Whether it is dressing up as a scary monster or fantastical creature, handing out candy to all the trick-or-treaters or just eating it yourself, or watching horror movies that make you jump out of your skin, Halloween is always a spooky good time.
For us, there’s no better way to get into the haunted Halloween spirit than revisiting some of the most spine-tingling, heart-stopping car horror movies of the past and present. These scary car movies feature some seriously sinister rides, including possessed cars and scary cars with demonic drivers. Embrace the kooky and spooky with us, and enjoy this collection of diabolical drivers and wicked scary cars in horror movies.
1. Duel (1971) and its Psycho-Killer Tanker
A Californian businessman travels through the desert to meet a client. When passing an old tractor-trailer, his trip turns for the worse as the Plymouth truck driver is less friendly and entirely evil. The psycho driver in the terrifying tanker truck chases its prey down a deserted highway. Does the petrified motorist survive?
Originally a TV show, this 1971 thriller later became a full length feature film directed by Steven Spielberg. This action-packed thriller stars Dennis Weaver (the victim motorist), famous for his performance in the television shows Gunsmoke and McCloud.
The tanker truck featured in this film is a red Plymouth Valiant. For the full length film that was released into theatres, three red trucks were used. Spielberg deliberately chose the Plymouth because the cab resembled a face. The red color of the Peterbilt branded truck was also intentional as it stood out on the dusty, desert roads.
2. The Car (1977): An Evil Black Lincoln
A black car rampages the roads near the town of Santa Thea. The town’s sheriff puts all his efforts into catching the murderer and the 1971 Lincoln Continental, but more of the town’s members fall victim to the black car. Fear sets in for the murders are not acts of a criminal, but rather at the hands of a supernatural, evil car.
Another road movie of the 1970s, this one was directed by Elliot Silverstein, starring James Brolin, the thriller was a bit lackluster, but the story behind the custom Lincoln Continental is worth mentioning. The car was designed by George Barris, a car customizer known for his work in many Hollywood films. Four custom Lincolns were made for the film. While three were destroyed during production, because they were used as stunt cars, the fourth vehicle still remains intact.
3. The Hearse (1980) and Its Devilish Driver
Recently divorced, Jane Hardy decides to get away and spend some time at her late aunt’s house in the small town of Blackford. As she discovers her aunt lived a life of witchcraft, she is menaced by a possessed hearse and its evil driver. Jane starts to wonder if the haunted hearse is connected to her witchy aunt and if she is in danger.
Trish Van Devera stars in this 1980 horror film. While the film does not have scenes of victim dismemberment or gruesome deaths and comes with a rating of only PG; it still offers an eerie plot. The hearse is a 1951 Packard Funeral Coach Henney and it sends chills down your spine, just by looking at it.
4. Christine (1983): A 1958 Plymouth Fury That Has a Mind of Her Own
As the epitome of nerdiness, Arnold “Arnie" Cunningham struggles with bullies and unpopularity at school. But that all changes when he buys a used red 1953 Plymouth Fury named Christine. The used car is in need of restoration and as Arnie begins to do so, things start to get weird. He becomes obsessed with the car and takes on a whole new, almost evil, personality. There’s no separating Arnie from his love, Christine. And when his friends try to, things get really weird.
Based on Stephen King’s novel of the same name, Christine earned $21 million during its first release. This horror flick has become a cult classic regardless of receiving mixed reviews. The villainous red car was a special order for the movie, as the car originally only came in buckskin beige. There is just something about red cars in horror movies.
5. Jeepers Creepers (2001) and the Infamous Chevy
As two siblings head home after spring break, they pass through a small, isolated town. They have a run-in with a motorist with awful road rage, find a stash of mutilated human remains, and are hunted down by The Creeper. Can you hear that song on your radio? Because if you can, it is already too late…
Jeepers creepers, where’d you get them peepers?
Jeepers creepers, where’d you get those eyes?
A chilling song to complement a nightmarish plot.
Jeepers Creepers hit theaters in 2001. The famous classic car that terrorizes the protagonists and the town members is a 1941 Chevrolet Cab Over Engine and its terrifying horn is almost as scary as The Creeper inside. The Chevy’s body was extensively modified to become “The Creeper Truck". The wheelbase was shortened, a distressed box in the rear was added, and the front bumper. Each aspect was carefully designed to match Stephen Legler’s rendering of the terrifying truck. Three trucks were used in the making of the film.
