One of the mixed blessings of spending my days driving during the temperate months of the year is being surprised by the interesting cars I see while I am out on the road. Unfortunately (although some would say fortunately) I cannot whip out my phone camera and preserve these experiences.

Last week I was on our local multi-lane beltway when I was passed by – – – a DeLorean? Yes, a genuine stainless steel 1981-83 DeLorean. My mind immediately raced for a “Back To The Future” reference, and I laughed to myself that this unmistakable bit of 1980’s nostalgia was clearly going less than 88 mph.

I mentioned this to a friend, who suggested that if not for that movie, nobody would have any idea what a DeLorean was. I decided that he was right, which got me thinking of other cars that everyone can identify only because of a starring role in a movie or television show. And having a blogging deadline approaching, I decided that it would be a great idea to think of as many as I could and to rank them in order of pop culture phenomenon-ness. Which will be a word allowed only for today.

There have been, of course, certain cars that were custom-built for a film or TV role – the Batmobile or the Monkeemobile from the1960’s come to mind. And others that those of us who live and breathe old cars will remember from classic cinema. But I decided to restrict this exercise to more-or-less stock models that were used in media in a way that makes the general public remember that particular one whenever they might see any of them. So, here is my list of the top ten.

Tenth Place – The Dodge Charger from Burn Notice

The show “Burn Notice” ran for seven seasons on the USA network (2007 through 2013). The show starred Matthew Donovan as a government spy who was unceremoniously dumped by his agency via a thing called a burn notice (hence the title of the show). The premise was that the spy, named Michael Weston, tried to find out how and why he was burned and occupied the rest of his time as an unlicensed private eye working with some of his old spy contacts.

This one maybe be slipping into that great chasm of obsolete pop culture, but Michael Weston drove a single car for the duration of the show – a black 1974 Dodge Charger with big chrome wheels and an even bigger hood scoop. The 1973-74 Charger is the last one to get any respect from car fans – at least until police agencies started driving modern ones. Dodge put lots of “you had to be there at the time” vinyl roof treatments on these Chargers, but the Burn Notice car is one of the low-trim models with the plain roof. These were not common when new and are (in my own opinion) the only ones that look decent.

Maybe I noticed this car more than most people because my college roommate had one of these plain-roof Chargers in his family. Only his was a completely stripped model with a six cylinder engine, a three-on-the-tree manual transmission, and was painted bright red. At least it looked fast from the outside.

Ninth Place – Steve McGarrett’s Hawaii Five-0 Mercury

Or is it Mercurys. Hawaii Five-0 had an incredibly long run for its time, twelve seasons (1968-1980). Jack Lord starred as Steve McGarrett, the detective in charge of Hawaii’s State Police agency. He was clearly important because he answered only to the State’s governor. And that importance rated a high-trim Mercury instead of the low-trim big Fords that his subordinates drove on the show.

Most TV shows of that time rotated new cars into each production season, but star Jack Lord is reported to have resisted Ford Motor Company’s efforts, using only two cars during the show’s long run. The first was a 1968 Mercury Park Lane 4 door hardtop which served for the first six seasons (1968-73).

That car was finally replaced by a 1974 Mercury Marquis 4 door hardtop, which was used for the final six seasons (1974-79).

Big black Mercury sedans are not hot items with the Cars & Coffee crowd, but on the rare occasion when one is seen, that famous theme song by The Ventures is sure to start playing in your head.

Eighth Place – The Starsky & Hutch Torino

This one may be more generational than most, but who would ever remember a 1975 Ford Gran Torino if not for the ABC television show Starsky & Hutch, which ran from 1975-79. The show’s creators wanted to use a Camaro, but settled on a Gran Torino coupe because Ford Motor Company was the car supplier for the show’s production company. (See also, Charlie’s Angels).

The Ford Motor Company of the mid 1970’s is not remembered very fondly by most people, and the Ford Gran Torino of those years is something that most of those same people have chosen to forget. Like the Charger from Burn Notice, the Gran Torino in S&H avoided the ubiquitous vinyl roof and side moldings in place of the unforgettable white stripe that defines the car.

It has been reported that the show’s stars, Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul, hated the thing, complaining about the flabby steering and roly-poly handling that seemed to be Ford’s specialty in those years. Although I have never had the least desire to own one, others disagree and plenty of these cars have been saved, painted red and given a big white stripe if only because of this show.

