5 Best Movies The Ford Mustang Starred In

Few automobiles in the history of American sports cars have inspired quite as much reverence as the Ford Mustang. That's been true almost since the moment the first Mustang was unveiled to the masses — a momentous event that Ford actually orchestrated for the 1964 World's Fair in New York. The iconic vehicle's debut came after several years of development by Ford's design and engineering teams. The World's Fair showcase unfolded with the requisite fanfare, complete with a ride developed by Walt Disney himself that ferried attendees around the fairgrounds in a Mustang convertible.

It's fitting that the Mustang arrived with that level of pomp, as it's remained a fixture of pop culture ever since. That includes name drops by notable artists in the pop music arena, as well as Ford Mustangs being front and center in dozens of films and TV shows over the years. 

In fact, the Mustang has received so many Hollywood closeups that it's virtually impossible to cite them all in a single list. However, it's considerably easier to shine a spotlight on some of the more memorable movies that have featured the car. These feature films are legit must-sees for fans of the Ford Mustang. 

The Mustang has been featured in big screen ventures covering pretty much every genre under the sun since hitting the streets in 1964. But due to their on-the-road prowess, capacity for customization, and overall cool factor, the vehicles have always held a special spot in the action genre, featuring prominently in flicks that now include 2014's genre re-defining Keanu Reeves vehicle "John Wick."

Both cars and car chases have, of course, been a major part of the "John Wick" franchise since the first film, with each new chapter seeking to outdo the last in terms of high-octane on-the-road energy. However, it's worth noting that the entire bone-breaking, ass-king "Wick" saga was partially set in motion over a car — John's cherry 1969 Ford Mustang Boss 429. That's what they call it in the movie, at least. John Wick's Mustang is really a Mach 1 in disguise, but it's still easy to understand the admiration displayed by Alfie Allen's Russian gangster Iosef when he first lays eyes on it. It's even easier to understand Mr. Wick's unwillingness to part with it at any price.

Reeves is no stranger to driving Mustangs on the big screen, as his FBI Agent Johnny Utah also drove one in "Point Break." But even Utah would surely be enamored with Wick's car. Heck, he might even support the vicious lengths he goes to in exacting revenge against those who sought to take it, and his beloved dog, from him. 

Over the years, Mustangs have made three separate appearances in the "James Bond" franchise – 1964's "Goldfinger," 1965's "Thunderball," and 1971's "Diamonds are Forever." For the purposes of this article, we're going to focus on "Goldfinger," not only because it was the first time a Mustang appeared in the greater Bond-verse, but because it also marked the vehicle's big-screen debut.

If you're unfamiliar with "Goldfinger," it marked Sean Connery's third, and arguably best, turn as the British superspy, finding 007 facing off against a villainous gold magnate who's essentially plotting to overthrow the economy of the Western world. Yes, that's all fairly typical "Bond" movie stuff, as is the MI6 agent's penchant for driving sleek foreign cars outfitted with cool gadgets. To be clear, Bond does not actually drive a Mustang in "Goldfinger," opting instead to pilot his signature Aston Martin. He does, however, end up chasing down a woman behind the wheel of a 1964 Mustang convertible at one point in the film.

Though it doesn't earn a lion's share of screen time, that first-generation Mustang — sleekly decked out in a white livery and red interior — leaves more than a lasting impression, even powering past Bond's Aston Martin during the chase. While the Mustang is ultimately taken down by some vintage 007 gadgetry, it certainly holds its own.

If you're well-enough versed in Mustang lore, you know builds touched by Carroll Shelby rank among the most sought after on the vintage car market. That's in no small part because they also tend to rank among the most powerful and, arguably, best looking Mustangs on the road. Those factors are precisely why a 1967 Mustang Shelby GT500 became the showcase piece in 2000's big-screen auto-palooza "Gone in 60 Seconds."

Starring Nicolas Cage and Angelina Jolie, the Jerry Bruckheimer-backed action film follows a former auto thief who's forced out of retirement and tasked with stealing 50 luxury automobiles on a single night to save the life of his brother. Given the setup, you can imagine that the film essentially features a parade of flashy vehicles that would be the envy of any auto enthusiast. But as Cage's thief makes clear early in the action, the '76 Shelby GT500 — which he affectionately names Eleanor — is the crown jewel of his heist night, with the master thief saving that particular car for last. 

As such, the GT500 doesn't officially get its "Gone in 60 Seconds" close-up until late in the action. The wait is more than worth it, however, because once Cage's character gets behind the wheel, a legitimately show-stopping chase scene ensues in which the vehicle is, mercifully and miraculously, spared any catastrophic damage.  

Don't worry, we're not here to argue that 2014's "Need For Speed" is one of the greatest movies ever made. The film's current less-than-fresh Rotten Tomatoes score serves as a relatively accurate reflection of its overall quality. "Need For Speed" was, of course, adapted from a video game, and as a few decades-worth of bad video game adaptations have proven, that transition can be challenging to say the least. But even in spite of the movie's narrative and tonal shortcomings, there are redeeming factors in the Mustang department.

A Mustang is at the very center of "Need For Speed" for much of the film's runtime. And oh boy, what a Mustang it is that Aaron Paul's car customizer Tobey finds himself driving. as The "Need for Speed" Mustang is a 2013 Shelby GT500, claimed in the film to be the very model Carroll Shelby was reportedly developing at the time of his death in 2012. If you're unfamiliar with the film, Tobey's first tasked with finishing Shelby's work on the high-octane Mustang, and after some proper cinematic melodrama, he ends up driving it in a winner-take-all race against a devious rival.

Apart from the Hollywood shenanigans, the Shelby GT500 is the unquestionable star of "Need For Speed."

You didn't actually think that we'd get through this list without citing Steve McQueen's iconic 1968 thriller "Bullitt," did you? Seriously, as much as we might've liked to slot in Mustang sightings from films like "Death Proof," "I Am Legend," or even "Basic Instinct," a Mustang may have never received a more unforgettable close-up than in "Bullitt."

McQueen was an avid car lover during his Hollywood heyday and even did some of the driving in "Bullitt" himself. Given his love of fast cars, it was hardly a surprise that McQueen opted to drive a muscled-up 1968 Mustang GT in "Bullitt," which would become what many still regard as one of the greatest car chase scenes in movie history.

The chase unfolds with hardly a single line of dialogue, with the filmmakers instead fronting the primal howl of Bullitt's 390-powered Highland Green fastback as he chases down a pair of Dodge Charger-driving villains in the greater San Francisco area. Perhaps more than any moment in cinematic history, the nearly 11-minute segment from "Bullitt" inspired, and continues to inspire car lovers to get behind the wheel of a Mustang. The film apparently made a life-long Mustang fan of McQueen himself, with the actor trying valiantly, but ultimately failing, to purchase the "Bullitt" GT himself for years after production wrapped.