Did you ever wonder why you see the same type of cars in so many movies and TV shows?
There are many reasons for that, but here are five examples of cars (and trucks) you’ll see in many starring roles because it’s not your imagination.
Jerry Sutherland
The first example is the legendary 1970s and 80s Jeep Wagoneer. This early form of SUV is in at least 400 movies and TV shows…and counting.
You’ll see a classic Wagoneer in everything from ‘The Goonies’ to ‘Breaking Bad’, because there’s a major family vibe to these big units—even though they weren’t a first-round draft choice for any families. Another reason is simple—Wagoneers had big windows so you could see the actors. That’s important in Hollywood.
The Volvo 240 wagon is another vehicle you’ll spot in several movies. These cars weren’t selling in massive numbers when they were new–but again, (like the Jeep Wagoneer), they had big windows.
They looked like rolling bricks, but you saw a Volvo 240 in ‘Spiderman Homecoming’, ‘40-Year-Old Virgin’, and ‘Beetlejuice’…among many others. The big windows helped moviegoers see the actors and the humble Volvo 240 didn’t steal the spotlight from the actors. Again, that’s important in Hollywood.
The Checker Cab should have an Oscar simply based on its longevity on film. Its first starring role was on November 19, 1922, when a Checker Model H taxi made its debut in a short black & white silent movie called ‘Out of Place’.
That’s impressive because the starring roles continued for decades and the Checker Cab ended up in TV shows like ‘Seinfeld’, ‘Family Guy’, ‘Mad Men’, and in movies like ‘Taxi Driver’. In other words, they as common as traffic lights in the world of TV and movies.
The 70s era Ford pickup was as iconic as Burt Reynolds in the 1970s and 80s. Ford sold plenty of these trucks, so they were easy to source and cost-efficient for Hollywood producers.
You saw these trucks in so many films it’s hard to pick one but hardcore Ford truck guys like the one Charlie Bronson beat to death in ‘Mr. Majestyk’. The truck was a big part of the plot but TV’s ‘Dukes of Hazzard’ featured Uncle Jessie’s Ford pickup, John Travolta drove one in ‘Urban Cowboy’–and Richard Dreyfuss drove a Ford truck in ‘Close Encounters of the First Kind’. Those are a few examples—there are many more.
The Ford Crown Victoria is the automotive King of Hollywood because this legendary, but commonplace sedan is at 10,382—and counting appearances on the big screen and TV. Many of these roles are police cars because the Crown Vic in its last version was the default police car from 1997 to 2013.
They were the rock stars of police agencies and Hollywood knew it, so a Crown Vic police car was more popular in Hollywood than Brad Pitt was in that era. You saw them in everything from ‘Dark Knight’ to ‘The Watcher’ and ‘The Walking Dead’—those are a very small fraction of where you saw Crown Vics on your TV or at your local movie theater.
Does Hollywood really care about these four-wheeled co-stars? Not a chance because they’re props designed for a specific scene—not Oscar candidates.
That doesn’t matter because they’re stars in Car Guy Land.
Jerry Sutherland
By: Jerry Sutherland
Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post, Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.
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