Photo: mohamed hassan via CC
As anyone who reads The News Wheel — or, you know, has a pulse — knows, there are a lot of car movies out there. But, it’s my opinion that some of the greatest quotes referencing cars don’t actually come from movies about driving. Here are a few of my favorite examples.
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While most people remember this John Hughes classic for lines like, “Bueller…? Bueller…? Bueller…?,” one of its great unsung quotes comes courtesy of Ferris’ friend Cameron. After Ferris took Cameron’s father’s sweet sports car for a joy ride, Cameron becomes overwhelmed by fears of retribution. He admonishes his endearingly irresponsible friend, saying, “Ferris, my father loves this car more than life itself. He never drives it! He just rubs it with a diaper!”
That’s not only a pretty scathing take-down of people being obsessed with their possessions, but also pretty dang funny to imagine.
Even though “Terminator 2” is another film dominated by unforgettable quotes like “hasta la vista baby,” the one that never fails to make me laugh comes during the film’s final car chase. Our protagonists, John Connor, Sarah Connor, and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s terminator, are trying to outrun another, better terminator. John yells, “step on it!” to which Schwarzenegger replies, “this is the vehicle’s top speed.”
There’s just something about the way the deadpan delivery and clinical language contrast with the intensity of the sequence that tickles my funny bone.
This isn’t the first time I’ve written about “The Blues Brothers” in relation to cars, but it’s worth revisiting to highlight one of the film’s most underrated quotes. Towards the end, Jake and Elwood are gearing up for a drive that turns out to be both a race against the clock and one against the authorities. In his signature style, Elwood breaks down the situation. “There’s 106 miles to Chicago, we’ve got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it’s dark out, and we’re wearing sunglasses.”
Yet again, I’m not 100 percent sure what it is about this line that cracks me up every time I hear it, but goodness gracious is it ever funny.
If you’ve got any similar quotes that you’d like to mention, feel free to drop them in the comments below!
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