68 Cars in Movies Trivia Questions & Answers

Answer: The Italian Job

Charlie (Michael Caine) and his crew pull off a spectacular gold heist and transport the loot through Turin in Mini Coopers with the police hot on their tail. They race the cars up and down stairs through the old city, run through shopping malls, pelt across rooftops, maneuver their way through a massive traffic jam and finally storm their way through a series of sewer pipes. There's little suspense here because Charlie's crew have this perfectly planned but the charm lies in seeing Mini Coopers go where Mini Coopers shouldn't go and, of course, seeing how they pull it all off. This 1969 romp also starred Noel Coward and Benny Hill. There is a 2003 remake of this film starring Mark Wahlberg, Charlize Theron and Jason Statham.

This question was created by Phoenix Rising member pollucci19.

Answer: Mad Max

Set in the near future, "Mad Max" features Mel Gibson as a disenchanted cop seeking revenge for the deaths of his family and buddy.
Due to the extremely tight film budget, the producers tried to sell the car after filming wrapped up. As there were no interested buyers, the car ended up with the film's production mechanic. When the sequel, "Mad Max 2", was given the green light, director George Miller had to buy it back. It now resides in a museum in Florida USA.

Answer: All my life I have waited for somebody to say that!

Gregory Peck played an expert on hieroglyphics. He and Sophia Loren end up on the same side, trying to prevent the assassination of a Prime Minister.

At the end of the movie, the couple were chased by a helicopter and the scenes were filmed on the historic Crumlin Viaduct, the highest railway viaduct in UK, which was being dismantled at the time.

Answer: Grand Prix

"Grand Prix" featured scenes of actual Formula One race footage. Drivers Jim Clark, Phil Hill and Graham Hill were among the several actual racers who had walk-on parts in the film. Yves Montand and Toshiro Mifune were also featured in the movie. It centered around the lives of four drivers through one season of racing, as well as how the women in their lives coped with racing circuit life. In 1967 "Grand Prix" won Academy Awards for Best Sound Effects, Best Sound and Best Film Editing.
Paul Newman enjoyed racing and starred in the 1969 racing film "Winning". Steve McQueen starred in the 1971 racing flick, "LeMans". He was also featured in chase scenes driving a Mustang in "Bullitt" (1968).
"Hell on Wheels" (1967) starred singer and NASCAR car driver Marty Robbins along with John Ashley.

Answer: Toyota 4x4

Marty noticed a black Toyota 4x4 driven on the bed of a truck transporting for the Statler Dealership, in Hill Valley. You could tell the Toyota was a 1985 because it had a solid front axle, and EFI decals on the side. '85 was the last year for solid front, and the first for EFI. You may recall Marty's line from the film, "Check out that four by four! That's hot."

A note on the other possible selections: The BMW was owned by the McFly family in the "corrected" 1985, at the end of the first "Back to the Future", but Marty expressed no specific desire for having one. A Ferrari was never mentioned in the film, and the family sedan did not even exist in Marty's revised 1985.

Answer: Ford Mustang

Two Ford Mustangs were used for the filming of "Bullitt". One was written off, but the other was bought by a private owner. Apparently it now sits in a barn somewhere in America and hasn't been driven for years. The first ever Ford Mustang was built in Michigan in 1964 and was based on the Ford Falcon.

Answer: The Graduate

The film was such a boost to Alfa Romeo that some later models were even badged as Graduates.
In the movie Hoffman plays a grad student, who has an affair with an older woman, who is married to his father's business partner. This situation becomes even more complex as Hoffman ends up falling in love with the woman's daughter.

Answer: Wanted

The 2008 action thriller "Wanted" is chock full of incredible (by which I mean both amazingly good and impossible to believe) sequences. A secret society of assassins called The Fraternity receives targets identified by the Loom of Fate as would-be creators of evil and chaos. James McAvoy's character Wesley is brought into the fold by a woman named Fox (played by Angelina Jolie). The chase is on when Fox executes a 360 degree spin in her Viper, passenger door flung ajar, thus scooping up a cowering Wesley in spectacular fashion and saving him from certain death. It's a move that really requires the audience to suspend disbelief. Don't ask why McAvoy decided to stop and cower for four long seconds in front of an oncoming truck, and how he managed to do so in the exact position required to fit neatly into the seat of a moving vehicle. This movie has curving bullets for goodness sake! Fox then proceeds to remove the windshield, get out onto the hood of the car, and engage in a gun battle, all while steering with her foot. They finally escape pursuit by flipping over a police barricade and ramping off the side of a bus.

