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Year: 1968
Star car(s): Volkswagen Beetle
Where better to start than the original of the lovable 'Herbie' series? The Love Bug from 1968 was the first film to feature the sentient original Volkswagen Beetle, now instantly recognisable by its (should that be 'his'?) off-white paintwork, red, white and blue stripes and the racing number '53'. Herbie started this film without the racing look, actually, before he followed down-on-his-luck race driver, Jim Douglas (played by Dean Jones), home from a dilapidated used car lot. Jim eventually took Herbie racing and the rest, well, that's history. This 1968 film looks comically out of date now, but it's still much cooler than the 2005 remake.
2 - Cars
Year: 2006
Star car(s): Porsche 911, Chevrolet Task-Force 3800, loads more
Here's a film that kids of all ages can enjoy… Car nerds will delight in spotting cameos for various relatively unknown cars throughout the whole film and even the sounds they make is correct. The plot and script are pretty good, there's a great moral and loads of laughs. Tractor-tipping - funniest idea ever, right? Oddly, the star car, Lightning McQueen, isn't based on a real car, instead being a generic looking NASCAR racer, though Owen Wilson's voice brings it to life. His best buddy, though, Mater the pick-up, is apparently modelled on a 1955 Chevrolet Task-Force 3800 (thank you internet…). While his amour, 'Miss Sally' is very obviously a Porsche 911.
3 - The Italian Job
Year: 1969
Star car(s): Mini Cooper, Lamborghini Miura (briefly…)
While the opening scene of the original The Italian Job can be a little harrowing for diehard car nuts (a Lamborghini Miura loses in a fight with an earth mover - a car often voted as one of the most beautiful ever and now commanding in the region of €1.5 million), it's still a cracking film for those that like cars. It's packed with quirky vehicles, from the 1959 Thames 10cwt van to a lovely Fiat Dino Coupe, Jaguar E-Types, all manner of Fiat and Alfa Romeo and of course, the main stars of the show, a trio of 1967 Austin Mini Cooper S 1275s. The plot is simple enough: steal a load of gold, cause a traffic jam in Turin to get away. The cast, led by Michael Caine and featuring Benny Hill, make it comedy gold.
4 - The Fast and the Furious
Year: 2001
Star car(s): Toyota Supra, Mitsubishi Eclipse, Dodge Charger, Volkswagen Jetta
You'd have to like cars to look past the cheesy script and predictable plot here, but the success of the still-growing The Fast and the Furious franchise has proven that there are plenty of people willing to. In this first instalment we're introduced to Brian O'Connor (played by now deceased Paul Walker), an LA cop sent undercover to take down the illegal street racing scene. However, he goes a little too deep undercover and seems to like what he's doing, thanks in no small part to the attention of Mia Toretto (Jordana Brewster) and her racing brother, played by Vin Diesel.
5 - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Year: 1968
Star car(s): Chitty Chitty Bang Bang…
While plenty of lovely ancient real cars featured in this fabulous family film, the star, giving its name to the film, was not based on a production model. Apparently, six examples were made, including one road worthy version with a proper UK registration ('GEN 11'). Peter Jackson, the famous director, is thought to be in possession of that car. Anyway, back to the film. Gather the kids around, pile your bowls with popcorn, take a break from your gadgets and phones and belt out the contagiously good-natured songs from this enduringly feel-good film.