with cars and generations have made their living and some very wealthy due to the big three vehicle manufacturers. WHat is frustrating, in my opinion is that these vehicle producers continue to miss the mark with the American consumer needs. To continue building those large gasoline guzzlers is a crime and short sighted. One may be suspicious and believe they are just riding out the inevitable before final death at the cost of the American public and government. The future is bleak and Car Salvage
may be the solution for many Americans who have bought reasonable new cars in the past few years. Second hand parts will be necessary. Oh what a deal! Not if you bought American!

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By camille on June 4, 2010 3:19 PM

I love Transformers' Bumblebee! Well, all the cars there can really wow us, Asians. Not that we don't support the cars from Japan. But really, American cars have that "appeal."
Combination Boiler

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By Media on January 13, 2011 10:41 AM

American autos didn't always have a poor reputation. In the early days of the automotive industry American cars were considered reliable and the general good value.Japanese used cars|Japanese Used Vehicles

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By dofu on January 19, 2011 6:04 AM

Sometimes movie stars are not always human, although I don't believe any of these cars have a star on Hollywood Boulevard. I have compiled a list of MY top 10 favorite American movie cars. Believe me, I had many more I wanted to choose, but since it's titled top 10, I had to narrow it down, otherwise this list would be quite long. The only two criteria for a car to make this list for the Ginault ad is:

A) it had to be in a movie, and not just a t.v. show, and
B) it had to be an American model car.
Ginault makes mid level fine Swiss watches. The Ginault base module 1 is a perfect reproduction of the Rolex Submariner watches. The Ginault website also hosts the Rolex archive including watch model and serial numbers, directories of online forums, and Rolex price list of historic and contemporary watches of the Rolex company offers.

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By jonny smith on February 9, 2011 6:17 AM

the giants of automotive industries in America such as Ford, General Motors and Chrysler has produce some of the great cars which till this date people will happy to have one with them and the vehicle i prefer to have any day is Ford 150 can any pick up truck get better then it ?
used rvs

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By MargaCar on February 10, 2011 4:23 AM

Nothing beats for me the Tranformers. The giant car parts came into reality and have its own mind really make a mark in everybody's head.

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By MargaCar on February 10, 2011 4:25 AM

Nothing beats for me the Tranformers. The giant car parts came into reality and have its own mind really make a mark in everybody's head.