UPDATED October 20, 2018: One of the more interesting niches in the evolving collectibles investment marketplace is the point where traditional categories converge and movie cars are the point where two giant industries meet.
Over the last decade, the rare automobile market has grown dramatically, and according to The Economist and the HAGI indexes (Historic Automobile Group International is an independent investment research house which accurately tracks the rare classic motorcar market and treats it as a legitimate alternative asset class for the first time), investing in rare cars has outperformed all other investment forms over the last decade - not just "investments of passion" such as art, wine, coins and stamps, but the world's major stockmarkets too.
The movie collectibles marketplace is also huge, with theme parks, sports bars, posters, signed photographs, programs, clothes and props from film and television having now created an entire industry dedicated to the collection of artifacts from the movies and TV shows which we associate so heavily with important points in our lives.
The term "investments of passion" was once a reference to indulgences for the wealthy, often being lumped together with yachts and car racing, but is quickly becoming the collective description for a range of sound financial investment strategies.
What's more, these investments come with a "killer" kicker. While investment in stock and bonds and other financial instruments offers a set of numbers on a computer screen, those numbers take on a greater meaning if they are manifested in an object or collection of objects which means something on an emotional level.
Objects can capture moments of significance in our lives, for multitudinous reasons: Marilyn Monroe's famous dress, Ty Cobb's bat, the real (well, almost) Maltese Falcon, or the gloves that Cassius Clay pulled on for the fight with Sonny Liston from which he emerged as Muhammed Ali, Islam convert and Champion of the World.
There's obviously something very special about seeing your car on the screen, because cars that have appeared in a movie tend to go for much more than the same car would if it hadn't been associated with that movie.
Close but no cigar
There are many cars that you won't find on this list, either because they didn't sell at auction, and we hence cannot verify the price without having to take the word of a used car salesman, or because they didn't sell for enough money to make the list. We have another list under construction of famous cars that sold for chump change: an article that will make the investors among us cry).
One film car in this category is a 1963 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder that was driven by Cameron Diaz and Lucy Liu in the 2003 film Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle. Sold in London at the epicentre of the Global Financial Crisis in 2008, the car could not raise a bid above £3 million and was passed in. Near identical cars without film provenance have subsequently sold for $18,465,733 (sold for €16,288,000), $18,150,000, $16,830,000, $15,180,000 ... and one that did sell with film provenance tops the entire list. All those cars are featured with links in our top 100 most expensive cars ever sold listing, and indeed, the 250 GT SWB California Spyder makes up approximately 10 percent of the top 100 at any given time.
In troubled times, bargains pop up and it takes a brave person to go against the flow. At that same Battersea (London) auction as the Charlie's Angels Ferrari, when the world was seemingly teetering on the edge of financial meltdown, a silver Aston Martin DB5 went to sale estimated to fetch between £150,000 and £180,000.It wasn't James Bond's Goldfinger car but it did feature in Robbie Williams film clip Millenium. Today, a decade later, that car would most likely fetch an oder of magnitude greater than the price it didn't fetch then.
So the following list includes only cars that have sold at auction. If the cars were sold in a currency other than the beloved yankee dollar, we converted them into greenbacks at the exchange rate on that day.
1 - 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spider
- Movie: Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow (1963)
- Price: US$17,160,000
- Date sold: March, 2016
- Where: Amelia Island, Florida, U.S.
- Sold by: Gooding & Co
One of the 37 SWB California Spiders with covered headlights and with just three owners from new, it had never before been offered at auction. It was delivered new to famous industrial designer Gianfranco Frattini, and appeared in the Academy Award-winning movie Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow starring Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni.
Unverified - 1970 Ferrari 512 S
- Movie: Le Mans (1971)
- Price: sold by dealership for unconfirmed price believed to be in excess of $10 million
- Date sold: April, 2018
- Where: London, U.K.
- Sold by: Girardo & Co
2- 1970 Porsche 917K
- Movie: Le Mans (1971)
- Price: US$14,080,000
- Date sold: August, 2017
- Where: Monterey, California, U.S.
- Sold by: Gooding & Co
One of the stars of Monterey Car Week 2017 auctions was this rare and brutally powerful Porsche 917K endurance racer with an amazing provenance. It set the fastest lap in the pre-Le Mans tests of 1970, was once owned by racing legend Jo Siffert (the car led his funeral procession) and was used by Steve McQueen's production company as both a camera and star car in the 1970 movie Le Mans. It then disappeared for 25 years and subsequently became one of the biggest "barn finds" in history when discovered in a warehouse outside Paris in 2001.
3 - 1968 Ford Gulf GT40
- Movie: Le Mans (1971)
- Price: US$11,000,000
- Date sold: August, 2012
- Where: Monterey, California, U.S.
- Sold by: RM Auctions
The most expensive American car ever sold at auction for good reason. This lightweight 1968 Ford Gulf GT40 has a number of unique aspects which combined to propel it into the ten most valuable cars ever sold at auction.
Apart from the successful race history, being among the first ever cars which used carbon fiber to achieve rigidity and light weight (now in use on every Formula One car), and being used in the Le Mans movie as both a subject and as a camera car, it was associated with one of the few people in history with the midas touch: Steve McQueen.
More than a third of century after his death, McQueen is still referred to by GQ magazine as "the king of cool," and the massive fees paid for the use of his image still ranks him in Forbes annual top ten dead celebrity earners.
The full history of Gulf GT40 Chassis No. P/1074 can be read at the official RM Auctions page.
00 - 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder
- Movie: NOT Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
- Price: US$10,894,900
- Date sold: May, 2008
- Where: Maranello,Emilia-Romagna, Italy
- Sold by: RM/Sothebys
You'll find this 1961 Ferrari 250 GT California Spyder listed in many reputable internet sites as a movie car due to being the Ferrari driven in the movie Ferris Bueller's Day Off - it's not the car used in that movie, though this particular Spyder was owned and loved for more than 20 years by one of the screen's greatest male leads, James Coburn. At an RM Auction in 2008, British TV and radio personality Chris Evans purchased the car for US$10.894 million.
As it's not a car which appeared in a theatrical release or television series, it doesn't qualify for a legitimate place in this listing of film and tv series cars, but it does hold a place in the top 100 most valuable cars ever sold at auction. There are other Ferrari 250 GT California Spyders that have been sold with obtuse references such as being "a replica of this car was featured in the film, Ferris Bueller's Day Off", which then became "fact" elsewhere, including even on the site that sold it in the first place.
4 - 1965 Shelby Cobra Daytona Coupe
- Movie: Redline 7000 (1965)
- Price: US$7,685,000
- Date sold: August, 2009
- Where: Monterey, California, U.S.
- Sold by: Mecum Auctions
One of Carroll Shelby's Daytona Cobras used to win the F.I.A. (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile) World Manufacturers Championship for GT cars in 1965. The car was leased to Paramount Pictures for use in director Howard Hawkes' cult classic movie Redline 7000.
Despite its racing provenance, the car doesn't get a lot of screen time in the film, which is most notable for its director Howard Hawks, actor James Caan's first starring role, and one of the first examples of "product placement" - the paid inclusion of commercial products into a feature film as a form of subliminal advertising.
Hawks is one of Hollywood's most accomplished directors, having begun making films in the silent movie era and producing films over 54 years, initially learning his craft from legendary director Cecil B. DeMille and subsequently working with a host of the greatest actors in history. He also brought something raw and real to auto racing movies having raced himself in his youth.
In Todd McCarthy's biography about the famous film director, The Grey Fox of Hollywood, he writes of Redline 7000: "Intent upon proving that he could make a commercial film quickly and cheaply, Hawks agreed to a $1.35 million budget ... Hollywood was just waking up to the financial potential of product placement in pictures, and Hawks ... led the way ... Hawks lined up tie-ins with at least a dozen companies ... Ford, Puroil, Pepsi-Cola, Honda, Rolex, Revell Toys, National Car Rental, and Holiday Inn. Some of the plugs were so blatant as to be embarrassing; after seeing the picture, Pepsi registered a complaint over the way the drink was featured, undoubtedly in reference to the phallic implications of the Pepsi bottles in the romantic scene between Marianna Hill and James Caan."
Though many see the film as B-grade schmultz, directors Peter Bogdanovich, Arnaud Desplechin, and Quentin Tarantino all cite it as a major influence on their work.
5 - 1956 Ferrari 250 GT LWB Berlinetta
- Movie: The Love Bug (1966)
- Price: US$6,710,000
- Date sold: August, 2012
- Where: Monterey, California, U.S.
- Sold by: RM Auctions
This 1956 Ferrari 250 GT LWB Berlinetta is unofficially known as the "Tour de France" model thanks to it winning the 1956 running of the legendary French (now defunct) public roads sports car race.
Ferrari had shown its new series-production 250 GT at the Geneva Motor Show of 1956. While the coupe on display featured an elegant body that would go on to be produced in quantity by Boano, thus providing necessary homologation, the underlying chassis proved to be the basis for the competition car, or berlinetta, that Ferrari sought to enter into the FIA's new GT racing classifications.
Pininfarina designed a new lightweight body that was built by Scaglietti, using thin-gauge aluminum and Perspex windows and a minimally upholstered cabin. The finished car, then known officially as the 250 GT Berlinetta, was ultimately made in a sparing quantity of 77 examples that are further sub-divided by subtle differences in coachwork over the model's four-year production run.
The Berlinetta was immediately successful, when Olivier Gendebien and Jacques Washer co-drove the very first car to a first in class and fourth overall at the Giro di Sicilia in April 1956, with fifth overall (and first in class) at the Mille Miglia later that month.
The model's defining success occurred in September, when Marquis Alfonso de Portago, a Spanish aristocrat and privateer racer, drove one to a dominating victory in the 1956 Tour de France Automobile, a result that sealed the model's reputation. The 1956 Tour de France Automobile covered 3,600 miles over a week which included six different circuit races, two hill climbs, and a drag race. Enzo Ferrari was so pleased with the outcome that the 250 GT Berlinetta was subsequently and internally, though never officially, referred to as the Tour de France.
The Berlinetta wore the name well, also winning the 1957, 1958, and 1959 installments of the French race in the hands of Olivier Gendebien, as well as a Third Overall at the 1957 Mille Miglia.
This particular unit is the very first example constructed of the second series design that featured 14-louver sail-panels, and was initially purchased by Southern California building construction magnate Tony Parravano who found that the American sanctioning body did not recognize it as a production car. The car subsequently changed hands before eventually being purchased by Walt Disney Studios for use in the 1966 film The Love Bug, the celebrated Disney classic about "Herbie," the racing VW Beetle with a soul. Carandmotors has some images of the Berlinetta during its cinematic career.
The Ferrari subsequently fell on hard times, and quite remarkably for a car now in the 100 most valuable in the world, was reportedly abandoned on the Hollywood Freeway at one stage during the seventies. Redemption eventually came, and the story can be read in great detail on the official RM Auctions page.
