2022 Retrospective: The Most Iconic Cars in Pop Culture

There have been plenty of memorable moments in the automotive industry, and we have also gathered a list of some of the most memorable events from 2022. But now we will focus on some of the most memorable cars from this year’s popular culture, be they from television, movies, or real life.

The Batmobile

This year, we got a new Batman movie, The Batman, with Robert Pattinson taking the cape of the dark crusader. That obviously included a brand-new Batmobile. The inspiration for the Batmobile was a 1963 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray, and while it didn't get much screen time, it was enough to secure it a spot among the most memorable cars of this year.

Princess Diana’s Ford Escort

Princess Diana's black Ford Escort RS Turbo Series 1 went under the hammer, fetching some big bucks as it sold for over $850,000.

This isn't the only Royal vehicle that was up for auction this year. Princess Margaret's Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith II was offered a third time, finally selling for £35,301 (around $42,600 at today's exchange rate). Her late Majesty Queen Elizabeth's Jaguar X-Type Estate sold for £39,200 (a little over $47,000) in late November.

Steve Harrington’s BMW

Stranger Things was one of the most successful shows of this year, and everyone kept talking about its fourth season. And the car one of the main characters, Steve Harrington (Joe Keery), drives around in the latest season is truly worth talking about. Steve’s family is quite wealthy in the show, so that’s why he got a 1983 BMW 733i.

The four-door sedan comes with a brown exterior and has been present since the beginning of the show, with an immaculate exterior. And while this is a great classic car today, it did make quite a weird choice for a popular teenager like Steve Harrington. But hey, someone has to drive the kids around in style, right?

Brooklyn Beckham Gets Electrified Jag from David

Brooklyn Beckham, David and Victoria’s eldest child, got married in April. So, the former soccer star splashed $500,000 on an electrified Jaguar as a wedding gift. The model is a 1954 Jaguar XK140, and Lunaz was in charge of electrifying it. And it quickly became one of Brooklyn’s go-to cars. That and a McLaren P1 or Lucid Air. The life of an aspiring chef, right?

Queen Elizabeth’s Final Cars

In September 2022, Queen Elizabeth passed away at the age of 96. And Her late Majesty loved driving and had a particular liking for Land Rover Defenders. This year, prior to her passing away, she was seen riding around her estates either in a Jaguar X-Type Estate or a third-generation Range Rover.

Her final cars were also exceptional, a Mercedes-Benz hearse and a 2018 Jaguar XJ State Hearse, which she reportedly specced herself for her last journey.

Meanwhile, her eldest son, King Charles III, opted for a Rolls-Royce Phantom VI as his first royal car.

Porsche 918 Spyder Steals the Show in Glass Onion

Knives Out returned with a second installment, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, available on Netflix since December 23. And a “baby blue” Porsche 918 Spyder steals the show, and not just because it’s on a roof. But because the limited edition of 918 units is a true masterpiece. In the movie, the car belongs to the eccentric tech billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton), and he places it on the roof because there are no roads on the private Greek island.

Clark Gable’s Car Sold for Big Bucks

Gone With the Wind is a classic movie, and one of the cars that belonged to one of the actors, Clark Gable, sold in November. We're talking about a 1952 Jaguar XK120, which fetched $311,111. That happened just two years after it had been fully restored, and it found a home for $276,000.

Former Freddie Mercury Rolls Sold for Charity

A 1974 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow that used to belong to Queen's lead singer Freddie Mercury was offered up for auction for a good cause. The vehicle ended up selling for £286,250 (around $325,600), with the proceeds intended for the Superhuman Center, an NGO that offered support and medical treatment to the war victims in Ukraine.

Super Bowl Had All Kinds of Cool Rides, Courtesy of the Awesome Lineup

The 2022 Super Bowl included Snoop Dogg, Eminem, 50 Cent, Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, and Mary J Blige. And since most of them are big petrolheads, the show also featured some cool rides. In the middle of the field next to the stage during the Halftime Show, there were three 1960s Chevrolet Impala lowriders.

The Super Bowl Pepsi Commercial also showed a 1959 Chevrolet Impala convertible, a Bugatti Chiron Super Sport, and a custom-made lowrider bike.

Wednesday Car

Alongside Stranger Things, Wednesday was one of the most popular shows of 2022. And it included its fair share of rides. The most interesting of them was the one Morticia (Catherine Zeta-Jones) and Gomez (Luiz Guzman) drive. And it’s not an authentic car, instead it’s a custom build specifically for the Tim Burton production. The vehicle is based on a 1938 stretched Pontiac, using the wheelbase of a Mercedes-Benz G-Class. It has a dark exterior and a rich red interior, perfect for the Addams family vibe.

Let us know in the comment section below if we missed any awesome car moments from 2022.