Born essentially at the same time, cinema and cars are practically siblings that have grown together for over a century. Ever since the first on-screen car chase in 1903’s Runaway Match, they have complemented each other to create some of the greatest scenes, thrilling chases, and iconic moments in cinema history. Many vehicles have stolen the show that they have become the stars themselves, outshining their human counterparts.
Buckle up as we count down the Top 100 Movie and TV Vehicles of All Time in a high-octane ride through the greatest legends on wheels to ever burn rubber on film! No spaceships or yellow submarines here; this list will celebrate the vehicles that have left tire tracks through movie, TV, and pop culture history!
60. Dragula & Koach | The Munsters (1964-1966)
The Munster Koach and Dragula from The Munsters are arguably the greatest vehicles ever designed by legendary car customizer George Barris, which is saying something considering he dominates this list. The Munster Koach was the family car, often seen pulling up in front of the eerie 1313 Mockingbird Lane. A gothic twist on the classic hot rod, the Koach was built from three 1926 Ford Model T bodies and stretched to 18 feet long.
It sported a hearse-like rear, ornate brass fixtures, and a blood-red velvet interior, perfectly reflecting the Munsters’ spooky but stylish aesthetic. The Dragula is Grandpa Munster’s ride, a coffin-based dragster built for speed and flair. Together, these vehicles helped define The Munsters’ unique gothic aesthetic and added a touch of automotive flair to the show’s enduring legacy. Whether creeping down the street or burning rubber on the drag strip, the Munster Koach and Dragula remain timeless symbols of spooky cool.
-Sailor Monsoon
59. Ford Explorer | Jurassic Park (1993)
Fans can hardly think about some of the iconic moments from Steven Spielberg’s dinosaur classic without picturing these colorful automated tour vehicles. These stock SUVs turned into movie stars with a custom green, red, and yellow paint scheme, amber roof lights, and faux tech like onboard computers and night-vision goggles.
The Explorers’ defining moment comes when the T-Rex breaks out, and the tour car sits stalled as the massive predator emerges from the rain-soaked jungle. With the V6 silent and amber lights flashing, the T-Rex rams the roof, shattering glass and flipping the Explorer in a muddy, bone-crunching assault that ends with it pinned against a tree. A simple showcase of prehistoric power being better than modern high-tech fanciness.
-Vincent Kane
58. Submarine Lotus Esprit S1 | The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
The 1976 Lotus Esprit was transformed into a submarine spy machine dubbed “Wet Nellie.” Painted white with black trim, it sprouted retractable fins, rudders, and a periscope, its body sealed and fitted with electric motors for underwater scenes filmed off the Bahamas. With Barbara Bach by Bond’s side and being chased by a helicopter, its shining moment comes as it plunges into the sea. It morphs from car to submarine with missiles firing and propellers swirling. The scene’s seamless blend of glamour and gadgetry is capped by Bond surfacing and tossing a fish out the window. The audience was gasping and cheering in pure 1970s spy glee.
-Vincent Kane
57. 1949 Mercury Eight | Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
A brooding, hot-rodded icon that cruises through Nicholas Ray’s teen-angst classic as James Dean’s Jim Stark’s rebellious chariot. This first-generation Mercury was transformed into a menacing black beauty. Lowered, chopped, and fitted with a custom grille, side pipes, and a slicked-back roofline with a glossy finish and rumbling exhaust amplifying Dean’s tortured cool. Jim squares off against Buzz in a deadly game of chicken in a heart-stopping cliff race. As the headlights pierce the night and the engines rev in a raw, edge-of-your-seat thrill ride that had audiences gripping their seats. It’s pure 1950s melodrama.
-Vincent Kane
56. Black Beauty | The Green Hornet (1967)
One of the earliest TV car icons that was loaded with Bond-esque tricks: rocket launchers, gas nozzles, a retractable scanner, and a hood-mounted TV camera. This 1966 Chrysler Imperial Crown sedan was a luxury cruiser that was painted midnight black with green-tinted windows and green headlights. Black Beauty would hold its own alongside The Green Hornet and Bruce Lee’s Kato as the three would chase down some baddies.
