Mercedes-Benz on the big screen

Mercedes-Benz cars featured on the big screen

With a stunning range of classic cars under its belt, as well as newer, sleeker motors, it's little wonder why Mercedes-Benz continues to dominate the big screen. 

From classic action films such as Jurassic Park and Die Hard to much-loved comedies including Mrs Doubtfire and Bridget Jones’ Diary, Mercedes-Benz have featured in some of the biggest blockbusters in history.

The Internet Movie Cars Database is a huge catalogue of cars in film and has an entire section devoted to Mercedes-Benz. Site administrator Antoine Potten said: “Popular brands like Mercedes-Benz have a good image and directly influence the perception of characters using them. Cars are everyday objects, but are also strong cultural references.

“In the 50s and 60s, movie producers had to buy the cars that starred in the movies. But in the next decades it gradually changed. Nowadays car producers often provide the cars to star in the movie.”

Mercedes-Benz cameos on the big screen

Although Mercedes-Benz has an impressive catalogue of cameos in film and TV – Internet Movie Cars Database has over 1400 pages of results – it has definitely made an impression on audiences by starring in classic films such as James Bond and big blockbusters like Transformers.

We've listed the top Mercedes-Benz cameos. But a heads up... this article contains spoilers.

North by Northwest, 1959

In Hitchcock’s spectacular thriller, Roger O. Thornhill, played by Cary Grant, is nearly killed in his 220 SE cabriolet in a case of mistaken identity. The film crew were extremely careful with this fine Mercedes and fitted a special rear bumper so that the car wouldn’t be severely damaged.

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, 1969

Part of Bond’s iconic image is about the watches he wears and the cars he drives. In this classic Bond film, the 1960 220 S is involved in an icy car chase with Tracy Di Vincenzo (Diana Rigg) and James Bond (George Lazenby).

Spaceballs, 1987

Made exclusively for the film, the 2001 SEL Limited Edition was the star of this sci-fi parody. This spectacular car was built by Dean Jeffries and can now be found in the Justice Brothers Racing Museum in Duarte, California.

The Rookie, 1990

This classic action adventure film saw none other than Clint Eastwood get behind the wheel of a Mercedes-Benz 500SL, and drive it through a window before crashing through a warehouse skylight. The scene is said to have inspired Mercedes’ campaign slogan: “engineered like no other car”.

Mrs Doubtfire, 1993

In this charming comedy starring the late Robin Williams as Mrs Doubtfire, Pierce Brosnan’s character drives a Mercedes 400 E. Mrs Doubtfire takes a disliking to him and rips off the emblem from the front of his car.

Die Hard: With A Vengeance, 1995

As expected, the Mercedes-Benz featured in this action thriller isn’t gliding smoothly along the road. The 1986 560 SEL is launched into the air during a heart-stopping car chase scene starring Samuel L. Jackson.

Casino, 1995

Sharon Stone’s character Ginger McKenna famously rams this huge Mercedes into Robert De Niro’s Cadillac. The 1975 450 SL was nicknamed “der Panzerwagen”, meaning 'the armoured car'.

Jackie Brown, 1997

In Tarantino’s slick thriller Jackie Brown, Ordell Robbie, played by Samuel L. Jackson, drives a suitably cool 1975 SL.

Liar Liar, 1997

The 1996 SL 500 appears in comedy flick Liar Liar, driven by Lawyer Fletcher Reede (Jim Carrey). The car is impounded, resulting in a hilarious scene in which Jim Carrey becomes hysterical over a scratch on his Mercedes.

The Lost World: Jurassic Park, 1997

The Jurassic Park films have long-favoured Mercedes-Benz, as evidenced in The Lost World. A modified version of the first M-Class featured in a terrifying dinosaur attack scene and, unlike one of the drivers in the film, the car survived.

Batman and Robin, 1997

The striking red 1972 600 LWB Limousine, driven by Uma Thurman for her role as Poison Ivy, was the only one ever made in this colour. Off-screen, this same model has been ridden in by stars such as Elvis Presley and Jack Nicholson.

Ronin, 1998

The 1976 450 SEL 6.9 holds a special place in the hearts of Mercedes-Benz fans. This spy action-thriller film starring Robert De Niro is all about car chases and sees Jean Reno take the wheel.

Taxi, 1998

Throughout this classic action film, beautiful red Mercedes 500 E cars were driven by the gang as escape vehicles. The film, starring Samy Naceri and Marion Cotillard, showcased this stunning car in many hair-raising scenes.

Bridget Jones’ Diary, 2001

The picture car coordinator working on the film was given the task of finding a sophisticated car for Hugh Grant to drive in Bridget Jones’ Diary. He chose the Mercedes 280 SE Convertible, a classic convertible. This stunning car appears when Hugh Grant’s character, Daniel Cleaver, takes Bridget, Renee Zellweger, on a romantic weekend away. It features again when Daniel drops Bridget off at a party.

Men In Black 2, 2002

Dubbed “the new hotness” by Will Smith, the Mercedes-Benz E500 took the spotlight in Men In Black 2. This sleek car was debuted in the film before its release in 2003.

The Bourne Supremacy, 2004

The second in the Jason Bourne series, this fast action thriller features the Gelandewagen (W463) and is, unfortunately, destroyed by a pack of Volgas.

Sin City, 2005

In this slick crime thriller, Mickey Rourke’s character Marv says: “These keys say the padre drove a Mercedes. Or, at least, that’s what they’re passing off as a Mercedes these days. Modern cars. They all look like electric shavers”. He’s talking about the 1990 420 SEL.

National Treasure: Book of Secrets, 2007

The car chase from Buckingham Palace to Southwark Bridge is one of the longest car chase scenes ever filmed in the streets of London and featured the Mercedes-Benz C280 Sport.

The Hangover, 2009

For this outrageous comedy starring Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis, a company called Cinema Vehicles built five 1969 280 SE Convertibles. Two currently remain intact, the rest were destroyed during filming. This stunning silver motor appears throughout the film.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon, 2011

As expected, the Mercedes in the spotlight in this franchise flick was not your classic Mercedes-Benz. The SLS AMG was transformed into Soundwave. The E550 model also appeared in the film as Wheeljack.

Jack Reacher, 2012

The beautiful Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe was, unfortunately, cut in half to shoot its features and all interior scenes in this crime thriller.

A Good Day to Die Hard, 2013

Several Mercedes-Benz models were scattered throughout the streets of Moscow in the fifth instalment of the Die Hard series. The film showcased three Unimogs, four Sprinters and three G-classes in its famous chase scene. Unfortunately many of the cars didn’t make it out in one piece.

Jurassic World, 2015

Mercedes debuted the GLE 450 AMG Coupe in this eagerly-anticipated blockbuster. But it wasn’t alone, the G-Class, G63, AMG 6x6, Sprinter and Unimog all made an appearance in Jurassic World.