Vehicles often play an important role in movies. Depicting real life use or taking on a more fictitious role, German cars can be seen in a number of movies. Hollywood often uses German cars to support a character in a role that requires either technical sophistication or the notion of being wealthy, owing to the status of the four-wheelers.
Spanning several decades, the “Herbie” franchise spans six movies. Being sentient and self-driving, the famous VW bug is embarking on a number of adventurous trips, being actively involved in solving problems for the owner. While a 1963 Volkswagen Beetle, specifically a deluxe ragtop sunroof sedan, was used for the first film in the series, the newer films showcase The New Beetle.
Manta Manta pays homage to a long-standing rivalry among drivers of various car brands. Depicting the life of an Opel owner trying to impress his girlfriend while at the same time being hell-bent on winning a street race to prove his car is superior. The tuning-culture and cliched stereotypes surrounding the drivers of the car model used as main character have had significant impact on German culture, in particular in comedy and colloquial jokes.
Making repeat occurrences as performance car are Audi’s top of the range vehicles. In Ronin, a group of mercenaries planning an ambush depend on an A8. The vehicle was requested by the driver for its agility and sprinting power. Meanwhile, Jason Statham’s iconic character Frank Martin in The Transporter depends on a A8 L, which has been modified to resemble the even more luxuries and powerful W12 version. Naturally, we can expect the Iron Man, portrait by Downey Jr, to be driving what is perceived a highly evolved car: the Audi R8.
Utilising the Mission Impossible franchise, BMW is the provider of vehicles of choice for the group of agents chasing bad guys around the globe. Tom Cruise is often seen on a BMW motorbike as well in his role as Eathan Hunt. In the movies, classic BMWs, modern performance vehicles under the M-label and even a prototype can be spotted.
Another iconic movie cantered on cars is the classic Le Mans. The 1971 film, starring Steve McQueen, is the definitive Porsche racing movie, featuring the Gulf-liveried Porsche 917K and a dramatic, semi-fictionalized 24 Hours of Le Mans. If anything is important during such a race, then it is time-keeping. The watch and livery are also made famous in the Tag-Heuer watch with the same name and in the Gulf colour scheme.
In terms of the use of German cars, The Hangover, could even be a “horror movie”. Warner Bros. used five 1960s Mercedes-Benz W111 series vehicles, three 220 SE cabriolets and two coupes modified to look like convertibles, with several destroyed during filming of the. Some cars sustained significant damage, notably to the interior from a tiger, while others were crashed during the car chase scenes. With a wink, German Motors recommends to not re-enact any or all parts of the movie.
