Not a very original name for a car film, ‘The Car’ was released in 1977. The plot of the film, however, is anything but seen before. In this deranged motion picture, a black car, that may or may not have been forged in the bowels of hell, wreaks havoc on a small town. James Brolin plays the lawman who tries to stop it.
The oddity of this film is also its best forte. After all, you rarely know what to expect from a possessed car. Elliot Silverstein, the director of this unusual horror film, chose a 1972 Lincoln Continental Mark III for the evil car, but it had to be heavily customized before it could terrorize people on screen.
Senna
'Senna' is a British documentary released in 2010. It reviews the life of Brazilian motor-racer Ayrton Senna (hence the title), as well as his untimely death after sustaining fatal injuries at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. The film was directed by Asif Kapadia, who chose to focus on Senna's career from his 1984 debut race until the crash that ultimately killed him.
The film also reviews Senna's rivalry with racer Alain Prost. Despite the fact that Senna was famous in his time and was publicly interviewed in several different occasions, Kapadia chose to use footage provided by Senna's family and video recordings of Senna's races.
The Love Bug
'The Love Bug' from 1968 is the film where Herbie, probably the most famous Volkswagen Beetle, makes its first appearance. The film was made by Walt Disney Productions, which would explain how it gained its iconic status. Interestingly enough, Herbie was never specified as a Volkswagen Beetle before the film's production.
Much like Hollywood's best actors and actresses, there were many cars that came to audition for the part. If things would have gone differently, Herbie could have been a Toyota or a Volvo. The final choice was made after crew members literally felt compelled to pet the pearly white car when they saw it.
Mercedes, Mon Amour
This Turkish film is not half as recognized as it should be. It has elements reminiscing of both 'The Old Man and the Sea' and 'The Bicycle Thieves'. It tells the story of a Turkish villager who finds a job in Germany and saves every penny in order to buy a yellow Mercedes, his dream car.
When trying to drive his Mercedes back to his village, he encounters numerous obstacles along the way. One such obstacle, for example, is other Turkish drivers. This story manages to deliver strong messages about human nature as well as a great sense of humor.
L'autostop
Oscar-winning director Nikita Mikhalkov is the person behind this 1990 film. L'autostop was meant to be a short promotional video for Fiat, but it sort of blew out of proportion and became a lovely short film. The story here is that of an Italian racer who needs to drive a car to Russia from Italy.
During his road trip, the racer, who apparently has no real family, ventures into the Russian forests and creates himself a fully fictional family. What starts out as a road trip movie ends up being a cautionary tale about the choices we make in life.