In many action movies the real stars of the screen are the cars, some of which are more memorable than the actors. High-performance Dodge vehicles have created some of the greatest scenes in cinematic history and have become icons in their own right. Here are four of the coolest Dodge movie cars.
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“Bullitt” 1968 Dodge Charger R/T
One of the most famous car chases begins with Steve McQueen being tailed by the bad guy (Bill Hickman) in a black 1968 Dodge Charger through the hilly streets of San Francisco. McQueen soon turns it around and becomes the pursuer, initiating over 10 minutes of terrifying, nail-biting action.
There’s no music, no dialogue, just the growl and roar of the Charger’s V-8 engine as the cars race along the highways and back roads, reaching speeds of over 110 mph. Eventually, the Charger crashes into a gas station and explodes in a ball of flame. The Charger was so much faster than the Mustang that the stunt drivers had to ease off the throttle so as not to pull too far ahead.
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“The Blues Brothers” 1974 Dodge Monaco
This classic movie features John Belushi and Dan Ackroyd driving their former police car, a battered 1974 Dodge Monaco. The outstanding chase scene sees the brothers trying to escape from state troopers by crashing through a shopping mall while taking out several window displays and coolly discussing the merits of the mall.
In the making of the movie, 13 Bluesmobiles were used, all former California Highway Patrol cars made to look like Mount Prospect police vehicles. Two were adapted for speed while others were used for stunts.
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“The Dukes of Hazzard” 1969 Dodge Charger
Based on the classic TV series, “The Dukes of Hazzard” features the General Lee, a customized 1969 Dodge Charger. The orange car had a confederate flag on the roof and the 01 logo on the doors. More than 20 General Lees were used in the movie, very few of which survived the stunt scenes.
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“Vanishing Point” 1970 Dodge Challenger
“Vanishing Point” became a cult movie among fans of 1970s muscle cars. The plot is simple: Kowalski, a car delivery driver, bets a drug dealer that he can drive the Challenger to San Francisco from Denver in under 15 hours.
There are many great stunts in the movie which were created by the same team that made “Bullitt”, culminating in the Challenger crashing at high speed into two bulldozers. The car that was actually destroyed in the final scene was a 1967 Camaro and all five of the white Challengers used in filming were returned to Chrysler.
As well as these great classics, Dodge Chargers, Challengers, and Vipers have appeared in installments of the “Fast and Furious” series of movies, the Keanu Reeves film, “John Wick,” and “Bad Moms,” and a 1972 Dodge 3700 GT was used as the Joker’s goon car in “Batman.”
Image via Dave Hamster | Licensed under CC BY 2.0
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