Top 14 Classic Porsches in TV and Movies
Porsches on Screen Always Symbolize Good Taste and Exclusivity
Movies and TV need to use symbolic shorthand from time to time to avoid having to explain everything to you in the limited time they have. Porsche sports cars are often used to represent exclusivity, good taste, power, prestige, affluence, and other character traits. Sometimes when the hero drives one (or the love interest) it represents their having achieved success, or their appreciation of the finer things. When a villain drives one it often represents excess, or self centered-ness. In Disney/Pixar's Cars franchise it is kind of hard to pin down exactly what Sally the 911 represents, but they probably didn't put that much thought into it. The 911 shape was most likely chosen because its curves made it easy to see it as a female character.
1. Faster Pussycat, Kill, Kill! Porsche 356
If you have ever seen Faster Pussycat, Kill, Kill!, you can't think of Porsche and curves without remembering Tura Satana and the 1964 356C. Russ Meyer, the writer/director, supposedly provided his daily driver 956 for use in this film. If you haven't seen the movie, it is about voluptuous vixens with sports cars, and the crimes they commit for thrills and money. It is not a good movie, but if you like 1960's sports cars (or curvy ladies) it is worth a watch some late night. The German language poster above translated literally reads "The Satan Wives of Occurring Field."
2. Scarecrow and Mrs. King Porsche 356
Another 356 which more people probably recall is the one Bruce Boxleitner drove in Scarecrow and Mrs. King. If you are too young to remember, Mrs. King was a typical suburban housewife (who drove a wood paneled wagon) and Scarecrow was the code name of a spy who at first just used her as a cover, then teamed up with her as a partner. He used this car throughout the first season, and into the second, until it was thrown off a cliff. Bruce claimed he was happy to be rid of it because it wasn't very reliable, but we can only hope they didn't really drop a 1963 Porsche 356B over a cliff.
3. Bad Boys Porsche 911 Turbo
Back before Michael Bay's movies featured cars that drove themselves and turned into robots, he made Bad Boys, a buddy movie classic with Will Smith and Martin Laurence. The 1994 Porsche 911 Turbo was Bay's own personal car, lent to the production and driven by the heroes. As you would expect in a Michael Bay movie there are plenty of explosions and a car chase or three, but you also get a script written by George Gallo, who is 100 times better than Bay will ever be at story and dialog. The sequel also has Porsches in it, but the movie is no where near as good.
4. Californication Porsche 911 Carrera Cabrio
Hank Moody, in Californication, is a once brilliant and celebrated author whose current life is just one screw up after another. What better car to represent this than a 911 Carrera Cabrio showing the 15 years of neglect and deferred maintenance, dating back to the days when his first book stopped selling big. The car starts off rough in the show, but living at the beach, driving drunk, and leaving the top down 365 days a year really take their toll over the course of the show. When Hank hits rock bottom is pretty much when he loses the car, though later he claws his way back up and gets another one.
5. Risky Business Porsche 928
It is hard to decide which is hotter in Risky Business, Rebecca De Mornay or the Porsche 928 that Tom Cruise drops into the lake to set the plot in motion. Both have curves you can't take your eyes off of, and both will get you into trouble if you aren't careful. In the 1980s, BMWs were the cars that safe, yuppie guys or successful parents drove, while Porsches were what the risk takers, thrill seekers, and bad boys drove. The fact that he had a 928 pretty much meant that Tom Cruise's dad was a strict, tough, father who was not going to just forgive and forget something like a wrecked car. Rebecca may not have aged all that well, but the 928 still looks great.
6. Against All Odds Porsche 911 SC Cabrio
In Against All Odds, Jeff Bridges is a young professional football player, suddenly down on his luck due to injury and involved with a night club owner who may be mobbed up, played by James Woods. Woods has a Ferrari 308, Bridges has a Porsche 911 SC Cabrio, and the street race down Sunset Blvd in afternoon traffic is still one of the best on film. If you have seen it once, you will forever replay it in your mind as you drive through L.A.
7. King of the Mountain Porsche 356 Speedster
The Porsche Speedster in King of the Mountain may have been a replica, but that really doesn't matter. If you saw this 1980s low budget movie about street racing as a kid, you will always remember it, and the stripped down Corvette Stingray Dennis Hopper drives. Considering that this was a quick and cheap drive in B-movie, it is amazing how well the racing scenes on Mulholland drive are filmed and how accurate it depicts the street racing scene in L.A. in the 1970s. If you haven't seen this, you should seek it out, it streams on Amazon video.
8. The Last Chase Porsche 917 Spider
Yes, the Porsche 917/10 race car one is also fake, but the F-86 Sabre jet fighter is the real deal. The Last Chase is a mash-up of dystopian science fiction and cross country car chase, and a total throwback to the future we all imagined looking ahead from the Carter years. Even though the car is a replica, the movie is a perfect example of the lengths a Porsche owner will go to for their car. When cars are outlawed, Lee Majors disassembles it and hides it in the basement, years later he rebels against the government and drives it cross country to the free republic of California.
9. Gone in 60 Seconds Porsche 911
What if I were to tell you the 996 Porsche 911 in the 2000 reboot of Gone in 60 Seconds was actually an air cooled 1978 Porsche 911. The makers of the movie used a beat up older 911, covered with fiberglass bodywork form the new car, because it was lighter and less expensive to crash. This smog era 70's car, still in drag as a 996, sold on ebay motors in 2011 for $38,000.
10. Death Race Porsche 911 SC
Death Race is not a good movie, but there are some pretty good action sequences in it. This 1978 Porsche 911 SC is heavily customized with fake weapons and armor to take part in the titular race that is the climax of the movie. If society falls apart, an armored weaponized air cooler 911, modified to Dakar rally specs, would not be a bad choice of vehicle.
11. Jake and the Fatman Porsche 911
In Jake and the Fatman, the Fatman questions how Jake can afford to live like he does on a cop's salary. The 1983 Porsche 911 SC is a perfect example of the lavish lifestyle he enjoys. As you would expect from a show involving cops and crime, there are car chases occasionally, so a Porsche comes in handy. Joe Penny is seen driving a 356 Speedster in an early episode as well.
12. Sixteen Candles Porsche 944
If you are a man of a certain age, you envied this guy in the movie with his cool 1983 Porsche 944, and Molly Ringwald. If you are a woman, you remember how in Sixteen Candles driving a 944 meant Jake wasn't some boring guy, but exciting and a bit dangerous, and obviously rich. If you grew up in the 80s this may have been the movie that installed the Porsche fetish in you for life.
13. Bachelor Party Porsche 911 Targa
This car isn't in the movie very long, but how can you forget the customized nightmare it has become by the end of it? The foil in Bachelor Party drives this 1974 Porsche 911 Targa and it is the symbol of what a rich pompous jerk he is. This would be the perfect car to drive if you won the lottery and wanted to troll Porsche club members at a track day or car show.
14. Le Mans Porsche 917
As much as you may disagree with other entries on this list, there is no way to refute the 1970 Porsche 917 K race car that Steve McQueen drives in Le Mans is the best Porsche movie car ever. Between how great the 917 was and how cool McQueen himself was, you already have a pretty tight case. But then when you add in the stories surrounding this film, and how they actually entered cars in Le Mans and raced them in order to make this movie, there is no contest. If you have not seen the behind the scenes documentary, McQueen: The Man and Le Mans you ought to. Grand Prix has a better story and more impressive footage, but the cars in this movie rule.
For more movie and TV Porsches, check out this thread on Rennlist: Movies with Porsches and be sure to check out maintenance tips, how tos, and DIY help in the How To section.
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