Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bumblebee Camaro: Movies That Made the Camaro Famous

Sting Like a Bumblebee Camaro: Movies That Made the Camaro Famous

Remember the Bumblebee Camaro? Test your muscle car knowledge out with this list of the movies that made the Camaro famous.

Keyword(s): bumblebee camaro

Few cars have burst onto the scene and stood the test of time like the Chevrolet Camaro. It's a legend that is as beloved today as the moment it was first introduced. And the love doesn't stop with the average Camaro owner. 

This is a car that even Hollywood has had a long relationship with! 

The Camaro has appeared in movies for decades, the most recent example being the Bumblebee Camaro in the Transformers movies. Let's talk a look at some of the best movies of all time that made the Camaro such a popular car!

Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like a Bumblebee Camaro: Movies That Made the Camaro Famous

Remember the Bumblebee Camaro? Test your muscle car knowledge out with this list of the movies that made the Camaro famous.

East My Dust (1976)

Many of us are old enough to remember Ron Howard in The Andy Griffith Show and Happy Days. But did you know he made his movie debut driving an Orange Camaro? 

Before becoming an A-list director, Howard starred in Eat My Dust, going for a joyride with a local beauty queen behind the wheel of a 1968 four-speed Camaro. The car in the movie featured welded doors, no lights, a roll cage, and aftermarket turbine-style wheels. 

Eat My Dust might not have been the biggest blockbuster of 1976, but it launched Ron Howard's career in the movies and helped to elevate the Camaro's movie star status as well.

Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)

Fast Times at Ridgemont High is one of the greatest high school movies of all time. It's filled with a cast that would go on to have careers that would last decades, including Sean Penn as Spicoli (the surfer dude with the chill attitude and low IQ). 

In one of the most memorable scenes in the movie, Spicoli wrecks a 1979 Z/28 that's owned by a star player on the football team. As the kid is freaking out, Spicoli calmly tells him "My old man is a television repairman. He's got this ultimate set of tools. I can fix it." It's a hilarious moment that still gets laughs 35 years later.

Believe it or not, Chevrolet built more Camaros in 1979 than in any other production year. And yet only a small number of them were silver like the one in Fast Times. The Z/28 in the movie featured the optional T-tops and would have had the standard 350 small block with a four-barrel carburettor. 

And, fun fact, because the movie was set in Southern California, the Camaro would have only been able to produce 170 hp due to state regulations.

Christine (1983)

There's no denying that Stephen King was at the height of his powers in the early 80s. During that time, Hollywood was cranking out movies based on his books as quickly as he could publish them. 

When the movie version of Christine was released in 1983, audiences were once again treated to a terrifying story that only King could write. Though the story revolves around a teenage boy and the possessed Plymouth he falls in love with (but the Plymouth wasn't the only car in the film). 

Another featured hotrod was the 1967 Camaro driven by Buddy. He was a bully in the movie, and his Camaro ended up exploding, thanks to evil Christine. Buddy's Camaro was a sweet ride, and many of us gear-heads hated to see it go up in flames. 

Jack Reacher (2012)

Former British television executive Lee Child found himself suddenly unemployed over twenty years ago after some corporate downsizing. He used the opportunity to turn his life in a new direction, choosing a career as a novelist. 

The results were more than he could have ever imagined. His novels featuring lead character Jack Reacher have been blockbuster bestsellers all over the world. And in 2012, the fictional former Army MP was brought to life on the big screen by Oscar-winning screenwriter Christopher McQuarrie. 

Jack Reacher features a number of iconic American muscle cars. (Yet, ironically, the main character Jack Reacher is known for not owning anything, least of all a car.) He travels everywhere on foot or by bus. 

Yet, over the course of his two hours on screen, he commandeers everything from a Camaro to a 1970 Chevelle SS to a Mercedes. The Camaro might not be prominently in the plot of the movie, but it still offers a splash of awesomeness while on screen.

