10 Best Mind-Blowing 1970s Car Chase Films (Part 1)

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This is the 1st video in our 1970's Best Car Chase Film series. See the 2nd one here:
• 10 More Best Mind-Blow...
Hold onto your seats, classic car enthusiasts! Magnalume Channel presents the ultimate adrenaline-fueled countdown: "10 Best Mind-Blowing 1970s Car Chase Films." Get ready for a high-octane journey through the greatest car chase scenes that defined an era of action-packed classics.
From the iconic muscle cars tearing up the asphalt to the heart-pounding stunts and jaw-dropping crashes, we've curated the top 10 car chase films that set the standard for vehicular mayhem. Join us as we revisit the cult classics, action-packed police movies, and unforgettable moments that made the 1970s the golden age of car chases.
Buckle up for a wild ride featuring the legendary Ford Mustang, Dodge Charger, Pontiac Trans Am, and more, as we explore the streets of New York, the highways of the American West, and beyond. From the infamous Dodge Challenger in "Vanishing Point" to the iconic Pontiac Firebird in "Smokey and the Bandit," these films have become synonymous with the thrill of the chase.
Immerse yourself in the art of cinematic car chases, where destruction meets stunts, and classic cars become the stars of the show. Whether you're a fan of the Charger, Challenger, or Mustang, this video is a celebration of the timeless allure of muscle cars in action movies.
Join us on a nostalgic journey through the 1970s, where each car chase scene is a masterpiece of adrenaline and excitement. Don't miss out on this thrilling countdown that pays homage to the golden era of classic films and the heart-pounding car chases that left an indelible mark on cinematic history.
#classiccars lassicCars #CarChaseFilms #1970sMovies #MuscleCar #ActionMovies #ChaseScene #CultClassics #Mustang #DodgeCharger #PontiacTransAm #SmokeyAndTheBandit #VanishingPoint
Want to see Top 10 Car Chase movies from the 1980's? Check out this video:
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Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:32 McQ
01:25 White Lightning
02:26 Gone in 60 Seconds
03:24 Duel
04:21 Dirty Mary Crazy Larry
05:26 Vanishing Point
06:25 The Driver
07:33 Smokey and the Bandit
08:49 The Seven-Ups
09:50 The French Connection
10:45 Outro

[@MagnaLume]

How did we do on our list? Which were your personal favorites? Let us know your preferable order or some we might have added or deleted in the comments! This is the 1st video in our 1970's Best Car Chase Film series. See the 2nd one here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/e6fKpWhrqsl2qM0

[@timheersma4708]

Well chosen. Hal Needham was ahead of his time for REAL believable stunts. The ferry jump in White Lightning is unforgetable ❤

[@NuGanjaTron]

Good choice for the #1 spot. French Connection is a definitive 70s masterpiece all-round -- the car chase is the icing on the cake!

[@stevecurtis1364]

Bill Hickman did the driving in Bullitt AND 7Ups

[@river3808]

Vanishing Point was just an amazing film. The whole journey just felt spiritual and the people he met on the way solidified that.

[@sherryhodge2207]

Ever notice the wreck at the end isn't the correct car

[@rogerlairamore207]

The car that hit the bulldozer was a 69 Camaro

[@donaldgrant9067]

I watched it with my son many years later and wished I hadn't. In my older years it was stupid, but I did get to hear my son say "What The Hell" at the end for the first time. That was a riot.

[@Helliconia54]

saw it in the cinema along with Zabriski point

[@markgarland9000]

I was in my late teens when Vanishing Point hit the theaters. When the movie let out..the streets erupted with engines roaring and tires squealing. I had a '68 Dart G.T. with a 340 / Quadrajet and 4 speed so yeah..I left a patch of rubber of my own!

[@jeffreydcole]

I bought a brand new '78 T/A because of The Bandit Burt. 43 years later and I still have it. Worth more than all the money I've put in it.

[@johnmaki3046]

Best commercial Pontiac EVER had! If they would have continued to make COOL CARS (NOT UGLY AZTEKS!) they would still be a GREAT BRAND!

[@culcune]

I bought a somewhat beat up '78 T/A in 1988. Red in color and stuck with the 403 Olds engine, I never quite appreciated it. My friend had a very rare '72 T/A with a 4-speed that he bought for $900 off a guy who didn't speak English and worked in a garden supply place. His family were Pontiac fans, his dad having a real '77 T/A 4-speed with straight pipes, and his older brothers having a couple GTOs. My car was frustratingly slow. At one point, a '79 Macho T/A came up for sale, and my friend and I were going to go into it together to part out all the good stuff (he needed a windshield and seats, for instance and I wanted that 400/4-speed). The owner wanted $1500. It ran perfectly. The only issue was that the owner had damaged all 4 'corners' of the car having to brake hard to avoid rear-ending the car in front of him, but spinning out on the center divider. It didn't look too bad, and like I said, it drove really nice. Well, when I went to look at it, a guy and his girlfriend showed up in a '78 Macho and paid $100 more for the car's asking price when he and the owner found out what I had planned to do with the car, lol. Both the owner and the collector (his '78 was his second Macho, and the damaged one became his 3rd) were quite offended about parting the beast out. Oh, well. I ended up buying a '86 Capri RS in '89 after getting tired at how slow my '78 was.

[@mikee2923]

@@johnmaki3046 Pontiac was mortally wounded when they dropped the final 400 in a 10th Anniversary T/A in 1979. Even though 3rd generation Firebirds were one of the most aerodynamic cars ever built, it was still a rebadged Camaro with a shared drivetrain. 4th generation same. Their final mistake was putting the legendary GTO name on an imported Holden from Australia without giving it any real visible clue it was a GTO. It was a very good car but they should have had enough sense to put some retro styling from the muscle car era GTOs and it probably would have been a sales winner. Their last ditch effort was the G8 but Pontiac was never successful with 4 door cars. Pontiac was failing from the time GM went to basically all FWD crap box cars. There was no real excitement in any of them. You are right, the Aztec certainly didn’t help matters any.