This question was crafted by Phoenix Rising member JCSon.

Answer: Movie fan

William Powell and Myrna Loy starred as Nick and Nora Charles in all six of the Thin Man movies. The line "Follow that car" had been used before, with the cab taking off without his passengers. In the final movie the cab driver asked, "Follow that car?" and Myrna Loy replied, "Movie fan..."

Nick was a former detective and Nora was his rich wife. The series of movies involved them getting accidentally caught up in a mystery of some kind. Incidentally, their son Nick Jr was played by Dean Stockwell in one of his earliest roles.

Answer: Bo Darville

Bo "Bandit" Darville had a reputation as a truck driver, not a race car driver. In the beginning of the film, a gambler trying to find someone to run Coors beer hunted down Darville at a truck rodeo. After accepting the offer, Bandit decided to run interference in the legendary Trans-AM and convinced his friend Cletus Snow to drive the truck full of beer. They arrived at the Southern Classic in time but then accepted a double-or-nothing bet to go to Boston for chowder. Cletus "Snowman" Snow was played by Jerry Reed. Buford T. Justice was the police officer in hot pursuit of the Bandit played by Jackie Gleason. Burt's dad was the Chief of Police in Riviera Beach, Florida, and knew a law enforcement officer named Buford T. Justice. Gambler Big Enos Burdette was played by Pat McCormick and Little Enos Burdette was played by Paul Williams.
Reynolds did other films about fast cars including "Cannonball Run"(1981) and "Stroker Ace"(1983).

Answer: Corvettes

Spoiler Note: Deeds received one billion dollars from manservant Emilio Lopez (portrayed by John Turturro) after determining Lopez as the correct heir to Blake Media. Deeds used all or part of this money to purchase Corvettes for Mandrake Falls' inhabitants, but they were selected only in red. Owing to the production year of the film, the particular Corvettes purchased were C5s, an entry in the line which was produced from 1997 to 2004. They were distinguishable by their smooth fronts, ovular taillight pairs and unusually high back ends.
Considering the base prices alone of all options for this question, the Corvette was by far the most expensive vehicle of this sporty American selection.

Answer: Plymouth Barracuda

Rennie Cray, in his 1968 Plymouth Barracuda chased a serial killer whose murder weapon was always his 1972 Cadillac Eldorado.
The early Plymouth Barracudas were famous for having a huge strange-looking rear window. This distinctive feature was dropped before the production of the much cooler 1968 Barracuda.

Answer: Peugeot 406

The 406 remained the taxi of choice in the films "Taxi 2" and "Taxi 3" but was modernised to a 407 for "Taxi 4".
The film is an "odd couple" story of an inept police officer and a traffic criminal, who join forces to catch some bank robbing Germans. It is set in Marseilles and features great car chases through the town, in a variety of vehicles.

Answer: Nova

The script for the 1984 buddy cop film 'Beverly Hills Cop' morphed from straight action movie to a humorous approach once Eddie Murphy was on board for the lead role. The 1970 Chevy Nova was described as 'crappy blue' in the movie and symbolised Axel Foley's (Eddie Murphy's character) humble background. The film's classic instrumental theme was awarded an Oscar. The success of the film sparked off a series of sequels.

Answer: The Blues Brothers

This 1980 movie featured John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd driving a black and white police car dubbed the "Bluesmobile" through Chicago on a "mission from God". In the process, they completely trash a suburban shopping mall, drolly commenting on the wide variety of store offerings, and about 100 Chicago police cars. That "mission from God" was to raise $5,000 and get it to the Cook County Assessor's office on time to save the orphanage in which they were raised from closing down.

This question was created by Phoenix Rising member pusdoc.

Answer: Little Miss Sunshine

The dysfunctional Hoover family take a cross country trip for youngest daughter Olive to compete in a beauty pageant. Everyone in the family, including the iconic Kombi van, have their unique issues to deal with in their race to get to the pageant on time. Olive's burlesque rendition of "Superfreak", although not appreciated by the pageant audience, is worth the wait.
Five VW Kombi vans were used in making the movie. One of the vans is now on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles USA.

Answer: Follow that frog with me in the car!

Max set off to follow the frog alone and was called back.

Doc Hopper had heard Kermit singing "Rainbow Connection" and wanted to hire him as the spokesperson for his failing restaurant. Kermit had refused because it was a "French-fried Frog's Legs" franchise.

