Cult cars of pop culture

On September 26, 1982, KITT appeared on USTV screens with an iconic red scanning light bar whooshing from side to side. An acronym for Knight Industries Two Thousand, KITT — seen here with actor David Hasselhoff, who played his owner Micheal Knight — was a highly intelligent car whose main aim was always to protect its owner. KITT could "see, think, talk, remember, drive itself, and smell."

The protagonist of a novel by US writer Stephen King, Christine (played by a classic red and white 1958 Plymouth Fury in the 1983 film adaptation by John Carpenter ) had an evil streak and would take possession of her owners. Those who crossed her could find themselves trapped inside with the doors locked and killed with exhaust fumes. Over 20 cars were used to play Christine in the film.

Herbie, the star of the 1968 Disney film "The Love Bug," was a pearl white, striped 1963 Volkswagen Beetle that also had a mind of its own. It helped its owner — a down-on-his luck race car driver — get through some scrapes. Many cars were paraded at the film's vehicle casting call, but the film crew was so enamored with the Beetle that crew members began to pet it.

No cult car list would be complete without the Aston Martins driven by Agent 007. Here, Sean Connery, one of the actors most often associated with the character, is seen leaning against the Aston Martin DB5 that featured in the 1964 James Bond film "Goldfinger." Thought to be the best known Bond car, it boasted gadgets such as machine guns, an ejector seat and an oil slick maker.

Just like the various actors who played the titular role in the widely popular James Bond franchise, the cars of Agent 007 also had several avatars. Here, actor Pierce Brosnan is seen with the V12 Vanquish that featured in "Die Another Day" (2002) This particular model could turn invisible through adaptive camouflage.

In the iconic 1980s "Magnum P.I." series, Tom Selleck plays Thomas Magnum, P.I. at the Hawaii estate of a rich author. In return for room and board, he drives the red Ferrari of his boss, chasing criminals. The car was originally meant to be a Porsche 928, but Porsche refused. However, Ferrari was happy with the product placement. The 308 GTS has gone down in history as the Magnum Ferrari.

"Miami Vice" was another cult 1980s series that put lead actor Don Johnson on the map. The best accessory for Detective Sonny Crockett's iconic pastel Armani suits? A white Ferrari "Testarossa" (or red head), named for the red valve covers on the 12-cylinder engine. Originally black, the car was repainted white to stand out as it chased bad guys down Miami's curiously empty night streets.

The iconic final scene of "Thelma and Louise" (1991) sees Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon and their a battered blue 1966 Ford Thunderbird drive into thin air. The car plays a central role in the duo’s flight from the law after Louise shoots the man who tries to assault Thelma during a fishing trip. Rather than surrender, they speed off a cliff in the Grand Canyon — becoming cinematic legends.

A more recent flying blue car is the muggle-pimped Ford Anglia that flies Ron Weasley and Harry Potter to Hogwart's after they miss their train on Platform 9 3/4. Spitting them out at the wizard school, it speeds off into the Dark Forest. JK Rowling, whose vivid imagination took the literary and cinematic worlds by storm, chose the Anglia because a dear teenage friend had driven one.

Cavemobiles — or simply Cavecars — are the transportation of choice for "the modern Stone Age family" that are The Flintstones. The popular animated sitcom created by Hanna-Barbera Productions boasts several models of cars that require neither diesel nor electricity. The eco-friendly models are mainly powered by plain old human foot power. The faster you run, the further you get.

Designed by director Tim Burton, this avatar of the Batmobile first featured in the 1989 film "Batman" and in "Batman Returns" (1992). Judging from the websites of car and Batmobile enthusiasts, it remains the most popular version. Dubbed the "Keaton Mobile" after actor Michael Keaton who plays Batman, it has a very long body with bat wings and an exposed jet turbine engine at the back.

A time-travelling car did not feature in the original script for "Back To The Future," according to AllTheRightMovies.com. A simple time travel chamber and even a fridge were the original options for zapping Doc Brown and Marty McFly through various eras. It was director Robert Zemeckis who thought of using a futuristic car as a time machine. And now the Delorean is a cult car.

In 2022, we now have cars that inform us of the temperature outside, or if we need to take a break. But fully sentient cars with a wry sense of humor or easily hurt egos? That stuff of screen legend has yet to be imitated in reality. Seen here is David Hasselhoff with his former co-star KITT in Berlin in 2018 during his "30 Years Looking for Freedom" tour.