[@Britcarjunkie]

Just yesterday, I was driving through a small farm town in southern Illinois (I drive a truck for a living), and I happened to spot a beautifully restored '78 in a drive-thru, and yes, it was black and gold, and the T-tops were off. I was about 30 feet away and moving at 30mph, but I could tell the owner spent a fortune on it - it looked like it just rolled off the assembly line!

[@maninthemiddle55]

I had a 1972 Ford Pinto, 122 ci version. Damn, what a chick magnet.

[@fraa888grindr6]

Born in the sixties Reared in the seventies Teenager in the eighties Seen every one of these movies It was a good time to be alive.

[@hendrikdebruin4012]

Born in the 50's. Best times on earth that can NEVER return.

[@literallyunderrated]

Commented in the 20’s

[@scottslotterbeck3796]

Better than today. People were sane.

[@Engineer_Eric_59]

Yes it was the best of times.

[@tdk903]

Amen to that !

[@glennhood2941]

When Bullit was first in the theaters , when the camera shot was from inside the car driving through San Fran hills, the audience' heads would sympathetically bob forward and back .

[@ms.sonshine8878]

🤣

[@jimmygrant424]

Just reading this I could definitely picture that!!!!.......hey Glenn you should change your middle name to ram air!!!!

[@mikelldaley9078]

LOL

[@DNR5586]

The Driver always gets overlooked in greatest car chase scenes. Thanks for including it in this video.

[@marlenestockton2269]

The movie 'The Driver' was made three (3) times and none were great movie's in my option.

[@Wailwulf]

My favorite is Vanishing Point. Saw it when it first played on TV and it has stuck with me since. It wasn't just the car chases, but long shots of the car travelling through the expansive land scape that for me made it extra special as a ten year old. I have actual gone to many of the locations the film was shot, from Cisco UT where the film opens and the crash into the Bulldozers were filmed to the remains of the One Lane Bridge. Jerry Reed from Smokey and the Bandit actually wrote and performed the song "Welcome to Nevada" in Vanishing Point. Gone in Sixty Seconds was the first film I saw by myself in a movie theatre and the first film I saw twice in a theatre on the same day..

[@djdon60]

I, too, was ten, in '70, when the movie debuted; it's stuck, with me, also.

[@pulaskicondoassociation6799]

I didn’t get the end? Wasn’t he doing speed the whole movie

[@jaycoppola4324]

@@pulaskicondoassociation6799 Yep. Geeked. Coulda had something to do with Suicide by Bulldozer.

[@jaycoppola4324]

@@pulaskicondoassociation6799 I have my own copy on DVD. So I've seen it A FEW times. Got the whole movie memorized. Kowalski...He used to be a cop,too.

[@BatMan-oe2gh]

@@pulaskicondoassociation6799 He was doing speed all the time, and being an ex cop, he did not want to go to prison. Basically, he had nowhere left to run.

[@Rockhound6165]

Duel is a very underrated movie and one that goes to show that Steven Spielberg didn't need fancy special effects.

[@michaeld7409]

Duel is the reason why I now own a Valiant. Love it.

[@scottslotterbeck3796]

I watched in the 70s on a 13 inch black and white TV. The palms of my hands were sweating. That has never happened again. I deliberately watched the credit to see who dumirected it. I wrote down his name, because I had never heard of him. Based on a short story that ran in Playboy, which I had read some time before.

[@snowrocket]

Spielberg has said that he filmed "Duel" in two weeks and on-budget. It was one of VERY few of the "TV movie of the week" that was replayed a few times on network TV. Most TV movies played twice at most and have been long forgotten.

[@glennfeldt2009]

One of my favorite movies.

[@trance9158]

Dirty Mary Crazy Larry had to be here.. love that movie!!!!!

[@billg3356]

Happy to see The Seven-Ups on this list. Despite starring Roy Scheider, it's hardly ever mentioned anywhere. Kind of a forgotten minor classic.

[@grovermayersjr8025]

Pretty much the best car chase movies of the 1970s. Of all time, Bullitt(1968) is still the gold standard!! There were great car chase sequences in a 1958 film called "Thunder Road", comedic chases in "Its A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" (1963), "What's Up Doc" (1972) had great car chase sequence through San Francisco. Another great car chase sequence was in "Paper Moon"(1973). Set in the Mid Western mi The one in "The Blues Brothers"(1980), "Speed"(1994)involving a 1960 GM New Look Fish Bowl Bus. So many over the years.

[@That_Guy_Says_Hi]

