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Pop-Culture Joy Ride

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By KEVIN WALKER | The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 7, 2007

This is, of course, impossible. Getting people to agree on the coolest cars in pop culture history is like trying to get people to agree on the best flavor of ice cream (it's Moose Tracks, by the way).

So, think of the following list of iconic cars as a conversation starter. Here are a few of our favorites, from the classy and cute to the kitschy and cool.

1969 Dodge Charger in "The Dukes of Hazzard": The TV show is overrated, but The General Lee? That's one sweet ride, no matter how red the neck of the hick driving it.

GMC van in "The A-Team": Sure, the van is cool. But the question remains: if you were part of an elite team of Vietnam vets wanted by the law for a "crime they didn't commit," would you drive such a distinctive van, complete with red tire rims? You might, if you weren't that bright.

1955 Lincoln Futura, modified for "Batman": The original batmobile is still the best. It was an 11-year-old Lincoln concept car rebuilt for the '60s TV show. We still don't understand why car designers have gotten away from fins.

1956 Ford Thunderbird in "American Graffiti": As a metaphor for a beautiful, mysterious woman, this car remains unsurpassed. "I love you," indeed.

DeLorean DMC-12 in "Back to the Future": The 1980s were a time of conspicuous consumption. So, of course, one of the decade's biggest movies features a time machine in a high-end, stainless steel sports car. What you might not know: The DeLorean company had already filed bankruptcy before the movie was released.

The Mystery Machine in "Scooby-Doo, Where Are You!": "Speed Racer" might have had the speed, but Scooby and the gang had the style. Why did Fred always get to drive, though?

1973 Ford Falcon in "The Road Warrior": The stunts in this 1981 movie are still spectacular, and the anti-hero's beloved Ford Falcon is at the center of most of the action.

1958 Plymouth Fury in "Christine": The car, unfortunately, is far cooler than the movie itself.

1965 Aston Martin in the early James Bond films: Style. Power. Elegance. There are cars on this list that are cooler, but this might be the one that would be the most impressive to actually drive.

1961 Ferrari 250 GT in "Ferris Bueller's Day Off": Memorable because of its use as a metaphor for a father's misplaced affections: He loves the car more than his son. But the son gets his revenge.

1968 Volkswagen Beetle in "The Love Bug": First made in Nazi Germany, the "people's car" became, ironically, an icon of the 1960s Flower Power era. Then Disney got its hands on it and made it a cute movie star. They didn't stop making these cars until July 30, 2003, when the last original Beetle — No. 21,529,464 — rolled off the assembly line in Mexico.

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