The Cars That Stole The Show - News

The 2023 Oscars are fast approaching this Sunday (12th March), and here at TrackDays.co.uk, we thought what better way to get in the mood for the biggest night in Hollywood than revisiting Oscar winning films which featured iconic car scenes.

Movies that have won Oscars which feature cars as their main protagonists are slim. However, when we dug a little deeper into the movie archives, we managed to finally shortlist our favourite three winners: Goldfinger, French Connection, and Bullitt.

So, let's take you on a trip down memory lane and examine the car scenes of these memorable movies and why we think they've earned their place in the pantheon of great car scenes in movie history.

• Goldfinger (1964)

James Bond's Aston Martin DB5 is synonymous with the 00 agent, and Goldfinger featured two chase scenes which are both quintessentially Bond.

The first, with Sean Connery behind the wheel chasing Goldfinger through the winding hills of the Swiss Alps, near Switzerland, is a magical scene filled with all of Bond’s best tech gadgetry – radars, tyre slashers and machine guns.

Shortly after, the movie falls into another car chase scene, this time at night, where we get to see Bond’s cool and calm demeanour dispatch various henchmen by utilising his car’s unique set of equipment once more.

It's no wonder that the Silver Birch Aston Martin DB5 remains one of the most iconic cars in movie history and no doubt that it helped this Bond movie win the Oscar for best sound effects.

• French Connection (1971)

Detective "Popeye" Doyle, played by Gene Hackman, is one of the most legendary movie cops of all time, and the car chase scene in French Connection is one of the reasons why.

With Doyle in hot pursuit of a subway train through the crowded streets of New York, this car chase scene is a testament to the grit and realism that made French Connection such a landmark film.

With squealing tires, and tense cuts between the train ride and the car chasing it, this scene is a true adrenaline rush. The movie swept the Oscars in 1972, winning a total of five Academy Awards, including best film editing.

• Bullitt (1968)

Steve McQueen stars as Frank Bullitt, a no-nonsense detective who chases down the bad guys in his 1968 Mustang GT.

The chase scene in Bullitt is a true classic, with McQueen behind the wheel, driving through the hilly streets of San Francisco in a race against time. The now dated music famously cuts at one point so our ears are only filled with squealing tyres and roaring engines during the chase.

We particularly enjoyed the sound of the Mustang's V8 engine roaring into action. It is one of the defining moments of the movie, and still remains one of the most iconic car scenes in movie history.

Honourable Mentions

• Fast and Furious (2001)

The final race scene from the original Fast and Furious is a true masterpiece of high-octane filmmaking that we feel deserves an Oscar!

Vin Diesel's Dominic Toretto and Paul Walker's Brian O'Conner engage in a high-speed drag race showdown in their respective cars: Toretto’s 1970 Dodge Charger R/T and Brian’s 1994 Toyota Supra Mark IV.

With a pumped-up soundtrack and plenty of pulse-pounding action, this scene is a testament to what makes the Fast and Furious franchise so beloved.

And who can forget that famous Toretto line: "I live my life a quarter-mile at a time". A true petrol-head moment!

• Ronin (1998)

The final car chase scene in Ronin is a visual feast that we just felt had to get a mention. When it was brought up in the office, the resounding sounds of affirmation that echoed out of everyone confirmed that we had to include it here.

In the section of the movie, Robert De Niro and Jean Reno fly through the streets of Paris as director John Frankenheimer masterfully blends fast-paced action with a visual style that is both stylish and realistic, creating a car chase scene that is a true cinematic tour de force.

If you're a fan of car chase scenes in movies, then Ronin is a must-watch.

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