5 Chevrolet Models That Had Iconic Movie Appearances

Few names stand taller in the annals of American automotive history than Chevrolet. Though it's lived under the GM shingle since its early days, Chevrolet has been around for more than 100 years, and remains one of the best respected names in the automotive arena. That could well remain true for another 100 years given the esteem with which the brand is generally held in car, truck, and SUV markets. 

Over the years, Chevrolet has delivered no particular shortage of vehicles that might be deemed iconic, including several notable additions to the sports car and muscle car sectors in the Corvette and Camaro builds. Just like many of its competitors, Chevy bosses have often sought to feature such models in Hollywood productions. This is in hopes that the sight of some famous actor barreling down the freeway behind the wheel of their car might inspire the average Joe to run out to the nearest dealership and pick one up for himself. 

While it's hard to prove beyond a doubt that the sales numbers of any Chevy vehicle actually jumped after it received a big screen closeup, it's still a lot of fun to watch those vehicles ride their way through one cinematic adventure or another. And just like vehicles that bore the emblem of American competitors like Ford, Chevys have often left a dramatic mark on the films in which they are featured. Here's a few of the more iconic movie appearances from some vehicles bearing the Chevy badge.

The term "generational movie" probably gets bandied about too much these days. But when it comes to Richard Linklater's seminal 1993 indie "Dazed and Confused," the term feels appropriate, if only because it plays to multiple different generations. The first is, of course, those who were of high school age in the 1970s, as the film charts the adventures of Texas youths celebrating the last day of school in 1976. However, "Dazed" proved just as prescient to those who came of high school age in the 1990s, and continues to resonate with viewers today.

The film takes place over one fateful night, in which disparate factions of high schoolers cruise around their Texas town in search of a good time. With all the driving, cars, understandably, feature pretty heavily in the action throughout. So too did the cast of rising stars in the film's ensemble cast, including Mr. Matthew McConaughey, who indeed made his big screen debut in "Dazed and Confused" portraying post-high school slacker David Wooderson.

In case you've forgotten, that endlessly quotable character enters the story at the wheel of a cherry 1970 Chevelle SS 454. Affectionately named "Melba Toast" by Mr. Wooderson, the vehicle is a prime example of era-specific muscle car perfection. So much so that an entire scene in the film is dedicated to Wooderson explicitly laying out the vehicle's under-the-hood credentials. Melba Toast's racing-striped exterior is every bit as impressive, by the way, and a case could easily be made that few characters and cars have ever been so perfectly paired off on the big screen.  

The 1955 Chevy 150 was a vehicle made to burn up the blacktop. At least that's what the cinema of the 1970s would have you believe, as the 150 was posited as a street-racing beast in not one but two classic films from the era, 1971's "Two-Lane Blacktop" and 1973's "American Graffiti." We could've chosen just one of these vehicles, but it made more sense to bundle them together, as it turns out the exact same car was used in both movies.

We'll start with the '55 150 from the latter film because, well, it was driven by big screen icon Harrison Ford, who was virtually unknown to moviegoers when he rode into "American Graffiti." Ford portrayed the trash-talking Bob Falfa, making two brief appearances in which he challenges John Milner (Paul Le Mat) and his hot-rodded 1932 Ford "Deuce Coupe" to a race. While the mighty 150 won the first of those Ford vs. Chevy showdowns, it flamed-out in truly spectacular fashion in the rematch.

As for "Two-Lane Blacktop," it boasts more of a cult following than "American Graffiti," with hardcore gear heads obsessing over the film and the many speed machines therein over the years. Those machines are well-worth obsessing over too, but none more than the highly modified primer gray 150 piloted by driver (James Taylor) and mechanic (Dennis Wilson) in their cross-country drag racing adventures. Of course, if you've seen "Two-Lane Blacktop," you're already well-acquainted with that vehicle's feats. If not, well, seek this film out and prepare to fall head-over-heels for that mean Chevy machine.    