Equal 6th - The original Batmobile
- TV Series: Batman (1966-68)
- Movie: Batman the Movie (1966)
- Movie: It Started with a Kiss (1959)
- Price: US$4,620,000
- Date sold: January, 2013
- Where: Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S.
- Sold by: Barrett-Jackson
While the cars above it on this list may have sold for more money, the Batmobile is one of the most significant automobiles in the history of moving pictures. It began a trend of using motor vehicles as stars or co-stars in television series which has since spawned a substantial industry.
The car we know as the original Batmobile began life as a concept car: the 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car, created by Ford and the Lincoln Styling Department. The 19-foot long, two-seat, grand touring car prototype was hand-built in 1954 by Carrozzeria Ghia in Turin, Italy, and unveiled with pearlescent Frost-Blue livery at the 1955 Chicago Auto Show.
The Futura's instruments were housed in the steering wheel, had a push-button transmission, exterior microphones to pick up and transmit the sounds of traffic to the occupants inside, and a host of the forward-thinking features and technologies which automakers traditionally deploy in concept cars to evaluate public reaction, and to promote the automaker's R&D prowess.
As we pointed out when writing up the forthcoming auction of this car, the use of external microphones to transmit ambient noise to the occupants is exactly the opposite of today where automakers go to great lengths to block out such sounds.
In 1959, sporting a fresh red paint job, the Futura was recycled into another feature film, It Started with a Kiss, starring Debbie Reynolds and Glenn Ford. The Futura even appeared on the movie's poster.
George Barris then acquired the vehicle and kept it in his garage for several years. In late 1965, 20th Century Fox Television and William Dozier's Greenway Productions contacted Barris and asked him to produce a car for the heroes to drive in an upcoming television series based on the super successful Batman comic book series.
Superheroes with super powers are a dime-a-dozen these days, but prior to the 1930s, they didn't exist, though it could certainly be argued that the Scarlett Pimpernel's plot line has been reused many times since it appeared in the early twentieth century.
Detective Comics began in 1937, and the company's Action Comics series began in June, 1938, introducing Superman in the first issue. So successful was Superman, that a new superhero named Batman appeared in Detective Comics Issue 27, dated May 1939.
Batman too captured the imagination of the public, and Robin the Wonder Boy made his first appearance in Issue 38, dated April, 1940. Batman's success spawned a comicbook series of the same name in Spring 1940, and according to Comic Book Brain, the Batmobile made its first appearance in Issue 5 of the Batman comic book. That's it below.
Detective Comics (now DC Comics) is still publishing, and along the way has given us a battalion of superheroes including Wonder Woman, Green Lantern, the Flash, Aquaman, Hawkman, and Green Arrow.
The success of Superman, Batman et. al. is evidenced by the prices their comic books now command - there are a lot of high net worth individuals from the baby boomer generation with money to invest and a childhood to be cherished. Heritage Auctions regularly sells copies of the DC #27 comic book (Batman's first public appearance) for more than US$500,000 and at least one for more than US$1 million.
Barris had only 15 days and US$15,000 budget to build the first Batmobile for the TV show, so he decided to recycle the Lincoln Futura he already had in the garage into what is now widely recognized as the first working interpretation of Batman's crime-fighting vehicle.
"The 1966 Batmobile ... marks a time in television history where they defied the odds by making a car the real star of the show. It revolutionized an entire industry that followed in its footsteps," said Craig Jackson, Chairman and CEO of collector car auction house, Barrett-Jackson, the company which sold the Batmobile for US$4,620,000 in January 2013.
Barris went on to create a number of other memorable TV cars including the Munster Koach for The Munsters, the Clampett's truck for The Beverly Hillbillies, the "1928 Porter" for My Mother the Car and several KITTs for later seasons of Knight Rider. The list of cars he has created is extensive and can be seen at George's official site, Barris Kustom.
Equal 6th - 1954 Ferrari 375 MM Berlinetta
- Movie: La fortuna di essere donna (1956)
- Price: US$4,620,000
- Date sold: August, 2010
- Where: Pebble Beach, California, U.S.
- Sold by: RM-Sothebys
In 1956, this car was featured in the classic Italian film La Fortuna di Essere Donna starring Sophia Loren and Marcello Mastroianni and set in Rome. The film was released in the United States under the titles Lucky To Be A Woman and What A Woman!
The fifth of only seven examples of a 340 hp V12 racing car built specifically for use in events such as the Mille Miglia (the MM in its name), it's price has almost nothing to do with its film appearance. This is a rare and valuable car in its own right.
8 - Aston Martin DB5
- Movie: Goldfinger (1964)
- Movie: Thunderball (1965)
- Price: US$4,595,998
- (Sold for £2,912,000)
- Date sold: October, 2010
- Where: London, U.K.
- Sold by: RM Auctions
When author Ian Fleming created secret agent James Bond for his novel Casino Royale in 1953, he unwittingly set the imagination of a generation in motion.
Bond, not to mention his creator Ian Fleming, and his cohorts gadgetmeister Q, long-suffering boss M and Miss Moneypenny all became famous due to the resulting film franchise, which has become the longest continually-running and second-highest grossing film series ever.
The film franchise helped propel the almost-believable fictional super hero into a household name across the globe for his girls, guns and gadgets, with co-producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman creating the benchmark of excellence for innovative use of multiple mediums and popular culture to imprint each film on the psyche of a generation.
Regardless of the aspect of the film, only the very best people were used to create unique signatures for every facet of the movie.
Musical signatures were used throughout the movie and in the opening and closing sequences. Billions of people would recognize the recurring James Bond Theme, 007 Theme, On Her Majesty's Secret Service and even the signature Bond "suspense motif" - an underlying motif played under the main melody to heighten the drama. Music imprints very effectively on the human mind, and every subliminal audio trick in the book was used to creating a distinctive and memorable Bond audiovisual DNA.
Each film's musical score was created by the biggest names in the business: John Barry, Anthony Newley, Paul McCartney, Marvin Hamlisch, Carole Bayer Sager, Tim Rice, Bono, Bill Conti and many others renowned for creating hauntingly memorable music.
Then the most popular and current performers were employed: Tom Jones, Paul McCartney, Duran Duran, Carly Simon, Louis Armstrong, Matt Monro, Nancy Sinatra, Shirley Bassey, Sheryl Crow, Madonna, Alicia Keys, Tina Turner, Gladys Knight, Rita Coolidge, Lulu, The Pretenders and most recently, Adele. Adele's rendition of the Skyfall theme song may have been the only Bond song to actually win an Academy award, but with the likes of Tom Jones' Thunderball, Shirley Bassey's Goldfinger, Paul McCartney's Live and Let Die, Carly Simon's Nobody Does It Better, Duran Duran's A View To A Kill, Matt Monro's From Russia with Love, and Nancy Sinatra's You Only Live Twice, almost every film produced a top 40 contribution that is recognizable decades after its release.
Then there were the Bond Girls, always the most beautiful, desirable or interesting women in the world at the time: Ursula Andress, Honor Blackman, Diana Rigg, Jill St. John, Jane Seymour, Britt Ekland, Barbara Bach, Grace Jones, Tanya Roberts, Teri Hatcher, Denise Richards, Halle Berry and Olga Kurylenko all proudly use "Bond Girl" on their resumes.
Even the actors who played Secret Agent 007, many of whom have significant bodies of film credits to their name, will always be remembered most for their portrayal of Bond, notably Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig (plus a few forgettable ones).
Finally (bear with us), there were Bond's gadgets, and every technophile no doubt looked forward to the point in the film where the British Secret Service's gadgetmeister of the day (Major Boothroyd, Q and Algernon), dispensed out the dastardly clever tools of the trade.
The most original and most memorable of Bond's technological advantage was the gadget-festooned Aston Martin DB5 which starred in the films Thunderball and Goldfinger.
Possibly the most famous automobile in the world during the 1960s when Ian Fleming's books became consecutive movie blockbusters, the highly-modified 1964 model Aston Martin DB5 was presented by gadgetmeister Q (Desmond Llewelyn) to Bond (Sean Connery) complete with .30 calibre Browning machine guns behind the front indicators, retractable tire slashers, a retractable rear bullet proof screen, a radio telephone concealed in the door, a radar scanner with a tracking screen in the cockpit, a passenger ejector seat, an oil slick and smoke screen generator and revolving number plates. There are images of all of these gadgets in the photo library for this article.
As usual when it comes to cars on this list, there's an intriguing story behind the evolution of the car before it graced the screen.
When Fleming wrote Goldfinger, Bond was driving an Aston Martin DB Mk III but the inspiration for the car in the novel came from a car Fleming had come across in real life - a 1954 Aston Martin Vantage DB 2/4 Mk I with a direct connection to the real British Intelligence Service.
The car belonged to a real life "spy," being the Honourable Squadron Leader Phillip Ingram Cunliffe-Lister DSO, whose father was Lord Swinton, a close confidant of Winston Churchill, head of MI5 and of the Security Executive during WWII. Moreover, the vehicle was regularly at Ian Fleming's direct next-door neighbour in Kent - the house which was also used as inspiration for Sir Hugo Drax's residence in the Fleming novel Moonraker.
It seems that although the car was delivered new from Aston Martin to Cunliffe-Lister, it was fitted with a host of non-standard features designed for the owner to use in the execution of his duties: reinforced steel bumpers, concealed lockers, heavy-duty anti-interference ignition system, driver's seat connections for two-way radio and/or a homing device, and a Halda Speed Pilot device, which accurately computes time and distance in relation to a pre-selected average speed. The car which provided the inspiration for this car was recently offered at auction by Coys, but failed to meet reserve.
Fleming adapted many real-life scenarios for his novels, and just as the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang had roots in reality (see below), so too did the film car we saw in Goldfinger.
Film audiences want current cars though, and by the time Goldfinger was ready for production, Aston Martin was selling the DB4 and developing the DB5. The producers approached Aston Martin, the prototype DB5 was offered and eventually four complete cars were made and used in the film.
Not only did the car set the imagination of a generation in motion, it was probably the most successful product placement in history. Though Bond subsequently drove an Alfa Romeo, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Rover, Jaguar, MG, Ford, Lotus, Mercedes-Benz, Rolls-Royce, Saab and even an AvtoVAZ in his films, it's the Aston Martin which will be remembered.
9 - 1968 Ferrari 275 GTS/4 NART Spider
- Movie: The Thomas Crown Affair (1968)
- Price: US$3,960,000
- Date sold: August, 2005
- Where: Pebble Beach, California, U.S.
- Sold by: Gooding & Company
10 - 1928 Mercedes-Benz S 26/180 Boattail Speedster
- Movie: Sylvia Scarlett (1935)
- Price: US$3,740,000
- Date sold: August, 2010
- Where: Pebble Beach, California, U.S.
- Sold by: Gooding & Company
Though this 1928 Mercedes-Benz S 26/180 Boattail Speedster with one-off aluminum coachwork by Murphy appeared in the 1935 film Sylvia Scarlett starring Katharine Hepburn (four Academy Awards for Best Actress) and Cary Grant (named the second Greatest Male Star of All Time after Humphrey Bogart), it is more famous by far for its participation in the famous 1932 Muroc Match Race.
