Want an Automotive Career in Luxury Cars? Check Out These Souped Up Hollywood Classics!

Most students enrolled in automotive training courses can’t help their interest for classic, action-filled Hollywood Blockbusters—not only because they are great films, but because they typically feature some pretty spectacular (and expensive) cars.

With every great Hollywood movie comes an iconic car that pushes the boundaries of the auto industry with incredible customization and mechanical innovation. From James Bond’s gadget-loaded Aston Martin to Batman’s incredibly customized getaway racer, great mechanics are behind the making of some of the best cars film has to offer.

If you have an interest in the luxury car market and are planning to pursue an auto career, read on to learn why these four famous cars are fetching multi-millions on today’s auto trade market.

James Bond’s Aston Martin: Inventive Mechanics

James Bond’s cruiser from Goldfinger and Thunderball sold in auction last September for a whopping $4,107,560. It’s a sleek silver-birch Aston Martin DB5 driven by Sean Connery’s Bond.

Two DB5s were made for the films, with never-before-seen mechanical features, such as an ejector seat and revolving license plates. Both models were eventually stripped of their weaponry and gadgetry and resold. September’s sell accounts for one of them, but its twin was stolen from its last owner in Florida in 1997 and is currently still missing. Keep your eyes peeled, because you never know— it could glide into your shop one day.

Check out this video for a glimpse of the original Goldfinger Aston Martin:

Charlie’s Angels’ Ferrari: Stunning Auto Body Design

Car lovers know the sixties produced some of the most gorgeous, classic cars the world has seen. The 1963 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder is among them. Used by the original Charlie’s Angels, it’s been on the auction circuit since 2012 with no takers yet – perhaps due to its staggering $7.8 million price tag.

If you’re interested in automotive careers, you’ll be curious about the specs that make it worth the price. Under its smoothly curved hood is a Berlinetta Lusso specification 3L V12 Tipo 168/61 engine and a four-speed gearbox that takes it from 0-96.5kph in just eight seconds with a top speed of 239.9km/h. It even features a full nut-and-bolt restoration, down to the original steely blue paint colour. Experts agree that this is pretty remarkable for a vintage car.

1928 Mercedes Benz: Early Automotive Innovation

The 1928 Mercedes-Benz S 26/180 Boattail Speedster lent some romance to the 1935 Katharine Hepburn film Sylvia Scarlett, and made industry waves by taking part in the iconic 1932 Muroc Match Race.

The Marx brothers owned the Speedster at the time, and claimed it could leave Hollywood agent Phil Berg’s 1931 Duesenberg Model J LeBaron Phaeton in the dust. The men had a race, and though the Benz was faster than the Duesenberg, it suffered mechanical issues and lost the Marx brothers a $500,000 bet. But the car went on to prove its worth, fetching over $3,700,000 at auction in 2013.

The Original Batmobile: Incredible Car Customization

Originally a 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car, George Barris hand-crafted it into the world’s first Batmobile. Car repair experts likely know George Barris as the auto customizing idol of our time, fitting everything from The Dukes of Hazzard’s “General Lee” to the Jeeps in Jurassic Park.

ABC-TV bought the Lincoln Futura from Ford for $1 and hired Harris to modify it instead of building something from scratch. He had famous forger Bill Cushenberry do metal modifications, and hammered the car’s panels over logs carved into sleek shapes to create the Batmobile’s manta-ray feel.

When filming began in 1965, the car started to show its age. Its expensive Mickey Thompson tires kept blowing, the battery kept dying, and it often overheated. But to viewers, the Batmobile was the coolest car on Earth. In 2011, it was sold in auction for $4.6 million.

Take a look at the original Batmobile as it sells in auction: