Audiences know and love countless memorable cars from film and TV, whether it’s K.I.T.T. from Knight Rider or Dom Toretto’s Dodge Charger in the Fast and Furious franchise. But iconic vehicles from pop culture don’t ride only in live action. Plenty of animated movies have offered their fans unforgettable cars they wish they could own too.
The Mystery Machine van from Scooby-Doo cartoons comes to mind as just one example. SpongeBob and Patrick’s Patty Wagon is another noteworthy inclusion. And Cruella de Vil’s cool car in One Hundred and One Dalmatians wouldn’t be a bad addition to any gearhead’s garage. Fans looking for potential car ideas will find some memorable ones in these animated movies.
Madame Medusa’s Swamp Mobile (The Rescuers)
The endlessly quotable Madame Medusa of Disney’s The Rescuers was a reckless driver. Thankfully, her swamp mobile was able to handle her brutal driving and the swampy conditions at Devil’s Bayou while she used Penny to search for the Devil’s Eye, a priceless diamond. The swamp mobile may not be pretty to look at, but it’s efficient, and it can fly through the air and stick the landing when it comes to parking on a houseboat. It certainly came in handy for Penny and her friends when they escaped and left Medusa, Snoops and Medusa’s pet crocodiles behind.
Count Dracula’s Hearse (Hotel Transylvania)
Fans of the Hotel Transylvania franchise and the supernatural in general would love to get their hands on Count Dracula’s hearse. Not only is it incredibly unique, but it’s also very speedy, shepherding monsters and humans allike to and from the hotel with no problem, regardless of whether there’s a paved road or not. It’s also very spacious, considering it was able to hold Wayne, his wife and their several rambunctious children. Plus, it’s a perfect mode of transportation to cemeteries, spooky castles and, of course, a hotel that hosts monsters.
The Patty Wagon (The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie)
With a spatula for the ignition and pickles for wheels, the Patty Wagon would certainly stand out on any road. Plus, best friends SpongeBob SquarePants and Patrick Star got the chance to drive it while they were on a very important quest to Shell City to retrieve King Neptune’s crown in The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.
Prior to the quest, the Patty Wagon had been used only for promotional purposes at the Krusty Krab. SpongeBob and Patrick love to eat Krabby Patties, so driving one was definitely memorable. SpongeBob fans would love to have a Patty Wagon of their own given its ties to the character, and also because no one else would have a vehicle quite like it.
Mack The Space Car (The Jetsons Movie)
In 1990’s The Jetsons Movie, George gets plenty of upgrades when he’s made vice president, and ends up moving to the orbiting ore asteroid with his family. One of the perks of his new job is Mack, his new car, which grooms George on the way to work so he doesn’t have to, including getting him his clothes and giving him a clean shave. Plus, Mack has a cup of coffee ready and does the driving for George, all the while cruising through space itself. Who wouldn’t want their own personal spaceship?
The Grumobile (Despicable Me)
Gru’s Grumobile stands out. It’s rocket-powered, it can be raised from its already significant height, and Gru never has any trouble parking considering he can smash everyone else out of the way. Road trips would go by quite swiftly with the kind of speed the Grumobile possesses, and Gru has enough room to bring the girls with him, so the cockpit appears to be somewhat spacious without feeling crowded. The Grumobile also has a pretty cool horn that sounds deep and long, akin to a semi, which is the cherry on top of this cool ride.
The Mystery Machine (Scooby-Doo)
Throughout the series and in the various animated and live-action Scooby-Doo movies, the Mystery Machine has been Scooby and the gang’s primary mode of transportation. Even when they travel to faraway places like Australia and Scotland, they make sure to bring the Mystery Machine along with them.
Not only is the van itself iconic, but it has an unforgettable paint job and good memories of the group of friends going to all kinds of places, solving mysteries and having adventures together. It’s one of the most recognizable cartoon cars ever, and an immortal icon of 1970s pop culture.
Doc Hudson (Cars)
In real life, the model for Doc Hudson is a 1951 Hudson Hornet. He was certainly one of the best characters in Pixar’s Cars, especially in having taught Lightning McQueen an important life lesson. Fans of Cars, as well as classic cars themselves, would certainly love to have the real-life Doc Hudson car in their possession. Classic cars are always fun to see out on the road, and Pixar fans would certainly recognize a Doc Hudson lookalike anywhere. Doc himself was a gifted racer who had significant talent both on and off the pavement, as well as plenty of wisdom to share.
The Incredibile (The Incredibles)
Mr. Incredible had a pretty sweet ride, which was obvious from moment one. However, it wasn’t until The Incredibles 2 that the car and its many talents received more attention. The Incredibile had the ability to disguise itself and also to travel on water, and it boasted various weapons and useful features such as voice recognition. The supercar was perfect for a superhero and for that superhero’s children when they needed a fast escape in the sequel.
The Time Machine (Meet The Robinsons)
Not only does Louis’s invention fly, but it travels through time. Wilbur gets into major trouble for snatching his dad’s time machine to travel into the past to get the younger version of his father to help him retrieve the other stolen time machine, but that action, and the time machine, certainly came in handy where the Bowler Hat Guy and Doris’s evil plans were concerned.
The ability to travel through time has been a fantasy for human beings that’s as old as time itself, so there have been lots of different time machines in many different forms throughout pop culture. The time machine in Meet the Robinsons is one of the coolest, though. Anyone dreaming of using it had just better make sure to dream of having a mechanic on hand in case anything goes wrong like it did for Wilbur.
Cruella De Vil’s Car (One Hundred And One Dalmatians)
Cruella de Vil’s car is nothing short of iconic given its appearance and, of course, its driver. Cruella is one of the most recognized and most memorable of all Disney villains. She was definitely a reckless driver, going way too fast in the snow and crashing into a ditch. However, the car sustained quite a few hits before it was ultimately out of commission when Jasper and Horace ran into it. The car also has an unforgettable horn that Cruella used often, and even the headlights and bumper of the car looking menacing, which suits Cruella perfectly. Nonetheless, Disney fans would be thrilled to have a car as eye-catching as Cruella’s in their garage.