Owned at the time by Zeppo and Chico Marx of the Marx Brothers Comedy act, it was central to a drunken wager between Zeppo Marx and Hollywood agent Phil Berg, owner of a 1931 Duesenberg Model J LeBaron Phaeton. The pair wagered $25,000 (think $500,000 in today's money) that their respective cars were faster and half of Hollywood turned out to watch the match race on the dry lake bed of Lake Muroc, now the site of Edwards Air Force Base.
Though this Mercedes was faster than the Duesenberg, it suffered mechanical issues and lost the race and the bet in front of a crowd which included Clark Gable, Gary Cooper, Carole Lombard, Bebe Daniels, Mae West and Al Jolson.
Read the full story on the official auction page.
As an aside, the car which it raced that day, a 1931 Duesenberg Model J Dual Windshield 'Barrelside' Phaeton by LeBaron was auctioned by RM on October 12, 2012 and sold for $1,292,500.
11 - Aston Martin DB10
- Movie: Spectre (2016)
- Price: $3,419,353 (sold for GBP£2,434,500)
- Date sold: February, 2016
- Where: London, U.K.
- Sold by: Christies
12 - 1969 Porsche 908 Group 6 Prototype
- Movie: Le Mans (1971)
- Price: $3,419,215 (sold for GBP£2,185,500)
- Date sold: November, 2014
- Where: London, U.K.
- Sold by: Bonhams
With a third place in the Le Mans 24 Hour race, this Porsche 908 is significant in being one of the machines which elevated Porsche from being consistent class winners in FIA World Championship endurance racing to challengers for outright victory.
The full ownership provenance of this rare and desirable Porsche 908.02 'Flunder' is from Porsche AG, Stuttgart, in 1969 to Hans-Dieter Dechent's Martini International Racing Team in 1970-71, then to German driver Hans-Dieter Weigel's Team Auto Usdau. Around the time of Le Mans 1971 it then passed to Jo Siffert of Switzerland. Siffert is best known as a Formula 1 and sports-car racing driver but he was also a classic car collector and trader and it was he who hired it out to the Solar Productions film unit as a running 'prop' used during the filming of Steve McQueen's celebrated motor racing movie 'Le Mans'. It appeared in several scenes in the movie in its Martini International Racing Team livery, as pictured.
13 - 1965 Aston Martin DB5
This silver Aston Martin DB5 is not the car driven by Sean Connery as Bond in the movies Goldfinger (1964) and Thunderball (1965). That car sold for £2,912,000 (US$4,595,998) in October, 2010 at RM Auctions in London and still holds a place in the top 10 most expensive movie cars of all-time. The full details of that sale and the iconic gadget-festooned DB5's place in movie car history is well documented in our all-time movie car listing.
This car is also a 1965 Aston Martin DB5, but was driven by Pierce Brosnan as Bond in the spectacular opening scenes of the 1995 movie GoldenEye – a chase through the hills above Monaco with female villain Xenia Onatopp driving a Ferrari 355. It was the most expensive piece of Bond memorabilia prior to the sale of the Goldfinger/Thunderball DB5 in 2010, having sold for $200,000 at auction in 2001.
14 - 1955 Ferrari 750 Monza Spider
- Movie: On The Beach (1959)
- Price: US$2,530,000
- Date sold: August, 2011
- Where: Pebble Beach, California, U.S.
- Sold by: RM Auctions
This 1955 Ferrari 750 Monza Spider Corsa Sports-Racing Two-Seater with coachwork by Scaglietti was sold in a Bonhams sale of Collector Cars and Automobilia in 2006 for US$1,107,000 and subsequently by RM Auctions at the 2011 Pebble Beach sale for US$2,530,000.
One of only 35 built, the 750 Monza is a perfectly restored, matching-numbers example of the car campaigned by Ferrari in the 1955 World Sportscar Championship, but had the misfortune to come up against the fabled Mercedes Benz 300 SLR being driven by a rampant Stirling Moss, even then only missing the title by two points.
Sporting a 250 hp (186 kW) three-litre four-cylinder engine, the Monza weighed just 760 kg (1675 lb) with a sleek body penned by Pinin Farina and interpreted by Scaglietti.
This Spyder was first displayed at the 1955 Brussels Motor Show, after which it was sent to the American Ferrari importer Luigi Chinetti who sold it to his rival Porsche importer John von Neumann in Los Angeles. Neumann set the Monza on an aggressive race program up and down the West Coast that saw it win twice and score another nine podiums at various sportscar racing events, bringing on board, among others, no less a talent than Phil Hill, who would go on to win multiple world championships.
It was eventually leased or perhaps even bought by Stanley Kramer Productions in Hollywood, on its way into movie history.
Kramer was making the apocalyptic thriller On the Beach, based on the doomsday novel by Nevil Shute Norway, about the after-effects of World War III. The movie starred Gregory Peck, Ava Gardner and Fred Astaire, in his first non-singing, non-dancing role. In the story, Australia is the last place on earth where human life survives, but the radiation cloud from all the nuclear bombs is drifting that way.
Gregory Peck is Captain Dwight Towers, whose nuclear submarine the USS Sawfish is all that remains of the US Navy, and he is stationed in Melbourne, Australia. As the survivors struggle to keep stiff their upper lips, he makes the acquaintance of Moira Davidson (Ava Gardner), who has already decided there's nothing to live for except the next party, and Dr. Julian Osborne (Fred Astaire), the scientist trying to calculate exactly how long everyone has left to live. Astaire's character has always wanted to be a racing driver, and when the Australians decide to hold the world's very last Grand Prix, Astaire buys this car to enter.
The film was shot in and around Melbourne, and the race was to be set at the Phillip Island race track (the current venue for the Australian round of the World Superbike Championship and World MotoGP Championship), but in a far more pastoral state than today.
While two days of filming took place at the Phillip Island track, not much footage made it into the movie. The "Australian Grand Prix" takes place with hills in the background and is recognizably shot at Riverside Raceway in California.
Eight cars were totaled in 12 days of filming at Riverside, including a Jowett Jupiter, MG Special, Nash Healey, Austin-Healey, Jaguar XK120 and a Corvette. California sports car drivers filling out the field included Dan Gurney, Max Balchowsky, John Timanus, Chuck Porter and camera car driver Skip Hudson. Stunt drivers Carey Loftin and Dale Van Sickle did the crashes, and some cars were towed to their doom. A DVD of footage from this film is included with the sale of the car, depicting Fred Astaire's character as he charges through wrecked cars and dangerous turns to take the lead.
15 - 1944 Vickers-Supermarine Mk IX Spitfire
- Movie: The Battle of Britain (1969)
- Price: US$2,527,204 (sold for GBP£1,739,500)
- Date Sold: April 20, 2009
- Where: Hendon, U.K.
- Sold by: Bonhams
16 - 1929 Duesenberg Model J Murphy Disappearing-Top Convertible Coupe
- Movie: The Gay Divorcee (1934)
- Price: US$2,365,000
- Date Sold: August, 2013
- Where: Monterey, California, U.S.
- Sold by: Gooding and Co.
The Duesenberg Model J was designed to be America's alternative to the prestigious European brands such as Rolls-Royce, Hispano-Suiza, Isotta-Fraschini and Mercedes-Benz and it certainly succeeded. It's announcement shook the US automobile industry and momentarily halted trading on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.
Its owners included royalty such as King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy, King Alfonso XIII of Spain, the Duke of Windsor, Prince Nicholas of Romania (who bought three and raced one at Le Mans) and Queen Maria of Yugoslavia, a client list Ettore Bugatti would have coveted for his Royale which was produced in the same time-frame and was never once purchased by royalty. Noted automotive enthusiast King Alfonso had a vast fleet of exquisite cars, but when he was overthrown by the revolution in Spain, he chose his Deusenberg to take into exile with him.
Movie stars too purchased the Duesenberg Model J in droves and such was the esteem of the marque, that Greta Garbo, Mae West, Dolores del Rio, Marion Davies, Gary Cooper, Tyrone Power, Clark Gable and Bill "Bojangles" Robinson gained just as much prestige from driving the Doozy as it did from them driving it. Dolores del Rio's husband, Cedric Gibbons, the famous film art director and creator of the 'Oscar' statuette, was also a Duesy owner.
The list of high profile owners was a veritable who's who: abstract artist Rudolf Bauer, industrialist Howard Hughes, spiritual leader Father Divine, gangster Al Capone, socialite (owner of the Hope Diamond and she even rates a mention in the famous Cole Porter song "Anything Goes") Evalyn Walsh McLean, William Randolph Hearst and the Mars, Whitney, and Wrigley families all had Model Js. Given that only 480 Model Js were ever produced, that's quite some clientele.
This car is far more special than just being a Model J though, as it's custom Murphy coachwork is considered the prototype of the \u201cDisappearing Top Roadster' and in 1934 it appeared in the Oscar-winning movie, "The Gay Divorcee" alongside the darlings of the silver screen at the time, Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers (pictured).
It sold at an RM Auction for US$1,897,500 in 2012 and again in 2013 for US$2,365,000 at a Gooding & Co auction. Its movie provenance is only one of the factors involved in its spectacular price, as the quality of the restoration work on the car puts it at the absolute pinnacle of examples of the marque. In May 2012, it was awarded Best of Show at the second annual Celebration of Automobiles, at the Indianapolis 500, and it was also featured in Fred Roe's book, "Duesenberg: The Pursuit of Perfection", as well as twice in the Auburn-Cord-Duesenberg Club newsletter.
17 - 1971 Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Daytona Spider by Scaglietti
- Movie: The Gumball Rally (1976)
- Price: The US$1,650,000
- Date sold: August, 2013
- Where: Monterey, California, U.S.
- Sold by: RM-Sothebys
00 - Captain America Harley-Davidson Chopper
- Movie: Easy Rider (1969)
- Price: The US$1,620,000 reported to have been bid at auction is believed to have been withdrawn
- Date sold: October, 2014
- Where: Los Angeles, California, U.S.
- Sold by: Profiles in History
The Stars-and-Stripes-adorned "Captain America" chopper ridden by Peter Fonda in the classic American road movie Easy Rider crossed the auction block
and was widely reported to have become the world's most valuable motorcycle based on information provided to the press by the auctioneers. The vendor still has the bike.
18 - Porsche 911S
- Movie: Le Mans (1971)
- Price: US$1,370,000
- Date sold: August, 2011
- Where: Monterey, California, U.S.
- Sold by: RM Auctions
This is the car driven through the French countryside at ballistic speed by Steve McQueen for the first three minutes and 40 seconds of the 1971 film Le Mans. Delivered new to McQueen on the set of the movie, in his favorite color (he had the previous year's model of the same car in the same Slate Gray at home), built to the highest spec offered by Porsche for street models, the car was auctioned with the original invoices showing cost just over DM30,000 (US$8,338.61 on the day).
Original in every respect, the US$1.37 million Porsche commanded a significant premium for its fame, given that identical cars can be had for less than one tenth of that price - an indication of just what appearing in a movie can be worth, and perhaps the potency of McQueen's midas touch.