Tip of the cap for "MMMMW." Absolutely hilarious stunt shots while absolutely part of the plot and totally germane, a couple are almost surreal, functioning almost as drop-ins to the wonderful character acting going on with this lot. You must be ___________ this tall to remember three-quarters or more of this cast. If it snows where you live, next big snowstorm, have a copy ready to stream or DVD whatever. They don't make comedies of the reality/absurd BLOCKBUSTER-style with this kind of casting today, and more's the pity. It's a good enough time to plan to take a brief intermission so you're refreshed as the plot comes to a climax, heh. Good time for sure. I believe it's a "G" rated, no higher than PG, IIRC. But it's been long enough that I"m likely wrong. Spencer Tracy ... Capt. T. G. Culpepper Milton Berle ... J. Russell Finch Sid Caesar ... Melville Crump Buddy Hackett ... Mrs. Marcus Mickey Rooney ... Ding Bell Dick Shawn ... Sylvester Marcus Phil Silvers ... Otto Meyer Terry-Thomas ... J. Algernon Hawthorne Jonathan Winters ... Lennie Pike Edie Adams E ... Monica Crump Dorothy Provine ... Emeline Marcus-Finch Eddie 'Rochester' Anderson ... Second Cab Driver Jim Backus ... Tyler Fitzgerald Ben Blue ... Biplane Pilot Joe E. Brown ... Union Official Alan Carney ... Police Sergeant Chick Chandler ... Policeman Outside Ray & Irwin's Garage Barrie Chase ... Sylvester's Girlfriend Lloyd Corrigan ... The Mayor William Demarest ... Police Chief Aloysius Andy Devine ... Sheriff of Crockett County Selma Diamond ... Ginger Culpepper (voice) Peter Falk ... Third Cab Driver Norman Fell ell ... Detective at Grogan's Crash Site Paul Ford .. Col. Wilberforce Stan Freberg ... Deputy Sheriff Louise Glenn n ... Billie Sue Culpepper (voice) Leo Gorcey ... First Cab Driver Sterling Holloway ... Fire Chief Marvin Kaplan ... Irwin Edward Everett Horton ... Mr. Dinckler Horton also did the narrator and other voices of "Fractured Fairy Tales" Buster Keaton ... Jimmy the Crook Don Knotts Mike Mazurki ... Miner Charles McGraw ... Lt. Matthews Cliff Norton ... Reporter Zasu Pitts ... Gertie - Switchboard Operator Carl Reiner ... Tower Controller at Rancho Conejo Madlyn Rhue e ... Secretary Schwartz Roy Roberts ... Policeman Outside Irwin & Ray's Garage Arnold Stang ... Ray Nick Stewart t ... Migrant Truck Driver The Three Stooges ... Firemen - Nyuk, Nyuk, Nyuk! Sammee Tong ... Chinese Laundryman Jesse White ... Radio Tower Operator at Rancho Conejo Jimmy Durante e ... Smiler Grogan Gen X and above should enjoy it the most, but there's laughs by the bushel in a flick in which the vehicles used alone is cause for wonderment. And more laughs.

[@aspenrebel]

Yeah "Thunder Road" with a young Robert Mitchum. Driving souped up moon shine cars. As I recall, see price signs at gas stations that say 29 cents a gallon.

[@delrey874]

I've seen all the films on this list and in my opinion Vanishing Point had the most phenomenal car chase.

[@dbc1dc]

That's because the movie IS the car chase. Minimal dialogue, great scenery, and no better looking car in my opinion.

[@ianhill4585]

Plus a top notch story of a car racer, who's hit hard times, moving cars whilst doped up on pills, who at the end, doesn't care about the dozer,---- he's had enough of life .......

[@cathybiller9203]

Vanishing Point my absolute favorite I was lucky enough to own a black 70 R/T Challenger

[@nicolasdelon8688]

Quelle chance! la voiture de mes rêves.

[@johnpopoff7950]

I'm guessing that you don't have it anymore. They are worth crazy money today.

[@vikingrobot4179]

@@johnpopoff7950 Still available in basket case form to build as you like. Scored my ‘Cuda and took 12 years to build.

[@MrRollingstone66]

The ending though!

[@mariosaccoccio1688]

I had a blue 'Cuda in 1970, blue gut, white ragtop. I came out of the theater, got in & layed a track of rubber as I left! Fun times!

[@1suoiraciv954]

I have watched and enjoyed all of these movies and The Gumball Rally came to mind, of course it is a car race movie.

[@snowrocket]

Yes, I make that distinction as well!

[@themisterchristie]

One of my favourite chase scenes is the opening car chase in 1979's Mad Max

[@Dmack434]

Yes sir and you can actually hear the valve overlap!

[@jakewilcox8482]

I agree with you and that’s such a great movie!

[@bury_the_elite65294]

As an Aussie, I'm glad you mentioned this. The budget for the original (and best IMHO) Mad Max was so small that only 80% of the planned scenes were actually shot - director George Miller even donated his blue Mazda Bongo van, which is destroyed in that car chase. One of the stunt drivers in Mad max is Phil Brock - brother of Aussie motor racing hero Peter Brock (R.I.P.). And much of the original Mad Max was filmed in my home State of Victoria, Australia. :)

[@markkumanninen6524]

@@bury_the_elite65294 Just love this first issue of MM. Crazy humour, brutality and the all-out attitude. Can't force myself to rewatch the awful rip-off called the Fury Road.

[@64davrecon]

YES! Max is the King!.... The Ford Falcon XB became my all time favourite after that movie.

[@jasoncrouzat7509]

The original Gone in 60 Seconds that was probably one of my favourites

[@sylvester-jb3lj]

any of these are 100 times better than fast and furious cgi defy gravity rubbish we now get...

[@jonb5817]

Agree 100% !

[@jmc7681]

True dat

[@JamesWilliams-ii7yv]

You couldnt pay me to watch the fast and furious crap

[@p2p104]

@@JamesWilliams-ii7yv Same here. And Iam 28yo.

[@mikealanzo]

The FF series are just pure bullshit compared to these classics!!!

[@micahott1859]

Even though it wasn't in the 70's I still think that bullit was the best ever. And later on was the blues brothers classic.

[@kimberlyeley5816]

Also add The Man With Two Heads with Rosie Greer. Crazy car chase, looks like it lasts 30 minutes.

[@scubawi]

The car chase through the mall was awesome!

[@0421072]

The Blues Brothers started the 80's with a good chase.

[@bobblowhard8823]

Yes! And "The Blues Brothers" was actually filmed in 1979, and released in 1980.

[@dw8840]

@@bobblowhard8823 some of the Blues Brothers I believe was filmed in 1980.

