Gangster Cars: A Brief History of the Baddest Cars Ever
If you’re a car enthusiast or a movie fan, you’ve likely seen the historic rides toting infamous gangsters around on the silver screen. From the 1941 Lincoln Continental in “The Godfather” to the more modern E92 generation BMW M3 in “The Gentlemen,” a gangster’s car says a lot about them. Of course, many historic, flesh-and-blood gangsters hit the road in these sinister rides, inspiring the many movies to follow. Check out a little about the baddest cars around, like Tony Montana’s Cadillac Eldorado.
What kind of gangster cars did mobsters drive in the movies?
Anywhere between the 1930s and modern stories of daring criminals, movie mobsters drove long-body Lincolns, sinister Cadillacs, and the odd Rolls-Royce.
| Film | Gangster car |
| “The Godfather” (1972) | 1941 Lincoln Continental |
| “American Gangster” (2007) | 1972 Lincoln Town Car |
| “Goodfellas” (1990) | 1979 Cadillac Coupe DeVille |
| “The Departed” (2006) | 1994 Buick Roadmaster |
| “Scarface” (1983) | 1963 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible |
| “Mean Streets” (1973) | 1972 Imperial LeBaron |
| “The Untouchables” (1987) | 1931 Buick Series 50 |
| “Reservoir Dogs” (1992) | 1966 Cadillac Coupe DeVille |
| “King of New York” (1990) | 1990 Lincoln Mark VII |
| “Casino” (1995) | 1974 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow |
Still, big, spacious American sedans are the most common culprits, like the automotive eyesore that is Tony Montana’s custom 1963 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible in the 1983 masterpiece, “Scarface.” Top Gear touts the oddball drop-top with white tiger trim as one of Hollywood’s “Truly Unsung Movie Cars.” However, some models are just sinister, subtle villain cars, like the black-as-the-night 1972 Imperial LeBaron from Martin Scorsese’s “Mean Streets.”
Of course, none of these iconic movie mobiles would be possible without the real-life gangsters that inspired them. Larger-than-life law-breakers like John Dillinger and Alphonse Gabriel “Al” Capone gave impetus to filmmakers to take their stories to the screens.
What cars did gangsters drive in the 30s?
The most common gangster cars of the Great Depression and 1930s were rounded-body, four-door sedans, like Al Capone’s famous bulletproof 1928 Cadillac Town Sedan.
Of course, brazen rule-breakers drove getaway cars outside of urban organized crime in the 1930s. For instance, the iconic 1934 Ford Model 40 B Fordor Deluxe “Death Car” ferried crime-spree couple Bonnie and Clyde until their fatal shootout with lawmen in Louisiana.
What cars did John Dillinger drive?
John Dillinger, an infamous gangster of 1930s Chicago, drove many cars. However, his most famous mount was a 1933 Ford Police V8, a car he stole and used to escape from custody.
What kind of car did John Gotti drive?
John Gotti, a notorious organized crime boss, drove a spectacularly conspicuous 1972 Jaguar XK-E Convertible. If the bright red paintwork wasn’t enough, the British roadster packed a 5.3L V12 for a mill.
Chalk it up to confidence or cockiness, but the car was a serious flex for a law-breaking gangster. Keep up with MotorBiscuit for the latest content covering everything from luxury cars to historic rides!