19 - 1929 Duesenberg Model J
- Movie: Spinout (1966)
- Price: US$1,237,500
- Date sold: January, 2011
- Where: Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S.
- Sold by: RM Auctions
Spinout was one of the 33 feature films in which the most successful recording artist in history, Elvis Presley, starred. In the film, Mike McCoy (Presley) is the lead singer of a band and part-time race car driver. The auctioned car was one of just two short-wheelbase Dual Cowl Duesenberg Phaetons with body by Derham Body Company, and was rented by the film studio to be driven by Mike McCoy (Presley) in the movie to tow his race car.
20 - 1956 Fiat-Bartoletti Tipo 642 Transporter
- Movie: Le Mans (1971)
- Price: US$1,013,199 (sold for GBP£656,700)
- Date sold: September 12, 2015
- Where: Goodwood, U.K.
- Sold by: Bonhams
21 - 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500
- Movie: Gone in 60 Seconds (2000)
- Price: US$1,000,000
- Date sold: May, 2013
- Where: Indianapolis, U.S.
- Sold by: Mecum Auctions
When Touchstone Pictures decided to remake the 1974 cult movie Gone in 60 Seconds, the choice of a hero car to play the role of "Eleanor" (a 1971 Mustang modified to look like a 1973 model in the original movie) was equally as important as the male and female leads. In the end, a 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500 was chosen as the car, with Nicholas Cage as the male lead (playing retired master car thief Memphis Raines) and Angelina Jolie in the female lead role as "Sway."
Several cars were built for filming, but the auctioned car which fetched US$1,000,000 is serial number 7R02C179710, the "beauty car" driven by Memphis Raines (Cage) during filming and used in close-ups, posters and promotional materials.
Famed Hot Rod illustrator Steve Stanford was enlisted to create a 1967 Mustang GT500 and Chip Foose was hired by the production company to turn Stanford's work into a reality.
Working from Stanford's drawings with Ray Claridge of Cinema Vehicle Services in North Hollywood, wings with new wider wheel arches, a bonnet with a prominent bulge, a deep front valance and side skirts and a spoiler incorporated into the boot lid were designed. PIAA lights were installed in both the nose and tail and a distinctive billet grille was specified. Schmidt 17x8-inch wheels finished off the car's external appearance while the interior is standard Shelby with a monster tachometer and a subtle roll cage.
Eleanor is essentially unchanged today from when she completed her starring role. Instantly recognisable whether a movie aficionado or not, the Mustang is in very good condition overall. The paintwork, resplendent in metallic Grey with Black stripes, is in excellent condition. The interior is equally fine with carpets and seats clean and free from significant wear or damage. To say the engine sounds healthy would be an understatement. The side exit exhausts make a satisfying and potent rumble, which sets hairs on end. As seen in the movie, the switch to arm the nitrous oxide system and "go baby go" switch on the gear lever are present and correct.
22 - Lotus Esprit submarine
- Movie: The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
- Movie: For Your Eyes Only (1981)
- Price: $966,560
- Date sold: September, 2013
- Where: London, U.K.
- Sold by: RM Auctions
After some heated debate about what constitutes a movie car in these listings, we decided to list James Bond's Lotus Esprit submarine from the The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and For Your Eyes Only (1981).
There were numerous Lotus Esprit cars used in the making of these movies, but this one in particular isn't a car - it's a fully functioning submarine.
The Lotus look-alike is nonetheless fascinating. This film was made a third of a century ago, the same year the IBM PC was released, when CGI was still science fiction. Accordingly, the film's producers had to build a submarine that looked like a Lotus Esprit, and they hired Perry Oceanographic in Florida to do the job. Clearly they did a very good job, as the pic above attests.
We suspect that the real automobile versions of the British Lotus Esprit S1 driven by Bond (played by Roger Moore) in The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) and the Esprit Turbo in For Your Eyes Only (1981), might command even greater prices on the auction block. That's Moore getting instructions on the Lotus from gadgetmeister Q, played by Welsh actor Desmond Llewelyn. Llewelyn appeared in more Bond movies than even Sean Connery.
The Lotus Esprit was originally designed by Giugaro for Lotus, but when it turned out to be not quite as aerodynamically efficient as its bullet shape and steeply angled windscreen suggested (it has a cd of 0.34), Lotus supremo Colin Chapman dropped the project. Chapman (pictured below) was one of the great pioneers of automotive design, particularly in the area of aerodynamics and the Lotus brand he created retains its technological leading edge to this day.
Chapman's focus on light weight and aerodynamic efficiency saw him create one of the great Formula One teams, beating Ferrari to become the first team to achieve 50 F1 Grand Prix victories, winning the F1 constructor title in 1963, 1965, 1968, 1970, 1972, 1973 and 1978, and producing the cars which won F1 Drivers' Championships for Jim Clark (2), Graham Hill, Jochen Rindt, Emerson Fittipaldi and Mario Andretti.
Italdesign persevered with the visually-striking wedge-shaped vehicle and showed the concept at the Turin Motor Show in 1972 to great acclaim, reinvigorating Chapman's interest and eventually resulting in one of the marque's most memorable cars (amongst many).
23 - 1970 Aston Martin DBS Sports Saloon
- TV Series: The Persuaders (1971)
- Price:US$897,267 (sold for GBP £533,500)
- Date sold: May, 2014
- Where: Newport Pagnell, U.K.
- Sold by: Bonhams
24 - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
- Movie: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
- Price:US$805,000
- Date sold: May, 2011
- Where: Los Angeles, California, U.S.
- Sold by: Profiles in History
The star of the movie by the same name, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was inspired by a racing car Ian Fleming (author of the book upon which the movie was based plus the James Bond novels which created a movie dynasty) had seen at Brooklands racetrack in 1921 as a 12-year-old.
Flemming wrote the book for his son Caspar, with the book adapted for the screen by no less than Roald Dahl and Ken Hughes. Whilst the car was undoubtedly the star of the film, the lead character was played by Dick Van Dyke and the Director was Albert R. Broccoli, the co-producer of the James Bond series of films.
The car was actually named Chitty Bang Bang I, a chain-driven monster with a Mercedes-Benz chassis and a two-meter long, 23 liter six cylinder Maybach engine from the famed Zeppelin airship. Fleming appears to have borrowed heavily from not just the car, but the exploits of the driver and racing team which fielded Chitty Bang Bang.
The owner/driver of the car and team who was one of the richest and most eccentric people in the world, Count Louis Zboroswski. Count Louis was orphaned at 16 years of age, with his mother leaving him a gargantuan inheritance - £ 11 million - and real estate holdings which included seven acres of Manhattan and several blocks on Fifth Avenue.
The Zboroswski team took its racing seriously but was one of the first to approach the sport with an eccentric and promotional flair, with one of its trademarks being spectacularly colored checkered Florida golfing caps worn by the driver and crew - something clearly borrowed by Fleming for the movie's star, Caractacus Potts (played by Dick Van Dyke). Zboroswski may have been of independent means, but he was not lacking in talent. He was later signed by no less than the official Mercedes Benz factory team, before his career was prematurely ended at the wheel of one of his beloved racing cars, just as his father had done in 1906.
Chitty Bang Bang I, the real racing car which inspired at least part of the story, was a fearsome beast, and well described by uniquecarsandparts.
The Chitty Chitty Bang Bang movie car has many of the hallmarks of the original beast, and was created for the movie by Ford's Racing Team and designed by Ken Adam.
It was built on a custom-designed ladder frame chassis, with many "old world" automotive construction techniques employed. The end result was a car authentic enough to fascinate veteran car aficionados under the scrutiny of 70 mm cinema cameras, and durable enough to withstand everything from driving in sand, cobbled streets and down staircases.
The bonnet was crafted of polished aluminum; the boat deck is hand-crafted of red and white cedar built by boat builders in Buckinghamshire, and the array of brass fittings were obtained from Edwardian cars.
Even the alloy dashboard plate is from a British World War I fighter plane! While it was not used in the flying or floating scene, the auction car was the fully-functional road car purpose built for principal shooting and is officially registered with the "GEN 11" plates as seen in the film. We anticipated the stellar price in an article on Gizmag prior to the auction.
This car was resold by the auction winner twelve months later because at 17 feet long, it wouldn't fit in his garage. It has subsequently been seen at many promotional events as the subsequent owner was UK motoring enthusiast and media personality Chris Evans. That's Evans below with former F1-drivers Mark Webber, Jody Scheckter and Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason, entertaining the crowd at one of of his CarFest events which raise funds for the BBC Children in Need appeal.
25 - 1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Transformal Phaeton
- Movie: Morocco (1930)
- Price: US$ 742,500
- Date sold: March, 2015
- Where: Amelia Island, U.S.
- Sold by: Bonhams
A car with the lot, plus a bit more. This 1930 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Transformal Phaeton was given new to one of history's greatest stars, Marlene Dietrich, by legendary Film director Josef von Sternberg upon her arrival in America to further her already illustrious career.
It is one of only two Transformal Phaetons ever made, and appeared conspicuously in Dietrich's first American film, Morocco, in which she starred opposite Gary Cooper, and won an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress.
Furthermore, when the car was last sold (in 2012 for $542,000), it had just emerged from a US$500,000 restoration. It has since featured prominently in Tom Cotter's book The Cobra in the Barn.
This car will again cross the auction block on March 12, 2015 in Bonhams' Amelia Island auction, where it is estimated it will fetch between US$700,000 and US$1,000,000.
26 - 1934 Mercedes-Benz 500 Nurburg Offener Tourenwagen
- Movie: The Hindenberg (1975)
- Price:US$704,182 (Sold for EUR517,500)
- Date sold: July, 2014
- Where: Stuttgart, Germany
- Sold by: Bonhams
This superb Mercedes was used in the seventies blockbuster, "The Hindenberg" but its price is entirely related to its rarity and mechanical excellence. Last offered for sale by Brooks' auctions at the Mercedes-Benz Museum sale in April 1999, at that time it was stated that the car had previously been resident in the Busch Museum and was believed to have featured in the airship movie Hindenburg.
27 - 1930 Duesenberg Model J Torpedo Phaeton
- Movie: The Great McGinty (1940)
- Movie: A Pocketful of Miracles (1961)
- Movie: Party Girl (1958)
- Movie: Al Capone (1959)
- Movie: Howard Hughes (1977)
- Movie: The Gangster Chronicles (1981)
- Movie: City Heat (1984)
- Price: US$698,500
- Date sold: February, 2013
- Where: Boca Raton, Florida, U.S.
- Sold by: Bonhams
Duesenberg had won America's premier race, the Indianapolis 500, three times before the arrival of the Model J and to underline the Model J's competition-based credentials, every chassis built was tested for 500 miles on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway before being handed over to a coachbuilder for the construction of bespoke bodywork.
Duesenberg was more than usually mindful of the quality of the coachwork erected on its chassis, for in June 1929 the company opened an in-house body-design department whose mission was to create new body styles for individual clients and to liaise between the buyers, factory and the various coachworks. Between 1929 and 1933 this department was headed by Gordon Buehrig, who subsequently achieved fame as the designer of the 'coffin-nose' Cord 810/812.
