13 scary cars for Halloween

In honor of the Halloween weekend, AutoWeek presents 13 (of course!) of the scariest cars of all time, as chosen by various staffers who cared to participate. Enjoy!

1958 Plymouth Fury from Christine, (1983)

This car comes from back when movies of Stephen King books were good. We know people who flash back to this movie at some point when their car starts acting up.

Munster Mobile from The Munsters

One of the first vehicles made popular by the television set. A fun car for a fun show, but we're not sure we'd want it parked in our driveway.

Ecto-1 from Ghostbusters, (1984)

Who you gonna call? As popular as it is ugly, this fixed-up 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor may come back from the dead, as a new Ghostbusters movie is in the works.

Porsche 550 Spyder that James Dean died in

If you're a conspiracy theorist, this may be a real-life scary car. Legend has it that Dean's 550 Spyder was cursed--parts from it are linked to the injuries or deaths of others. Even freakier, actor Alec Guinness (Obi-Wan Kenobi in the early Star Wars movies) warned Dean not to drive the 550 Spyder or he would be dead in a week. Dean died seven days later. Bum bum bum!

The Mystery Machine from Scooby Doo

This full-size van is the vehicle children have associated with ghosts, goblins and haunted houses for decades.

Gator's Car, driven by Frankenstein, in Death Race 2000

David Carradine as Frankenstein piloted this scary Corvette--with red eyes, giant teeth and a spine running down the center line--to be the lone survivor in this 1975 cult-classic movie. We'll also give a shout out to Jason Statham's Frankenstein and the Monster Mustang from Death Race 2008.

Happy Toyz Co. Western Star truck from Maximum Overdrive, 1986

Stephen King can write, but maybe he can't direct. Nonetheless, he tried with this movie about a gang of possessed machines, led by the Happy Toyz Co. Western Star truck wearing a Green Goblin mask on its grille. But in the end, Emilio Estevez wins.

1977 Ford Pinto from Cujo, 1983

The Ford Pinto was plenty scary as a daily driver. But then Stephen King had to put one in his tome about a man-eating, rabies-infested St. Bernard. Just one more nightmare for Pinto owners.

The Deathmobile from Animal House, 1978

This almost-unrecognizable 1966 Lincoln Continental was and still is a hit from this low-budget comedy film. Our favorite feature is the bust of Emil Faber that serves as a hood ornament.

1970 Chevrolet Nova from Death Proof, 2007

Who wouldn't want to take a ride with Kurt Russell? Unfortunately, the "death proof" guarantee in this ride applies only to the driver.

The 1955 Peterbilt tanker truck from Duel, 1971

Before Jaws, Jurassic Park or E.T., Steven Spielberg taught us all a valuable lesson--stay away from dingy tanker trucks. Don't pass the truck. The psycho driver will not like it, not at all.

1984 Dodge M4S in The Wraith, 1986

Charlie Sheen gave American audiences the chills in '86 with one of the baddest cars around in The Wraith. Today, he terrorizes American audiences on "Two and a Half Men."

The Batmobile

There are a couple of choices here: the original Batmobile from George Barris, based on the Lincoln Futura concept car, that was used in the TV series. Then there's the Chevrolet Impala-based Batmobile from the Tim Burton movies, with its giant, round air intake up front. How about the big-fin Batmobile from Batman Forever--ultimately blown up by the Riddler? Or there's the tanklike Batmobile from the Chris Nolan films. But if you're robbing a bank or wearing a bunch of clown makeup, it's the last car you want to see.

By Byron Trimble