Actors get their names in movie credits, but very rarely do cars.

Nevertheless, there are films that have featured a sports car that stole

the scene and merited having its make and model mentioned in the

credits.  There are a number of cars that have been in great movies, but

at least 5 really standout.

The Graduate:  The Alfa Romeo

Dustin Hoffman was told that the future was in plastics, but he depended

on the metal of his graduation gift, the cherry red Alfa Romeo, to get

him to the church on time.  The car was featured in numerous scenes and

used in the some of the most critical moments of the movie.

Mad Max:  XB Falcon

The post apocalyptic Australian desert was patrolled in style by Mel

Gibson, who was Mad Max.  He zipped across what was left of civilization

in a 1974 XB Falcon V8 interceptor.  Mad Max may have been a formable

foe and beat up the villains, but although road weary, the XB Falcon cut

a dramatic silhouette as it crossed the Australian wasteland.

Goldfinger and Thunderball:  Astin Martin

If Americans were asked to name a British sports producer, they would

probably name Astin Martin who is the maker of the Astin Martin DB5.

The popularity of this sports car is directly attributable to James

Bond, played by Sean Connery.  Having James Bond behind the wheel would

make any sports car look cool.  But the Astin Martin would have looked

cool anyway.    The popularity of the Astin Martin was so high that the

original sports car was stolen in 1979 from a Boca Raton, Florida airport.

Back to the Future:  Delorean DMC-12

Even without its time travel abilities, the DMC-12 was very hard to

forget.  The DMC-12 did not sell as well as its creator, John Delorean,

had hoped, but it became one of America’s icons after it appeared in

Back to the Future films.  The movie franchise and the stainless steel

DMC-12 are inseparable in the minds of the public.  One can’t talk about

the Back to Future movies without mentioning the car.

Bullitt:  Mustang

Regarded by some as the king of cool, Steve McQueen, who acted in the

movie Bullitt, will always be remembered for the chase scenes through

the hilly roads of San Francisco.   Steve McQueen took this famous ride

in the 1968 Mustang GT390.  Today this particular Mustang is still

looked upon as being one of the best built in the franchise’s history.

It is not unusual for movies to feature cars.  The chase scene is an

ever-present feature of modern films today.  When cars have a key role

in a movie, and the movie is a hit, the sports car can become

unforgettable.   Whether giving chase in some large city in the hills,

or rescuing a woman, there are some sports cars with roles that are

Oscar worthy*.*