This matched numbers, long chassis Model J was used for several years by Duesenberg owner E.L. Cord's wife, but its path to the silver screen took a turn in 1937 when it joined John W. de Noira's Pacific Auto Rental in Hollywood. De Noira had arrived in California, some eleven years earlier from Portland, Oregon with the intent of setting up a car rental company. He quickly discovered that in California there was a rental market for rare and classic automobiles, and it wasn't long before the movie studios began to tap him for the automobiles they needed for film parts. Like any sensible business man de Noira set about making sure he had plenty to choose from. To put the size of the operation in perspective, when George Finnerman of Popular Mechanics magazine visited for an article he wrote in February 1951, there were 167 automobiles at Pacific Auto Rental. Some of the cars fluctuated in their popularity with studios, some it was said were featured too frequently in movies and were sold on to make way for others, all the same visiting the business must have been quite a trip! J-255, the Judkins Duesenberg seems to have been perennially popular, and over the course of its 48 year tenure it featured in at least seven movies.
28 - DeLorean DMC-12
- Movie: Back To The Future III (1990)
- Price: US$541,000
- Date sold: December, 2011
- Where: Los Angeles, California, U.S.
- Sold by: Profiles In History
This car is the DeLorean Time Machine built by Dr. Emmett L. Brown (played by Christopher Lloyd) and driven by Marty McFly (played by Michael J. Fox) in Back to the Future III.
The first film of the trilogy was the highest-grossing film of 1985 and became an international phenomenon, leading to the second and third films and creating one of cinema's most popular and best-loved movie series. Back to the Future spawned an animated television series, a motion-simulation ride at the Universal Studios Theme Parks at Universal City in California, and Osaka in Japan, plus a multi-platform video game. In total, the three films in the trilogy were nominated for five Academy Awards, winning one for Best Sound Editing.
One of seven DeLoreans used on-screen in the Back to the Future trilogy, this particular car was used in the 1955 drive-in movie scene when Michael J. Fox drives it into the past and lands in 1885 to find Doc.
It was built completely for off road use. Of the seven DeLoreans used in the series, only three have survived since filming, and this is one of those three - the only one in private hands. After filming completed, the car sat on the backlot at Universal Studios for about 14 years, with a short time on display at the Petersen Auto Museum in Los Angeles.
The other DeLoreans are still owned by Universal Studios, and are usually on display at the theme parks. The car was auctioned with a Universal Studios certificate of authenticity and an original signed Bill of Sale with the Vehicle Identification Number.
29 - Buick Blackhawk Factory Custom
- Movie: Bad Boys II (2003)
- Price: US$522,500
- Date sold: March, 2009
- Where: Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S.
- Sold by: Barrett-Jackson
This Buick Blackhawk is a hand-built custom 2+2 convertible developed to celebrate Buick's 100 year anniversary in 2003. It wasn't built in-house, having been outsourced to to former Buick designer Steven Pasteiner to create the concept and we're certain no-one was disappointed - it's a masterpiece. That's GM legend Harley Earl and the original Buick Y-Job below.
The Blackhawk was built from a variety of modified 1939-1986 Buick components and panels and included a power retractable carbon fiber top which stores itself inside the deck lid with 463 horsepower and 510 lb/ft of torque supplied by a fuel-injected 1970 vintage 455cid Buick GS Stage III V8 engine through an 4L80E 4-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission. It was perfectly suited to become Will Smith's wheels in the movie Bad Boys II.
The Blackhawk custom was part of the Andrews Collection for many years and went to auction again with RM-Sothebys on May 2, 2015 where it sold for just $363,000.
30 - 1991 Harley-Davidson Fat Boy
- Movie: Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
- Price: US$512,000
- Date sold: June, 2018
- Where: Los Angeles, U.S.
- Sold by: Profiles in History (warning 150mb PDF file)
31 - Kookie's Kar
- TV Series: 77 Sunset Strip (1958-1964)
- Price: US$484,000
- Date sold: May, 2018
- Where: Indianapolis, U.S.
- Sold by: Mecum
32 - 2014 Land Rover Defender SVX 'Spectre' 4x4 Utility
- Movie: Spectre (2015)
- Price: US$483,050 (sold for GBP£365,500)
- Date sold: July, 2018
- Where: Goodwood, U.K.
- Sold by: Bonhams
33 - 1948 Tucker Model 48
- Movie: Tucker: The Man and His Dream (1988)
- Price: US$461,500
- Date sold: April, 2005
- Where: San Francisco, U.S.
- Sold by: Bonhams
34 - 1940 Buick Phaeton
- Movie: Casablanca (1942)
- Price: US$461,000
- Date sold: November, 2013
- Where: New York, U.S.
- Sold by: Bonhams
Casablanca. Captain Louis Renault (Claude Rains) drives the car to the airport at gunpoint, with Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) in the front, and Isla Lund (Ingrid Bergman) and Victor Laszlo (Paul Henried) in the back seat. Throughout the final moments of the film, Rick, Ilsa, Victor and Louis linger on the airport tarmac next to the Buick Phaeton, and the film's immortal final moments between Rick and Ilsa take place next to the car. Here's the script:Rick: Inside of us, we both know you belong with Victor. You're part of his work, the thing that keeps him going. If that plane leaves the ground and you're not with him, you'll regret it. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life.
Ilsa: But what about us?
Rick: We'll always have Paris. We didn't have, we, we lost it until you came to Casablanca. We got it back last night.
Ilsa: When I said I would never leave you.
Rick: And you never will. But I've got a job to do, too. Where I'm going, you can't follow. What I've got to do, you can't be any part of. Ilsa, I'm no good at being noble, but it doesn't take much to see that the problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world. Someday you'll understand that. [Ilsa lowers her head and begins to cry]
Rick: Now, now... [Rick gently places his hand under her chin and raises it so their eyes meet]
Rick: Here's looking at you kid.
35 - 1969 Dodge Charger (General Lee)
- TV Series: Dukes of Hazzard (1979-1985)
- Price: US$450,000
- Date sold: January, 2008
- Where: Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S.
- Sold by: Barrett-Jackson
Yes, we know it's a top ten, but hey, who cares. The Dukes of Hazzard was one of the iconic television shows for the petrolheads amongst us, and every episode was guaranteed to have some spectacular "crash and burn" footage.
Across the six series, the show devoured an estimated 309 orange 1969 Dodge Chargers (for supply reasons, 1968 models were also used with 1969 grille and taillight panels fitted and the round side marker lights removed) with the Confederate battle flag on the roof, of which 17 are still believed to exist in various states of disrepair.
Named after Confederate General Robert E. Lee, it's an oblique reference to the origins of the series which was based on the movie Moonrunners, a story about moonshine runners who used a 1958 Chrysler named Traveler, after General Lee's horse.
This car is a replica owned by John Schneider (who played Bo in the series) and the underside of the hood has the signatures of the cast from the 1997 TV movie. Schneider has also restored over 20 other General Lees to date.
36 - 1985 Modena Spyder
- Movie: Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
- Price: US$407,000
- Date sold: August, 2018
- Where: Pebble Beach, U.S.
- Sold by: Mecum
37 - 1966 Monkeemobile Pontiac GTO
- TV Series: The Monkees (1966-1968)
- Price: US$396,000
- Date sold: January, 2008
- Where: Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S.
- Sold by: Barrett-Jackson
In 1966 "The Monkees" television sitcom debuted on NBC, based on the storyline of a struggling band trying to find success. The story line was inspired by the Beatles movie "A Hard Day's Night" and proved to be an unlikely success, with the theme music becoming a hit on the music charts and the show winning two Emmy Awards in 1967: Outstanding Comedy Series and Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Comedy (James Frawley). Its win for Best Comedy Series saw it beat The Andy Griffith Show, Bewitched, Get Smart, and Hogan's Heroes.
The two series followed the exploits of the band, and this was the car the band used.
38 - 2008 Aston Martin V12 DBS
- Movie: Quantum of Solace (2008)
- Price: US$390,696 (sold for GBP£241,250)
- Date sold: October, 2012
- Where: London, U.K.
- Sold by: Christie's
In the original James Bond books penned by Ian Fleming, James Bond drove an Aston Martin and despite the lure of product placement dollars, has managed to do so in a total of nine films since the series started.
This 2008 Aston Martin V12 DBS is one of seven used by Bond (Daniel Craig) in the 2008 James Bond film, "Quantum of Solace". The all-alloy 5935 cc V12 engine has a prodigious power output thanks to a state-of-the-art engine with high compression, quad cams and four-valves-per-cylinder (for a total of 48). The car was sold for GBP£241,250 (US$390,696) at a Christie's auction in London in October, 2012
39 - 1949 Mercury Series 9CM custom convertible
- Movie: Grease (1978)
- Price: US$385,000
- Date sold: June 27, 2015
- Where: Los Angeles, California, U.S.
- Sold by: Juliens
40 - 1912 Rolls-Royce 40/50HP Open Drive Landaulette
- Movie: My Fair Lady (1964)
- Price: US$385,000
- Date sold: November, 2017
- Where: Los Angeles, California, U.S.
- Sold by: Bonhams
41 - 1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Playboy Roadster
- Movie: Giant (1956)
- Movie: The FBI Story (1959)
- Movie: Inside Daisy Clover (1965)
- Price: US$341,000
- Date sold: July, 2013
- Where: Pebble Beach, California, U.S.
- Sold by: Gooding & Company
Carrying the famous and exclusive Playboy bodywork (one of only 13) plus the unique modifications of its first celebrity owner, this Phantom I has an amazing story and an unbelievably star-studded provenance that spans both the film and music industries of California. It has been repainted and restored many times, and has sold at auction several times most recently with the US$341,000 sale by Gooding &b Co at Pebble Beach in 2013. Prior to that sale, it was sold in London in 2012 for GBP110,000 (US$179,129) by Coys, and as part of the Astor Collection by RM Auctions in 2008 for US$319,000.
In its previous two auctions it had been painted dove grey and white, but it has since been returned to its original black.
This car was first owned by silent movie-era cowboy star Tom Mix. Although the car bore the coachwork of Brewster in Springfield, Massachusetts, it was subsequently sent by Mix to Bohman & Schwartz in Pasadena, where it was modified to his requirements. Among other modifications, the car's fenders were redesigned and the headlamps were repositioned to sit lower on the car. Additionally, Mix's roadster received a fog lamp and an in-dash radio, surely one of the earlier such applications. It should be noted that Bohman & Schwartz maintained a strong reputation in the Hollywood community, producing numerous custom creations for such notables as Clark Gable and Barbara Hutton.
Unfortunately, the cowboy actor passed away in a car accident in 1940, behind the wheel of his Cord. According to Hal Blaine, the renowned drummer and session musician who eventually purchased the car in 1969, it was his understanding that, after Mix's death, the car went to Jack Warner, the head of Warner Brothers Studios, who gave the car to the famed actress Bette Davis (once the most famous actress in the world, but best known in recent times for the Kim Carnes' hit song, "Bette Davis Eyes").
