Mercedes-Benz In Movies

Mercedes-Benz cars are known for style, luxury, and performance, making them an excellent choice for a prominent place in the movies. With its origins dating back to pioneer vehicles, Mercedes-Benz cars pop up in new and classic films, including comedies and dramas, serving as cars for road trips, getaway cars, and almost everything in between. Check out which Mercedes-Benz models play a prominent role in a selection of recent and classic movies, as well as a few interesting facts about each model. If you’ve seen these movies, chances are you’ll remember seeing the distinctive look of a Mercedes-Benz.

The Hangover

This 2009 movie features a classic 1965 Mercedes-Benz 220 SE Cabriolet used for a road trip adventure that leads to a series of mishaps. Due to all the shenanigans, the movie required five cars to create scenes such as a tiger attack and a crash. Also known as the W111, this chassis code applies to models from 1959 to 1971, with the two-door Cabriolets built from 1961 to 1971 featuring distinctive tailfins. The 220 SE Cabriolet itself is rare, with only 2,729 units built between 1961 and 1965.

The Rookie

This 1990 classic features a Mercedes-Benz of the same year, a 1990 500 SL driven by Clint Eastwood’s police officer character. One of the most memorable scenes is Clint Eastwood driving with a rookie cop — played by Charlie Sheen — as a passenger, right across the warehouse’s second floor and out the window as the building explodes. Built from 1989 to 1993, the 500 SL R129 is a roadster with a button-operated folding roof to make it a sleek and high-performance two-seater.

The Driver

A 1970 Mercedes-Benz 280 S is one of the stars of this 1978 movie that features Ryan O’Neal as a skilled getaway driver who uses stolen cars to pull off his jobs. The thriller is known for its car chase sequences that end with the Mercedes being destroyed. The 280 S was built from 1967 to 1972, with a total of 93,666 vehicles produced. The 280 S sold in the United States for $5,897 when it was new.

Bridget Jones’s Diary

While this movie is from 2001, one of its co-stars is a 1969 Mercedes-Benz 280 SE Convertible. Hugh Grant’s character takes Renee Zellweger’s on a weekend holiday in this classic car . There were 91,051 on the road back in the day. This second series model featured a 2.8-liter inline six-cylinder engine built from 1967 to 1972.

Casino

This Las Vegas-based movie from 1995 features a 1975 Mercedes-Benz 450 SL, which is in the sports car/grand tourer class. In this Martin Scorsese film, Sharon Stone uses this model to ram another car, speed across a lawn, and back into another vehicle. Stone won a Golden Globe Award for the film, which chronicled the mafia being run out of the Las Vegas casino industry. The Mercedes-Benz 450 SL was produced from 1973 to 1980 with a large 4.5-liter V-8 engine. Models until 1975 included an early electronic fuel injection system.

A Good Day to Die Hard

A stolen 2006 Mercedes-Benz AMG® G55 is a key player in this 2013 thriller starring Bruce Willis. One of the scenes features the AMG® G55 crashing off a bridge and onto a transporter truck hauling Porsches in Moscow, using the transporter as a bridge from the overpass to the expressway. Willis plays a father and NYPD detective who rescues his son from danger overseas in this fifth installment of the Die Hard series.

The AMG® G55 can drive over cars and jump traffic barriers because it was initially developed as a military off-road vehicle that was later refined for the luxury market. The model in the movie features a supercharged 5.4-liter engine producing 493 horsepower, a powerful engine in the G-class, a rugged civilian vehicle that has been built since 1979. Other vehicles of interest in the movie include Mercedes-Benz Unimog trucks and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter cargo vans.

National Treasure: Book of Secrets

This 2007 film features a new 2008 Mercedes-Benz C-Class driven by Nicolas Cage. There’s a notable chase scene through the streets of London that comes to a smoky conclusion as Cage crashes into a double-decker bus, trashing a total of 50 cars during the dramatic sequence. The brand new compact executive car was part of the third generation, manufactured from 2007 until 2015. The C-Class line of compact executive cars has been manufactured since 1993.

American Gigolo

This 1980 film starring Richard Gere features a late-model 1979 Mercedes-Benz 450 SL convertible. The Mercedes-Benz roadster helps accent the movie’s review of California’s yuppie lifestyle in Malibu. The nearly new car suffers damage as Gere tears it apart in a panic. This 1979 model features a mechanical fuel injection system for its 4.5-liter V-8 engine. The sports car/grand tourer was produced one more year, 1980, and then replaced with the 380 SL from 1981 to 1985, a smaller engine model.

The Lost World: Jurassic Park

This 1997 film features new 1997 Mercedes-Benz M-Classes used as prominent product placement for the new line of sport utility vehicles. A good proving ground for a new SUV series is a tropical climate where dodging dinosaurs is necessary. The midsize luxury SUV’s first generation was manufactured from 1997 until 2004, and you can still find them today.

The SUVs in the movie were modified pre-production versions from 1996, with three different versions showcased. Two were displayed at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida, one at the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany, and one in the visitor center for the M-Class factory in Vance, Alabama. The first generation of the M-Class offered eight different engine options ranging from a 2.3-liter four-cylinder to a 5.4-liter V-8.

Mercedes vehicles in the movies are as diverse as the brand itself. From comedies to action-packed thrillers and science fiction, you can see Mercedes-Benz cars in action. From a classic roadster to a military-grade off-roader, you can see how Mercedes-Benz has been a key part of many movies over the past several decades.

When you’re ready to put a Mercedes-Benz in your garage, reach out to the friendly, knowledgeable team at Mercedes-Benz of Tyler. You can reach us via secure online form, by calling 903-534-7060, or by stopping to see us at 3274 Professional Drive in Tyler. We’d be happy to answer your questions, give you a tour of our showroom, or get you set up for a test drive in any of our Mercedes-Benz options.