Five Times Ford was the Star of the Silver Screen

The American film industry was still in its infancy when Ford first opened its doors. At the start of the twentieth century, crowds were gathering at nickelodeon theaters to see moving pictures (silently, as accompanying sound still being a distant dream.) As American cinema evolved, Ford developed a close relationship with Hollywood, which has only strengthened over the ensuing decades.

Today, you can find Ford vehicles everywhere, from summer action flicks like the Fast and the Furious franchise to Oscar fare such as Ford Vs. Ferrari. And now, Charles Gabus Ford presents our feature presentation: five starring film roles in which Ford stole the spotlight.

Bullitt (1968)

Any blog about Ford in film – and really, cars in film in general – should begin with 1968’s Bullitt. This Steve McQueen-starring action flick is generally acknowledged as the father of the modern car chase sequence. Cruising down the hilly streets of San Francisco in his 1968 Mustang Fastback, McQueen helped expand the scope of what cars were capable of in Hollywood. This Mustang wasn’t just an accessory to Bullitt’s iconic chase sequences – it was the star of them.

Grease (1978)

To best depict the nostalgic summer of 1958, this 1978 classic featured a 1948 Ford De Luxe. Make sense? Grease endures today for several reasons: its iconic soundtrack, detailed set design, and the charisma of stars John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, to name a few. But it’s the greasers and their accompanying hot rods that serve as the beating engine of the film, inserting classic American muscle into this classic American tale of summer love. To answer Sandy’s friends’ inquiries of “Tell me more – did he have a car?” Oh yeah. And what a car it was.

Men in Black (1997)

Agent J (Will Smith) and Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) keep tabs on Earth-squatting aliens in this 1997 hit blockbuster. They do so from a custom 1987 Ford LTD Crown Victoria (in black, naturally). It’s customized with rocket boosters to keep up with extra-terrestrial shenanigans, but honestly, the choice of vehicle might have been counterintuitive to their mission. If you’re an alien seeing the Crown Victoria in action, how could you not want to pull up stakes on our planet?

Gran Torino (2008)

The titular 1972 Gran Torino in this 2008 Clint Eastwood film serves as the plot’s catalyst. Eastwood plays Walt Kowalski, a recently widowed Korean War veteran who isn’t happy about the economic state of his Metro Detroit neighborhood. When a teenage gang member attempts to steal the Gran Torino as part of his initiation, Walt is drawn into their world. A surprise box office hit at the time, Gran Torino isn’t essential viewing today. Yet it marked the rare moment where Ford got the marquee all to itself.

Ford Vs. Ferrari (2019)

One of the most recent films to sport the Ford name is also one of the most critically acclaimed. It’s centered around a team of Ford engineers and their mission to dethrone the perennially dominant Ferrari team at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans race. The film went on to receive four Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. Starring Matt Damon as Ford GT40 architect Carroll Shelby and Jon Bernthal as Lee Iacocca, Ford Vs. Ferrari is liberal with its use of historically significant Ford names. And yes, (nearly-60-years-old spoiler alert), Ford did defeat Ferrari in 1966 (and ‘67, ‘68, and ‘69).

Get Five Star Results at Charles Gabus Ford

Here at Charles Gabus Ford, we’ll find you the perfect co-star for what we hope will be a decades-spanning franchise. Drive into Des Moines’ number one Ford dealership today and we’ll help you drive out in a new or used Ford vehicle. Explore the off-road lifestyle in the all-new 2024 Ford Ranger, or go electric with the popular Ford F-150 Lightning. At Charles Gabus Ford, we’ll help you write the script so that you can get to work on producing your award-caliber biopic.