A new survey sponsored by Hyundai has determined the top 10 greatest automotive icons of all time. It’s no surprise that the list is full of actors that have played James Bond, popular television personalities, and heroes of the silver screen.
Two thousand Brits were surveyed to get the results as part of a larger survey about what petrolheads will be doing to keep themselves busy while sheltering in place.
Scroll down to see the complete list.
No. 10 – Jason Statham
Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images
Jason Statham has been the star of some of the most popular vehicle-centric films of the 2000s:
- “The Transporter” (2002)
- “Transporter 2” (2005)
- “Transporter 3” (2008)
- “The Italian Job” (2003)
- “Death Race” (2008)
- “Crank”(2006)
- “Fast & Furious 6” (2013)
- “Furious 7” (2015)
- “The Fate of the Furious” (2017)
- “Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw” (2019)
No. 9 – Roger Moore
Photo by Larry Ellis/Express/Getty Images
Roger Moore played James Bond seven times. Though he considered himself to only be the fourth best actor to have played the role, many regard the dapper actor as the one of the best Bonds ever. In “The Spy Who Loved Me” Moore starred alongside an iconic Lotus Esprit. In “The Saint”, a television show he starred in prior to his stint as Bond, Moore drove a Volvo P1800 and the widely panned film “Crossplot” featured Moore alongside a 1967 Opus HRF.
No. 8 – Daniel Craig
Photo by Niklas Halle’n – WPA Pool/Getty Images
The Blonde Bond was a controversial choice to assume the iconic 007 role. His driving, fighting, and dressing style have won him fans the world over and made him into one of the most beloved Bonds ever. In the movies, Craig has been known as a fan of Aston Martin products having driven a DB5 in “Skyfall”, DBS in “Casino Royale” and “Quantum of Solace”, and a DB10 in “Spectre”.
No. 7 – Paul Walker
Photo by Universal/Getty Images
Paul Walker may be gone but he is not forgotten. As Brian O’Conner in the “Fast & Furious” franchise, he inspired a generation of vehicle enthusiasts who stepped away from the conventional concours and were able to express their love for unique models from America, Japan, and beyond.
No. 6 – James May
Photo by Eamonn M. McCormack/Getty Images
He’s a fan of technology, the history of flight, wine, and classical music. The interest James May is best known for is cars. As one of the hosts of “Top Gear”, followed by a stint on “The Grand Tour”, May plays the stiff yet knowledgable Captain Slow to co-star Richard Hammond’s speed-hungry self and Jeremy Clarkson’s brash masculinity.
No. 5 – Sean Connery
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
Bond. The original James Bond. Actor Sean Connery starred in seven James Bond films, giving life to Ian Fleming’s womanizing, fast-driving, mischievous antihero. In the movies he drove dozens of vehicles including a Ford Mustang Mach 1, Aston Martin DB5, 1935 Bentley 3.5-liter Drophead Coupé Park Ward, 1937 Bentley 4.5-liter Gurney Nutting Three-Position Drophead Coupé, and Ford Galaxie 500. Those movies, however, are Connery’s only foray into a vehicle-centric film during his illustrious career.
No. 4 – Vin Diesel
Photo by Universal/Getty Images
Vin Diesel has earned his action star chops in a wide variety of movies, but it’s clearly the “Fast and Furious” franchise that ccemented his place on this list. As main character Dominic Toretto in the movies, Diesel played a street racer and auto mechanic who drives a 1970 Dodge Charger. The Charger has become nearly as popular as the movies, earning its own Lego model in 2020.
No. 3 – Richard Hammond
Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images
The second of three “Top Gear” turned “The Grand Tour” hosts on this list, Richard Hammond has a penchant for speed and a habit of crashing. That doesn’t mean that fans don’t love the Hamster. They just fear for him. He’s a big car fan, having owned more the two dozen in his life including a 1931 Lagonda 2-Litre Supercharged, 1962 Jaguar E-Type Roadster Mk1, 1963 Opel Kadett, 1987 Land Rover Defender-110, 2009 Morgan Aeromax, and a Volkswagen Type 2.
No. 2 – Steve McQueen
Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
He was Thomas Crown in “The Thomas Crown Affair” driving a dune buggy around to impress Faye Dunaway. He played Frank Bullitt, the justice-seeking police officer who can’t be corrupted but can navigate San Francisco’s streets at high speed like a champ in “Bullitt“. He was the gentleman racer in “Le Mans”. Steve McQueen played car-loving men in the movies but in real life, he was an even bigger fan. He owned four of the Porsches and a Ford used in “Le Mans“, a 1956 Jaguar XKSS that now is at the Peterson Museum in Los Angeles, three Hudsons, and a 1969 Chevrolet Baja Hickey race truck among a host of others.
No. 1 – Jeremy Clarkson
Photo by Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images
There seem to be two camps when it comes to Jeremy Clarkson – people either tremendously love him or they virulently hate him. Any others just likely have no idea who he is. Clarkson, the “Greatest Automotive Icon of All-Time” as voted, is the final third of the “Top Gear”/”The Grand Tour” trio serving TV viewers as host extraordinaire for decades, first on the BBC then on Amazon. Though he’s rather useless when it comes to most mechanics, bullheaded during challenges, and curmudgeonly on a good day, Clarkson has become a heralded part of modern car culture, no matter how you feel about him.
