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Volvo: Safety Beyond the Star RatingsBest Race Car Movies of All Time
Love the thrill of motorsports and want that same competitive action up on the big screen? We’ve compiled some of the best race car movies just for you!
Racing Stories Depicted on the Silver Screen
Cars are heavily involved with the movie world. It’s hard not to have a modern action movie without vehicles being featured for high-speed chases, death-defying stunts, or sometimes even acting as the pivotal star of the movie itself. I mean Fast & Furious is heavily centered around cars and has been going strong for over 20 years now with no actual end in sight. However, today we aren’t just talking about more cars in films, you can find that list here. Instead, we’re taking a look at the greatest movie portrayals of sanctioned motorsports that have ever been made. Good race car movies are few and far between, but we’ve sat down and watched as many as we could to compile this list of the ten best race car movies ever made. Plus, I’ve added a couple honorable mentions that are worth at least one viewing in my opinion. So, strap in as we approach the green flag on this list of the best race car movies of all time.
Winning (1969)
Starting off the list is the high-speed Paul Newman racing flick, Winning. The film follows Newman’s character Frank Capua, a determined race car driver that’s thrown into family drama that intersects with his career on the track. There’s plenty of racing influence throughout the film and the scenes in between those segments are carried by Newman’s acting. Winning provides car fans with plenty of exciting race cars to see like a rally outfitted Mini Cooper, a Ford Torino GT stock car, and of course, plenty of early Grand Prix racers like the Eagle T1G MK. II that Newman was behind the wheel of.
Snake & Mongoose (2013)
This biopic went under the radar for me back in 2013, but I found that Snake & Mongoose made a good case for itself as one of, if not the best, drag racing movies out there. It’s a great retelling of the rivalry between Don “The Snake” Prudhomme and Tom “The Mongoose” McEwen back in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s. Both were significant figures in the early drag racing world and they helped popularize the hobby sport into a professional pastime while collaborating with an up-and-coming car toy known as Hot Wheels. It’s a good movie that utilizes actual historical drag racing footage and includes numerous early dragster designs throughout. They even showcased the drag racing duo’s Hot Wheels sponsored Plymouth funny cars with their matching Dodge D-700 haulers, a grouping that nearly fetched $1,000,000 at auction following filming.
Days of Thunder (1990)
Days of Thunder may not have been well received by critics when it originally debuted, but the film found its audience and has engrained itself into NASCAR fandom. So much so that one of the on-screen liveries was used by William Byron during the 2019 Southern 500 NASCAR race. The film itself is centered around a bitter rivalry between hotheaded rookie Cole Trickle (Tom Cruise) and grizzled veteran Rowdy Burns (Michael Rooker). The pair end up sitting out of NASCAR contention after both getting injured during a race. Off the track, the two racers grow to befriend one another, and it all culminates towards a joint effort to take on the Daytona 500. The Chevrolet Lumina stock car is the predominant hero car of this film, but plenty of other 1990 NASCAR stock cars make appearances throughout the race scenes. There’s also a fun unsanctioned Chevy Lumina versus Ford Taurus street race scene though. Nothing like two economy cars being pushed to their limits.
The Love Bug (1968)
Disney’s The Love Bug may not be as down to earth as the rest of the movies on this list, but there’s no denying the impact that little #53 VW Bug left on audiences. The original film follows Jim Douglas and his mechanic, Tennessee Steinmetz, as they race a quirky little Volkswagen Beetle that has a mind of its own. The little, white race car known as Herbie quickly grows in popularity around California, gaining the glowering eyes of Peter Thorndyke. Disney has brought the loveable Herbie back to the big screen a number of times over the years the 1968 film, most recently with Lindsey Lohan behind the wheel back in 2005, but there’s no denying that the original film is the best of the bunch. I’m sure it’s only a short while before we see the racing Volkswagen brought back for another go around in soon.
The Last American Hero (1973)
One of Jeff Bridges’ early works makes the list of best race car movies in the form of The Last American Hero. Bridges’ plays Junior Jackson, a character based around real life NASCAR legend Junior Johnson. Junior is a southern kid that’s grown-up bootlegging moonshine around on the backroads. After his father is sent to prison for the production of moonshine, Junior begins his life as a professional race car driver. The film features Junior crashing his way through a demolition derby in a beat-up Ford Custom, old school dirt track racing a ‘67 Ford Mustang, hitting the asphalt in a Chevrolet Chevelle stock car, and then finally winning it all in a car that looks suspiciously like Bobby Allison’s #12 Chevrolet Monte Carlo from back in the ‘70s. Add in that Junior beat Kyle Kingman, a man that acts as a portrayal of the “The King” himself, Richard Petty. Kingman also has a familiar car, as it is Petty’s #43 Plymouth Roadrunner seen in that final race as well.
