(By Bryan McTaggart) – In movies and television, the cars can become as much of a character than the humans, sometimes even more so. This we know well. And we know of numerous hero cars: Bandit’s Trans Am, Eleanor, Jim Rockford’s Firebird.
But what makes a car truly the evil one, the villain? I thought about this a bit and came to the conclusion that with one absolutely notable exception, this is the recipe:
1. Must be black in the dark. Does not have to be painted black, but it must be so dark that under night conditions, it can be near to black as possible.
2. It must sound like absolute violence. Screaming engine, hissing turbo, loud blower, shrieking tires. All required.
3. It must be visually menacing. Nobody is going to take a black GEO Prism seriously.
4. It must overrule the driver’s evil/menace.
By these points, the two evil vehicles from Quentin Taratino’s Deathproof, Stunman Mike’s Nova and Charger, fit the bill perfectly. The “Convoy” duck hood ornament, the Bullitt license plate on the Nova, even the Charger even emulates an evil Dukes of Hazzard vibe with the Vector wheels and the pushbar. Another car that I feel got little notice is the ’73 Thunderbird from The Crow. Dark red, blower, sidepipes, mags, and the full-length taillight made the car an absolute dream of mine when the movie came out. It just reeked of sinister, the same as it’s sister car, the Lincoln Continental Mark IV, does for gangsters. You can leave off the yellow underglow, though.
The one car that does not fit the bill perfectly is the Plymouth Fury from Christine.
Low, long, Autumn Red and Ivory White. Clean as she can be. This is the only movie car that can make the song “Little Bitty Pretty One” sound more threatening than anything Five Finger Death Punch has put out. With her 350ci Golden Commando engine screaming all of Hell’s anger and her chrome flashing in the streetlights, this Plymouth seals it for me.
But maybe you disagree…what’s the most evil car in your eyes?
The customized Lincoln from ‘The Car’! How can you not say its evil with those red headlights!
YES! THE CAR. Pure evil and scary.
The 1968 Charger in Bullitt. It’s black. It’s full of bad guys and it definitely makes some “bad ass” sounds.
Dammit, my comment got put under the wrong post. I hereby endorse the Bullitt Charger as the most evil TV/movie car.
The NoVa in Death Proof
Not a car, but the old Pete from Duel.. Made many people nervous wher a rig came up behind them after this movie.
I’ll second that on a technicality .. though I’ll still stick with my choice for the absolute #1
We met and spent the day with Mr Weaver back in the 90’s at his Earthship in NM . Funny .. ” Duel ” was the one thing he specifically requested we NOT discuss .
If Satan needed a car, it would be a triple black 68 Charger. That menacing thing just radiates evil (in a good way).
The Death Mobile from Animal House…..
The Audi S8 in ‘ Ronin ‘ Fast , nasty and driven by a pro intent on murder and mayhem … all to recover s simple briefcase of which contents are unknown . What that thing does to the opposition …. AND the fact that NO CGI was used in the filing … makes it the epitome of evil personified
I’m a fan of the T-bird, too. Sure, it would be a better car without the underbody neons – but they are in character for a set of pyromaniac low-life thugs. I’ve sometimes wanted to build a tribute car.
I liked the t-bird as well, the neon lights were lame but they added a bit of evil glow and stark contrast to an already dark and evil lookig set… A tribute car would be awesome!
Pete from “Duel” . . . but then Chester’s . . . er . . . McLoud’s . . . er . . . David Mann’
s Valiant was pretty wimpy . . . .
The chase cars in “The Road Warrior” (a/k/a “Mad Max 2”) are fairly menacing, too.
Medusa from Bellflower.
http://www.influx.co.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/Bellflower.jpg
Saw that Buick in LA in the garage at the SoHo House. A swanky dinner club that the celebs like because the paparazzi cant even get to them coming and going. He was shooting flames out of the sxhaust stacks in the garage big enough to nearly set off the fire sprinklers. There are always several million dollars of euro sports cars in there with their tops down. Could have been very ugly.
Personally, I would have to second or third the Pete from Duel.
in Maximum Overdrive there is a Mac (not the Green Goblin) that has an air started and at one point is covered in blood its was soo scary when it would start
For me the the car from Christine wins hands down but a super close second and third are the Cadillac Eldorado 1972? maybe and the Barracuda 1968? i think from Highwaymen are both pure evil cars loud fast and intent on destruction the Caddy wins the bodycount war by a large margin tho, and the drivers just as creepy as the car half mechanical and half human.
The 1958 Plymouth Fury Christine, in the beginning of the movie on the assembly line Christine was the only red car and she killed and maimed two Chrysler workers while being built.
Did Bruab allow a T-bird to be the blog picture?!?!?
I vote KARR =P
Apparently so. Didn’t think he’d do it, but hey, it’s a start. Now, for a DeLorean.
The Tanker from Duel…
The Corvette from King of the Mountain. Biff’s 47 Chevrolet 4100 from the back to the future movies. The 77 Dodge Royal Monaco of Tropers Daniel and Mount in The Blues Brothers.
Herbie the Love Bug
CHRISTINE!!!!!!!!
Christine is definitely #1
The Big Black Lincoln in ‘The Car’ would be number 2.
Love your site…everyday reader here. Mines a little off theme but my choice is the Cat D-9 from the early 70’s film ” Killdozer “. Crushing Jeeps, crushing men trapped in culverts, topped by an epic finale featuring a ” duel ” against a track hoe. Aliens, Vegas star Robert Ulrich, AND 50’s manhunk Clint Walker ! What’s not to love ?
Christine or The Car? If you type in evil movie cars they are pretty much the only two in the first four rows. The Car came before Christine. I may have to go with The Car on this one against my own better judgment based on there is more mystery and no human element with The Car. It terrorized a whole town too and sounded meaner than Christine.
I completely forgot the Jeepers Creepers Truck…One scary truck.
George Barris’ sinister 1977 Classic, “The Car” was downright evil!
Easily Christine. Everything else LOOKS evil so you’re prepared for it to be evil.
Christine is pretty as a picture so the fact she is so evil is the more horrifying.
It’s like that big nasty bully in school, he looks big and nasty so it’s no surprise he is.
But no one expects the cute girl in the pretty dress, strangely usually red and white, to be even nastier and more sadistic.
even though it’s not an evil car, it still fits the bill as an anti hero car, the black blown 351 cleveland powered xb in mad max.
yep, with you on that one….I didn’t want to say it because a) its really a cop car so supposedly not evil and b) because I’m biased….I drive a satin black XB coupe with a 351 clevo!!
That is a pretty evil looking car – and the entire time Max is driving that particular car, he’s arguably not on the side of good; he only finds his way back to being a good guy after it’s destroyed. It could qualify.
Ive always thought of Mad Max and his car as good guys. In a Punisher type way. Anti heros..
Man I know my car movies but i think one of the greatest villian cars is THE WRAITH
Chrysler Turbo Interceptor
Black. other worldly, turbo charged, evil, regenerating, merciless, homicidal, infinite speed.
Fits this articles requirements to a “T”
I gotta go for ‘Killdozer” too, even though it’s not a car.
It’s Christine hands down … The CAR was like being attacked by a 5 pound bucket of bondo …. I may have been scared right up to the point where the car did a somersault then I would have laughed at it and peed on its tire…. Christine was just downright angry