Things I've learned about cars from movies

[zombie no.one]

If a car is chasing a guy on a skateboard and the guy makes a sharp turn the car will invariably end up crashing into the back of a massive manure truck, showering the occupants with tonnes of cow waste. especially if the film stars michael j fox and is called "Back To The Future"

[Allhallowsday]

I've learned that if you get to the car, you will try the door but it's locked and you forgot the car keys, and by the time you go back in the house and back to the car with them, you will try the door and this time it will be open... and the inside of the car will be steamy...

I've learned that when the killer is about to get to the driver's door, the occupant will always fumble at least 3 times getting the key into the ignition...

I've learned the killer gets to the car first anyway and is always hiding in the backseat...

I've learned that driving off the edge of the Grand Canyon can't be good...

I've learned that if you stomp on the brake at high enough speed, and pull upwards on the wheel, you can make an ordinary Buick become airborne, and do amazing stunts like jump a semitrailer... 

[redsneaker]

I have also noticed that from scene to scene the rear view mirror can become invisible and then rear appear instantly. The same can happen with cracks in the windshield.

[Jack]

         Also... All cars are easy to hot wire , since you only need to touch two wires together and both wires are lose , already striped and hanging out from under the dashboard.

LOL, that's one of my favorites.  Apparently the wires are hooked up to the starter, but once the car starts, the two wires are twisted together.  But, um, wouldn't than mean the starter would be running the whole time the car is?  You sort of want those things to turn off once the car starts.  And how about the actual ignition system of the car that sends electricity to the spark plugs?  That's apparently somehow magically run through that same wire.  Maybe it's just the on/off wire for the car.

[AndyC]

Having changed the ignition switch on a car, I can truthfully say that the wires are not that easy to get at, much less identify in a hurry.

[frank]

Cars with some personality usually have silly names (Herbie, Christine, KITT,...)

[peter johnson]

Having shot a number of badmovies, especially ones involving car chases (Robochic, Kill Line, et.al.), I can say that the reason mirrors are always disappearing is that they are so difficult to shoot around, especially those big honking jobs in the middle of windscreens.

Yep, if you're observant enough, you'll notice in most TV shows AND movies, the central windshield mounted mirror tends to come and go quite a bit, depending on the shot.
You want your audience to focus on faces, and those mirrors tend to block the shot.

Also, notice how often the passenger windows are rolled down on car-interior shots, or how even sometimes the glass is just missing altogether from windscreen or side windows.  The reason is that those pesky glass surfaces tend to reflect crews & cameras very well indeed . . .
peter johnson/denny who's that behind her with that boom mike??

[Killer Bees]

When the hero needs to get away and he needs a car, no matter how expensive it is, it's never fitted with a car alarm.

[SynapticBoomstick]

When beginning a chase, both drivers are obligated to hold down the brake and spin the tires for several seconds. Also, when heading for a wall, the driver of the bad car may not bail out or hit the brakes but must instead lock their arms against the wheel, lean back and scream.

[AndyC]

Whenever someone, hero or villain, needs a car in a hurry, drivers will readily give theirs up with little more than a baffled look and maybe a "Hey!" if they're especially assertive.

[Neville]

Whenever the people inside the car need to evade the police or the bad guys, who still haven't noticed them, instead of leaving the scene quietly, the driver will step on it, leaving the place in the middle of smoke, screeching tires and nearly hitting all nearby cars.

Also, a few years ago I had a car accident. I accidentally hit the ditch on my right while doing 60 and my car lost control. It invaded the opposite lane of the road (thanks God nobody was coming from that direction) then slipped back to my own lane, before stopping. I later learned the first hit had destroyed the steering. I had no idea steering could be that fragile, and now whenever I see a car in a movie that suffers a lot of damage (like when they fly through the air and then land noisily without stopping, or they jump on sidewalks at high speed) I can't help but thinking steering should be damaged.

[Oldskool138]

Cars in Scottish A-bomb shelters will always start on the first try after 30 years.   

[AndyC]

Cars in some junkyards are equally reliable, and often have fuel and keys in them.

[wanderarbeiter]

Cars in Scottish A-bomb shelters will always start on the first try after 30 years.   

I learned that you can drive an Aston Martin through a bus and receive no damage to the car or yourself.


Also the strength of windshields varies greatly depending upon who is in the car.

[AndyC]

The strength of a hero's windshield also varies, depending on whether he needs it for protection or needs to smash it out from inside with a gunbarrel to get a clear shot.