Best car films to watch while in your self-driving vehicle
Owners of self-driving cars may soon be able to watch their favourite films while they’re behind the wheel under proposed changes to the Highway Code.
Department for Transport (DfT) proposals will allow those in the driver’s seat to use a car’s built-in screens to watch movies and TV programmes.
However they must be ready to resume control of the vehicle when they are prompted – such as when they approach motorway exits – and they will still be banned from using their mobile phones.
Although there are no vehicles currently approved for self-driving in the UK, the first could get the green light later this year. Adrian Flux already has a policy with which to insure self-driving vehicles.
The imminent change in the law prompted film lovers at Adrian Flux to put their heads together and come up with a list of some of their favourite car-related films they would enjoy watching while behind the wheel of a fully self-driving car.
1. Bullitt
We start with an absolute classic from 1968 starring ice-cool Steve McQueen as a San Francisco detective. The highlight of the film is a car chase through the city streets between our heroes’ Ford Mustang and a Dodge Charger containing two mafia hitmen.
2. Herbie Wins The El Dorado
Everyone loves a VW Beetle but they don’t come much more loveable than Herbie, the car with a mind and a will of its own. High speed, high jinks, car action, on the road DIY and plenty of laughs in this racing romp from 1963.
3. Fast and Furious: there are nine films to choose from!
Launched in 2001, Fast and Furious is a series of action films concentrating on illegal street racing, heists, spies and family angst. You know what to expect. If you like fast cars, big crashes, eye candy, the odd gun fight, and plenty of fisticuffs, this is the one for you.
4. Genevieve
This offering from 1953 is guaranteed to slow things down. The British comedy is about two cars in the London to Brighton Veteran Car Run. Alan McKim (John Gregson), drives Genevieve, a 1904 Darracq while Ambrose Claverhouse (Kenneth More) drives a 1905 Spyker.
5. Baby Driver
This action movie from 2017 features Baby, a getaway driver in Atlanta. He is recruited by a criminal mastermind and trapped into helping increasingly violent criminals, but he finds catharsis in music which he plays on an iPod during the car chase scenes.
6. Mad Max: Fury Road
This is a post-apocalyptic action film from 2015 featuring gas guzzling “war rigs” and plenty of blood and guts. The first Mad Max was made back in 1979. It’s clearly a popular format as there have now been five more instalments.
7. The Great Race
This slapstick comedy stars Jack Lemmon, Tony Curtis and Natalie Wood and features a seven car race from New York to Paris. The film was inspired by an actual race between the two cities in 1908. Curtis plays The Great Leslie and drives a Leslie special while Lemmon plays Professor Fate and drives the Hannibal Twin 8.
8. Le Mans 66
This 2019 film recaptures the Ford vs. Ferrari rivalry in the greatest race on earth: the Le Mans 24 hour. Ford wanted to topple Ferrari’s domination of the race and built the lightning fast GT40 Mk I to compete in 1966. The rest, as they say, is history.
9. The Italian Job
You’ve probably seen it a dozen times, but it’s still a delight to see those wonderful Mini Coopers stashed full of gold bullion give Turin’s Carabinieri the run around. Michael Caine is brilliant as Charlie Croker but The Italian Job is also noted as being the last role played by Noel Coward as imprisoned crime lord Mr Bridger.
10. Blues Brothers
It’s hard to believe this one is over 40 years old but it is. Blues Brothers features the great late John Belushi, who died just two years after the film’s release, and Dan Akrod. It’s not a “car film” but it does feature an awesome car chase which sees the destruction of several dozen police patrol cars. It has some great music too.