Answer: The Great Race

Blake Edwards directed "The Great Race". In the movie the fictitious Webber Motor Company hatched a plan to sponsor a New York to Paris race to promote their touring car. Tony was the daredevil driver and Jack Lemmon portrayed his underhanded rival. Peter Falk played Lemmon's mechanic assistant. The slapstick movie had a surprise ending at the Eiffel Tower finish line. In 1908 six contestants actually began a New-York to Paris race. The race lasted from February to July and has been chronicled in three books.
The 1956 film "Around the World in Eighty Days" featured an air balloon as the mode of transportation.
"Danger on Wheels" was released in 1940 and focused on dirt track drivers.
"Jalopy" was a 1953 movie starring The Bowery Boys as racers who used a secret fuel in their Model T Ford. Tony Curtis previously starred as an engineer who built a car for a Canada-to-Mexico race in the 1954 film "Johnny Dark".

Answer: Mercedes-Benz

The royal motorcade of Zamunda included two Mercedes-Benz SEL* editions and one SEL stretch limousine. Prince Akeem's first visual indication of royalty to Lisa McDowell occurred when he borrowed one of the Benz cars to catch up with her on the way to the subway. For a great many of Generations X and Y, this was the first time they had seen a stretched Benz.

* Whether the vehicles used were 420, 450, or 560 SELs has been the subject of some debate, however most contend that owing to the long wheelbase, the 560 SEL was the most probable model used in the film.

Answer: Dodge Charger

The General Lee was a 1969 Dodge Charger in the film and the T.V series. Throughout the T.V series about 300 Dodge Chargers were bought and destroyed during filming. The 2005 film "The Dukes of Hazzard" was pretty awful, so the General Lee is more fondly remembered from the original T.V series.
Dodge Chargers were produced from 1966 until 1978, although the last B-Body Charger (General Lee style) was built in 1974.

Answer: Shelby Mustang GT 500

The 1967 model, one of the best known Mustangs even though only around 2000 were produced, was codenamed "Eleanor" in the movie.
The film is based around a reformed car thief, Randall 'Memphis' Raines(Nicholas Cage), who is forced back into filching by a crime lord who has struck a deal with his brother. His brother is unable to satisfy his side of the bargain and so Memphis steps up to help him out with all his old crew.

Answer: Camaro

Starting as a TV series which ran for five seasons from 1976 to 1981, the 2000 film was the first of the films in the franchise. It starred Cameron Diaz, Drew Barrymore and Lucy Liu as the three female private investigators. John Forsythe reprised his TV role as the voice of the unseen Charlie. Drew Barrymore drove a 1969 Chevrolet Camaro SS/RS Convertible Pace Car (Z11) in the film.

Answer: Drive

Ryan Gosling is an unnamed mechanic and occasional stuntman in "Drive" (2011). He is also a getaway driver for hire proving he can hold his nerve in the heist in the opening scenes trying to evade a police helicopter. He becomes involved with a young Mom (Carey Mulligan) and her son and agrees to be the getaway driver in a heist that will release Ms Mulligan's character's husband from a Mob debt. The car used was a Ford Mustang GT. This was problematic as it had to be a black manual GT. In the end a stick shift GT was found but it wasn't black - it had to be "reskinned". The second issue was it had traction control and was not able to perform the stunts required. Someone discovered if you held down the TC key for six seconds, the traction control was released making the car capable of the stunts you see in the movie.

The Mustang was not the only homage to "Bullitt" (1968) in the movie. Ryan Gosling's character had more than a nod towards Steve McQueen as Frank Bullitt.

This question was created by Phoenix Rising member 1nn1.

Answer: Along a railway line

"Octopussy" is the James Bond movie where the world is saved by circus performers from double-crossing bombers and jewel thieves. Roger Moore, as James Bond dressed as a clown, was there at the end to defuse the bomb of course. The railway line in question went to a US Airforce base in West Germany.

Answer: Drag Racing

Bill McKinney starred as legendary racer "Big Daddy" Don Garlits in the film based on the actual story of top fuel dragster racer Shirley Muldowney. Shirley was a waitress in the mid fifties when she married a mechanic who enjoyed racing as a hobby. Shirley eventually cajoled her husband into allowing her to drive and won a race. With the support and sponsoring of "Big Daddy" Don Garlits, Shirley evolved to fuel dragster racing. Despite a crash that left her burnt, she eventually won races in the seventies and eighties but the decision to race put a strain on her marriage. Leo Rossi starred as her husband, Jack Muldowney. Beau Bridges starred as a funny car driver.