[@NE-Explorer]

there is lots of room in this mall

[@bostjules6176]

Absolutely right!!! ☮️✌️

[@richardjohnson7638]

I believe it holds the record for most cars destroyed - - cop cars on top of cop cars and then more units on top of that sprinkled with more cop cars in hot pursuit. Far out!. And then some more on top of that

[@kennethcohagen3539]

The only bad thing about these great chase scenes is that so many cool cars were destroyed! Duel is one of my all time favorite movies. Late one night my Dad snuck into my bedroom, which I shared with my brother, and drug me out into the living room. He pointed to the couch and said , “ if your Mom catches us she’ll be mad.!” We sat there, volume turned down and the lights off until late into the night, and I was amazed to see the kid in my old man come out. Great memory, and a great movie. If you’ve never seen it, hunt it down and watch it!

[@superdave1949]

Duel is so intense! I remember reading the original short story in Playboy and thinking what a kickass movie that would make. When the first trailer for Duel dropped I was speechless with excitement! The young Steve Spielberg knocked it out of the park.

[@killerdinamo08]

Wow what a story 😮! Glad your mum didn't catch you, I also watched this with my father, but the stakes weren't that high to be caught though 😂.

[@johnbaxter533]

That is a classic great memory. I never saw the film but the story you told is as good as it gets.

[@rossbrumby1957]

Always got a kick out of Duel because I grew up in a Valiant family. Was really cool to see a Val as the star (hero) of a movie even if it wasn't an Aussie Valiant. ( I'm a South Aussie, and all Aussie Valiants were built in Adelaide, South Australia.

[@FloydLarck]

Loved the pre-CGI days when real cars driven by real people were used in the films.

[@HarmonHodge]

Vanishing Point is the hands down, number one car chase film of the 70s. List is spot on.

[@jimerinrose6235]

I agree Vanishing point should be number one!

[@johnmaki3046]

Yeah...the REAL "Vanishing Point" was GREAT...Remake, GARBAGE!

[@gcrav]

@@johnmaki3046 NUMBAH ONE, NUMERO UNO!!

[@mikelldaley9078]

YES ! GREAT SOUND TRACK TOO ! CLEVON LITTLE DJ REALLY GOOD !

[@rossbrumby1957]

Could well be. I'm just glad they didn't waste a Challenger in the bulldozer scene. The bonnet (hood) seen in the crash is the giveaway.

[@tonymunoz65]

I remember a movie called "Two Lane Blacktop" that featured an awesome 55' Chevy and a GTO.

[@mikee2923]

You can’t beat the 455.

[@nealmont]

It was the same '55 used in American Graffiti.

[@robocop207]

Remember Hot rods to Hell.

[@williamdilsworth2227]

Two Lane Blacktop was sweet,but it is still Bullitt

[@OldSchool-ot9rp]

James Taylor drove the '55

[@heathbrodersen7654]

The destruction of all those great old cars breaks my heart

[@juliestoakes1065]

You should try "the Italian Job". not the sh***y remake either, the film starts by trashing a Miura, goes through countless Minis, a pair of E types that succumb to a bulldozer and even a DB4 drophead, so rare they substituted a Lancia for some distance shots. Rumours abound that one E type and the Aston were later salvaged and restored, the Aston being one of only about 70 ever made.

[@Gieszkanne]

Yes but back in those they where just available and normal. What hurts me and I really dont get it, if they crash these classics in today movies.

[@dungareesareforfools]

The ones that get me are the genuine, restored Escort RS1600s in Fast and Furious. There was no need for those to be genuine RS1600s, no need for them to have been good restored examples, no need for them to have even been real 50 year old classic Escorts (of which far too many have already been wrecked in motorsport). Only about 1200 of those were ever built.

[@ORCECpwpro]

I own Dirty Mary and crazy Larry……. Had it on vhs then bought the first and only time I saw it on cd. Now it is literally priceless. Other than Two Lane Blacktop nothing else compares.

[@shawnpatrick5843]

Duel is the first road rage movie. Vanishing Point was my dad's favorite movie.

[@oneobserver2260]

Your dad had good taste in movies.!🙂

[@rp9674]

I saw a vanishing point with my dad, I was so excited to see boobies. "Is that SuperSoul?"

[@mr.2cents.846]

The Duell coat only $5000.

[@blackcountryme]

I remember watching the Duel as a kid, the day after the talk of "Was it the devil chasing him...." great film, especially the panic of the car driver when the truck is coming down the hill.

[@fredgarv79]

@@blackcountryme the great dennis weaver who went onto becoming "McCloud" the arizona sheriff that went to N.Y. and was somewhat out of place

[@bluzzjazz]

I was a teenager when Vanishing Point came out. Still love that Challengers from the 70s. A buddy from HS had a green one with a 440 six pack and pistol grip shifter. What that car would go for on Mecum now!

[@fila6243]

Rip Pontiac. You made a lot of movies and memories. Through incompetence we lost you.

[@Slinger43]

Amen to that!

[@carmudgeon7478]

Pontiac was profitable right up until the government demanded GM downsize to qualify for the bailout. Bob Lutz wrote about it.

[@melrose9252]

I miss what Pontiac was not what it became.

[@scottslotterbeck3796]

Why GM ditched that brand...??? Oldsmobile, too. A stealth car brand.

[@davidboudreau4054]

I was a young kid when Gone In 60 Seconds was released. My Dad took me to the movie theatre to see it. We both loved it. It was filmed by many locations he was familiar with. I became familiar with the Apt Building in Long Beach that Elenore was stolen from since I lived in Long Beach when I was in High School. The 1970's version of the film is way better than the reboot...

[@johnjames77]

I saw the movie when it fist cam out and loved it. i can't imagine a better car chase.

[@davidroman1654]

@@johnjames77 I saw Gone in 60 in the 70's and it will always be #1 for me. Have the both Old and New.

[@mrpoizun]

I bought the DVD of it with all the extras, but when I started watching the movie, I could not finish it. Just too dumb and too boring.

[@richardb7977]

The Gumball Rally, it was vintage 70's gold for driving across country race.

[@joebeus6886]

The Gumball Rally is the best car movie ever made !!