-Vincent Kane
55. Dodge M4S Turbo Interceptor | The Wraith (1986)
The Turbo Interceptor deserved better. The Wraith is a fine cheesy B movie, but had this car been used in something legit as a popular 80s TV show or a Bond film, it would be considered as one of the best and most iconic cars ever. For the film, the M4S was reborn as the Turbo Interceptor, with a blacked-out and futuristic look, complete with scissor doors and a menacing stance. It perfectly suited the ghostly avenger who uses it to take down a gang of road-racing punks in fiery, high-speed showdowns.
In one of its most badass scenes, the car materializes out of thin air to begin taking out members of a hot rod gang. Its tires screech onto the desert highway in a blaze of turbocharged fury, engine roaring and an otherworldly glow. This first chase ends with Interceptor forcing a head-on collision where both cars go up in flames, only to have the Interceptor reappear moments later unscathed, looking for more revenge.
-Vincent Kane
54. Kawasaki Motorcycles | CHiPs (1977-1983)
One of the earliest memories I have is playing with a CHiPs motorcycle toy on the front porch, pulling over Lando Calrissian for using warp speed illegally. This breakout TV hit that followed California Highway Patrol officers Jon Baker and Frank “Ponch” Poncherello was propelled by the Kawasakis they rode to deliver justice. The duo rode the Kawasaki Z1-P and KZ900-C2, upgraded with police-spec windshields, saddlebags, pursuit lights, and folding floorboards. The high-speed chases had kids glued to their screens and dreaming of hitting the highway. It’s high-octane cool with the bikes’ nimble handling and raw power shining as brightly as Ponch’s grin.
-Vincent Kane
53. Mario’s Kart | The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
When Super Mario Kart hit the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) in 1992, it didn’t just launch a racing game, it created an entire genre. At the center of this revolution was a humble but mighty machine: the kart. The kart in Super Mario Kart wasn’t a flashy supercar or futuristic hovercraft. It was a squat, open-frame racing machine designed for tight turns, chaotic battles, and speed boosts across pixel-perfect tracks. What it lacked in realism, it made up for in sheer charm and control. The kart’s design was influenced by actual go-karts, but simplified and stylized for the SNES’s 16-bit graphics. Since the devs couldn’t go for realism, they opted for a close facsimile, and the end result somehow feels more authentic to real life than an exact replica.
No real-life go-kart looks exactly like the ones from the games, which kind of gives them this artificial nostalgia. As if they were purposefully designed to trigger memories of an activity you can’t possibly relate to (unless you’re the coolest person on Earth who regularly races against giant lizards and talking mushrooms) but somehow still feel nostalgic for. Ironically, despite being the most recognizable car in any of the games, it’s also one of the worst. It’s designed to be evenly balanced for new gamers, but after a couple of hours of play, you’re encouraged to find the best rider and kart for your play style, and hardly anyone sticks with the standard-issue kart. While there may be a ton of cars in the series that are undeniably better to drive with, there’s no denying its lasting appeal.
-Sailor Monsoon
52. Bennie the Cab | Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988)
This gruffy, wisecracking animated cab would be a standout in the groundbreaking live-action/animation hybrid. Modeled after a classic 1930s taxicab with rounded fenders, exposed wheels, and a boxy grille, Bennie was brought to life with the gravelly voice of Charles Fleischer. In the film’s Toontown universe, he’s a sentient, self-driving cab with a plaid interior, stretchy tires, and a penchant for bending physics, zipping through LA’s streets and straight into our hearts.
-Vincent Kane
51. 1983 GMC Vandura | The A-Team (1983-1987)
When you think of The A-Team, you think of explosions, catchphrases, and clever plans coming together, but just as iconic as Mr. T’s gold chains or Hannibal’s cigars is their badass, black-and-gray van. More than just a vehicle, the A-Team van was a character in its own right, a symbol of mobility, mystery, and muscle. The A-Team’s trusty ride was a 1983 GMC Vandura G-15 that was instantly recognizable thanks to its two-tone black and metallic gray paint job, bright red stripe (slashing upward at a sharp angle), red turbine-style wheels, and that aggressive rooftop spoiler.