Le Mans (1971)
Le Mans is unique in the fact that it wasn’t just a film about a race, the production team actually filmed on location at the 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans. The story follows Michael Delaney, played by Steve McQueen, a race car driver that’s haunted by an accident from the prior year in which another racer had died. Not only that, but he’s in love with that very same driver’s widow. Outside of that convoluted romantic arc, we have exciting race footage focusing on McQueen behind the wheel of a Porsche 917 K competing against his rival in a Ferrari 512 S. McQueen intended to race in the actual 24 Hours of Le Mans event alongside British motorsport legend Jackie Stewart, but their entry unfortunately wasn’t accepted.
Grand Prix (1966)
Grand Prix was, in my opinion, a turning point in how vehicle scenes were filmed for movies. The footage following the classic Formula 1 racers like the BRM P261 and Ferrari 312 is terrific. The camera work makes viewing each racing scene so much more impactful and exciting. As for the story, it follows American race car driver Pete Aron, played by James Garner, who has recently been cut from his Formula 1 racing team after an incident at Monaco that injured his teammate. He joins up quickly with a new team before being faced with stiff racing competition and lovers’ quarrels off the track. The story between the action can sometimes feel stale or suffer from amateur acting, but Grand Prix takes viewers on a thrilling ride once the cars get moving.
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby (2006)
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby mixes the world of NASCAR with some of the best comedic stars and ends up creating one of the most quotable comedy movies I’ve ever known. Ricky Bobby has always wanted to go fast ever since he was a little kid, then one day he got his chance to take the wheel. He rises to the top as the best NASCAR driver of his generation, but an accident sidelines Ricky Bobby and forces him out of the driver’s seat as a newcomer takes the limelight. From there we join Ricky Bobby on his quest to get back onto the track with the help of his returning, no-good father in his awesome ‘69 Chevrolet Chevelle.
Rush (2013)
James Hunt and Niki Lauda were at each other’s throats during the most popular and most dangerous time in F1’s history – the 1970s. Rush is a wonderful retelling of this famous racing rivalry and makes a compelling story out of this period in the motorsport world. There’s romance, drama, and the thrill of the most dangerous racing in the world. The performances by Chris Hemsworth as James Hunt and Daniel Brühl as Niki Lauda were only furthered by the wonderful racing portrayals that featured true to the period race cars like the McLaren Ford M23D and the Ferrari 312 T2. It’s a movie worth watching even if you aren’t a racing fan.
Ford v Ferrari (2019)
Ford v Ferrari is another magnificent biopic that follows the happenings behind the scenes that led up Ford creating the GT40 and then taking on the likes of Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. You’ve got Carroll Shelby being portrayed marvelously by Matt Damon, Christian Bale giving a terrific performance as driver Ken Miles, alongside great performances by the rest of the cast standing in as famous automotive figures like Lee Iacocca, Enzo Ferrari, and Henry Ford II. If you’re interested in the history behind the movie, check out our article here. If you haven’t sat down and seen Ford v Ferrari yet (or any of the others previously mentioned), I implore that you fix that as soon as possible. This is a great watch and one of my favorite race car movies.
Race Car Movie Honorable Mentions
These next race car movies aren’t as good as the ones mentioned above, but they fall into the category of “guilty pleasures”. They’re worth at least one viewing based on the vehicles found within them alone. Although, if you can’t get past the bad acting or poor script, I don’t blame you. Here’s the rest of, but not quite the best of, race car movies to watch.
Speed Racer (2008)
Live action recreations of an anime never really hit their mark to fans dismay, but Speed Racer sure tried to stick to the source material while making an exciting movie. I mean, you get to see the Mach 5 in all its glory… albeit mostly CGI.
Six Pack (1982)
Music legend Kenny Rodgers plays a washed-up race car driver that encounters a group of miscreant orphans stealing parts from his car. They stow away with him after being met with the law and the group work as his pit crew throughout the rest of this fun family race car movie.
Driven (2001)
A race car movie featuring stars like Sylvester Stallone and Burt Reynolds probably sounds like it would be a smash hit, but Driven is a pretty awful film. Its main redeeming quality is the exciting IndyCar racing depicted on screen. You’ll find that this movie borderlines on “So bad it’s good” and “$5 movie bin at Walmart”.
The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019)
The racing world from the perspective of a dog with his thoughts voiced over by Kevin Costner. That’s the gist of The Art of Racing in the Rain. It’s a heartfelt drama with similarities to Marley & Me while also providing racing as a key plot point.
Thunderbolt (1995)
This movie takes martial arts and mixes it with JDM racing. I was sold immediately when I heard a description like that, but the movie truly piqued my interest when I found out it’s a Jackie Chan classic. Worth a viewing as a martial arts movie buff and/or a car enthusiast, of which I’m personally both.