[@jjkakdb]

"It's Those Damn Fake Cops Again!" - Gary Busey

[@JeremyHartson2000]

Shaped my obsession for car life

[@Mmikeyyyy]

Yeah, the cobra and Ferrari scene was great with hearing the car engine and not some boring soundtrack!

[@jbelder71]

Real Cobra and real Ferrari Daytona in that movie and they thrashed the hell out of them. Love it!

[@georgeharleydavidsonrider156]

RIP Burt Reynolds and all the other stars in these 1970s movie Classics.

[@stuartkinzel8195]

From a pure car chase view, I'd put Gone in 60 Seconds first. Make no mistake, it is NOT a good movie but that car chase is truly epic.

[@johnpopoff7950]

Yes the first one not the Nick Cage wanna be.

[@Cowley46]

Totally agree, it's the daddy of car chases.

[@Winterstick549]

The remake with Nicholas Cage sucked ass.

[@gregoryhagen8801]

@@Winterstick549 remakes always stink.

[@tomrodgers6629]

Honorable mention "corvette summer" for every gearhead obsessed with their car.

[@nickh5081]

Loved that movie as a kid in the 70s. Not only were the cars the bomb, but it starred Luke Skywalker!

[@pookysdad4884]

You definitely need to do a Part 2, with Bullit, The Blues Brothers, Grand Theft Auto, Eat My Dust, Checkered Flag or Crash, Cannonball Run, The Gumball Rally, Mad Max, and The Road Warrior.

[@ladamyre1]

Bullitt was released in 1968. Look at the title of the video again.

[@manny3812]

Yes those are great movies I know acouple more to add

[@brianmacdougall9200]

The Road Warrior was 1982... it’s a 70’s review....😏

[@edwardcox2840]

Lord l have not heard of checkered flag or crash in over 30 years or so it was cool watched it when l was a teenager 😄 like to see it again

[@jerseyforhawks]

Agreed Mad Max, 1979.

[@paulmackiewicz9836]

The car chase scene in To Live and Die in LA should get honorable mention

[@RightURKen7]

That was 1985. This list is specific to movies of the 70s.

[@jamesgallagher1992]

Yes 1985..but an absolute classic car chase and great film👍👍

[@captainmorgan1107]

Cary Loftin, who you mentioned did vehicle stunt work in Vanishing Point, Bullitt, and French Connection, was also the sadistic truck driver in Duel.

[@marcdonato9322]

He was also George C. Scotts driver in Patton...

[@BrianWood-fj7yg]

@@marcdonato9322 Scott's driver in Patton was Bill Hickman. Loftin was the driver for Karl Maulden's Omar Bradley.

[@chrismechanic6164]

Here's one for you hot rod car chase fans. It stars Charlie Sheens father, Martin Sheen playing the character Micheal McCord AKA ",The California kid" also the name of the car and the movie. The car is the star of the movie, a black 1934 ford 3 window coupe covered in orange flames. Also starring Vic Morrow as a Sherriff skirting the law concerning speeders through his county and Nick Nolte too. Not really a bunch of car chases but the main one is the highlight of the movie between the kid and the outlaw sherriff. Some critics said the movie was kind of cheesy but as a kid I loved it and I still like to watch it today whenever I can catch it on which is rare. If you do look it up and watch it there are a few people in the movie that eventually became television stars. I kind of like that Nostalgia kind of stuff.

[@1962lp2h]

"Fear is the key" 1972 another great Barry Newman movie with the epic Ford Gran Torino sport car chase, twists and turns in the plot, nail biting, edge of your seat action - Amazing

[@bingavila8576]

My favourite too Fearis the Key with Barry Newman on a1972 Ford Gran Torino.

[@djdon60]

Oh, I want to see that; thanks, for the tip!

[@RebelDukeTX]

Agreed. If nothing more, to see it the first time with Barry Newman, after you've probably already seen him in Vanishing Point. But good driving, good stunts. And being a Gran Torino owner myself, seeing a Gran Torino as one of the major stars in the movie. The cars are so often the stars in a lot of these movies. This particular one was more obscure, compared to other comparable movies...it's often been overlooked. So, people are thrilled to find it and see for the first time.

[@edwardcox2840]

You cannot find it anywhere to buy

[@scottslotterbeck3796]

My Dad owned a Gran Torino, and my gf hated to ride with me in that car. It begged to be driven fast. Almost outran a CHP until said gf told me to stop.

[@andypowell4702]

Vanishing point is number 1 for me, love that movie and an all white stripe delete 440 70 challenger is my dream car. All I can afford is my beater slant six three speed 70 plymouth duster but at least it's a cool mopar.

[@IRONHEAD12701]

I was just a kid, living in Bensonhurst Brooklyn when “The French connection” was filmed. The car chase thru the neighborhood, under the L, on 86th street was awesome. I lived just a few blocks from it. My parents saw the movie upon release, looking to see if anyone they knew was in it. There were a few in it, by accident of course. I’ve seen it many times and can still remember seeing certain people, stores, and things from the past. Such a great movie. Thanks for sharing 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@Sunspot1225.]

Memories are perfect.

[@Slinger43]

The late 60's, until about 1980 was certainly the Wild-Wild West of movie making, especially with car chase movie's! 😏

[@smf2072]

uh huh, yeah me too !!! my grandma was the one with the beehive & a 120 hagin out of her mouth waving.

[@freesoul3371]

Mad Max Fury Road a GREAT modern day non CGI car chase movie start to finish. They built all those vehicles and did those stunts. It is one of the best ever.

[@snowrocket]

The vehicles built for "Fury Road" WERE great, but I thought the movie itself was the worst movie I'd seen in 30 years. I'm a big fan of the '79-'85 Mad Max trilogy though.

[@timjohnson1199]

I remember when I was a teenager I saw Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry about 5 times at the show. Haven't seen it since then.

[@jk3dad]

I remember seeing this a few times when I was a teenager in the 70's as well. I recommend watching it again.

