Typically the first thing people think of if you mention David Lynch is “weird,” “ethereal,” “surreal,” etc. Those aren’t wrong, but I also think Lynch’s films are pretty direct. At the heart, most of his work is about good and evil and his characters often personify the extremes of the two sides. What exists between the extremes is us the viewer, the world, and how we connect the pieces together to attempt an understanding of it all. This for me is the brilliance of Lynch’s films.
The other thing about David Lynch films is they are deeply rooted in the setting of America. Cherry pies, coffee, government agents, high school, LOS ANGELES, etc. And how else would his characters navigate this vast untamed expanse than with the ultimate form of freedom: the automobile. This post doesn’t aim to capture every car in every Lynch film. I wanted to highlight the ones that stick out for me not only from a fan perspective, but also acknowledging the documenting of car history within his film canon.
Blue Velvet
1968 Dodge Charger
1973 Oldmobile Delta 88 Royale
Wild At Heart
1965 Ford Thuderbird 76A
1976 Cadillac Eldorado Convertible
Lost Highway
1965 Ford Mustang
1960 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible
1977 Mercedes Benz 450 SEL 6.9
1967 Plymouth Belvedere II
Mulholland Drive
1997 Porsche Boxster 986
1941 Chevrolet Special De Luxe
Twin Peaks
Note: I obviously pulled together photos spanning the Twin Peaks universe here.
1969 Plymouth Barracuda
1975 Chevrolet Caprice Classic
1988 Chevrolet Corvette C4
1972 Dodge Challenger