Top 20 Movies for Car Enthusiasts

Hal Needham[a] was probably the most reliable hand when it came to cinema that focused upon amazing stunts. “The Cannonball Run” is a prime example, combining zany and madcap comedy with a simple, direct premise: win the race! Needham was a frequent collaborator with Burt Reynolds, who stars here alongside a bevy of famous faces. The characters all have their own motivations alongside their unique cars, from an Aston Martin DB5 and Ferrari 308 GTS to a souped-up Dodge Tradesman ambulance! The broad jokes and comedy largely still hit today, and “The Cannonball Run” feels like the sort of project that was a lot of fun to create, with that light-hearted sensibility translating over to the screen.

1984’s “Repo Man” exists in an ultra-cool crosshair, of sorts. It’s a cult film, sure, but also a flick that car enthusiasts are bound to enjoy. This is due primarily to all of the vintage automobiles on display from both the 1970s and ‘80s. “Repo Man” is a spot-on satire of Reaganomics and consumerism but never lets its message interfere with the craziness on screen. Emilio Estevez’s Otto winds up in pursuit of a Chevy Malibu with some strange, glowing cargo and the whole film eventually turns on its head with a wild twist. The combination of “Repo Man’s” unique visual style, quirky performances and heavy, punk rock soundtrack makes this film truly stand out from the crowd.

Monte Hellman[b] was an outsider filmmaker that made outsider films. He traversed his own path in the 1970s with a number of “road” movies featuring compelling and mysterious characters. “Cockfighter” from 1974 is notable, but it was “Two-Lane Blacktop” from three years prior that helped cement Hellman as a legend. This is a film that fetishizes the freedom and occasional obsession of car culture to the point where it becomes a character unto itself. “Two-Lane Blacktop” was also notable for its casting of James Taylor and The Beach Boys’ Dennis Wilson alongside veteran actor Warren Oates. This is a minimalist piece that prefers to show and hide, rather than tell. And it’s all the more engaging to this end.

One needs to be in a proper state of mind in order to appreciate the glory that is “Death Race 2000.” This Roger Corman production was just one of the man’s enviable list of exploitation features that garnered a cult following over the years. It’s a cartoonish and satirical affair set in a post-apocalyptic world where a deadly road race mollifies a society under totalitarian rule. Contestants outfit their funny cars with all sorts of murderous weaponry, designed not only to take out the other drivers, but also pedestrians along the way. “Death Race 2000” even features a scene where hospital patients are wheeled out in a row, like so many ducks, to meet their demise. The end results are silly and tons of fun.

There’s only a single car that’s the star of 1983’s “Christine.” But, what a car! As in the classic Stephen King tale that is its source, this 958 Plymouth Fury is both possessed and possessive. Director John Carpenter adapts this story with his usual stylistic flair and quick wit, while making horror history in the process. “Christine” boasts a wonderful cast, including Keith Gordon and Alexandra Paul, but it’s the Fury that ultimately ended up entering the pop culture zeitgeist. Carpenter’s direction and usage of music does a great job at lending Christine real personality; a possessive and vindictive girlfriend who won’t let anything get between her and her owner.

This dark thriller about a mysterious Hollywood stunt driver-slash getaway driver scored big at its 2011 Cannes[c] Film Festival screening. Standing out thanks to its stylish direction, captivating imagery, ethereal music, and performances by Ryan Gosling and Albert Brooks, it has also been called a “tribute to the genre of car films.” While “Drive” has a lot going for it on its own, the car-centric plot, fantastically staged chase scenes and the combination of a five liter Mustang and a Chrysler 300 in the same sequence is enough to get most car buffs drooling.

