Ford Cars in Your Favorite Hollywood Movies
Here at Norm Reeves Ford Superstore Cerritos, California, we love a good movie! If you’re like us you may have noticed quite a few Ford cars driving around in those movies. Ford cars have appeared as some of the most iconic cars in TV and film history. Such on-screen favorites as the Batmobile, the Mystery Machine, Greased Lightning and “Eleanor” were all built by Ford!
According to Motortrend and Internet Movie Car Database, Fords owns the top two spots when it comes to cars that have appeared in the most movies; the Crown Victoria and Mustang have both made thousands of appearances in movies, and Ford certainly has no shortage of other cars making appearances as well. Here are some notable examples.
Ford Gran Torino
The Gran Torino has had its fair share of movie appearances, but two of the most memorable are Starsky & Hutch (2004) and Gran Torino (2008). In Starsky & Hutch, Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson chase down bad guys in their red and white 1974 Gran Torino. In Gran Torino, one of Clint Eastwood’s most valued possessions is his mint condition 1972 Gran Torino, the character’s souvenir from his days at the Ford plant.
Ford Econoline Van
This van has made a surprising number of appearances in movies. Its biggest and most iconic role by far is in Scooby Doo (2002) and Scooby Doo 2 (2004), during which a customized Econoline van appears as the Mystery Machine. A customized Econoline van also appears in Dumb and Dumber (1994). While it is quite different from the Mystery Machine, it’s pretty hard to miss; Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels drive around in a customized 1984 van made to look like a shaggy, floppy-eared dog.
Ford Mustang
The appeal of this iconic American muscle car is so widespread, there’s no surprise that it is one of the most filmed cars in history! While the Crown Victoria mostly appeared as cop cars and taxis, the Mustang was busy stealing the show as a major part of some of the best movies around! Numerous Ford cars have made appearances in James Bond movies, occasionally even driven by Bond himself!
In Diamonds are Forever (1971), Bond drives the 1971 Mustang Mach 1, in a scene that contains one of the most famous editing errors in movie history; when the car is driven on its side to fit through an alley, the car enters the alley on the passenger side wheels, and comes out on the driver’s side ones! The Mustang also has a part in The Bucket List (2007), when Morgan Freeman’s character sets out to fulfill one of his dreams, to drive a Shelby.
Will Smith drives a Shelby GT500 around post-apocalyptic New York City in I am Legend (2007). The Mustang appears in other movies such as Drive (2011), Bull Durham (1988) and Fast and Furious 6 (2013), just to name a few. The 1968 Mustang Fastback appeared in one of the best movie car chases ever in the movie Bullitt (1968). But probably the Mustang’s most famous role is as “Eleanor” in Gone in 60 Seconds (1974) and (2000).
Gone in 60 Seconds is about stealing cars and the cars are all given women’s names so as not to arouse suspicion when the thieves are discussing them. In the original 1974 movie, “Eleanor” was an orange 1973 Mustang Mach 1. In the 2000 remake, the prized “Eleanor” was a 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500. At Norm Reeves Ford Superstore Cerritos, California, you can see the current model year Mustang and your other favorite Ford cars when you visit our showroom.