Apparently, the car was too large for Davis to handle, so it was returned to Warner and found its way into the Warner Brothers film prop department. Thereafter, it appeared in many films, including Inside Daisy Clover (1965), where it was driven by Robert Redford. It supposedly also appeared in the film Giant and The FBI Story, starring Jimmy Stewart.
While working on the John Denver Show, Blaine met and spoke with Robert Redford, whom he told about the yellow Rolls-Royce. After hearing about the pine needles on the floor of the car, which were due to filming that was conducted in the San Bernardino mountains, Redford remarked how fond he was of the car as well.
Mr. Blaine was also a member of the Rolls-Royce Owner's Club and remembers receiving a second place award at a Concours event. Furthermore, the car was also featured in several Thanksgiving weekened Santa Claus Lane Parades in Hollywood. Among the various people who Blaine drove in the parade were the famed Glen Campbell and his family as well as Shirley Jones and The Partridge Family children. Thereafter, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce elected to only use automobiles of the Buick Antique Owners Club.
Although its parade days had ended, the car was also featured in 1974 in the Jimmy Webb wedding procession in Ojai, California, where Blaine drove the bride and the bride's father, screen actor Barry Sullivan. Additionally, the Playboy Roadster was featured in a number of commercials and on the cover of Al Wilson's hit album.
Blaine is regarded as one of the industry's most prolific and respected drummers and has played on more top selling records than anyone in the rock era, which included over 40 number one hits and over 150 that made the Top Ten. Inducted as member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in March 2000, he has recorded and performed with such legendary entertainers as Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Barbra Streisand, Sonny & Cher, Simon & Garfunkel, Neil Diamond, The Beach Boys, The Monkees and countless other world famous musicians.
According to Blaine's own estimate, he has performed on over 35,000 recorded tracks as the percussive backbone of the "Wrecking Crew" - the nickname that younger L.A. studio hands bestowed on themselves after elder studio vets complained these young rock and rollers were "wrecking the business." His autobiography \u201cHal Blaine and The Wrecking Crew\u201d features a photo of him proudly showing off the well-deserved rewards of his efforts - the Rolls-Royce Playboy Roadster.
42 - Batpod
Movie: The Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Price: US$338,066 (sold for GBP£260,000)
Date sold: September, 2016
Where: Los Angeles, U.S.A.
Sold by: Propstore
Thanks to the high profile of Batman, the $338,000 price is an astonishing result because it is entirely due to the movie provenance of the motorcycle that it has become one of the most expensive motorcycles ever sold at auction. Whatsmore, the engine for this motorcycle is ... wait for it ...a Honda CB 750 four, so not only is this the highest priced movie motorcycle to have sold at auction, it is also the highest priced Honda motorcycle ever to sell at auction and the highest priced Japanese motorcycle to ever sell at auction.
Honda has been the most prolific manufacturer of motorcycles in history, and Japanese manufacturers make up the majority of motorcycles ever produced.
The bike was not sold in working condition, but reportedly required just a bit of commissioning to become fully functional. The chassis is entirely custom, the body is fiberglass and the tires are 31" Hoosier car racing tires, so we dips our lid to the stunt riders because IMHO, it might look good, but would probably have handled like a wheelbarrow full of walrusses. The Batcycle was estimated to sell for between £60,000 and £80,000, but clearly perfromed beyond anyone's wildest expectations .
43 - 2002 Aston Martin V12 Vanquish Coupe
- Movie: Die Another Day (2002)
- Price: US$337,629 (sold for GBP£210,500)
- Date sold: May, 2003
- Where: London, U.K.
- Sold by: Bonhams
44 - 1937 Bentley 4¼-litre Drophead Coupe
- Movies: Never Say Never Again (1983)
- Price: US$336,130 (£221,500)
- Date sold: July, 2010
- Where: Goodwood, U.K.
- Sold by: Bonhams
45 - 1963 Pontiac Bonneville "Roy Rogers" Nudie Mobile
- Movies: Uncertain but countless TV appearances with Roy Rogers and Dale Evans (feature article)
- Price: US$308,000
- Date sold: December, 2015
- Where: New York, U.S.
- Sold by: RM-Sothebys
46 - 1927 Rolls-Royce Phantom I Playboy Roadster
- Movie: Giant (1956)
- Price: US$302,500
- Date sold: August, 2015
- Where: Monterey, U.S.
- Sold by: RM-Sothebys
47 - 2014 Land Rover Defender SVX "Spectre"
- Movie: Spectre (2015)
- Price: US$300,670 (sold for GBP£230,000)
- Date sold: September, 2017
- Where: London, U.K.
- Sold by: RM-Sotheby
48 - 2013 Ford Mustang Fastback
- Movie: Need for Speed (2014)
- Game: Need For Speed
- Facebook: Need For Speed
- Official Web Site: Need For Speed
- Official Trailer: Need For Speed
- Price: US$300,000
- Date sold: April, 2014
- Where: Florida, U.S.
- Sold by: Barrett-Jackson
Though the 2013 Ford Mustang Fastback which starred in the Need for Speed movie doesn't quite make the top 10 movie and TV series list, the fact that the movie has only just been released and the car has already sold at a considerable premium suggests we're going to see more cars associated with the gargantuan digital games industry moving into this list in the foreseeable future.
Ford sold the 2013 Ford Mustang Fastback, which appeared in Need for Speed for US$300,000 in April, 2014 to benefit Henry Ford Health Systems, the nonprofit founded by Henry Ford to support the Edith and Benson Ford Heart and Vascular Institute.
The silver Mustang was used in filming and displayed at all promotional stops for the movie. It boasts a custom-designed, wide body rolling on unique, Forgiato 22-inch alloy wheels. Other design elements include an enlarged lower grille with new air intakes, extended rocker panels, a twin-snorkel hood and low-profile mirrors. With a powerful V8 engine, the Mustang is finished in silver paint with Kona Blue racing stripes.
49 - Batman Forever Batmobile
- Movie: Batman Forever (1995)
- Price: US$297,000
- Date sold: December, 2007
- Where: Florida, U.S.
- Sold by: RM Auctions
50 - 2006 Marine Technology 39RP Boat
- Movie: Miami Vice (2006)
- Price: US$283,800
- Date sold: January, 2014
- Where: Scottsdale, AZ, U.S.
- Sold by: Barrett-Jackson
51 - 1967 Toyota 2000GT Targa
- Movie: You Only Live Twice (1967)
- Price: US$282,831 (sold for £179,200)
- Date sold: October 27, 2010
- Where: London, U.K.
- Sold by: RM-Sothebys
52 - The Beverley Hillbillies Truck
- TV Series: The Beverley Hillbillies (1962-1971)
- Movie: The Beverley Hillbillies
- Price: US$275,000
- Date sold: January, 2015
- Where: Scottsdale, Arizona, U.S.
- Sold by: Barrett-Jackson
The truck from the Beverley Hillbillies, driven by Buddy Ebsen. One of five built for the series' ten year run, and was also used in the movie of the same name. The truck was originally based on a 1922 Oldsmobile truck base.
53 - 1952 MG TD
- Movie: Monkey Business (1952)
- Price: US$258,300
- Date sold: June, 2011
- Where: Los Angeles, U.S.
- Sold by: Profiles in History (no link)
54 - 1928 Rolls-Royce 40/50hp Phantom I Ascot Dual Cowl Sport
- Movie: The Great Gatsby (1974)
- Price: US$238,000
- Date sold: June, 2009
- Where: Greenwich, U.S.
- Sold by: Bonhams
55 - 1985 Modena Spyder
- Movie: Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
- Price: US$230,000
- Date sold: August, 2013
- Where: Pebble Beach, U.S.
- Sold by: Mecum
56 - 1929 Gipsy Moth Biplane
- Movie: Out of Africa (1985)
- Price: US$227,976 (Sold for EUR€201,250)
- Date sold: February 7, 2013
- Where: Paris, France.
- Sold by: Bonhams
57 - 2002 Aston Martin V12 Vanquish Coupe
- Movie: Die Another Day (2002)
- Price: US$221,921 (Sold for GBP£210,500)
- Date sold: May, 2003
- Where: London, U.K.
- Sold by: Bonhams
James Bond returned to driving Aston Martins after a break of 15 years when Pierce Brosnan's '007' got behind the wheel of a 2002 V12 Vanquish supercar for the 2002 Bond film Die Another Day. Previous Astons driven by Britain's best-known secret agent were the rocket-firing DB5 (in the list above) used by Sean Connery in Goldfinger and Timothy Dalton's V8 Volante convertible that featured in The Living Daylights.
Aston Martin supplied three finished 2002 V12 Vanquish cars - chassis numbers '172', '173' and '174' - to become 'hero' cars which would be used for all the close-ups of Pierce Brosnan as James Bond. All three were Tungsten Silver with charcoal leather interior equipped with Linn audio system and brushed aluminium centre console. These cars were not used for special effects.
For the stunts and chase sequences, Aston Martin and EON special effects department created four four-wheel drive Vanquishes using standard bodyshells and interiors but Ford Explorer running gear and V8 engines. Of these four special effects cars, two have been destroyed and two remain the property of Aston Martin. Neither can be sold or registered for road use and both will be kept by Aston Martin.
This car is chassis number '172', the main 'hero' car. Owned by Aston Martin and never registered, it became the Vanquish out of the three production versions supplied that was used for most of the close-up shots. Whenever Bond is seen in the film near to, or sitting in, a Vanquish, that car is more likely to be '172'.
58 - 1955 Bentley S-1
- Movie: Dead Ringer (1964)
- Price: US$220,000
- Date sold: January, 2015
- Where: Scottsdale, U.S.
- Sold by: Barrett-Jackson
One of just seven Bentley S-1 models bodied to this design by Freestone & Webb, this car was the personal car of movie mogul Jack Warner from 1955 until his death in 1978, featuring in the 1964 Bette Davis movie Dead Ringer during his ownership. The subject of a "rotisserie" restoration, it subsequently became part of The Blackhawk Collection. At $220,000, this car has undoubtedly been party to more deals than a croupier.
59 - 1955 Pontiac Star
- TV Series: I Love Lucy (1951-1957)
- Price: US$220,000
- Date sold: January, 2015
- Where: Scottsdale, U.S.
- Sold by: Barrett-Jackson
This fully restored 1955 Pontiac Star appeared in the fourth season of "I Love Lucy" as part of a product placement deal between the show's producers and General Motors. In Episode 109, titled "Lucy Learns to Drive," preparing for their trip west, the Ricardos buy a new car, and Lucy wants to drive it around the block. After giving her one driving lesson, Ricky is a beaten man, but Lucy is so confident that she offers to teach Ethel Mertz how to drive. The result is a complete fiasco. The episode first aired January 3, 1955. The same car was used in several subsequent episodes: Episode 110, titled "California Here We Come," first aired January 10, 1955; Episode 111, titled "First Stop," first aired January 17, 1955; Episode 112, titled "Tennessee Bound," first aired January 24, 1955; Episode 113, titled "Ethel's Hometown," first aired January 31, 1955; and Episode 114, titled "LA at Last," first aired February 7, 1955.
