The concept of cars starring in movies is almost as old as movies themselves, with some classic motors playing significant roles in the biggest films ever made.
But while some cars are extras, some bit-parts and others supporting roles, there only a select handful of movies where the car is the star of the show. New research from price comparison website Uswitch has found that when it comes to popularity of fictional cars on the silver screen, there is only one winner - Lightning McQueen.
According to the Uswitch insurance experts, the star of Cars the movie is the most searched for car in pop culture, and by some distance. Lightning McQueen leaves some fairly big name blockbuster machines eating dirt, with only Warthog from the Halo video game franchise getting close.
There are notable mentions for the A Team van, Scooby Do’s Mystery Machine and Herbie, the Volkswagen Beetle with a mind of its own.
“He may not be real, but Lightning McQueen is the world’s most searched-for fictional car. Coming in pole position in every country bar one (France), Cars’ main protagonist ranked first with more than 800,000 searches over the past 12 months,” said a Uswitch spokesperson.
“Disney Pixar’s Lightning McQueen, modelled on a Corvette, is instantly recognisable by his bright red body work and yellow and orange details. Voiced by Owen Wilson, he first raced onto our screens in 2006’s Cars. Since then, he’s led two sequels to Cars, and had a cameo in Planes: Fire & Rescue from 2014.
“Not just commanding children’s attention, car fans around the globe have customised their cars to emulate the design of Lightning McQueen, cementing his place in culture, 15 years after release.”
Most Search For Fictional Cars In The World - Top Ten
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Lightning McQueen - 805,000 searches
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Warthog - 211,500 searches
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A Team Van - 74,700 searches
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The Mystery Machine - 14,850 searches
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Herbie Car - 14,400 searches
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Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Car - 13,050 searches
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Audi Rsq - 10,350 searches
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DeLorean Time Machine - 9,450 searches
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Kitt Car - 8,550 searches
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The Batmobile - 7,650 searches