For many automotive enthusiasts, the Fast and the Furious franchise had some of our favorite movies and favorite cars. Whether the producer intended to or not, they managed to alter car culture in a pretty significant way. In the early 2000s, the popularity of heavily modified cars skyrocketed, and you can still see a generation of car owners that were raised on the movies at car shows even today. We might not watch the Fast and Furious quite as often anymore, but one thing is for sure: it left an impression many car enthusiasts can’t shake.

A shift in car culture

People have been customizing and modifying cars for decades, so the Fast and Furious movies didn’t introduce it to car culture. Body shops that build completely fabricated vehicles have existed for many years, and they were able to create unique pieces of art that the average driver didn’t usually appreciate. With the movie series, however, customized and built cars have become a more significant trend.

Automotive enthusiasts that loved the movie were inspired by many of the cars that were featured, like the Nissan Skyline and Toyota Supra, which were both fantastic cars well before the franchise highlights them. What the movie did was simply help these cars trend, and with them, so did a lot of styles. From building your car to race or just doing some cosmetic modifications, the movie motivated many people.

The value of the cars

The movie also highlights many other cars like the Honda S2000 and the Dodge Viper. Because the film showed the car’s capabilities — even with the classic Hollywood overdramatic spins — or just how good they could look when customized, it created an even great demand for the cars. Sure, plenty of people already liked most of the vehicles, but with the movie to inspire them, many people became aware of cars they might have never realized they wanted.

The franchise itself

The movie series has changed dramatically over time. Initially, we could see moderately affordable cars that were designed to be actual project cars. They weren’t just cheap, they were common, and the more people modified their cars, the more the culture grew. The most iconic cars from the Fast and Furious movies are still popular at many tuners, and custom car shows today.

Whether you are a fan of the Fast and Furious movies or even just like the car, it is undeniable how much the franchise has changed many car shows. From the very first movie, the series had us hooked on fast, heavily modified cars that some of us still dream over owning today. Some car shows are even designed just for similar vehicles, ditching classics, and original vehicles altogether.