60 - 1967 Ford Mustang
- Movie: Gone in 60 Seconds (2000)
- Price: US$216,700
- Date sold: January, 2009
- Where: Scottsdale, U.S.
- Sold by: Barrett-Jackson
61 - 1935 Godsal Sports Tourer
- Movie: Mosquito Fleet (1969)
- Price: US$203,500
- Date sold: March, 2017
- Where: Amelia Island, Florida, U.S.
- Sold by: Bonhams
62 - 1958 Plymouth Fury
- Movie: Christine (1983)
- Price: US$198,000
- Date sold: January, 2015
- Where: Scottsdale, U.S.
- Sold by: Barrett-Jackson
- This car also sold at a 2004 Barrett-Jackson auction in Palm Beach for $170,500.
63 - 1977 Porsche 911S Coupé
- TV Series: The Bridge (2011-2018)
- Price: US$187,008 (£141,500)
- Date sold: July, 2018
- Where: Goodwood Festival of Speed, U.K.
- Sold by: Bonhams
64 - 1970 Plymouth Road Runner Custom
- Movie: The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift (2006)
- Movie: Fast & Furious (2009)
- Price: US$187,000
- Date sold: June, 2010
- Where: Orange County, U.S
- Sold by: Barrett-Jackson
65 - 1993 Toyota Supra
- Movie: The Fast and the Furious (2001)
- Price: US$185,000
- Date sold: May 16, 2015
- Where: Indianapolis, U.S
- Sold by: Mecum
66 - 1949 Triumph Trophy TR500 Motorcycle
- TV Series: Happy Days (1974-1984)
- Price: US$179,200
- Date sold: June, 2018
- Where: Los Angeles, U.S.
- Sold by: Juliens Auctions
67 - The Panthermobile
- TV Series: The Pink Panther Show (1979-1985)
- Price: US$173,931 (sold for GBP88,000)
- Date sold: June, 2007
- Where: London, U.K.
- Sold by: Coys
This one-off automobile was created in 1969 as part of the popular Pink Panther Show, which aired in the United States on NBC from 1969 until 1976. The Pink Panther Show starred the animated Pink Panther character from the opening credits of the live-action films about bumbling French detective, Inspector Clouseau (played most famously by Peter Sellers).
The car was sold at auction by Coys of Kensington in 2007 for GBP88,000 and again crossed the auction block in August, 2011 though Robson Kay. Although sold in 2011, it failed to reach its previous price.
68 - 1901 De Dion Bouton 5hp Motorette
- Movie: Excuse My Dust (1951)
- Price: US$191,400
- Date sold: August, 2013
- Where: Quail Lodge, U.S.
- Sold by: Bonhams
M.G.M. Studios owned this 1901 De Dion Bouton 5hp Motorette and it was featured in the 1951 movie 'Excuse my Dust' featuring well-known comedian Red Skelton (pictured). Whether or not the car was featured in any other films is unknown, but it remained in M.G.M.'s possession until 1970.
69 - 1984 Ferrari 308 GTS Quattrovalvole
TV Series: Magnum P.I.(1980 - 1988)
Price: US$181,500
Date sold: January 19, 2017
Where: Scottsdale, AZ, U.S.
Sold by: Bonhams
70 - 1912 Austro Daimler Touring Victoria
- Movie: Chaplin (1992)
- Movie: Titanic (1997)
- Price: US$176,000
- Date sold: November, 2017
- Where: Los Angeles, California, U.S.
- Sold by: Bonhams
71 - 1949 Buick Roadmaster
- Movie: Rainman (1988)
- Price: US$170,500
- Date sold: December, 2012
- Where: Dallas, Texas, U.S.
- Sold by: Heritage Auctions
The convertible featured throughout the 1988 United Artists' feature movie "Rain Man" alongside Dustin Hoffman (who won the Oscar for 'Leading Actor" for this role as the autistic Raymond Babbit) and Tom Cruise.
One of two identical cars used throughout the film, this car differs from standard only in that the rear suspension was modified to hold the extra weight of the camera equipment plus the cameraman when he had to shoot while sitting in the trunk).
72 - 1966 Batmobile and Batcycle Combo
- TV Series: Batman (1966-68)
- Movie: Batman the Movie (1966)
- Price: US$170,500
- Date sold: December, 2012
- Where: Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.
- Sold by: RM Auctions
Like so many movie cars, the authenticity of which vehicles were used in filming is almost always in question. This super-hero combination of Batmobile and Batcycle is as close as you're likely to get beyond the original Batmobile created from the repurposed 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car.
According to unconfirmed sources, four replicas of the original Lincoln Futura Batmobile were built for use in filming of the 1966 Batman television series and subsequent feature film, and this Batmobile was one of them. It spent a large part of its life at John Staluppi's Cars of Dreams museum, and has its very own web site.
As with the Batmobile it was sold with, the Batcycle is one of the originals used in filming, though the first Batcycle used in one show of the first season of the show was based on a 1965 Harley-Davidson. This Batcycle is based on a Yamaha two-stroke 250cc twin cylinder Catalina.
The Batcycle was produced by Kustomotive, conceived by Dan Dempski, designed by Tom Daniel, and built by Dan and Korky Korkes. It was leased to 20th Century Fox starting on April 18, 1966 for $50 a week with an additional $350 up front. The new Batcycle was first used in the 1966 film Batman and continued to appear in the rest of the TV series. Hubie Kerns and Victor Paul did most of the stunt work with the motorcycle throughout the series.
73 - 1967 Chevrolet Camaro SS Custom
- Movie: Transformers: Age of Extinction (2014)
- Price: US$167,200
- Date sold: January, 2016
- Where: Scottsdale AZ, U.S.
- Sold by: Barrett-Jackson
74 - 1976 Lotus Esprit Coupé
- Movie: The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
- Movie: For Your Eyes Only (1981)
- Price: US$165,446 (sold for GBP111,500)
- Date sold: December, 2008
- Where: London, U.K.
- Sold by: Bonhams
This Lotus Esprit is one of two complete, fully functioning cars that were used for the driving scenes in the motion picture 'The Spy Who Loved Me', starring Roger Moore as James Bond'. It is believed that nine Esprits were used in different guises in filming the Esprit''s transformation into the submersible written up higher in this listing, but only two were drivable. One of the two 'real' cars was used for the chase scene in which it was driven by Roger Becker, now Director of Engineering at Lotus Cars.
This Esprit was used in the scene where 'Q' drives off the ferry in Sardinia, instructs Bond in its operation, and the car is then driven away by Bond and his companion, agent Anya Amasova (Barbara Bach). Roger Becker confirmed this to trimmer Nick Fulcher when he visited Nick's workshop during the car's recent restoration.
This is the only one of the two fully functioning Esprits that had the missile launching button on the gear stick and the special revised housing for the clock/periscope screen. The car was taken directly off the production line and sent straight to Pinewood Studios where it was trimmed by Nick Fulcher, who was then working as a trim engineer at Lotus. Nick collaborated with production designer, Ken Adam to achieve the desired specification, removing the colourful tartan headrests, which reflected on the actors' faces, and changing them to plain green. As well as the quayside scene, this particular Esprit was converted for use as a camera car in filming the dramatic chase along the Sardinian mountain roads, there being no alternative vehicle available that could keep up with the other one!
After the movie''s completion, the car was sent back to Lotus and put back on the production line to be returned to standard trim and sold on. The mounting for the clock was removed, the seats and headrests returned to standard, the engine serviced and a black Lotus badge put on. This ex-Bond Esprit later passed into German ownership, its last long-term owner in that country carrying out a mechanical restoration.
When the current owner acquired the car it was German registered and had an incorrect interior, so Nick Fulcher was commissioned to completely restore the interior and return it to the specification as used in the movie.
Fortunately, he still had supplies of the original cloth and sufficient original carpet to trim just one car. (When the interior was stripped, some of the original carpet was found stuck to the transmission tunnel). Nick painstakingly restored the interior and a full photographic record of this is in the history file. The seats were stripped back to the bare frames, the correct extruded aluminium trim made, a original and correct VDU clock sourced and mounted between the sun visors, an original Motorola radio fitted, and he even found a spare missile launch button in his stores! Costing GBP£14,500, the end result is a credit to Nick's craftsmanship.
75 - 1956 Austin Princess
Movie: Imagine (1972)
Price: US$159,500
Date sold: January, 2017
Where: Scottsdale, AZ, U.S.
Sold by: Barrett-Jackson
This car appeared extensively during the filming of the 1972 documentary Imagine, a film created to promote Lennon's LP of the same name, and the song which has become an anthem of the peace movement. It previously went to auction in 2005 when it fetched $155,000, and in 2016 it failed to sell against an estimate of $200,000 to $300,000. Lennon's place in popular culture will not diminish so there's plenty of growth due for this $159,500 investment.
76 - 1955 Chevrolet Custom
Movie: Two Lane Blacktop (1971)
Price: US$159,500
Date sold: January, 2015
Where: Scottsdale, AZ, U.S.
Sold by: Barrett-Jackson
77 - 1986 Ferrari Testarossa
TV Series: Miami Vice (1984 - 1990)
Price: US$151,800
Date sold: January 21, 2017
Where: Scottsdale, AZ, U.S.
Sold by: Barrett-Jackson
78 - 1958 Austin-Healey 100/6
- Movie: School for Scoundrels (1960)
- Price: US$138,652 (sold for GBP£85,500)
- Date sold: September, 2012
- Where: Goodwood, U.K.
- Sold by: Bonhams
This 1958 Austin-Healey 100/6 started life as a works demonstrator and press test car, featuring in The Motor magazine as well as the 1960 movie School for Scoundrels, starring Alastair Sim, Terry-Thomas and Ian Carmichael, in which it was driven by the latter. It sold for sold for GBP£85,500 (US$138,652) in September, 2012
79 - 1965 Plymouth Barracuda Custom
Movie:Fireball 500(1966)
Price: US$137,500
Date sold: January, 2015
Where: Scottsdale, AZ, U.S.
Sold by: Barrett-Jackson
80 - Pre-production replica BMW Z8 Roadster
- Movie: The World is Not Enough (1999)
- Price: US$136,663 (sold for GBP£85,250)
- Date sold: October, 2012
- Where: London, U.K.
- Sold by: Christie's
A perfect example of the esteem with which Bond cars are held by collectors, this car might look like a BMW Z8, but it's not. The BMW Z8 was first produced in 1999 and, at the time of filming, BMW only had a prototype shell and a running test car ready, so it provided Propshop at Pinewood Studios with the shell and designs to make replica kit cars for the film. The bodywork was moulded from BMW's prototype shell and was made in two pieces to eliminate gaps in the hood and trunk. As the team had only eight weeks to build the car, any unnecessary extras were removed.
The car is silver with a black interior, but the engine is a 350 Chevrolet V8 ZZ4 crate motor, the gear box a Tremec five-speed manual and the suspension is from Jaguar.
