Killer Cars: 8 Classic Horror Movie Cars
As Halloween approaches, all things spooky begin to creep into our surroundings.
It’s the perfect time of year to watch some classic horror movies. In addition to blood-curdling screams, mask-wearing psychos, and creepy music, many horror movies feature cars that have become icons to their fans. Let’s step back in time and check out some classic horror movies where killer cars take center stage.
For me, it seems like just yesterday that I watched some of these cars wreak havoc on the big screen. Many of them had “minds” of their own and you never knew what was going to happen next. Others were used by the main characters to get away from the horrors that surrounded them. While I am a fan of vintage cars, I’m not sure if I’d drive these. Would you?
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Killer Cars: 8 Classic Horror Movie Cars We Love
Christine – 1958 Plymouth Fury
Perhaps the most famous killer car comes from the classic horror movie, Christine. “She” is a 1958 Plymouth Fury and the main character in the movie. Based on the Stephen King novel, Christine starts killing before she even leaves the production line. Decades later, a dorky guy names Arny buys a rusty Christine and somehow starts becoming the cool kid dating the prettiest girl in school. Unfortunately, Christine gets jealous and that’s where the horror in this movie truly gets started.
The Duel – 1971 Plymouth Valiant De Luxe
In this TV movie, mild-mannered David is a middle-aged salesman taking a business trip through the desert. He encounters a ramshackle tanker truck and passes it. The truck speeds up and roars past him and leaves him in the distance. The trouble starts when David stops for gas and the truck is there. The demonic truck begins to play a deadly cat-and-mouse game with poor David who must become his own hero in order to survive this duel. If this car can kick the ass of a huge demon truck, I’ll take it!
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Death Proof – 1970 Chevy Nova
In this Quentin Tarantino horror movie from 2007, the main character is Mike (played by hunky Kurt Russel) a stuntman who stages car accidents to murder women. In a conversation with one of his victims, he refers to the car as being “100% death proof.” Unfortunately for her, “Only to get the benefit of it, honey, you really need to be sitting in my seat.” confesses Mike. Whoops! Not the romantic drive she expected. On a day I’m feeling particularly badass, I might like to take this one for a spin.
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Joy Ride – 1971 Chrysler Newport
College freshman, Lewis Thomas decides to take a cross-country drive to pick up his girlfriend, Venna. On the way, he takes a detour to pick up his trouble-making brother, Fuller. Fuller convinces Lewis to play a prank on a trucker over the CB radio. This trucker, only known by his CB handle, Rusty Nail, turns this joy ride into a road trip of terror.
Cujo – 1978 Ford Pinto Runabout
The movie Cujo involves a mother and her son trapped inside their car without food or water during a heatwave. Why are they trapped? Well, an enormous and rabid St. Bernard (Cujo) attacks them with any attempt to leave the car. So, in this case, the car is more of a hero rather than a villain. My mother had a friend with this car. At the time, I was unaware that it could save us from a rabid dog attack. The 1978 Ford Pinto Runabout is definitely a classic car of the time period.
Highwayman – 1972 Cadillac El Dorado
In this classic, Rennie tries to track down the man who killed his wife. The killer drives this massive Cadillac Eldorado to stalk and kill young women via car accidents. Rennie is determined to stop this madman once and for all.
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The Birds – 1950 Aston Martin DB2/4 Drophead Coupe
Alfred Hitchcock often used vintage cars in his horror movies. While none of them are the villains, they certainly have killer looks. In the movie The Birds, actress Tippi Hedren drives this gorgeous Aston Martin convertible. This is a car I would definitely drive. The only problem is poor Tippi is stuck in a convertible during an attack of demonic birds. Not a wise choice.
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The Car – Lincoln Continental Mark III
4 versions of this killer black car were customized specifically for the movie. While not a true classic horror movie, it does have a cult following. Similar to the movie Christine, The Car is evil from the start. It’s responsible for a string of hit-and-run murders and hunky James Brolin (Sheriff Wade Parents) comes in to investigate what is going on. It comes to a head when The Car threatens a parade put on by local school children. This one’s a bit too overwhelming for my taste. Would you drive it?
So there you have it. While these movies may not be “classic” for everyone, they are worth a look if only for these incredible killer cars. Which one would you drive?
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Categorized:Car Culture
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