Seventh Place – Andy Griffith’s Mayberry Squad Car

The 1960’s seemed to be the golden era of car manufacturers getting their newest products placed on popular television shows. One such show featured Andy Griffith, who starred as the sheriff of the small fictional North Carolina town of Mayberry. The show ran for 8 seasons (1960-68), and there was one constant – each season provided Sheriff Taylor with a current-year Ford squad car.

The first five seasons are the ones everyone remembers – those were the ones filmed in black & white and which co-starred Don Knotts as Sheriff Taylor’s hapless Deputy, Barney Fife. Knotts’ tenure on the show synched perfectly with the 1960-64 generation of big Fords used on the show (1963 version shown above). The 1965 season lost Knotts, was broadcast in color and started a distinctly different generation of Ford police car.

The 1960-64 Ford sedan is one car that seems, more often than not, to be restored as a Mayberry squad car. That old TV show is probably responsible for more of these cars being saved and outfitted with black and white paint finishes and an old-time gumball roof light than anything else. The pictured example above is a 1960 model that I stumbled upon among a display of old farm equipment in Central Indiana quite a number of years ago. And of course, the television show’s whistled theme song began playing in my head. Just as it may be playing in yours now. You’re welcome.

Sixth Place – Herbie, the Love Bug

The Love Bug is a movie I remember seeing in the theater. As a budding young car nut, how could I not have? This 1968 film was one of many Disney live-action movies that starred Dean Jones. (Didn’t they all?) In this one, Jones starred as Jim Douglas, a down-on-his-luck race driver who crosses paths with an off-white 1963 Volkswagen Beetle that has a mind and personality of its own.

Douglas’ friend (Buddy Hackett) catches on that the car isn’t just a car, and names it Herbie. Herbie goes on to win races, provide plenty of laughs, and he even gets the girl for Dean Jones. Yes, that might be considered a plot spoiler, but is it possible to spoil the plot of a movie called “The Love Bug?” These old Volkswagens have become plenty popular on their own merits over the years, but wherever a crowd of Beetles gathers, there is sure to be at least one of them with racing stripes and the number 53 on its doors and its sloping front end. That movie’s popularity led to some sequels, all featuring Herbie in some way or other. One interesting bit of trivia is that in the first movie, Volkswagen would not grant permission to identify the car by name, so it was always called “the little car” or something similar. Of course, they got the free publicity anyway. Who in the civilized world didn’t know that Herbie was a Volkswagen?

This particular one was one I caught at our local pool when my kids were young. There is something about Herbie that causes him to make friends with kids (of all ages) wherever he goes. I still remember how my own kids made a beeline for this car when they saw it. And I was right there behind them.

Fifth Place – The Rockford Firebird

The Rockford Files was another long-running show. This one ran six seasons from the fall of 1974 to the spring of 1980 and was a vehicle for James Garner, who portrayed low-budget private eye Jim Rockford. Rockford, who had to scramble for every buck, lived/worked in a trailer home that was somehow placed next to the beach in Malibu, California. And for the entire run of the show, Rockford drove a golden Firebird Esprit.

Though the show used several cars, each newer version was equipped and painted to match the original gold ’74 model. Part of this attention to detail was because Jim Rockford was not a new-car-every-year kind of guy, but also because the production company could cut scenes from multiple seasons into current episodes.

Everyone remembers other, more flamboyant Pontiac Firebirds. But when anyone sees a plain gold one, James Garner’s winning smile and sardonic wit jumps to mind, as does the famous theme song from the show.

Fourth Place – The Smoky And The Bandit Firebird Trans Am

OK, THIS is the Pontiac Firebird everyone remembers. And the one everyone wanted. Even if they don’t know it was a Pontiac Firebird. Everyone certainly knew that it was a “Trans Am” – which was the Firebird’s hottest trim and equipment level.

The Burt Reynolds/Sally Fields movie, “Smoky And The Bandit”, was a breakout smash in 1977. The black Trans Am with the gigantic golden eagle decal splayed across the hood probably would have become a 1970’s icon all by itself, but when it became the vehicle (yes, I intended this because it is just who I am) for a beer smuggler and a runaway bride to evade the dogged sheriff Buford T. Justice (Jackie Gleason), a star car was born.

How big of a star? I am thoroughly convinced that there are far more Trans Ams from the late 1970’s painted in that black/gold combo today than were ever built by Pontiac back when these were still rolling out of factories. At the time, I thought these got entirely too much love. They were garish and oh-so 70’s. Maybe that is why I have become a fan. There are few cars that scream 1970’s (or maybe even Burt Reynolds) more than one of these.

