# Formerly uncool cars that became cool after being featured in a movie or TV show **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 1, 2020, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/formerly-uncool-cars-that-became-cool-after-being-featured-in-a-movie-or-tv-show/924474 "2020-11-01T06:11:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2020, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/formerly-uncool-cars-that-became-cool-after-being-featured-in-a-movie-or-tv-show/924474/41 "2020-11-03T02:16:21Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > Again, the entire joke is premised on the car itself being a loser. A car widely considered as cool (sales be damned) wouldn’t work. It wasn’t a joke. Marty was impressed with the car, not incredulous. Doc Brown agrees: “The way I see it, if you’re gonna build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style?” Though the car’s reputation explains why the 1955 time travel run started so far back. It took 30 seconds to get the car up to 88. And the Aztek will never be cool. That is the ugliest car ever made. It was citied by the government for several violations of bad taste, ---
**Author:** ![echoreply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/echoreply/32/3641_2.png) [@echoreply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/echoreply)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2020, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/formerly-uncool-cars-that-became-cool-after-being-featured-in-a-movie-or-tv-show/924474/42 "2020-11-03T02:41:28Z")
I think without the movie the DeLorean would just be an automotive footnote, not a cultural icon. A striking look, ambitious features, and underwhelming performance would have left it to history and a few collectors. The striking looks mean that seeing one today (in a future without Back to the Future) would result in, “cool, what’s that?” instead of “oh wow, a DeLorean.” ---
**Author:** ![digs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/digs/32/14889_2.png) [@digs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/digs)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2020, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/formerly-uncool-cars-that-became-cool-after-being-featured-in-a-movie-or-tv-show/924474/43 "2020-11-03T03:50:34Z")
I remember when the DeLorean came out, and saw a lot of them in car magazines. But my kids have seen more of them recently (“in the wild”) than I have… … but 100% of the current ones have flux capacitors installed in them. ---
**Author:** ![bengangmo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@bengangmo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bengangmo)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2020, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/formerly-uncool-cars-that-became-cool-after-being-featured-in-a-movie-or-tv-show/924474/44 "2020-11-03T04:06:20Z")
A bit surprising to see the mini cooper mentioned. That was WAY cool before any movies were made about it, and a rally icon. And if any movie were to make it famous it would have to be both editions of “The Italian Job” Also - I wouldn’t be a Kiwi if I didn’t mention “Goodbye Pork Pie” (both the original and the remake) Last time I looked - the complete original was available on Youtube (if you watch it in sections) An awesome movie if you wanna hear kiwi accents and see some great scenery ---
**Author:** ![essaychess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/2bfe46/32.png) [@essaychess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/essaychess)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2020, 1:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/formerly-uncool-cars-that-became-cool-after-being-featured-in-a-movie-or-tv-show/924474/45 "2020-11-03T13:09:21Z")
You may be right about the mini cooper already being considered cool before Bourne, but I believe the car chase in that movie definitely moved it up quite a bit. Also, the first Bourne movie came out a year before the Italian Job remake. ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2020, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/formerly-uncool-cars-that-became-cool-after-being-featured-in-a-movie-or-tv-show/924474/46 "2020-11-03T13:21:29Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > > [@Jophiel](#): > > > > Again, the entire joke is premised on the car itself being a loser. A car widely considered as cool (sales be damned) wouldn’t work. > > It wasn’t a joke. Marty was impressed with the car, not incredulous. Doc Brown agrees: “The way I see it, if you’re gonna build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style?” > > Though the car’s reputation explains why the 1955 time travel run started so far back. It took 30 seconds to get the car up to 88. > > And the Aztek will never be cool. That is the ugliest car ever made. It was citied by the government for several violations of bad taste, Excuse me, but the Nissan Jukes are much more hideous than the Extend. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2020, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/formerly-uncool-cars-that-became-cool-after-being-featured-in-a-movie-or-tv-show/924474/47 "2020-11-03T13:39:18Z")
_The Lincoln Lawyer_ may have popularized Lincolns for people under the age of 75. Smart Cars certainly seemed more commonplace in the USA after being used as sight gags on Steve Martin’s _The Pink Panther_ and Woody Allen’s _Scoop_. Not even _Mr. Bean_ could rehabilitate the Reliant Robin. ---
**Author:** ![kitap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/b9e5f3/32.png) [@kitap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kitap)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2020, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/formerly-uncool-cars-that-became-cool-after-being-featured-in-a-movie-or-tv-show/924474/48 "2020-11-03T16:08:28Z")
> [@kitap](#): > > > [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > > > > [@Jophiel](#): > > > > > > Again, the entire joke is premised on the car itself being a loser. A car widely considered as cool (sales be damned) wouldn’t work. > > > > It wasn’t a joke. Marty was impressed with the car, not incredulous. Doc Brown agrees: “The way I see it, if you’re gonna build a time machine into a car, why not do it with some style?” > > > > Though the car’s reputation explains why the 1955 time travel run started so far back. It took 30 seconds to get the car up to 88. > > > > And the Aztek will never be cool. That is the ugliest car ever made. It was citied by the government for several violations of bad taste, > > Excuse me, but the Nissan Jukes are much more hideous than the Extend. Stupid autocorrect. I meant Aztek, not Extend. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2020, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/formerly-uncool-cars-that-became-cool-after-being-featured-in-a-movie-or-tv-show/924474/49 "2020-11-05T04:50:48Z")
I’ve got a line on two Busses (is that right?) that I can pick up for a song. But, Damn! My place looks like a junkyard already, and I ain’t gonna never finish any of these projects. And I don’t know VW. I know BMW. What can be so hard? Down this road leads to madness… ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2020, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/formerly-uncool-cars-that-became-cool-after-being-featured-in-a-movie-or-tv-show/924474/50 "2020-11-05T06:11:24Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > So it seems as if the DeLorean was a car seen as “cool” at first (with those gull-wing doors and stainless steel body), but later became “uncool”. Because it was super unreliable. It was a cool looking POS. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [November 5, 2020, 6:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/formerly-uncool-cars-that-became-cool-after-being-featured-in-a-movie-or-tv-show/924474/51 "2020-11-05T06:17:02Z")
> [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](#): > > And the Aztek will never be cool. That is the ugliest car ever made. It was citied by the government for several violations of bad taste, I actually think it was neat looking, kinda unique. Doesnt even make this list: > **[Ugly Cars: The All-Time Definitive List of Eye-Busting Design](https://www.motortrend.com/features/ugly-cars/)** > > For your reading displeasure, MotorTrend has grouped the worst-looking, most-regrettable, downright homeliest car designs ever produced. Apologies in advance for these ugly cars. ---
**Author:** ![Kron](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kron/32/12444_2.png) [@Kron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kron)\ **Post date:** [November 6, 2020, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/formerly-uncool-cars-that-became-cool-after-being-featured-in-a-movie-or-tv-show/924474/52 "2020-11-06T15:53:38Z")
Obviously tastes vary. I agree with about 2/3 of that list (the Chevy Lumina I always saw as a blight on the streets!). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/formerly-uncool-cars-that-became-cool-after-being-featured-in-a-movie-or-tv-show/924474.md?page=2)