13 Movies Every Muscle Car and Hot Rod Enthusiast Should Watch

These days, there aren’t many Hollywood movies being made about cars, car culture, and gearheads.

However, we can still enjoy the old movies where the cars were the stars, and the plot was often barely an afterthought.

We’ve found 13 movies that focus on muscle cars and hot rods, and some of them are even available to watch for free on YouTube.

The California Kid

The California Kid is a 1974 TV movie starring Martin Sheen in the lead role. He drives around in a ‘34 Ford three-window coupe hot rod, complete with hood louvers and a flame paint job, looking for the man responsible for his younger brother’s death.

The cool hot rod appears in practically every scene throughout the movie and is even driven rather enthusiastically at some points. You can watch The California Kid on YouTube, so there’s no need for any streaming subscriptions.

Clutch

Clutch is the most obscure movie on this list, but it’s available for free on YouTube for those who want to check it out. Jay Rowlands, who’s a real gearhead, wrote, directed, and even stars in it — alongside his classic muscle cars of choice.

Unlike other modern-day car movies, this one focuses on the cars and is very much a tribute to the car movies of the ‘60s and ‘70s, and it’s a must-see for those who are into Camaros.

Bullitt

Bullitt is one of the most iconic Steve McQueen movies and features one of the greatest chase scenes ever. McQueen’s character, Frank Bullitt, gets into his 1968 Ford Mustang GT fastback and chases after the bad guys driving another legendary car: a ‘68 Dodge Charger R/T.

The Mustang McQueen drove in the movie disappeared over four decades ago, and no one knew where it was until it reappeared in 2018. Apparently, the 390 cu-in V8-powered ‘Stang just sat in someone’s garage all that time. At least Ford built Bullitt versions of later Mustangs as a tribute to the original.

Smokey and the Bandit

In 1977, only Star Wars beat Smokey and the Bandit at the box office, making it the second-highest-grossing movie that year. The cars used in the movie are actually 1976 models modified to look like they’re from 1977, as Pontiac didn’t have any 1977 Trans Ams available.

Only four cars were used for the entire production; three were destroyed during filming, and one was used as a hero/promo car. Donating a handful of cars was a clever move by Pontiac, as the sales figures shot up over the next couple of years.

Ford v Ferrari

Most car enthusiasts have heard the story of how Enzo Ferrari tricked Henry Ford II, resulting in Ford swearing he’d beat the Italians at their own game. The Blue Oval then went on to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans with the help of Carroll Shelby, and with Ken Miles behind the wheel of the iconic GT40.

Ford v Ferrari is packed with cool classic cars, glorious engine sounds, and edge-of-your-seat racing. Definitely a must-see if you’re into cars.

Days of Thunder

Alright, Days of Thunder isn’t really about muscle cars or hot rods, but there’s plenty of V8-powered, adrenaline-fueled NASCAR racing action, and we’ll take that any day of the week.

Tom Cruise stars as Cole Trickle, which is one of the most NASCAR-sounding driver’s names we’ve ever heard. There’s only one correct way to watch Days of Thunder: fire up your biggest TV, turn the volume up to 11, and hang on for dear life through the racing sequences and realistic crash scenes.

Gone in 60 Seconds

There’s no doubt that the Gone in 60 Seconds remake from 2000, starring Nicolas Cage and Angelina Jolie, had the coolest Eleanor Mustang. However, H.B. Halicki’s original movie from 1974 has the better car chase, and you can watch it for free on YouTube!

It was written, directed, produced by, and starring H. B. Halicki. He even did his own stunts. There’s not much of a plot, most of the cast weren’t really actors, and the movie was clearly filmed on a strict budget. That’s all forgiven once the 40-minute car chase begins, though. It’s the longest car chase in film history and goes through five towns as the main character, Maindrian Pace, attempts to lose the police.

Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry

Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry is another cult car movie from the 1970s. Peter Fonda’s character, Larry Rayder, wants to race in NASCAR, so he and his mechanic extort a supermarket manager to make some quick cash.

After getting away in a 1966 Chevy Impala, they ditched it in favor of a 1969 Dodge Charger R/T 440 and picked up a new passenger, Mary. The movie has some adrenaline-filled car chases and is a must-see for fans of classic muscle cars.

Vanishing Point

The original Vanishing Point from 1971 is a cult classic, and the entire movie is practically just a long chase scene. There’s also a remake from 1997, which is available on YouTube. It’s practically identical to the original, but this time, Viggo Mortensen stars as Kowalski — the white Dodge Challenger was still the real star, though.

Vanishing Point has gone on to inspire several songs and albums, and Audio Slave’s Show Me How to Live music video was basically a short version of the movie. Even Tarantino referenced it in Death Proof.

Death Proof

Since we’ve already mentioned Death Proof, we may as well include it on the list, and there’s certainly plenty of muscle car action. The first half of the movie introduces us to Stuntman Mike, who kills a group of young women by crashing into them in his “death-proof” Chevy Nova.

Later in the movie, another group of women takes a white Challenger for a spin and runs into Stuntman Mike, who’s now driving a black Dodge Charger. If you’ve watched Vanishing Point, you’ll get that reference. At that point, it’s time to buckle up, as we now have a thrilling chase scene on our hands.

American Graffiti

American Graffiti, released in 1973, was directed by George Lucas, and it was the first time he worked with Harrison Ford. The movie perfectly captures the golden era of early 1960s car culture and features some excellent classic cars, such as the iconic ’32 Ford Deuce Coupe and a ’58 Chevy Impala.

Viewers are immersed in the automotive lifestyle that entails cruising around, drag racing, drive-ins, and rock ‘n’ roll. To this day, American Graffiti is the 53rd highest-grossing movie in the United States when adjusted for inflation.

Two-Lane Blacktop

Two-Lane Blacktop is an American road movie from 1971 featuring two street racers, known as the Driver and the Mechanic. They spend all their time on the road, racing people in their modified 1955 Chevrolet 150 to make money. In New Mexico, the duo encounters another driver and agrees to race across the country to Washington, D.C.

The movie was released to mostly positive reviews and has since gotten a cult-like status. Even Brock Yates, the organizer of the Cannonball Run, said Two-Lane Blacktop served as an inspiration for the race.

Fast & Furious Franchise

There’s more to the Fast & Furious franchise than ricers with big wings and underglow. In the first movie, we’re introduced to Dom’s Charger, and all the subsequent films offer some muscle car action — even Tokyo Drift.

Unfortunately, these movies are no longer about the cars, and the plot is now so thin it’s practically non-existent. Still, there are some parts that are worth watching for those who are into muscle cars.