This film depicts the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans race, the world's oldest endurance race. Although a dud at the box office, the Steve McQueen film has since gained a cult following mainly for its authenticity. And in fact, the film gained this authenticity by using the actual Le Mans circuit and actual footage of a real race shot from a car actually in the race, with appearances from actual drivers and actual racing cars. Much of the race footage was shot from a Ford GT40 and features a Porsche 917 as well as a gorgeous Ferrari 512 in all their glory. It doesn’t hurt that McQueen himself was a racing aficionado who was determined to capture the most accurate racing footage possible, which he most definitely did.

The team of Hal Needham and Burt Reynolds largely proved themselves to be bullet-proof over the years. A lot of this good will can be traced back to this MASSIVE hit from 1977, “Smokey and the Bandit.” This deftly executed and supremely fun flick basically set the template for a lot of “good ol’ boy” comedies that would arise in its wake. A rascally protagonist, transporting bootlegging liquor across state lines? Check. A determined law enforcement agent, hot on his tail? Double check. “Smokey and the Bandit” is honestly worth it for the car crashes and chases alone, but the banter between Reynolds and co-stars Jackie Gleason and Jerry Reed makes this one priceless.

No definitive list of car flicks can be complete without Quentin Tarantino’s homage to the exploitation, muscle car films popular in the 1970s. Combining action, horror, comedy, and revenge in a way only Tarantino could, the film stars Kurt Russell as a psychopathic stuntman who murders young women through car “accidents” using a car that he believes is “death proof.” Although not one of Tarantino's biggest hits, the flick still lands on our list as a worthy tribute to the golden age of car cinema due to its breathtaking car sequences, jaw-dropping crashes, and an appearance by a beautiful 1970 Dodge Challenger.

The 1970s was a halcyon decade for gritty police procedurals, a genre that was known for its car chases. William Friedkin[e]’s “The French Connection” remains one of the finest of these films. This is thanks not only to the quality of its acting, but for one iconic sequence through the streets of Brooklyn. The sight of Gene Hackman’s “Popeye” Doyle chasing a suspect who’s riding an elevated train still provides sweat-inducing stress and anxiety from audiences. This is all thanks to the impeccable stunt coordination of Bill Hickman and the cinematography of Owen Roizman. That front-bumper shot makes us feel like we’re along for the ride, as Doyle risks not only his life, but the lives of everyone in his way during the pursuit.

Although the 2003 remake has garnered some favorable reviews and features some pretty drool-worthy cars, we’ve set our sights on the British original that blew the doors off the genre. Starring Michael Caine as the head of a crew of criminals trying to pull off a monumental heist in Italy, the film features some classy cars from the turn of the decade, including an orange Lamborghini Miura[f], an Aston Martin DB4, Jag E-Types and a black Fiat Dino coupé. Of course, car lovers will enjoy what the film is best known for: its climactic car chase scene involving a trio of stylish Mini Coopers.

Don’t get us wrong; the 1974 original has definitely got a few tricks up its sleeve, but when it comes to gorgeous automobiles, the remake has got them…and then some. Featuring a stunning Angelina Jolie, Nicolas Cage in fine form, and a pedal-to-the-medal plot, the real beauties here are the fifty expensive cars master thief “Memphis” Raines must steal to save his brother’s life. Beginning with a 1999 Aston Martin DB7, as well as an exquisite DB1 and ending with a 2000 Volvo V70R, the cars are dreamy to behold, but none so much as the prized Eleanor[g]- a 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500 which received a star title credit in the movie.

With heart-pumping action, dangerous stunts, a chase across post-hippie America, and a white 1970 Dodge Challenger R/T loaded with a 440 Magnum, car movies can’t get much better than this surreal gem. Referenced in multiple songs, television shows, and even video games, the epic chase between the police and mysterious driver Kowalski[h] has since captured the imaginations of film directors from Quentin Tarantino to Steven Spielberg. There are enough revving engines, car crashes, and racing sequences in this cult classic road movie to appeal to vehicle lovers of any age and from any background.