[@JoseyWales44s]

I know that I was rooting for them to get killed.

[@_stardust62]

I got the dvd...good flick, saw the ending at the theater in 74....blew my mind!

[@ManiacRider3113]

Ya, I thought Peter Fonda was one cool dude. Boy was I wrong!! Susan George was hot though.

[@theherald3117]

My big sister took me to see it when I was a kid. She had told my mom we were going to see some other movie, a Disney movie I think it was, but at 8 years old, I thought the movie was great!

[@DonsATV]

Was wondering how "The Blues Brothers" missed this list the realized it was from 1980. 😊 Some great memories of awesome movies. Thanks!!!

[@marcinjochem8579]

The moment when they are speeding max through the city. I cam watch it over and over

[@user-jr6dw7nh7q]

I watched the blues brothers, the first and second parts, and this was one of the best I watched, the old movies have more suspense and excitement than today we are in 2022 and I am looking for some old movies 🇵🇸

[@thegallantsaint2034]

For me, that was the best car chase ever.

[@nostradamus7648]

Elwood: It's got a cop motor, a 440 cubic inch plant, it's got cop tires, cop suspensions, cop shocks. It's a model made before catalytic converters so it'll run good on regular gas. What do you say, is it the new Bluesmobile or what?

[@MichaelSmith-kj4ik]

@@nostradamus7648 “Fix the cigarette lighter.”

[@SuperMinion-vy1hk]

I love vanishing Point & Crazy Mary & Dirty Larry.

[@Azrael_the_Black]

Short list of movies for a possible Part 2 video, in chronological order: "Two-lane Blacktop" (1971) "The Getaway" (1972) "Death Race 2000" (1975) "Moonrunners" (1975) "Cannonball" (1976) "Eat My Dust!" (1976) "The Gumball Rally" (1976) "Double Nickels" (1977) "Grand Theft Auto" (1977) "Speedtrap" (1977) "Mad Max" (1979)

[@jonathangriffin1120]

'Death Race 2000' was brilliant! A political satire, strangely prophetic and a black comedy to boot!

[@stratobungle]

"Return to Macon County" 1975, w/ Nick Nolte and Don Johnson - was re-released in the '90s after Nick and Don got famous...

[@stoneylonesome5826]

1974’s Thunderbolt and Lightfoot was great as well.

[@greg33770]

It was a great time in my life...late teens early 20's......loved all of these, very entertaining ! Whenever i see that they are on tv, i'll watch'em again and again !

[@nancyanderson2032]

born in 64 but loved the 70's. the most fun i ever had and best music too

[@joshsoorlin579]

Whats the movie from the thumbnail

[@tapertim]

Gone in 60 seconds my favorite movie of all time

[@popples4973]

The original one.

[@stevek1018]

My favorite was Vanishing Point. I can remember that my younger brother and I were able to sneak into the movie when we were living in Okinawa. At Rated-R we were expecting to see some nudity. But only saw a lot of car chase's. Enjoyed every minute of it. We were able to tell our friends in school the next day what the movie was about.

[@jackinabox8497]

There was that nude chick on the minibike, when he got some "speed" from her hippie boyfriend. Kowalski was my hero for years and the "DJ" was cool also. Great movie but the ending upset me, esspecially as he was a returned Vietnam veteran. I wish i could watch it again. Bob. Australia

[@143karter]

The nude Blonde on the motorcycle. Watch it again......

[@robbansalmi3742]

Nude girl on honda in the desert.

[@mikesmith1290]

The original gone in 60 seconds is my all time favorite. He actually wrapped the pole in that turn.

[@torkflite]

Mine too and Junkman

[@BatMan-oe2gh]

I know, nearly killed himself right there and then. I have it on DVD and watch it every couple of years. Mostly just for the brilliant ending. Cheers

[@lukewarmwater6412]

that car got so beat! the part where he hit the pole was not in the script, he had to do the rest of the shoot with broken ribs.... the end of that movie was just great!. the woman at the car wash going "this is not my car!!"

[@evieeve9618]

All the other chases are epic but Gone in sixty seconds and Vanishing Point are top two.

[@pookysdad4884]

Agreed, and my all time favorite movies are Duel, and The Road Warrior.

[@UncleTerry]

same here. Gone in sixty seconds as a movie on the whole is awful but the Forty minute car chase and destruction is cinema gold . Vanishing point I had at number #1 Great movie All in All.

[@markkumanninen6524]

The VP has the best (deepest) storyline. The way to go, man

[@therightisright8276]

High speed chases and fiery crashes! Reminds me of driving to High School in the late 70's.

[@christopherabernathy4236]

Had you wondering. Am I going to be late for class again?

[@jeffmccarty9550]

Smokey and the bandit was definitely an iconic movie,I was 11 when it came out,great movie ,I still love it to this day

[@tygunn8183]

Same here. Born in 1966. Did you catch the mistake: They show Sheriff Justice leaving his car door open. Then it's closed. Then it's open again right before the truck driver knocks it off.

[@fredgarv79]

The great Jackie Gleason made that movie but burt and sally were pretty darn good.

[@landontesar3070]

that movie definitely affected my attitude. about that age when it came out and there was nothing else to do that summer but sit in the theatre and watch it.

[@carlpage4248]

The grit in these movies feels so real.You don't get that feeling with today's action movies at all.

[@tub19]

more so with any car chase now day's back then you felt you was in the car.

[@moviesgalore9947]

Mary and Larry's twist ending is great because it's such a big surprise it's amazing.

[@theonionman]

This is such an amazing flashback!!! Those were great times to be alive!!!

[@townfool6859]

Though not about cars, even “Convoy” deserves a honorable mention.

[@davidcruz8667]

Yep, "Convoy" was fun. And Ali McGraw... ooph...

[@Thunderdog440]

Dirty Mary and Crazy Larry. I have to say that this movie with Vanishing point is my favorites.

