As audiences reflect back on some of their favorite films and TV programs, the automobiles used in those productions have managed to overshadow the actors who performed in them. With fast chases and futuristic traveling through time, these well-known Hollywood props have been very influential in the evolution of cinema as we know it today.
The real-world post-filming journeys of these legendary automobiles are frequently as fascinating as their on-screen adventures. Many have passed through collectors’ hands, survived near-destruction, or found permanent resting places in automotive museums across the globe, and tracing where each one ended up reveals a surprising second life well beyond the closing credits.
1. The Batmobile (Various Iterations)
One of the best-known and identifiable cars to be associated with superheroes is the Batmobile. It has been featured in several movies and TV shows over many years. The supercharged Batmobile from the “Batman” movie made in 1989 is located in the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, and there is one more in the Hollywood Cars Museum in Las Vegas.
Batmobile Museum Locations:
- 1989 cruiser at Petersen Museum
- Another at Hollywood Cars Museum
- 1992 Returns car in Gatlinburg
- 1966 Lincoln Futura in Gatlinburg
- Tumbler rumored near Dubai warehouse
The car that appeared in Batman Returns in 1992 is on display at the Hollywood Star Cars Museum in Gatlinburg. On the other hand, the 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car that featured in the 1966 Batman television series currently resides at the Hollywood Star Cars Museum, following its stay at the Guinness World Records Museum in Gatlinburg. The tank-like Tumbler from the Dark Knight Trilogy by Christopher Nolan is said to be housed in the exterior of a Dubai warehouse.
2. The 1963 Aston Martin DB5 from James Bond
Propelled by the charisma of Sean Connery through the films “Goldfinger” and “Thunderball” in 1964 and 1965 respectively, the silver Aston Martin DB5 that was manufactured in 1963 gained fame as one of the most popular cars ever used in spy films due to spy gadgets such as the ejector seat and a bullet-proof shield. After production, it was bought by Gavin Keyzar and then sold to Richard Losee from Utah.
DB5’s Mysterious Disappearance:
- Purchased by collector Gavin Keyzar
- Held 15 years by Losee
- Bought at 1986 Sotheby’s auction
- Vanished from Boca Raton hangar
- Possibly in Middle East collectors
Collector Anthony V. Pugliese III purchased the car at the auction held by Sotheby’s in New York in 1986, but in 1997, the legendary espionage vehicle was somehow stolen from a highly secured hangar in Boca Raton Airport, Florida. The head of Art Recovery International Christopher Marinello stated that the intelligence suggested that the car could be moving around the automobile collectors of the Middle East region.
3. The A-Team GMC Vandura Van
From 1983 to 1987, the band of mercenaries consisting of John “Hannibal” Smith, Templeton “Face” Peck, “Howling Mad” Murdock, and B.A. Baracus used a modified black and gray 1983 GMC Vandura. The legendary car designer George Barris is credited with creating the well-known car which had a red line, fog lights mounted on the roof, a front bull bar, and a red rear spoiler.
A-Team Van Survivors:
- Designed by George Barris
- Six vans used total
- Spanned five show seasons
- One at Orlando Auto Museum
- Stunt van in Las Vegas
Six vans were utilized across the show’s five seasons to handle various production needs. Today, automotive enthusiasts can view one of these original series vans at the Orlando Auto Museum at Dezerland Park, while a surviving stunt van is housed at the Hollywood Cars Museum in Las Vegas, allowing fans on both sides of the country to see a genuine piece of the show’s history.
4. The DeLorean DMC-12 from Back to the Future
As Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, the scriptwriters, originally thought of the time machine belonging to Doc Brown as being made of a fridge, but later opted to use a DeLorean DMC-12 as the main time machine in the movies. Six cars were actually manufactured for the three movies of the Back to the Future franchise, as well as a fiberglass version of it that flew in the end of the first movie.
DeLorean Display Locations:
- Six DeLoreans built total
- Fiberglass flying model also made
- Primary car restored, displayed 2016
- Housed at Petersen Automotive Museum
- Another claimed at Gatlinburg Museum
The principal DeLorean which garnered the most screen time during the course of the entire series has been restored and put on display in the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles since 2016. In addition to that, the Hollywood Star Cars Museum in Gatlinburg says that they have an original DeLorean that was driven by Michael J. Fox on display for their visitors to see.
5. The 1976 Pontiac Trans Am from Smokey and the Bandit
The modified version of the 1976 Pontiac Trans Am used for Smokey and the Bandit was selected by Burt Reynolds through his seeing of a magazine advertisement. This seemingly random selection led to the development of what became one of the best car chase movies ever made. All four Trans Ams that were used for shooting the movie were completely wrecked during the stunts performed; however, there was one that remained undamaged.
Trans Am’s Record Sale:
- All four filming cars totalled
- Promotional car survived intact
- Refurbished by friend Gene Kennedy
- Sold for record $530,000
- Bandit Movie Cars restored original
The remodelled promotional Firebird sold for an astounding $530,000 at the Barrett Jackson Scottsdale Auction in which Reynolds was present. The movie cars company of Kennedy, Bandit Movie Cars, did a complete restoration of the last surviving Trans Am with Reynolds’ name inscribed on it. Another 1977 Trans Am used in the film is claimed by the Hollywood Star Cars Museum located in Las Vegas.
