The Most Iconic Cars Ever Put On Screen

Bumblebee is not the most iconic Volkswagon Beetle in movie history; years earlier, Herbie claimed that title in a series of hit Disney films , starting with the best of the bunch, The Love Bug. In a moment of glaring oversight nearly as disastrous as Mars not licensing M&M’s for E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Volkswagon didn’t grant Disney the rights to the company name, which is there’s no “VW” branding on one of Hollywood’s most iconic cars, and the brand name isn’t mentioned in the hit film.

The only one of the cars on this list that’s sentient, Herbie displays an attitude during the film, from refusing to get on the highway to a surprisingly dark sequence along the Golden Gate Bridge. The 2005 follow-up, featuring Lindsay Lohan, didn’t alter the original design of the classic Beetle, though it did introduce a love interest for Herbie. Yes, it’s weird, but it’s also rather endearing, though the original film is the one worth watching today.