From high-speed car chases to mind-blowing jumps, this list will run through five of the most famous car stunts in movie history!
Infamous car moments
Casino Royale - Barrel Roll (2006)
Starting strong with the infamous barrel roll scene in Casino Royale, where James Bond flips his Aston Martin DBS seven times, which was a Guinness World Record.
It was claimed that in one afternoon of filming they wrecked three custom-made Aston Martin DBS’ at a cost rumoured to be around £350,000 per car.
To perform the stunt, they used a nitrogen cannon that blows the car into the air to get the best possible outcome and in the end, it made for a thrilling watch!
The Blues Brothers - Cops Car Chase (1980)
Time for a blast from the past, The Blue Brothers and their famous cop car chase. The 1980s classic was filmed in Harvey, Illinois and ruined a total of 104 cars, including 60 cop cars!
At the time, this was a record in the movie industry.
In that particular scene, Jake and his younger brother Elwood are evading the police before causing quite a picturesque pile-up of patrol cars as they finally escape.
The cost of the 60 cars alone was reportedly $24,000, which in today’s money would be around $85,000. Madness!
The Man with the Golden Gun - Corkscrew Bridge Jump (1974)
Blasting back even further, we look at the bridge jump scene in another James Bond film.
The car used for this scene was an AMC Hornet X that had been modified with central steering, a roll cage and most importantly a fifth wheel that sat between the two at the rear.
In the 70s, CGI and special effects were unimaginable. Their ability to pull off this move was truly revolutionary. The corkscrew jump over the river, performed by stunt driver Loren Willert (after just one attempt!), will go down in history, redefining the limits that can be achieved with cars in movies.
French Connection - Car/Train Chase (1971)
Renowned for being one of the greatest car chases in film history, the French Connection car chase is truly one of the wildest of all time. With an ample amount of rules being disregarded during this car vs train duel, it definitely didn't turn out how they expected.
The filming left the designated areas and putting pedestrians' cars and potentially lives at risk was not something they had in their initial plan.
The director of the movie was made to film parts of the scene, with the camera operators at the time deeming it too dangerous.
During the chase, the Pontiac LeMans crashes into a white Ford which was completely unscheduled. They kept this crash in the final cut and had to pay the owner for repairs.
Bullitt - Car chase (1968)
A thrilling 10 minute car chase through the streets of San Fransisco set the tone for the rest of the industry.
The Ford Mustang GT that was chasing down a Dodge Charger piloted by two hitmen was modified for this tire screeching chase by veteran auto racer Max Balchowsky.
The scene is said to be one of the most influential of all time in film history as it set the standards in the industry for a long time to follow. The realism of the scene draws you in; the setting, the cars, the driving, and the editing feels so real.
The editing of the scene was so clean and crisp that Frank P. Keller won the editing Oscar in 1968 for his role in Bullitt as a whole. You can be sure the car chase played a big part in this award and will forever go down as one of the greatest car scenes of all time.
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