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A movie appearance can do wonders for a car. As well as making it a more desirable object, it can put some serious value on a vehicle.

What would the DeLorean be without Back to the Future? Or the AMC Pacer without Wayne’s World? Both cars didn’t sell particularly well and here we are, some 30 or so years after they were produced, still talking about them.

As a classic car enthusiast, you’ve probably already chosen your favourite car from a film. Or perhaps you’ve even gone out and acquired it. If that’s you, we hope you’ve got sufficient classic car insurance to protect your investment, in case of a rainy day. Regardless of what classic car you have, you want to make sure you’ve got the most comprehensive classic car insurance policy behind you.

With the right policy protecting you and your pride and joy, you can get out there and enjoy it, rather than keep it wrapped up at home.

So, let’s take a look at some of the classic cars that have captured our hearts on the silver screen. Some of them even outshone the actors!

Lamborghini Miura in The Italian Job

While the Austin Mini Cooper is the car you most associate with The Italian Job, it’s the Lamborghini Miura which appears in the opening scenes which really took our eye.

As a lover of the Miura, it pains us every time we watch those opening credits, when it speeds into the tunnel and bursts into a ball of flames. After all, the Miura was something of a trailblazer, what with being the first supercar on the road with a rear mid-engined two-seat layout. Others quickly followed, but many didn’t do it with the same grace as the Miura.

Who hasn’t dreamed of driving around those sweeping Alpine roads a la Roger Beckerman? Sadly this is one silver screen icon that remains out of reach for many mere mortals. The last one to go on sale at a public auction was sold by Sotherby’s in London in 2019 and reached £1,240,000. Well it was a genuine barn find with just 18,000 miles on the clock!

Recreating those memorable mountain scenes in an Italian Job-style road trip is a must for any classic car enthusiast – no matter what motor you’re driving.

Volkswagen T2 Microbus in Little Miss Sunshine

Who doesn’t love a road movie? One of the best road movies of recent years is 2006’s Little Miss Sunshine. For those that haven’t seen it, here’s the official synopsis: “A family decides to travel across the country when their daughter wants to participate in a beauty pageant, unaware of what the journey has in store for them.”

As it suggests, there are plenty of high jinks going on throughout the journey. And it’s the Volkswagen T2 Microbus which takes centre stage.

The film went on to win multiple awards, including Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars and the BAFTAs. VW didn’t miss a chance to use the good PR for its own purposes, penning a press release for the film which was effectively an Ode to the Microbus.

“It is crashing through barriers in a truly heroic manner, not even a broken clutch can stop it: The reliable Volkswagen bus T2 is the seventh member of the quirky yet heartwarming Hoover family of the successful comedy Little Miss Sunshine,” it read.

And why not? The T2 deserved its moment in the spotlight, having been in production for more than half a century in four continents. The T2, based on the underpinnings of VW Beetle, has become a true historical icon in that time.

Designed by Dutch Volkswagen importer, Ben Pon, who had identified a niche for a small bus and pitched the idea to VW, the T2 has become something of a star of the screen over the years. It has appeared in more than 80 movies including Back to the Future (1985), Almost Famous (2000), Charlie’s Angels (2000), Spy Game (2001), and Scary Movie 4 (2006).

1932 Ford Coupe in American Graffiti

The 1932 Ford was a bit too good, in many ways. Matching an affordable price point with V8-powered performance, everyone from the police to the outlaws of the time wanted one – including the infamous Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow aka Bonnie and Clyde. Widely known as the Deuce, the coupe version was even more desirable.

We’ve seen quite a few of them in films over the years, but it’s perhaps the yellow Ford that smokes Harrison Ford’s car off the road in American Graffiti which is the most iconic Deuce coupe there’s ever been. Some people say that its appearance in the movie is what brought about the return of Hot Rod cars in general.

The movie’s director George Lucas – alongside producer Gary Kurtz – chose the coupe from a group of potential cars for the role, paying the princely sum of $1,300. One of the reasons the 1932 Ford was selected for a starring part was because the top had been chopped three-inches, giving it something of a bad-boy image. When it was bought, however, it was primer grey with red wings.

The team had to spend a fair bit of money on the car to bring it up to film standard. It had largely been neglected by its previous owner meaning the drivetrain and exterior needed a lot of work. It was money well spent, that’s for sure.

Not even Lucas and Kurtz could have imagined just how iconic their beat-up Ford became. We’ll never forget it! Other beautiful classics in the film included a Chevrolet Impala, the Edsel Corsair and of course the white 1956 Ford Thunderbird driven by the mysterious blonde beauty. Which was your favourite?

1977 Pontiac Trans Am in Smokey and the Bandit

In a separate blog on the website , we gave Pontiac a hard time for its Aztek – a creation that some believe is one of the worst cars ever made. So, it’s only right that we give them some praise where it’s due.