6. Joy Ride (2001) and Its Twisted Trucker
A trick played on a trucker turns into a horrible nightmare for two brothers on a road trip. The tricksters thought they were playing a prank on an unsuspecting driver, but they are in for a scary revelation. The trucker holds grudges and now he is out for blood.
Another 2001 thriller co-written by none other than one of the creators of TV show, Lost, J.J. Abrams himself and Clay Tarver, who is best known for his work on all three of the Joy Ride thrillers. The late Paul Walker stared in this film alongside Steve Zahn. This movie is quite similar to the Spielberg’s Duel, but the specifics in the film vary. The truck featured in this movie is also a Peterbilt, but this time is a 1986 Peterbilt 350 EXHD. The long haul semi-truck, unlike Spielberg’s is black and silver, instead of red. Regardless of the differences, this truck and its ruthless driver are terrifying on screen.
7. The Green Goblin truck from Maximum Overdrive (1986)T
Stephen King’s only time in the director’s chair gave us a movie where everyday machines turn against us. In Maximum Overdrive, arcade games, lawn mowers and even soda machines go on a rampage. The scariest of the bunch is a black tractor‑trailer with a grinning Green Goblin mask on its grille. Truck fans point out that the film’s villain is based on a mid‑1970s White Western Star 4800, a big rig with a distinctive grille and curved windshields. The movie throws plenty of classic trucks at the heroes — Macks, Internationals and Brockways — but none make an impression like that Western Star. Even without the goblin mask the truck’s broad face is imposing, which explains why King chose it for his tale of mechanical uprising. Add in AC/DC’s soundtrack and you’ve got a piece of ’80s cheese that’s hard to forget.
BONUS Scares! Even scarier cars we just had to add them
Stuntman Mike’s Chevy Nova from Death Proof (2007)
Quentin Tarantino has a knack for turning ordinary objects into pop‑culture icons. For his slasher homage Death Proof he chose a 1970 Chevrolet Nova as the murder weapon. Tarantino has said he wanted a car that didn’t scream “muscle,” believing that with the right modifications any car could be made “death proof”. The production team fitted the Nova with a roll cage and racing harnesses, sprayed it in matte black and added a skull and lightning‑bolt emblem on the hood along with a licence plate that nods to Steve McQueen’s Mustang in Bullitt. Under the hood they dropped a small‑block V‑8 with a 650 cfm Edelbrock carburetor, paired it with a TH350 transmission and installed a 12 gallon fuel cell. Stunt drivers filmed the chase scenes at real speeds of around eighty to one hundred miles per hour, and the sound editors boosted the engine’s roar to make the Nova sound mean The result is a car that looks like an everyday Nova at first glance but becomes terrifying when Stuntman Mike slams the accelerator.
Dodge M4S Turbo Interceptor from The Wraith (1986)
The low‑budget action movie The Wraith is remembered less for its storyline and more for its futuristic hero car. Chrysler and PPG originally built the Dodge M4S Turbo Interceptor as a pace‑car prototype for IndyCar races. It has a mid‑engine layout and a twin‑turbo 2.2 litre four‑cylinder engine producing roughly 400 horsepower. With its sweeping body lines and canopy‑style cockpit, it looked like something from a comic book. The filmmakers cast it as a supernatural avenger’s car, and the sleek machine steals every scene. Years later comedian Jeff Dunham bought the only surviving Interceptor, restored it to running condition and keeps it as part of his collection. Thanks to the movie, this one‑off concept car lives on in automotive folklore.
The Black ’Cuda from Phantasm (1979)
Don Coscarelli’s cult film Phantasm follows two brothers who cross paths with a sinister undertaker and his otherworldly minions. For horror fans with petrol in their veins the movie is also an excuse to drool over a black 1971 Plymouth ’Cuda. Coscarelli has admitted he wrote the car into the script because he admired a schoolmate’s AAR ’Cuda when he was a teenager and wanted a chance to feature one on screen. The film crew took an FC7 In‑Violet ’Cuda and repainted it Formal Black with subtle blue and grey pinstripes. Although the hood’s call‑outs suggested a big 440 six‑barrel engine, the car actually packed a 340 cubic‑inch V‑8 with a Carter Thermoquad carburetor and a four‑speed manual gearbox. They added Cragar wheels, oversized rear tyres and a sunroof for a shotgun‑blasting stunt. Despite electrical gremlins during filming the ’Cuda delivered smoky burnouts and high‑speed chases, and it remains one of the most memorable cars in horror cinema.
Happy Halloween, everyon!