Arguably the finest professional racing flick of all time, this tense and thrilling film brings to life the fierce rivalry between Formula 1 drivers Niki Lauda[i] and James Hunt in 1976. A far cry from the safer vehicles of today, drivers back then were daredevils; there was no such thing as roll cages, aerodynamics usually worked against you rather than for you, and high-speed crashes were usually a death sentence. This Ron Howard film captures the danger of F1 racing back in the day brilliantly and gives us sequences that make us grimace, wince, and squeal with anxiety and anticipation.

As if the idea of Robert De Niro kicking ass and taking names in France wasn’t exciting enough, director John Frankenheimer went and made it even better. While the film admittedly spends most of its time on the team of ex-special ops trying to steal a mysterious briefcase, the car chase scenes through Nice and Paris, all filmed live, have been noted as some of the best of all time. Considering there were over 2000 extras, 300 stunt drivers, and appearances by a Mercedes SEL[j], a vintage and overpowered Benz W116, an Audi S8, BMW 535i, a Citroen XM and a variety of Peugeots, to name a few, there can be no doubt that this action thriller deserves a place on our list.

Any list of “movies for people who like car movies” would be incomplete without at least a cursory mention of the “Fast and Furious” franchise. This seemingly endless series of films emerged from relatively humble and realistic beginnings to become a franchise that knowingly thumbs its nose at physics and logic. This is all part of the charm for its fans, however, although true car enthusiasts will likely point to earlier films in the franchise as superior, thanks to their comparative lack of CGI. Still, “The Fast and The Furious” movies are nothing if not a spectacle, and their set pieces repeatedly set new bars for “I can’t believe they just did that” what-the-heckery.

Everybody loves a good competition story, right? “Ford v Ferrari” from 2019 documented and dramatized the Ford Motor Company’s determined quest to beat out the heavily favored Italian Ferrari team at Le Mans ‘66. The cast, including Christian Bale and Matt Damon, is outstanding and they help throw the movie back to classic car films of the 1960s and ‘70s. The story is simple, but compelling, and the racing scenes are well-actualized and thrilling. “Ford v Ferrari” could’ve easily fallen into the lazy tropism that’s sometimes associated with films like this, but director James Mangold and the screenwriting team wound up telling a really fun story.

Hollywood artistry meets real-life Formula One greatness here in 1966’s “Grand Prix.” This film from director John Frankenheimer includes appearances by real-life racing legends within its fictional narrative of four determined drivers. All of these men behind the wheel have their own motivations for winning, and “Grand Prix” allows both their personal and professional lives to influence how they wind up at the climax. The cast is brilliant, from James Garner and Antonio Sabàto Sr. to Jessica Walter and French singer/songwriter Françoise Hardy. “Grand Prix” is an exciting, old school Hollywood spectacle that truly towers in both artistic merit and technical achievement.

George Miller’s “Mad Max” franchise has always been something of a comfort food haven for car enthusiasts. It’s a film series that practically invented the parameters of post-apocalyptic cinema, from its explosive and violent car attacks to reckless chases through water-deprived wastelands. “The Road Warrior” from 1981 helped codify these tropes, but the genre was largely in the rearview prior to “Fury Road’s” revelatory premiere in 2015. Miller’s dedication to old-school, practical filmmaking made all the difference, as each pursuit felt dangerous and real…because they were! “Furiosa” may have flopped, but we’ll always back Mad Max, wherever he decides to wander.

You can’t officially call yourself a gearhead unless you’ve watched this seminal car-lover’s classic. Featuring the macho Steve McQueen in all his McQueeniness, a 1969 Ford Mustang 390 Fastback, and a Dodge Charger 440 Magnum, the film became a critical and box office smash and resulted in a cult following from fans of the genre. The crowning achievement of this dramatic thriller, however, is undoubtedly the chase scene through the streets of San Francisco, called one of cinema’s most exciting and all time best. It has been extensively copied, parodied, and referenced in a sequence that has set the standard for all car chase scenes to come after.




Do you prefer the old school methods of shooting car chases, or modern CGI spectacle? Let us know in the comments!