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The 2005 film version of "The Dukes of Hazzard" is another example. It was eaten alive by hostile critics, but the movie posters featured a "General Lee" Dodge Charger like the one on the beloved original television show. Its presence on the poster likely sold a few tickets through pure nostalgia alone.
The following list features 10 iconic cars from Hollywood. Some appeared in classic films, while others were featured in movies of lesser esteem. All of them made strong impressions on filmgoers—and even on those who never saw the movie the car was featured in.
Read ahead to see CNBC.com's list of 10 cars from the silver screen whose memories have hung around long after the credits rolled.
'Bullitt' - 1968 Ford Mustang GT 390
The 1968 action movie "Bullitt" starred Steve McQueen as a San Francisco cop. Its most famous sequence was a 10-minute car chase jam-packed with shots of his 1968 Ford Mustang GT 390 negotiating the city's treacherous hills at high speed, becoming airborne several times.
One of the things best remembered about the chase is the car itself. It has remained so enduring that the Ford Motor Company produced a limited edition GT with the "Bullitt" nameplate in 2001, and again in 2008.
'Back to the Future' - 1981 DeLorean DMC-12
The blockbuster 1985 comedy "Back to the Future" stars Michael J. Fox as teen-ager Marty McFly, who travels 30 years into the past and meets the teen-age versions of his parents. He uses a 1981 DeLorean DMC-12, modified for time travel.
In the real world, the gull-winged DeLorean was an expensive flop, and production stopped after one year. But its cinematic counterpart became one of the most distinctive cars in movie history, so much so that in 2011, the car collector publication Hemmings Motor News reported that one of the three used in the movie had sold at a Beverly Hills auction for $541,200.
'American Graffiti' - 1932 Ford Model B Deuce Coupe
Four years before George Lucas made "Star Wars," his low-budget "American Graffiti" depicted the cars and cruising culture of California teenagers. The 1973 film features such classic cars as a 1956 Ford Thunderbird and a 1958 Chevy Impala, but the most memorable is a yellow 1932 Ford Model B Deuce Coupe.
According to the fan site AmericanGraffiti.net, the filmmakers originally tried to sell the car after production wrapped but couldn't find a buyer willing to pay the asking price of $1,500. Today it's owned by car collector Rick Figari, a San Francisco resident.