It acted as a mobile command center, stocked with gear, tools, and the occasional impromptu welding scene where the team would MacGyver some wild invention. The A-Team van became a pop culture icon almost immediately. It was more than just a cool ride — it was a rolling headquarters, a symbol of teamwork and justice. As the team traveled across the U.S., helping the helpless and evading capture, the van was their ever-reliable escape vehicle and base of operations. Whether crashing through gates or skidding into a dusty town just in time to save the day, the A-Team van didn’t just transport its heroes, it helped define them.
-Sailor Monsoon
50. 1964 Chevy Impala | Boyz n the Hood (1991)
Painted a vibrant cherry red and tricked out with hydraulics and chrome wire wheels, this Chevy Impala was a quintessential West Coast ride, reflecting the pride and peril of the neighborhood. The 1964 Chevrolet Impala is a low-riding icon that cruises through John Singleton’s powerful coming-of-age drama, where Doughboy and his posse would pile into it for a chill ride or revenge. The car’s swagger would juxtapose the raw and harsh realities of the early 1990s LA realism.
-Vincent Kane
49. 1932 Ford Coupe | American Graffiti (1973)
George Lucas’s nostalgic ode to 1960s cruising culture would be highlighted by this canary yellow hot-rod legend with flames licking the fenders. Its sleek, low-slung body, exposed wheels, and open hood scream pure hot rod attitude. With teens cheering, the climactic Paradise Road race against Harrison Ford’s ‘55 Chevy would be etched in car cinema history. The yellow Ford Coupe’s raw power and cool style is pure Americana style.
-Vincent Kane
48. 1970 Chevy Nova | Death Proof (2007)
Do you remember that old urban legend about driving down one of those back-road two-lane highways and seeing a car driving toward you with its lights off? If you flash your lights at them, they turn around to come get you. This is the type of car I imagine when people talk about that legend: a menacing black matte muscle car with a skull and lightning bolts graphic on the hood, customized with a roll cage to protect the driver as he uses it as a killing machine.
That’s exactly what we get in Quentin Tarantino’s grindhouse tribute. Stuntman Mike’s first weapon of choice is the 1970 Chevy Nova 350-cubic-inch V8 engine that is used to slaughter a group of women. With headlights off and speeds hitting nearly 80 mph, Mike rams the Nova into their car, rolling it 160 yards down the road in a cannon-launched stunt dubbed “The Prius”. It was a real, no-CGI feat executed by stuntman Buddy Joe Hooker that left audiences stunned.
Later in the film, Mike uses a ‘69 Dodge Charger during the high-speed chase where Zoe Bell is hanging onto the hood of a ‘70 Dodge Challenger. As crazy and amazing as that stunt is, the Chevy Nova is the one people picture when thinking about Death Proof.
-Vincent Kane
47. The Flintmobile | The Flintstones (1960-66)
The Flintstones was all about taking modern conveniences like automobiles and appliances and giving them a Stone Age twist. While the animated sitcom used dinosaurs or other prehistoric animals as fill-ins for dishwashers, lawnmowers, and vacuums, when it came to Fred’s primary form of transportation, nothing beat the footmobile, I mean… the Flintmobile! As with any cavecar, it could only be started (and kept going) with foot power, with Fred (and occasionally Barney) needing to move their feet against the ground to give the car some forward momentum. With its iconic design, the Flintmobile is definitely one of the first things people will think of when you ask them about The Flintstones.
–Marmaduke Karlston
46. 1991 Harley-Davidson Fatboy | Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Tell me if you have heard this one before. A Terminator walks into a bar and says, “I need your clothes, your boots, and your motorcycle.” What do you get? You get one of the greatest sci-fi action movies of all time with a movie-stealing chase scene starring a Fat Boy, that’s what. Don’t worry, body-positive peeps, we are talking about the motorcycle. The Fat Boy was a perfect match for Arnie’s Leather-clad T-800 as its roar was like a mix of Barry White and a lion.