After the Sunset (2004)

This movie starred Pierce Brosnan and Salma Hayek, but it had more going for it than purely the good looks of its two leads. It also featured a 1969 Camaro SS. 

This convertible SS is truly an object of beauty, with enough horsepower under the hood to please just about any gear-head around. This is a heist movie from the director of Rush Hour, and it works on a number of levels, not the least of which is the blue Camaro and the beauty in the passenger seat.

2 Fast 2 Furious (2003)

For movie fans who can't get enough of the Fast and Furious franchise, 2003 offered one the best of the bunch. In fact, this installment offered gear-heads one of the coolest Camaros on the planet. 

A 1969 Yenko Camaro was built specifically for this movie, using an authentic 425-hp L-72 427. It also had a Muncie M-21 four-speed transmission. 

The production also used several Le Mans Blue Camaros, as well as Yenko replicas and clones, with small-blocks and automatic transmissions. As always, every ride in 2 Fast 2 Furious looks amazing, and these movies never fail to provide every type of thrilling stunt that fans have come to expect from this groundbreaking franchise. 

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)

The next time you're watching Ferris Bueller's Day Off, don't blink or you might miss the 1985 Camaro parked in the school's parking lot. 

Ferris Bueller's Day Off is filled with iconic images from the 80s, not the least of which is the 1961 Ferrari 250GT. And yet the Camaro represents an unmistakable reminder of 80s style and nostalgia. 

Pulp Fiction (1994)

There's no denying that Pulp Fiction is one of the best films of the past thirty years. Few film buffs would argue that it remains Tarantino's masterpiece, and still holds up twenty-five years after its theatrical release. 

The movie is full of unforgettable scenes, including the moment when Bruce Willis's car collides with a gold Camaro seconds after a dramatic encounter with another major character in the story. It's a brief scene, but the 1976 Camaro Type LT plays a vital role, cementing its place in cinema history.

Transformers (2007)

Perhaps no other movie franchise in Hollywood history has done more to put the Camaro on a pedestal than Transformers. After all, who could possibly forget the impossibly cool original 1976 Bumblebee Camaro from the first movie? 

Unlike the late model versions from the later movies, the original looked like it had been to hell and back. Complete with primer spots, mismatched Eric Vaughn Real Wheels, Cragar S/S mags, and a wide range of modifications.

The Bumblebee Transformer car is a hot set of wheels — classic and timeless. Even in rough shape, it's the kind of ride many of us have always dreamed of having parked in the garage.

Better Off Dead (1985)

John Cusack was one of the coolest young actors to come out of the 80s, and there was nothing cooler than the 1967 Camaro his character drove in Better Off Dead. 

In the movie, Cusack gets dumped by his girlfriend and spirals deep into depression and suicidal thoughts, but things begin to turn around from him when decides to transform the 1967 Camaro RS/SS that's been wasting away at his parents' house. 

Cusack and his neighbor get to work, transforming it from junk to a work of art. It's an awesome set of wheels, with black exterior and red interior. The movie has become a cult classic, and a fan eventually tracked down the car from the film, restoring it to its original glory.

Fight Club (1999)

When you talk about this 1999 cult classic, forget about Brad Pitt and Edward Norton. Any true movie fan will know that director David Fincher is the real star of the film. Based on the novel of the same name by Chuck Palahniuk, it's the story of a generation of young people filled with angst. 

It's a film filled with tons of memorable details, including the cars. This is another example of a movie where you don't want to blink or you'll miss Brad Pitt making a getaway as he hops into a 1998 Camaro convertible.

Beauty and Muscle in One Complete Package

Car lovers could argue forever about the coolest cars that have ever graced the silver screen. But, no one can argue that it's hard to beat a Camaro for sheer coolness and muscle. 

Whether you prefer the Bumblebee Camaro or the 1969 Yenko, it's hard to go wrong with any of them. Every model to roll off the line has been a work of art in its own way. 

Camaros have been in the movies for decades, and surely won't be going away anytime soon. Click here to see 13 reasons why you need a new Chevrolet Camaro!