6. The Ecto-1 from Ghostbusters
The famous 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor, famously known as Ecto-1, is among the most popular paranormal chasing vehicles in cinema history. Ecto-1 was restored to its former glory by Sony after it spent many years in the shadows and was then stationed in front of the Ghost Corps headquarters as a means of promoting “Ghostbusters: Afterlife.”
Ecto-1’s Two Lives:
- Sony fully restored original car
- Displayed outside Ghost Corps building
- Broke down during Ghostbusters 2
- Backup Ecto-1A promoted instead
- Ecto-1A returned in Afterlife
The Hollywood Star Cars Museum in Gatlinburg is another example of a facility that claims to exhibit a classic 1984 film Ecto-1. While filming “Ghostbusters 2,” the original car was ruined on set, which compelled the crew to use their spare Miller-Meteor car named Ecto-1A, but even this car got ruined after production, making it a perfect vehicle to play a role of dilapidated icon in “Ghostbusters: Afterlife” in 2021.
7. KITT from Knight Rider
Alongside David Hasselhoff who portrayed Michael Knight, KITT was an intelligent computer-driven vehicle of 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am that could battle crime; the concept of which was quite futuristic for the viewers at the time. Although up to 25 Firebird Trans Am vehicles were used for four different seasons of the popular television series, most of the vehicles got wrecked due to stunts performed on them leaving just five of them intact.
KITT’s Surviving Fleet:
- Up to 25 cars used
- Only five vehicles survived
- Some housed at Universal Studios
- Others at Petersen Automotive Museum
- Historians own two surviving cars
The five cars that remain have their own retirements in different museum settings, from Universal Studios to the Petersen Automotive Museum. Two of the cars that survived have been purchased by Knight Rider historians Joe Huth and AJ Palmgren for their preservation work with items from the series, and visitors to Las Vegas will be able to see the aerodynamic KITT Super Pursuit Mode car at the Hollywood Cars Museum.
8. The RV from Breaking Bad
Also known as “The Crystal Ship” thanks to Jesse Pinkman, the Fleetwood Bounder Motor Home acted as the famous mobile chemistry lab used by Pinkman along with his chemistry teacher, Walter White, to produce illegal drugs. This notable vehicle played a major role in many tense situations during the television show and became a highly identifiable symbol thereof.
The RV’s Surprising Survival:
- Nicknamed “The Crystal Ship”
- Central prop throughout series
- Junkyard scene used a replica
- Genuine RV survived intact
- Now on Sony Studio tour
As for most of the fans who thought the original motorhome had been destroyed at some point in the series, the one that had been taken to the scrapyard in episode 34 turned out to be a reproduction. The real motorhome has made it through untouched, and it is now displayed as an exhibit in the Sony Pictures Studio tour.
9. Herbie the Love Bug
The charming 1963 Volkswagen Beetle known as Herbie captured audience hearts starting with 1969’s “The Love Bug.” The oldest surviving stunt vehicle, known as Herbie #10, enjoyed a long journey after appearing as a junk pile car in 1974’s “Herbie Rides Again,” eventually finding its way into dedicated collector hands decades later.
Herbie’s Museum Trail:
- Herbie #10 is oldest survivor
- Passed through Swigart Car Museum
- Also held by AACA
- Now owned by Clayton Capps
- Other Herbies at three museums
After spending time in the Swigart Car Museum and in the Antique Automobile Club of America, Herbie #10 was then bought by Clayton Capps of Texas, who is a Volkswagen collector and continues to drive the old bug at car shows in his area. There are other real Herbies that can be accessed by people; for example, there is one at the Hollywood Cars Museum located in Las Vegas and another at the Petersen Automotive Museum which is from 2005.
10. The 1968 Ford Mustang GT from Bullitt
Under the influence of Steve McQueen in an action-packed scene of a fast chase around San Francisco, the Highland Green 1968 Ford Mustang GT featured in the movie ‘Bullitt’ became the epitome of a modern film car chase, creating a standard that is still used today. Two cars were designed for the purpose, and one of the cars was bought by Robert Kiernan, a collector, for only $6,000 through a newspaper advertisement.
Bullitt Mustang’s Record Auction:
- Bought via newspaper ad, $6,000
- Passed down to son Sean
- Auctioned by Mecum January 2020
- Sold for $3.74 million
- Second Mustang found in Baja
In the January 10, 2020 event, Sean Kiernan was able to auction the classic Mustang at Mecum Auctions. At the said event, an undisclosed buyer purchased the movie car for a staggering $3.74 million, making it among the most expensive movie cars to have been ever auctioned off. To the surprise of many, the second Bullitt Mustang movie car was found in a junkyard located in Baja, California and the owners intend to restore it completely. Fans now look forward to the restoration of both the surviving Mustangs in order for them to be preserved for generations to come.