[@basslogic6385]

Excellent video ! Some other great car chase movies, The Original Blues Brothers driving through a shopping mall. Also, Hooper had a great car chase scene and bridge jump.

[@dukecraig2402]

Fun fact, John Wayne's son, Ethan Wayne worked as a stunt man on The Blues Brothers. Read the credits at the end of the movie, under stunts you'll see John E Wayne (Ethan was really his middle name, presumably because there was already someone around the house with the name of John he went by his middle name of Ethan). The Blues Brothers was the first of several movies Ethan Wayne worked on as a stunt man.

[@194853DodgeTrucks]

"Crazy Mary, Dirty Larry" Film in Linden, California where Aaron Judge grew up and was drafted by the New York Yankees. The scene where the cops crashed into a road billboard was done on our property (700 acres) without our permission and without us knowing about it. We found the billboard in pieces laying about the field (fence down), Grandpa made a workbench out of the wood.

[@kingscorpion7346]

the one I remember the most was Dirty Mary and Crazy Larry from 1974. Saw it at the drive-in when I was 10 years old and I loved that Dodge Charger!

[@lifelongbachelor3651]

Finally - a good quality list of best of...

[@tysonkonken6184]

JMO but the opening scene in Gone in 60 seconds is my favorite chase of all time. Stunt driven tow truck with a car attached, nothing but impressive!

[@paulbailey2227]

Vanishing Point is a classic, 'beans son, lotsa beans, you can beat the police, you can even beat the clock, but ya can't beat da desert!'

[@JrGoonior]

Question isn't "Is he going to stop?" but "Who's going to stop him?"

[@silverfox5507]

Owned a 81 Trans Am T top in my youth loved that car .

[@MDR1405]

Good list, I always tell people about Dirty Mary and Crazy Larry, and the 7-ups; the look on Roy Schieders face at the end of the chase is priceless.

[@gregoryjames7976]

I remember all of these. My father use to take us to see them when I was a kid. Bullet was 1968. However the best “chase” in a movie was The Burglars.

[@Guiltless765]

Dirty Mary Crazy Larry is my favorite all time car movie. That Charger is sweet.🇺🇸

[@generationless6942]

WAS sweet!

[@IPLAYLOUD]

Freeze "Vanishing Point" as the car hits the Bulldozers and you'll see they used a Camaro for the crash.

[@williamkn621]

Waste a Camaro,,,yes not a Challenger

[@nancyanderson2032]

they made movies so authentic back then. i just loved the 70;s era. my 1st car was a 1969 ford mustang fastback w/Boss 302 under the hood. i loved that car. regret selling it but by the late 80's i married and had 3 kids so we got a suburban

[@kevinlong4084]

Even with all the crisis like gas shortage, Vietnam, the hippie collage protest, with all that going on people still had enough time to learn how to play a instrument there is no doubt living was good back then.

[@donaldshimkus539]

My best car was a 67 Mustang fastback, 289/325, 4 spd, Carter AFB, duals and 3.50 posi. 140 mph no problem. GOD I miss that car. Sold it in 1980 for less than a grand. #@$%&(

[@sbrenner2561]

I saw Vanishing Point as the first film of a double feature. The second film was Concert for Bangladesh. Quite a night!

[@MrThewhip333]

Some of my favourite growing up

[@thatmichiganguy]

My all-time favorite is the 1970 Challenger

[@thomaslucas6079]

I remember sitting around with my parents watching high speed car chassis. They had one heck of a lot of them. Being a kid and my parents still alive they have warm memories for me.

[@josephgaviota]

😀 So great to hear. Same for me.

[@barrykery1175]

That was interesting to watch. I remember, "The Blues Brothers" but that was 1980. You just reminded me of movies that I want to watch again. Thanks for posting, Barry

[@bobblowhard8823]

Yes, Barry, "The Blues Brothers" was released in 1980, but filmed and completed in 1979.

[@andrewluchsinger]

I loved that movie!! It is one movie that can't be beat.

[@kcbroncohater]

I loved weekends back then. Fridays night, street racing, Saturday night, date night at the drive in.

[@VoteWithABullet]

The Seven Ups is my all time favorite car chase movie.

[@warrendubeau851]

Pretty good list. Hard to top The French Connection, when all the crashes were mistakes, but the director used them because they added to the chaos and energy of the chase. It's all a matter of taste, but Mad Max really raised the bar. And apparently a lot of the performers were paid with beer. Gotta love low-budget 70s movies! Gumball Rally was another gem from the 70s.

[@mikeadcock1592]

Idk how true it is, but I read that when they filmed "the French Connection", they didn't bother getting all the necessary permits and clearances from the city. Part of the crashes were unintentional. The guy in the white LTD wasn't part of the movie, he was a bystander who get slammed and it cost them a considerable amount of money to settle that. Like I said, idk how true this is, but I remember reading it on the internet. If anyone knows for sure, your comment would be appreciated

[@carlcushmanhybels8159]

@@mikeadcock1592 The video itself says true. They hadn't gotten the necessary permits and clearances.

[@oddities-whatnot]

As a separate bit of info about paying extras, apparently in Quadrophenia when they had the fight on the beach between mods and rockers, they were paid 10 quid each. Good money back then.

[@guynese977]

vanishing point is number one..

[@melanieinsaskatchewan7964]

@@mikeadcock1592 You've got it right. Director even did some of the in car camera work because he felt it was too dangerous for his actors. Just the director and a stunt driver. The lack of permits and an early morning shoot led to the LTD driver crossing the lines and hence the unscripted accident. The most realism in a car chase movie but for me it's the highway chase scene in To Live and Die in L.A. driving the wrong way on the freeway.

[@jbluther]

Bullitt and McQ would be like 1-hour movies today. LOL Both seem to have a lot of screen time of the main character driving to have a short conversation with someone and stopping to make phone calls. With cell phones, there would be no need to stop or to even make half the trips.