Third Place – The Dukes of Hazzard’s General Lee

Everyone knows the General Lee – a bright orange 1969 Dodge Charger that was used by characters Luke and Bo Duke as they got into and out of sticky situations in their rural southern community of the early 1980’s. The show ran for seven seasons, beginning as a mid-season replacement series in January of 1979. In that time, it is reported that 309 1968-70 Dodge Chargers were used (or used-up) in filming the show.

I was in college by the time this show got going and wasn’t one of its regular viewers, but even I knew that if you wanted to see an old Dodge Charger doing jumps and all kinds of chase scenes, the Dukes of Hazzard was the place to go. And it was right about then that old Chargers of this generation left the realm of ordinary cheap old Dodges that nobody wanted (and which I could have bought all day long for under $1000) and were turned into clones of the General Lee.

Like this one I photographed quite a number of years ago at a burger joint. Some have said in recent years that the car’s rooftop decor and its name have made it a racist anachronism. And this may be why General Lee impersonators are not as common as they once were. I did not think to bring it up to the African-American gentleman who was driving this particular car. And have not brought it up with the similarly hued fellow I know whose driving-age son fell in love with a modern Charger painted and decorated in this same way. When you say either “vintage Charger” or “General Lee”, everyone thinks of the other.

Second Place – Christine

Several of the examples above became icons after television shows that ran for many seasons or movies with multiple sequels. This car is different, with only a single 1983 movie and Stephen King’s source novel for inspiration. Anyone who sees a 1957-58 Plymouth (or even the similar shaped 1959 edition), the first word that follows is “Christine”, as likely as not. In the story, Christine is a 1958 Plymouth Fury that is adopted by a pimpled teenager named Arnie Cunningham. In truth, it was the car that adopted him.

Those of us who pay attention to such things know that the 1957-58 Plymouth Fury was a high-end, high performance model that came in a single color – eggshell white, and was trimmed both inside and out with gold accents. For the rest of the world, any proper Fury of this vintage simply has to be red. Stephen King explained that the car was painted red by special-order of the guy who bought it new. Then again, King made a lot of mistakes about these. But thanks to King, there are plenty of red 57-58 Furys out there now.

I am fortunate to have owned my white 1959 Fury (by which time it was a full model line with 4-door versions) before the movie Christine came out, so my car never got that nickname. Had the movie car’s malevolent personality been known to my mother in the fall of 1979, perhaps she might have given it more respect (instead of calling it Moby, after a certain white whale of literary fame). But from 1983 on, there has been no question that Christine was a late 50’s Plymouth and that every late 1950’s Plymouth is Christine. It is hard to get more iconic than that.

First Place – The Back To The Future DeLorean

OK, I will admit it. My mind wrestled with itself for quite a while over whether this car or Christine would take the No. 1 spot. It was only when my brain was black and blue that I decided on John DeLorean’s ill-fated DMC-12, in its iconic role as Doc Brown’s time machine in the Michael J. Fox movie franchise of the 1980’s.

The DeLorean was an inspired choice for the movie. It looked very futuristic at the time. Only four decades later have we become used to seeing cars with a polished stainless steel finish on Elon Musk’s Tesla Cybertrucks. The DeLorean even served as a bit of a joke – these were never common and were more of a curiosity than the object of anyone’s affection. But once the scriptwriters threw some extra wiring harnesses and a flux capacitor into the thing, a sprint to 88 mph would transport the occupants forward or back into time, always with plenty of fun for those of us watching.

Most of the other cars here could always count on an independent fan base for its basic make or model. The DeLeorean, however, was more of a pop culture island that reminded us all of its once-high flying corporate chieftain, who was arrested during an innovative financing program that apparently involved cocaine.

This list, as all “Top Ten” kinds of lists, is purely opinion. Think of it as your humble scribe’s attempt at bringing some order to this subject. It is certain that some great examples were missed and just as certain that there will be disagreements about the rankings. Robust discussion will undoubtedly settle matters once and for all. (Hahahaha!). What is sure is that some cars have become the stars and will draw a crowd at any event where old cars are found. And if you can’t get out to see a tribute or replica in your area, all of the shows and movies are there for the streaming. So enjoy!

Photos are by the author, where identified. Others are random pictures found online. The lede photo was not taken by the author, but by someone else who captured the experience of being passed on the road by a DeLorean.