Two kit cars and one shell were made for the film. The shell was destroyed during filming; the other surviving car remains in the possession of EON Productions.
81 - Professor Xavier's Wheelchair
- Movies: X-Men (2000), X2 (2003), X-Men: The Last Stand (2006).
- Price: US$135,000
- Date sold: August, 2012
- Where: Los Angeles, U.S.
- Sold by: Profiles in History
82 - 1922 Rolls-Royce 40/50 Silver Ghost Salamanca Town Car
- Movie: The Great Gatsby (1974)
- Price: US$127,978 (Sold for GBP£82,140)
- Date sold: December, 2014
- Where: Oxford, U.K.
- Sold by: Bonhams
'The Great Gatsby', F Scott Fitzgerald's best-known novel, concerns the lives, loves and doomed ambitions of a cast of characters drawn from the upper echelons of American society. Set on prosperous Long Island in the 1920s' 'Jazz Age', it also features some of that era's most exclusive and exotic motor cars. This car featured prominently in the 1974 movie adaptation, which starred Robert Redford as Jay Gatsby.
Reputedly delivered new to beer tycoon August Busch, its owner at the time of the movie was Rhode Island publisher E Andrew Mowbray, an avid collector and long-time member of the USA's Rolls-Royce Owners Club. In collaboration with Arthur Souter, Mowbray published 'The American Rolls-Royce: A Comprehensive History of Rolls-Royce in America' in 1976. In the movie, the car belonged to young socialite Daisy Buchanan (Mia Farrow), an 'old flame' of Gatsby's who is married to Tom Buchanan (Bruce Dern). Most of the cars chosen to participate in the movie were driven by their owners, and Mr Mowbray featured as Daisy's chauffeur, even travelling with the Rolls-Royce to the UK to appear in scenes filmed at Pinewood Studios.
83 - 1963 Volkswagen Beetle
- Movie: Herbie goes to Monte Carlo (1977)
- Movie: Herbie goes to Bananas (1980)
- Price: US$126,500
- Date sold: April, 2018
- Where: Miami, U.S.
- Sold by: Barrett-Jackson
One of many Herbies used in the six movie series, this car was used during the two middle films of the series and is fully authenticated. It was the actual car which sprayed oil in "Herbie goes to Monte Carlo". Herbie was sold in April, 2015 by Barrett-Jackson, setting a world record for a Volkswagen Beetle of US$126,500, which it bettered on April 14, 2018 with $128,700.
84 - 1954 Vincent Black Prince Prototype
- Movie: 1984 (1956)
- Price: US$122,000
- Date sold: January, 2013
- Where: Las Vegas, AZ, U.S.
- Sold by: Mid-America (now Mecum) - no link
Known affectionately as "Sir Edward," this bike is essentially the prototype Vincent Black Prince, the first of 101 units constructed and the star of the 1954 Earl's Court Motor Show.The futuristic look of the enclosed Vincents saw many of them hired for the film adaptation of George Orwell's 1949 science fiction landmark novel, Nineteen Eighty-Four, where they were standard issue for the feared 'Thought Police.'
Sold in January 2013 for $122,000 with Mid-America which is now the motorcycle division of Mecum Auctions. It previously went to auction again with Mecum in August in Monterey but only got a $90,000 bid.
85 - 1985 Modena Spyder
- Movie: Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
- Price: US$121,493
- Date sold: April, 2010
- Where: Hendon, U.K.
- Sold by: Bonhams
One of the three convincing Ferrari 250GT Spyder California replicas used in the shooting of Ferris Bueller's Day Off sold in April, 2010 for GBP£79,600 (US$121,493).
86 - 1967 Volkswagen 21-window Samba Bus
- Movie: That '70s Show (1998-2006)
- Price: US$121,000
- Date sold: April, 2018
- Where: Palm Beach, U.S.
- Sold by: Barrett-Jackson
87 - 1967 Chevrolet Corvette Convertible
- Movie: Con Air (1997)
- Price: US$121,000
- Date sold: January, 2012
- Where: Scottsdale, AZ, U.S.
- Sold by: Barrett-Jackson
88 - 1937 Rolls-Royce Phantom III
- Movie: Goldfinger (1964)
- Price: US$121,000
- Date sold: June, 1986
- Where: New York, U.S.
- Sold by: Sotheby Parke Bernet
It's interesting to note that on the same day this car sold for US$121,000, the Bond Aston Martin DB5 which appears in fifth place on this listing sold for US$275,000 at the same auction. Thirty-four years later, in 2010, the Aston Martin sold for for £2,912,000 (US$4,595,998), so you can see the capital appreciation available in a wisely chosen asset with a film provenance.
The buyer of the Goldfinger Rolls at the time was Steven Greenberg, the owner of the Manhattan discotheque the Palladium, a nightclub which at the time had the star power of Studio 54.
Though this list is definitely a work in progress, and there will almost certainly be cars added to it over the coming weeks, there must be something about Bond and his creator, Ian Fleming. This is the sixth car from a Bond film to appear in this listing, and the seventh car from a film based on a book by Ian Fleming.
89 - 1992 Peterbilt 379
- Movie: Transformers (2007)
- Price: US$121,000
- Date sold: January, 2016
- Where: Scottsdale AZ, U.S.
- Sold by: Barrett-Jackson
Played the role of stunt truck as Optimus Prime®
90 - Batmobile from 'Batman Returns'
- Movie: Batman Returns (1992)
- Price: US$119,185 (sold for £72,800)
- Date sold: November, 2013
- Where: Brooklands, U.K.
- Sold by: Historics at Brooklands
91 - 1904 Winton Flyer
- Movie: The Reivers (1969)
- Price: US$117,000
- Date sold: November, 2006
- Where: San Francisco, U.S.
- Sold by: Bonhams
The Reivers, based on William Faulkner's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, was a departure from Steve McQueen's typical action/adventure films. While McQueen played the starring role of Boon Hogganbeck - earning a Golden Globe Best Actor nomination for the uncharacteristic part - many felt the real star of The Reivers was the Winton Flyer that carried Hogganbeck, his young protégé Lucius (played by 13 year old Mitch Vogel) and stowaway Ned McCaslin (Rupert Crosse, nominated for an Oscar for this role) across Mississippi to the big city of Memphis. In some markets, the movie was even titled Yellow Winton Flyer.
Steve McQueen, whose Solar Productions was instrumental in the production of The Reivers, turned to his friend Von Dutch to construct the movie car. The Winton Flyer had to combine four-passenger capacity and 1904 appearance with the practical requirements of strength and reliability that the shooting schedule demanded. It was an assignment particularly appropriate to the whimsical Dutch, who applied his peculiar brand of tongue-in-cheek style with his highly developed skill at creating functional mechanical gizmos. The resulting Yellow Winton Flyer looks, acts, rides and shakes like the 18 horsepower 1904 touring car it's supposed to be.
92 - 1969 Chevrolet Suburban
- TV Series: The Sopranos (1999-2007)
- Price: US$110,000
- Date sold: January, 2013
- Where: Las Vegas, U.S.
- Sold by: Barrett-Jackson
93 - 1976 Jaguar XJ12 C
TV Series: The New Avengers (1976 & 1977)
Price: US$108,628 (Sold for £69,440)
Date Sold: August, 2015
Where: Imperial War Museum, U.K.
Sold by H & H Classic Car Auctions
94 - 1961 Volkswagen Beetle
- Movie: Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005)
- Price: US$107,250
- Date sold: August, 2018
- Where: Monterey, U.S.
- Sold by: Mecum
95 - 1969 Dodge Charger
Movie: Fast & Furious (2009)
Movie: Fast Five (2011)
Price: US$105,270
Date Sold: January, 2013
Where: Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Sold by Barrett-Jackson
96 - 2013 Local Motors Rally Fighter
Movie: Transformers 4: Age of Extinction (2014)
Price: US$104,500
Date Sold: January, 2016
Where: Scottsdale, AZ, USA
Sold by Barrett-Jackson
97 - 1991 General Motors Bus
- Movie: Speed (1994)
- Price: US$102,400
- Date sold: June, 2018
- Where: Los Angeles, U.S.
- Sold by: Profiles in History
98 - 2004 Lexus Concept Car
- Movie: Minority Report (2002)
- Price: US$101,790
- Date sold: November, 2011
- Where: Los Angeles, U.S.
- Sold by: Bonhams
99 - 1921 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost
- TV Series: Boardwalk Empire (2010-2014)
- Price: US$100,000
- Date sold: August, 2014
- Where: Auburn, U.S.
- Sold by: Auctions America
This well-documented 1921 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost is one of the 1703 Silver Ghosts built at the Springfield, Massachusetts factory between 1921 and 1926, and was originally owned by Frederick Alton Powers of Houlton, Maine. Mr. Powers served on the Supreme Judicial Court of the State of Maine, as well as in the House of Representatives, the Senate, and as Attorney General for two terms.
In recent years, Cars for Films acquired the car and it played a starring role as the main automotive presence in the Golden Globe and Emmy-winning television series Boardwalk Empire. In this Prohibition Era drama, the car was utilized by the main character, corrupt Atlantic City politician Enoch "Nuckey" Thompson, portrayed by celebrated actor Steve Buscemi. A true symbol of success and luxury at the time, the Rolls-Royce's formal design is highlighted by its distinctive two-tone paint, roll-up divider window, Waltham gauges, rear jump seats, and beautiful accessories presented in nickel, copper and brass.
100 - 1935 Cadillac V-12 Convertible Sedan by Fleetwood
- Movie: The Artist (2011)
- Price: US$99,000
- Date sold: January, 2013
- Where: Arizona, U.S.
- Sold by: RM Auctions
Please note: the above is a working list of the most expensive movie and television cars and motorcycles sold at auction. If you are aware of a machine which sold for a price (including commission) which warrants a place on this list, we'd be delighted to hear from you and will verify and add the machine to the list. This list will continue to be updated to ensure its accuracy, so if you are aware of a car or motorcycle that featured in a movie or television series that has sold at auction for US$10,000 or more, we'd still like to know about it. Please note that we happily provide this information as a free service to our readers complete with links to the auction houses which did the hard yards of sourcing the vendors, validating, promoting and selling these cars. We're also compiling a list of the cheapest famous movie cars that have ever sold, which we promise will make you cry because you didn't buy them. Stay tuned.
101 - 1964 Volkswagen Beetle
- Movie: Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005)
- Price: US$93,500
- Date sold: August, 2018
- Where: Monterey, U.S.
- Sold by: Mecum
102 - 1946 Ford 'Grease Lightning'
103 - 1998 Jaguar XKR James Bond Special Effects Car
- Movie: Die Another Day (2002)
- Price: US$88,385 (sold for £56,000)
- Date sold: October, 2010
- Where: London, U.K.
- Sold by: RM-Sothebys
104 - 1963 Volkswagen Beetle
- Movie: Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo (1977)
- Price: US$86,250
- Date sold: August, 2018
- Where: Harrisburg, U.S.
- Sold by: Bonhams