With the V-twin roaring, the LA River chase would be its defining moment as the T-800 guns it down the concrete channel to rescue John Connor from the T-1000’s liquid-metal pursuit in a Freightliner truck. Arnie leaps the bike off a bridge, landing with a bone-rattling thud before weaving through the floodway, shotgun blazing in one hand. A jaw-dropping, practical stunt that had us erupting in the theaters back in 1991. It’s pure action-movie adrenaline, the Harley’s raw power and Arnold’s unflinching cool making it an instant classic.
-Vincent Kane
45. Ferrari 308 GTS Quattrovalvole | Magnum P.I. (1980-88)
The signature ride of Tom Selleck’s Thomas Magnum, epitomizing 1980s Hawaiian cool. Painted in Rosso Corsa red with a tan leather interior and removable targa top, its sleek curves and pop-up headlights scream Italian flair, complementing Magnum’s mustache, aloha shirts, and laid-back charm. It’s a glossy, sun-soaked spectacle, and the Ferraris’ growl would perfectly match Magnum’s swagger.
-Vincent Kane
44. 1970 Dodge Charger R/T | The Fast and the Furious (2001)
This blacked-out beast snarled its way into the hearts of Fast and Furious fans as Dom Toretto’s prized possession. This second-generation Charger packs a 440-cubic-inch Magnum V8 under the hood, tuned with a Weiand 6-71 supercharger to push out over 500 horsepower, embodies raw muscle. Dom would unleash its full power in a climactic race for freedom against Paul Walker’s Toyota Supra. The scene peaks when Dom flips it, dodging a semi-truck. The Charger tumbles in slow-motion carnage as a heart-pounding, metal-crunching spectacle.
-Vincent Kane
43. 1950 Mercury Monterey | Cobra (1986)
No car more perfectly matches Sylvester Stallone’s bravado as Cobra Cobretti than this first-generation two-door coupe. Painted gunmetal gray with a chopped roof, custom hood scoop, and chrome wheels, it’s a lowrider with attitude, with an “AWSOM 50” vanity plate to match Cobra’s gritty cop persona. The car’s raw edge and Cobra’s toothpick-chewing cool made it a match made in ‘80s action heaven.
-Vincent Kane
42. The Green Goblin | Maximum Overdrive (1986)
“This machine just called me an asshole!”
Though the Green Goblin truck in Maximum Overdrive never calls anyone an asshole, it might as well. From its opening moments, its entire vibe is pure rage and hostility. Sporting the now well-known green goblin face, it’s by far the most memorable image of this B-rate Stephen King adaptation. Don’t get me wrong, it absolutely rules if you embrace it for the corny garbage it is, but it’s not going through a resurgence anytime soon. Even so, watching this truck decimate the movie’s cast throughout is pure serotonin. Adios motherf***er!
– Valerie Morreale
41. Sweet Tooth | Twisted Metal (2023-present)
In the anarchic world of Twisted Metal, a game series built on vehicular combat and dark storytelling, no other vehicle stands out more than Sweet Tooth’s ice cream truck. Driven by the deranged clown Needles Kane, the truck is more than just a weaponized dessert delivery van—it’s the face of the franchise. Sweet Tooth’s truck is instantly recognizable: a rusty, battered ice cream van topped with a flaming clown head, painted white with pink polka dots. Sweet Tooth and his truck are Twisted Metal. Sweet Tooth is the character most associated with the series, from box art to promo trailers.
His presence across nearly every game makes the truck a consistent icon, evolving with each generation of the franchise while retaining its signature look and menace. Within the game itself, the van is a brute. It’s heavily armored, slow but powerful, and packed with devastating special weapons (most notably the flaming clown-head projectile) or the transforming mecha form seen in later games. It’s not the easiest vehicle to operate, and honestly, he works better as a boss you have to defeat, but that’s irrelevant. Even people who haven’t played Twisted Metal recognize Sweet Tooth and his iconic ice cream van.
-Sailor Monsoon
80-61 | 40-21
What are your thoughts on this selection of fine-ass vehicles? Are any of your favorites, or do you think they should rank higher?
