Top 10 music videos with classic cars

Kylie Minogue – Can’t Get You Out of My Head

De Tomaso Mangusta

This 2001 smash hit reached number one in the charts of every European country except Finland. Kylie’s white hooded jumpsuit worn in this video became an iconic garment.

It makes sense why the producers chose a Mangusta. The car has aged well and compliments the futuristic style of the video created 34 years after the model was first manufactured.

The name is Italian for ‘mongoose’ an animal that notoriously kills Cobras. Rumour has it, Alejandro de Tomaso chose this name as a little joke for his friend Carroll Shelby, designer of the AC Cobra also known as the Shelby Cobra in the USA.

Tears For Fears – Everybody Wants to Rule the Word

Austin-Healey 3000

This 1985 song peaked at number two and was stopped from topping the charts by the charity single ‘We Are the World’. The video features the band’s lead singer Curt Smith driving an Austin-Healey 3000 Mark III in southern California.

When asked by a fan on his site why this model was chosen, Curt said:

“We wanted an old English sports car that was like my own. I owned (and still have to this day) a 1959 Triumph TR3A, we couldn’t find one for the shoot and the Austin Healey was the closest.”

Jamiroquai – Cosmic Girl

Lamborghini F355 Berlinetta, Lamborghini F40 and Lamborghini Diablo SE30

This 1996 top ten hit features a rare Diablo created by Lamborghini to celebrate its 30^th anniversary. Only 16 right-hand drive models were manufactured. Originally owned by lead singer Jay Kay, the Diablo went on sale last year for over half a million.

The F40 was provided and driven by Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason. The car was expected to fetch over £600,000 by Bonhams when it also became available for purchase last year.

In 1997 the Berlinetta became the first road car to be equipped with the F1-style gearbox management system. It allowed the driver to change gears using paddles behind the steering wheel whilst keeping their hands on it at all times.

OMC – How Bizarre

Chevrolet Impala

New Zealand one-hit wonder OMC released this top 10 hit in 1995. The video features the late lead singer Pauly Fuemana driving a 1968 Chevrolet Impala convertible. The Impala was Chevy’s top-selling model that year and part of the fourth generation.

The fourth generation of Impalas was first released in 1965, the year that the model set an all-time industry annual sales record of more than one million units for Chevrolet in the USA. This record remains unbeaten to this day.

Madness – Driving in My Car

Morris Minor

Called the ‘Maddiemobile’ in the video, the white 1959 Morris Minor convertible is seen driving all the band members around town. The song peaked at number 4 in 1982.

The Minor was the first British car to sell over one million units and has been described by numerous publishers as the car that typified ‘Englishness’. This is somewhat ironic considering the Minor was designed by Alec Issigonis, a Greek immigrant who was described as developing ‘English’ attitudes. Alec is most famous for his development of the Mini.

Billy Ocean – Get Out of My Dreams, Get Into My Car

Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet

This 1988 song topped the US Billboard Hot 100 charts peaked at number three in the UK. It also featured in the soundtrack for the film License to Drive.

The 911 is up there as one of the most recognisable models. It was originally called a Porsche 901 but the model name was changed after protests from Peugeot. Since 1964, all Porsche 911s have been manufactured at the Stuttgart factory.

The first 911 cabriolet was also built as a prototype in 1964, 18 years before the first cabriolets hit the market in 1982. The prototype went under the hammer in 2016 and was estimated to fetch up to one million. Development of a turbocharged 911 began in 1972.

Huey Lewis & The News – Power of Love

DeLorean DMC-12

This is the song that launched Huey and the band to stardom. It was written for the 1985 blockbuster film Back to the Future. Naturally, the DeLorean features in the music video with Doc Brown played by Christopher Lloyd driving the car to the band’s gig.

The DMC-12 is the only model ever produced by DeLorean which was doomed following a series of setbacks most notably the arrest of John DeLorean regarding a drug trafficking charge. He was later acquitted.

Even though the company was short-lived, the wildly successful Back to the Future film franchise cemented the DMC-12’s position as one of the most recognisable cars of Hollywood.

Beck – The New Pollution

Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud

This 1997 music video was nominated for ‘Video of the Year’ at the MTV Video Music Awards but lost to Virtual Insanity by Jamiroquai. The video was directed by Beck himself in a 1960s style.

The Silver Cloud itself became an elegant and affluent icon of the 60s thanks to several celebrities such as Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and John Lennon owning one.

ZZ Top – Gimme All Your Lovin’

Ford Coupe

After an unsuccessful initial release in the UK, this powerful hard rock track from 1983 reached number ten after a re-release following the band’s success in America.

Known as ‘Eliminator’, the 1933 Coupe is arguably one of the most famous hot rods in existence. Owned by ZZ’s frontman Billy Gibbons, the car featured on two album covers and even inspired their names.

Enthusiasts consider the Eliminator to have been at the centre of reviving the hot rod culture and propelling it to where it is today. The original Eliminator now resides at the Cleveland Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Sheryl Crow – Steve McQueen

Ford Mustang GT Fastback and GT40

This song pays homage to the legendary actor with Sheryl recreating scenes from the films Bullitt and The Great Escape. The song didn’t perform well in the charts, however, it picked up a Grammy. The amount of cars in this video is impressive.

We can see a Porsche 356 Speedster before Sheryl is seen driving a Ford Mustang GT Fastback recreating the famous Bullitt car chase. We can also see a classic VW Beetle before the final race track scene. Here, Sheryl is driving a Ford GT40 amongst other cars including classic Porsches.