The Pontiac Trans Am has gone into the history books for the right reasons, thanks in no small part to an appearance in 1977 road action-comedy Smokey and the Bandit. Pontiac’s take on the Chevrolet Camaro, the Trans AM was popular even before the film’s release, with sales hitting a whopping 68,745 units in 1977.

But after Smokey and the Bandit hit the big screen with Burt Reynolds in the leading role, sales jumped – up to 93,351 in 1978 then up 117,108 in 1979. Over that time, the Trans AM outsold the Camaro, much to the delight of Pontiac.

However, history could have been so different. Pontiac was said to be considering dropping the Trans AM in the early 1970s believing that the muscle car market had peaked in the late 1960s. However, Pontiac had a change of heart and the rest, as they say, is history.

A replica car owned by Reynolds sold recently for an incredible $317,500 – they wouldn’t let him keep the original he had driven in the movie, so he had commissioned his own!

1968 Mustang GT 390 in Bullitt

There are few, if any, movie car chase scenes more iconic than the one in Steve McQueen movie Bullitt. The 10-minute chase through the streets of San Francisco saw McQueen drive the Highland green 1968 Ford Mustang 390 GT to immortality. It was the real deal, with speeds of 110mph hit on set with the scene taking weeks to film. The sequence was also the perfect advert for this Ford behemoth establishing it as a classic that enthusiasts have wanted to get their hands on ever since.

Of the classic muscle cars from that time, the Ford Mustang is the only one to remain in continuous production since its introduction. With a growling V8 which is tuned with an Edelbrock carburettor, the Ford Mustang GT 390 pumps out an impressive 225bhp with a top speed of 121mph.

The Mustang used in Bullitt recently sold for $3.4m at auction in Florida. One thing is for sure at that price: they’re going to need some good classic car insurance!

1964 Aston Martin DB5 in Goldfinger

In our humble opinion, you’ll be pushed to find a better example of the British sports car than the Aston Martin DB5. After its appearance in the 1964 James Bond film Goldfinger, many believe it to be the best Bond car of all time.

It might also be the most beautiful Aston Martin produced, combining luxury with performance and in an eminently stylish way. Interestingly, however, the DB5 was never intended to be an out-and-out sports car. With a spacious, luxurious and comfortable cabin – coupled with a smooth and responsive engine – it makes for a truly amazing grand touring car.

Of course, the DB5 Bond had in Goldfinger also came with special features including machine guns, oil-slick sprayer, ejector seats and a navigation system (very revolutionary for the time).

Whenever a DB5 goes up for auction, it never fails to reach a big price. And we mean big. The Aston Martin DB5 used to promote the 1965 Bond film Thunderball went for an eye-watering $6.4m (£5.2m) at the world’s biggest classic car auction in California. If you want to get your hands on one, you’ll need some deep pockets, that’s for sure.

1976 Lotus Esprit Series I in The Spy Who Loved Me

We’re sticking with Bond for the last car, just so we have an excuse to talk about the Lotus Esprit. With its sharp, streamlined looks, the Lotus Esprit is a sports car for the ages. Launched in 1976, the Esprit took over the mantle from Lotus Europa, which itself was a great British mid-engined sports car.

The angular body shape of the Esprit was one of the first ‘folded-paper’ designs from Giorgetto Giugiaro, who was the brains behind other iconic cars including the aforementioned DeLorean and the Volkswagen Golf Mk 1.

There were four series and many derivatives over the 28-year production run, but it is the Series I that will probably live longest in people’s memories, thanks in no small part to its starring role in the James Bond film The Spy Who Loved Me.

In the film, Bond drives his Esprit off a pier into the sea, with the car transforming to a submarine. Just be clear, if you did this in a standard Esprit, you’d sink faster than you could say “shaken not stirred”, so make sure you keep its four wheels on the road if you manage to get your hands on one. If you do, remember to drive it carefully, and get it covered by classic car insurance arranged by Lancaster.

 Protect your investment with classic car insurance

If you want to bring your favourite classic from the big screen into real life, you’ll need the right classic car insurance to protect it. You’ll want to drive it as the makers intended, be that out on the road, on the track or paraded at classic car shows.

We are specialists at providing insurance for all manner of retro and historic vehicles including classic cars, campervans, and 4x4s. The majority of classic MG owners in the UK, for example, trust us with their insurance.

Certain classic car club members will be able to enjoy up to 25% discount on their premium as well as cover for static shows and historic rallies, so you can show off your classic around the country.

Policies can also include salvage retention and up to 90 days EU cover if you’re planning on travelling abroad. Limited mileage discounts are also available if your pride and joy only comes out on special occasions.

With a 24-hour claims helpline based in the UK, we’re here when you need us most.

Get a quote for classic car insurance today and see how much you could save.