Our Favorite Scary Vehicles From Movies and TV

Halloween is tomorrow.

And that means, more candy, more It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, and more really scary TV shows and movies.

It also means tonight is Devil’s Night—a night mostly associated with mayhem and Detroit, MI. And since Detroit is the automotive motherland, a list of our favorite scary cars and trucks from TV and cinema seems the only logical course of action.

See what we did there? Of course you do. Smarties.

We’re a bunch of tough guys (and gals) who don’t scare easily. So “scary” is probably too strong a word. What we did was sift through our favorite horror- or monster-themed movies and TV shows, and pick out the most-memorable vehicles.

The result? This pile of awesome: Our favorite scary vehicles—ever.

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1956 Peterbilt 281 tanker truck

Duel – 1971

There were four trucks used in this made-for-TV film. The 1956 variety was on screen the most, so we rolled with it. Written by sci-fi horror literary genius Richard Matheson, Duel is a great little story about a man driving on a mostly deserted highway who ends up being tormented by a semi-truck driver. As made-for-TV movies go, Duel is one of the best ever.

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1958 Plymouth Fury

Christine – 1983

You guys already dubbed Christine one of your favorite movie cars but there was no way we were leaving her off this list. She’s sexy. She can fix herself. And she will straight-up ruin your day if you cross her—or just because she feels like it.

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1970 Chevy Nova

Death Proof – 2007

Piece of advice: If you are a very attractive woman trying to hook up with Stuntman Mike in some roadside dive bar, don’t go for a ride in his Nova. Just don’t. The Death Proof Nova is a sweet ride. But it’s perhaps the scariest of the bunch, striking just the right balance of fantastic muscle car and frightening murder weapon.

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The Munster Koach

The Munsters – 1964-66

The Munster Koach was built using three Model T bodies. It was 18 feet long. It was powered by a 289 Ford Cobra engine from a 1966 Mustang GT. It had a top speed of 150 miles per hour, which is pretty respectable for a limo-length vehicle hauling around five members of the Munster family. It was built by legendary custom auto builder George Barris, who designed the original Batmobile and General Lee.

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1971 Lincoln Continental Mark III

The Car – 1977

Another Barris creation, this ’71 Lincoln was the star of yet another movie thriller based on a self-aware vehicle intent on killing people. The Car is a crappy movie with a bit of a cult following. If you accept up front that it’s a crappy movie, then it’s possible to enjoy watching it. Like Step Brothers.

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White-Western Star 4800 semi truck

Maximum Overdrive – 1986

This is another film that didn’t exactly receive accolades for its quality and credibility. But just pretend you were 7 years old when it came out, and your one defining memory is that big Green Goblin mask on a mission to eat your face just before running you over. Some of us were less tough when we were 7. Don’t judge.

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1973 Oldsmobile Delta 88

The Evil Dead – 1981

This is the film that made Bruce Campbell, Bruce Campbell—the undisputed king of the B movie. The 1973 Olds was film director Sam Raimi’s first car and typically makes an appearance in all Raimi-made films—not unlike Campbell. Check out the Army of Darkness version. The Evil Dead is one big, fat pile of theatrical mayhem. As we celebrate another Halloween, we don’t think that’s a bad thing.

What are your favorite vehicles from horror- or monster-themed cinema and television?