[@charlieandhudsonspal1312]

Dirty Mary takes me back to good times

[@gijim1968]

Good list, but the final chase in the original Gone In 60 Seconds is absolutely epic

[@Fifury161]

Wow - you reminded me why chase scenes in 70s movies where so awesome - no stupid CGI! Back when Rémy Julienne was almost a household name!

[@snowrocket]

He and his guys did the stunt driving for The Italian Job (1969). I like this one better than the remake.

[@texasaggie8449]

I had a ‘72 firebird at age 16 in 1976 that i paid for from working 3 jobs while in high school. Wish I had that car now.

[@RideAcrossTheRiver]

You'd have to work three full-time jobs today to pay for a fast four-year-old car.

[@mikee2923]

@@RideAcrossTheRiver You’d need more than that to afford a nice 72 Firebird.

[@sbatty65227]

70s Gone in 60 Seconds. Awesome car chase

[@williamfreeman9654]

Great video! I love all of these movies, IMO the final car chase in "The Driver" where the young hired gun in the Trans Am tries to out run Ryan O'Neil in a pick up truck but ends up getting a lesson in driving and told to "go home" is my all time favorite.

[@snowrocket]

I'm not sure that last chase scene in "The Driver" is my all-time favorite, but it's near the top! That scene at the end of that chase with the Trans Am guys and Ryan O'Neil is possibly the best one in the whole movie. That movie is overlooked and under rated, but VERY good!

[@wkanost]

Did you notice how many of these were released in 1974? It was a very good year.

[@jefferyepstein9210]

Same year I was born. Great year indeed!!

[@DSchea]

Ironic cause performance was at an all time low that year due to mandatory catalytic converters.

[@rwfrench66GenX]

People were bummed about unleaded fuel, the oil crisis, catalytic converters, and how the Big Three were taking away the muscle era for “styling” so Hollywood produced movies where they could get cars donated from the Big Three.

[@mikee2923]

@@DSchea First catalytic converters came with the 1975 model year.

[@snowrocket]

@@DSchea Not mandatory, but most used them. Mazda Wankel rotaries and Honda CVCC engines didn't need catalysts until about 1981.

[@xblackdogrunsx]

I watched Gone in 60 seconds many times as a kid my grandad let me watch it. My favorite scene was the crumpled junk rolling out of the car wash and the guy fleeing in a new stolen replica. Awesome film!

[@JamesWilliams-ii7yv]

Vanishing Point and Gone in sixty seconds ends were the best of the seventies

[@AnthonyP2A]

Your choices for 1st, 2nd and 3rd are SPOT ON!!!!!

[@dogbarbill]

4:22 Dirty Mary Crazy Larry: I have this on DVD. It includes director commentary and a featurette about the making of the movie. Susan George is fun to look at, she's cute and hot in the halter top she wears. Vic Morrow is the sheriff out to get them. Roddy McDowell is the store manager, but Roddy wanted no screen credit for the part. Peter Fonda is the racer, Adam Roarke is his mechanic. I love the Charger (and Susan). One of my favorite movies, I recommend it.

[@01TA]

I'll keep this simple. EXCELLENT!!

[@buckackerman9256]

I was about to say Bullitt but realized that Bullitt was 1968, all though it was not until the 1970s that it caught the success it deserved.

[@yossarian6799]

While not a "car chase movie" per se, "To Live And Die in LA" has one of the best chase scenes ever. There was an interesting low budget chase flick from the 70s shot outside of New Orleans with some great chase scenes on levees, ferries, and abandoned oil field wood plank roads. The title escapes me...

[@scottslotterbeck3796]

The LA flick chase scene was from '85, and an AWESOME chase scene.

[@guyh9992]

Fear is the Key. Barry Newman and the stunt coordinator from Vanishing Point a year later.

[@foolishwatcher]

That one seems to be almost forgotten nowadays.

[@duanevp]

I have waited so long for that to be revived on video or one of the streaming services. No way of knowing if it stood the test of time because you just can't find it anywhere. I only saw it once. Can't remember if it was in the theater or MAYBE on TV on cable? All I can really remember of it is a lot of car chase and the ending scene.

[@oldguy9051]

@@duanevp It's still very decent but, frankly, my memory of it was a little bit better.

[@iantonkin1143]

One of the best. Saw it at a drive in in Australia in the early 70s and the cars all around where blaring their horns in appreciation.

[@icatz]

Thanks for the great memories!

[@notpoliticallycorrect1303]

When thinking of car chase movies,Smokey and the bandit is the one that springs to mind instantly!

[@donnamarie3617]

Oh, I'd forgotten how just gorgeous Sally Field was, and still is!

[@superdave1949]

Not to mention that you could feel the heat between Burt and Sally emanating from the screen!

[@edwardwood3622]

The Challenger in Vanishing Point I believe was chosen because it was BEAUTIFUL and had great power and suspension. Great video, you could make a part two.

[@ralphsmailus9412]

Volle Zustimmung, sehr geil gemacht.

[@plymouthduster225]

Yes I believe that it is correct. Because it had the torsion bar suspension.

[@50buttfish]

Can't have a PART 2; since the driver died in the end. No more sequels; it just shows desperation of Hollyweird.

[@dannylee1987]

The orginal Gone in Sixty Seconds is the greatest car chase film ever !!!

[@jeff022889]

Totally agree, I loved two lane blacktop too, but it's a street racing movie.

[@jimblue39]

Only seen 3 of these, French Connection, Duel and Smokey & the Bandit. I enjoyed all 3 of them.

[@argylegirl9953]

I'm glad The French Connection took first. Although I watch the chase scene in Bullitt on a loop sometimes there is nothing quite like the chase scene under the L. It totally had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. Bill Hickman was such an amazing stunt driver ~ my favorite.

[@Roger-go6jc]

Spot on.