People were doing a lot of weird sh*t back in the 1960s.
And not a lot of it made much sense.
But this strange behavior led to a lot of amazing films with unexpected plot twists,
and seriously dangerous stunts.
Here are the 10 best movie car chases from the 1960s.
Starting off at number 10 is "Monte Carlo or Bust" from 1969.
Aka "Those Daring Young Men in Their Jaunty Jalopies"
is about an international rally across Europe which is complicated by smuggling, cheating,
and a bunch of hilarious one-liners that were completely normal at the time.
("Kick you in the struddlepuss!")
("What is a struddlepuss, Barington?")
It's the 60's and nothing makes sense.
Like driving a car down a bobsled track.
Makes no sense, yet seems perfectly normal...
Why are you smashing into jolly old chaps playing ice hockey?
("They should be playing something decent, like Cricket.")
all the non-stop hobnobbing throughout this film make a perfect introduction into car chases from this era.
Carrying on at number-nine is another clinically insane chase from
"It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World" in 1963.
Check out this batshit crazy dude.
("I'm getting bugged now, whoa, man!")
I mean, manic depression never looked like so much fun.
Am I right?
He can barely contain himself while trying to run his brother-in-law off the road.
And that's exactly what ends up happening.
You better believe someone got injured in the making of this film.
Later in the film we get to see a beautifully shot car chase that doesn't fall short of
exploding fire hydrants, airborne jalopies, and corner-cutting.
This combination of great stunt driving, beautiful classic cars, and people who
are completely out of their mind, make this movie a solid example of what
a good car chase from the 1960s looks like.
We're crossing insanity and moving into full-blown lunacy
with this car chase scene from "Hot Rods to Hell" In 1967 landing at number-eight.
("Speed up dad, maybe you can loose 'em!")
("I'm not going to do what they want me to, Timmy.")
Poor little Timmy and his basic family get forced into a road rage
by some punks and their fancy hot rods.
Forget about picking on someone your own size
let's make sure this entire family is scarred for life from ever taking another road trip.
It makes absolutely no sense.
but does it?
I actually can't imagine there being much else to do in a California desert back in the 60's.
Non the less, this confusingly entertaining car chase
is definitely one of our favorites from the era.
Our number-seven best car chase from the 1960s is this legendary motorcycle chase
from "The Great Escape" in 1963.
Steve McQueen is the man.
Check out the way he's pumping through those whoops.
Talk about making chicks scream in the movie theater.
In fact, Steve only agreed to the movie if he could show off his motorcycle skills.
And with two skinny tires that barely work on the street, let alone driving along a mountainside.
Those are some skills indeed.
He ends up jumping some barbed wire,
everyone in the theater loses their sh*t,
and he gets caught by some Germans.
coming in at number 6 is this chase from "The Wrecking Crew" in 1968.
I loved the two cars in this chase.
Check out that gold paint job on the 1969 Lincoln Continental Mark III.
And don't forget that Hitchcock-esque Black 1955 mercedes-benz 300.
I would drive that car all day.
Shit gets weird right off the bat here
when the driver of the Lincoln tries to get some road dome during the chase.
("Don't push me down, I can't see.")
He ends up ditching the Mercedes,
only to have his girlfriend accidentally explode his car with a handkerchief.
They immediately hook up behind a log and then fly away in a helicopter that he pulls out of his trunk.
Seriously, I have no words.
Going from nonsense to straight-up psychedelic anthropomorphic fantasyland
is this car-chase scene from The Lovebug" in 1969 landing at number-five.
This chase completely blows my mind for better and for worse.
Nothing causes me more excitement and confusion than watching a sleeper
speeding past a car that costs 10 times more money.
Generally, the higher level of confusion, the more excited I get.
And this sh*t leaves me dumbfounded.
The car has a mind of its own, and for some reason runs on Irish cream.
("Irish Coffee.")
and check this, separates itself to gain an advantage during the race.
Car chase scenes might become a little predictable.
But this Chase has plot twist after plot twist.
leaving you wondering what kind of drugs the guys were on who created it.
Or maybe, no drugs at all.
Who knows it's the 60s.
Number-four is the classic chase from "The Goldfinger" in 1964.
The main car alone puts this chase high on our list because of its outright fame and recognition
as one of the most legendary Bond cars ever.
I mean, it's got machine guns hiding behind the headlights.
And this chase is pretty awesome too.
While bond is pillaging that silver Aston Martin DB5 through crowds of armed men at night,
we get some more insanely weird moments from a grandma wielding a Tommy Gun.
and Bond peculiarly rubbing his shift nob.
Which turns into a seat ejection switch. Obviously.
We've made it to our top three,
and starting off is the Mini Cooper chase scene from the Italian Job in 1969.
This scene put Mini Coopers on the map, making them the best-selling car from the UK at the time.
And it makes sense. Look at how versatile those things are for city driving.
Not only can they jump over buildings, they can drive on top of them,
Down flights of stairs, and anywhere else your imagination can take you.
Why not load them up into a bus and gently toss them off a cliff.
Sounds like a party to me.
Anyway, interestingly enough, Italian authorities did not let these guys close down any roads from filming.
So the film crew blocked off the roads on their own.
This pissed off the Italian drivers that were driving around the movie at the time.
so the traffic jams in the movie are totally real.
Which gives you a little sense of reality in a world so cold.
Put on your winter coats for this chase scene from
"On Her Majesty's Secret Service" in 1969, racing into our number-two spot.
If you love car chases, it's off obvious you're a James Bond fan.
Because not only has he made it on our list from every other decade,
he's on this one twice.
If there is one movie which screams 1960s car chase louder than any others, it's this one.
It's got ice, which means drifting jalopies.
It's got classic whips.
It's got James Bond.
And it has some incredible car chase shots that without a doubt inspired many filmmakers for years to come.
the dueling few hit a stock car race which is in the snow...
This sh*t is nuts.
Cars are constantly slamming into each other, flying into crowds, and somehow exploding out of nowhere.
I get that this form of racing is dangerous,
but it wouldn't be as dangerous today as it was back in the 60s.
And that's exactly why this chase lands high on the list.
That brings us to our number one most iconic and ironic car chase scene from the 1960's,
with "Bullit" from 1968.
Iconic, because of the epic battle between a Mustang and Charger. Plus Steven McQueen.
Ironic because this chase makes complete sense.
It's relatable.
It's pure.
It's a pedal-to-the-metal fire-breathing V8 screaming
chase that made San Francisco famous for hilly and busy streets.
The sense of speed and danger was knocked so far out of the park by this scene
that it forever became the standard for what car chases could be, and should be.
This chase separated itself from all other movies before it
by giving the audience and authentic street racing experience that doesn't
need any over embellishment to keep you pinned to your seat in suspense.
The solid camerawork, engine noises and stunt driving that made me realize I could make a career doing this.
As long as I keep reminding people I'm available for hire.
Maybe, just maybe, one day I can land that job and be as cool as these guys who helped make this film.
Steve McQueen and Bud Edkins were drivers and we're killing it on set.
Reaching speeds no one even asked for.
Over 110 miles per hour at times.
In San Fransisco.
You can drive across the entire city in less than four minutes at that speed.
And you really get that feeling while watching this race.
For that mighty reason, it's the number one best car chase scene from the 1960s.
As always we'd love to hear what movies from the 60's you love and think should have been on our list.
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