Ka-Chow!
People have loved anthropomorphizing the objects nearest and dearest to us for time immemorial, so it’s no surprise that plenty of our media centers on talking animals, household objects, and heavy machinery. Yes, the television and film industry is full of talking cars, spanning genres, live action, and animation styles. Have you seen every car on this list? Let us know. And warning: spoilers ahead!
1. Christine
Christine is the titular character and main antagonist of this 1983 Stephen King adaptation. She’s a 1958 Plymouth Fury, and - ahem- helps several characters exit stage left. The movie gives no reason for the car's demonic spirit, showing that it was likely evil since its "birth." However, in the book, the car is possessed by its previous owner, Roland D. LeBay.
Hylnder777 at English Wikipedia on Wikimedia
2. Bumblebee
Technically, he’s not really a car, since the Transformers are alien robots, but we see him disguised as a black and yellow Chevrolet Camaro, so we’ll keep him on the list. When Bumblebee and the other Transformers are in car form, they can drive themselves from place to place.
3. The Magic School Bus
This iconic animated series' namesake is a silly, magical school bus, affectionately known as ‘Bus’ to Ms. Frizzle and her class. Bus does have the ability to drive itself, take on the shape of an animal, fly, and shrink or grow in size.
4. Lightning McQueen
What else is there to say about one of the most well-known sentient cars out there? Lightning McQueen is the protagonist of the movie Cars, which features a whole world of sentient vehicles. McQueen is actually based on several car designs, mixing elements of NASCAR stock cars, Le Mans-style racing cars, and the Chevrolet Corvette C6.
5. Herbie
Herbie, also known as the Love Bug, is a 1963 Volkswagen Beetle that appeared in several Disney movies throughout the decades. Herbie is best known for having a sense of humor and being a cheerful and energetic companion to the humans in the film.
6. Benny The Cab
Benny the Cab is from the 1988 movie Who Framed Roger Rabbit? A comedic take on the noir genre that blends animation with live actors. Benny is known to be sarcastic, gruff, outspoken, and short-tempered, but is always loyal to his friends.
7. Flying Ford Anglia
You know her, you love her, it’s the flying car from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. While her sentience is only magically engineered, the car does seem to have a personality, which is best seen after she kicks Ron and Harry out and drives off into the forest.
8. Brum
This titular character is part of a British children’s television series that ran between 1991 and 2002. He’s based on a 1920s Austin 7 Chummy convertible, although he's much smaller than the original vehicle.
9. Roary The Racing Car
Roary the Racing Car is another British animated series for kids that ran from 2007 to 2010. The series follows Roary and his friends in and around a racing circuit. Roary was actually believed to be the predecessor of Cars, but those rumors have been debunked.
10. KITT
KITT is the name of the artificial intelligence computer module found in the Knight Rider series. He’s usually heard coming from a 1982 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am, and his highly sophisticated technology grants him self-awareness, independent thought, and even an ego.
11. Muck
Muck is the red dump truck on Bob the Builder’s dream team. When he’s not helping Bob with a dig, Muck is well-known for causing trouble in and around the town, but usually learns his lesson by the end of the episode.
12. C.A.R.T.E.R
This familial car comes from the animated series The Replacements, although familial is maybe not the word he would use. Technically, C.A.R.T.E.R. is Agent K’s partner, and if it were up to him, K would be the only member of the Daring family he’d communicate with.
13. Sparky
Sparky is from the 2006 animated movie A Car’s Life, and you absolutely love to hate him. The movie is rated 1.2 stars out of 10 on IMDB, and is well known for having terrible animation, off-putting audio syncing, and Sparky as a character is one-dimensional and generally unlikable.
14. Speedy
Speedy is the titular character of the Hanna-Barbera animated series Speed Buggy. He’s an anthropomorphic, bright orange dune buggy who can talk, drive, fly, swim, and dig. Speedy is a well-loved character with a heart of gold, and he’s voiced by the incomparable Mel Blanc.
15. RC
RC is a car character from the Toy Story franchise who only appears in the present day during the first two movies. He’s an adorable green vehicle that can only communicate through revving his engine, and only certain toys can understand what he’s saying.
16. Charlie II
The plot of this 2006 German film involves an 11-year-old boy by the name of Felix constructing a car from a wrecked engine. When Felix connects the car to the Internet, the car develops anthropomorphic tendencies. In honor of his older brother, Charlie, Felix names the car Charlie II. So no, Charlie II is not a sequel.
17. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Based on an early 1920s novel, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is the titular character of the musical and stage production of the same name. Chitty is a custom model, but it does contain a Ford 3000 Essex V6 engine.
18. Gadgetmobile
The Gadgetmobile is the anthropomorphic talking car from the Inspector Gadget series. He has two “modes,” one that makes him look like a standard van, and the other makes him look like a police vehicle. It’s widely believed that Gadgetmobile is based on a Lotus Esprit S2.
aka Tman from Guelph.........Ontario, CANADA on Wikimedia
19. Cab 804
Occurring in season 2 of Wizards of Waverly Place, Selena Gomez’s Alex Russo steals the cab she was born in— Cab 804, or Bert, after discovering it’s being slated for the scrapyard. With a little flick of her wand, Alex makes her birth cab come to life.
20. Bertie The Bus
Bertie is a red single-decker bus from Thomas the Tank Engine, which works alongside Thomas’s railway. He’s well-known for teasing Thomas, Trevor, and the other anthropomorphic characters in the show, and constantly prides himself on being faster than any other vehicle (even if it’s not true).