The Camaro ranks highly in the greater Chevy lineup for fans who appreciate a little muscle. Like many muscled-up Chevys, the build has been a big screen staple for decades, with the Camaro name conjuring images from "2 Fast 2 Furious," "Charlie's Angels," "Better Off Dead," and, of course, "Transformers." As it was, the vehicle made its debut in the Chevy lineup in 1967, with those O.G. Camaros still ranking among the best the build has ever offered. Ditto for the second-generation Camaros, which hit the streets in 1973 bearing a dramatic re-design and the Z28 moniker.

By 1974, however, those 2nd-gen Camaros had gotten another face-lift. While some purists felt the updated Z28s were lacking in style, they remained a popular fixture in the Chevy lineup, with the 1979 model earning a memorable close-up in the 1982 high school dramedy, "Fast Times at Ridgemont High." Like "Dazed and Confused," the film is beloved by generations, and the cars feature prominently in the story.

Well, one car features particularly prominently in "Fast Times," as the silver T-top Z28 owned by football prodigy Charles Jefferson (Forest Whitaker) plays a big role in his vengeful game against Ridgemont's crosstown rivals Lincoln, as well as the life of cinematic stoner extraordinaire Jeff Spicoli (Sean Penn). After all, unbeknownst to Charles, it is an increasingly inebriated Spicoli at the wheel when the Z28 infamously goes airborne into a construction site. And it's Spicoli who pins the damage on Lincoln enthusiasts once he realizes even the most ultimate set of tools could fix the damage.

Along with an affinity for colorful language, bloody outbursts of violence, and closeups of feet, classic cars regularly earn screen time in the works of Quentin Tarantino. While we could've tabbed Vincent Vega's stunning 1964 Chevelle Malibu from "Pulp Fiction," for this list, or even Stuntman Mike's deadly 1970 Nova from "Death Proof", we're instead singling out the 1997 Chevrolet C-2500 Crew Cab Silverado pickup truck from Kill Bill Vol. 1. It seemed prudent to include at least one Chevy-badged pickup truck here, and few vehicles in the history of cinema have left quite so lasting an impression in our brains.

You'll have to forgive us for not providing a cleaner photo of the vehicle in all of its flame-painted, hood-scooped, and rear-spoilered glory. It is, however, tough to get a clear shot of the truck in "Kill Bill: Vol. 1" without subjecting readers to its vulgar nickname, which is prominently airbrushed onto the tailgate and rear side panels. Never one to shy away from vulgarities, Tarantino famously held onto the modified Chevy himself after the film's production, and occasionally even still takes it out for a Sunday drive.

Of course, the P-Wagon only appeared in "Vol. 1" of the "Kill Bill" saga. We never find out exactly what happened to the truck, but Uma Thurman's The Bride solemnly laments the vehicle's untimely demise in "Vol. 2." Even still, the thought of her driving the outlandishly adorned pickup through an idyllic Pasadena, CA neighborhood en route to her showdown with Vernita Green will never not make us smile.

You didn't really think we were gonna run through this list without a Corvette did you? Certainly not. Frankly, you could no doubt assemble a standalone list consisting of just famous Corvettes from movies if you were so inclined, as Chevy's iconic sports build has been spotted in countless films over the years, including 1955's "Kiss Me Deadly," 1978's "Animal House," 1983's "Terms of Endearment," 1997's "Con Air," and 2011's "Fast Five" to name just a few. But arguments could be made that few of those appearances came close to matching 2009's "Star Trek" in terms of legit icon power. 

That's in no small part because the '60s era Stingray that appears in the film ranks among our favorite Corvette designs of all time. The scene also happens to pair the vehicular icon with one from the science fiction realm, as a young James Tiberius Kirk is behind the wheel. The Stingray is largely the focal point of that thrilling introductory scene, and is worthy of the closeup, with the pre-teen Kirk opening it up for a high-speed joyride on a remote desert road before he runs afoul of a cop astride a futuristic hover-bike.  

Like any self-respecting "Trek" fan, we whooped and hollered when it was revealed that the kid driving that '65 Stingray C2 was indeed a young James T. Kirk. And yes, like so many of the classic car lovers who've watched and re-watched "Star Trek" over the years, we continue to well-up with tears every single time we watch that beautiful machine slide off the edge of a cliff towards a fiery doom.