Media post: The Best Cars to Feature in Casino Movies

For a movie to be considered truly great, it needs to grab you from the outset and have all the right details – from the set to the props.

The best movie makers take great care in creating a world that is believable and relative to the plot. You wouldn’t expect to see mobile phones in a movie set in the Wild West, for example – so there is a lot for the scriptwriters and the director to think about.

While we are perhaps most interested in the actors and the way they portray the characters, and the plot (of course), it is the other parts of the movie making process that really count. This includes the locations, the set design, the stunts, and the special effects – but also props.

When it comes to cars in movies, there have been so many examples of well-considered vehicle choices that a list of the best cars in movies could go on forever. Every person has their favourite, and our love for cars has even meant that some films are based entirely around different vehicles. Obviously the Fast & Furious series was built around street racing cars, as was Need For Speed, but let’s not forget Knight Rider or even the Disney film Cars too.

The excitement and adrenaline rush that comes from driving fast cars is similar to playing casino games, and there have been many instances of awesome cars being featured in movies that centre on casinos and gambling – so while you get your kicks playing Crazy Time Casino, let’s check out some of the best cars to feature in casino movies.

Casino

Mercedes 450SL

The Martin Scorsese epic that follows the rise and fall of Sam ‘Ace’ Rothstein is based on a true story of the Tangiers Hotel in 1970’s Las Vegas.

While viewers watched the mobster ‘Ace’ try and make the Tangiers work, what was occurring in his private life set the scene ready for him to lose everything – and that included his beautiful 1975 Mercedes 450SL, which he lost to Ginger when they broke up.

In today’s market, a mobster like Ace wouldn’t necessarily be cruising around in a Merc, but for the time it was a car that exuded wealth without being too showy.

Casino Royale

Aston Martin DBS

The Aston Martin is synonymous with 007, and Casino Royale marked the relaunch of the James Bond franchise, taking us back in time to one of the earliest missions of our favourite suave spy.

Daniel Craig plays the titular character, who is tasked with thwarting the plot of Le Chiffre, played by Mads Mikkelson. The movie culminates in an impressively shot high stakes poker tournament in Montenegro.

One notable scene that we all love in this movie is the high-speed car crash where the DBS rolls over and over – this was famously difficult to film. The car was a DB9 (as the DBS was still in development so was not available to use), and due to its low centre of gravity it needed a ramp and an air cannon to perform the stunt. The car rotated seven times, creating a new Guinness World Record.

The Gambler

BMW M1 Coupe

While the car is not necessarily the star in this gritty look at what gambling addiction can do to a man, the choice of vehicle is a nod to both the exhilaration and the inherent danger of gambling and of getting involved with ‘bad’ men.

The BMW M1 Coupe was a new rear-wheel drive car – and anyone who has driven one knows that it packs a lot of speed in the rear, making driving fun but terrifying – you just never know if it’s going to fishtail out.

Not many of these cars were produced – the M2 was infinitely better in terms of control – but that doesn’t stop the purists and collectors from paying a pretty penny for them.

Ocean’s 11

Ford Falcon Futura Convertible

We don’t really see much of any ‘good’ cars in this movie, Miss Daisy aside. However, car fanatics would have appreciated the choice of the Falcon that Rusty uses – an example of a good old American classic that might be seen as a nod to the old-world mobster type movies.

We see the car when Rusty picks Danny up from prison, and the convertible is a nice metaphor for encroaching freedom.

It does feature in the sequel, but not for long as it gets blown up (spoiler alert).

Casino (again)

Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz

This car is worth a mention because although it might not class as a supercar or even one with much collector significance, the production value of this vehicle is quoted as being the reason that the real-life Sam Rothstein avoided being blown up thanks to a car bomb.

Apparently, a steel plate under the driver’s seat deflected the blast and saved his life (although not the rest of the car).