The Pontiac Aztek is one of the most infamous crossover vehicles of the early 2000s. Pontiac only sold the SUV between 2000 and 2005 due to its failure to gain traction with car buyers. Many buyers found the Aztek unconventional and unattractive. Automotive critics noted the Aztek to be a good, reliable vehicle for various purposes. Although unspectacular, it does the job. This is precisely what Walter White should have accepted on his own, but what can you do? The blue meth called and Heisenberg answered time and time again, often driving his Aztek to the lab to cook. This makes it an iconic symbol of Albuquerque’s crime megahit.
The Mysterious Machine (Scooby-Doo)
Through a number of variations, spin-offs and sequels, the scooby-doo frankness is effortlessly comforting and entertaining. A group of friends solving mysteries with a talking dog sounds like something out of our dreams. The Mystery Machine therefore symbolizes much more than transport. Her dependability and ability to act as a safe haven from the monsters Scooby, Shaggy, and the gang encounter help ease the anxieties of both the audience and the characters. This junky van also reminds many smokers of the days when they experimented with their substance of choice (but kids don’t have to know that…)
The Boatmobile (Spongebob Squarepants)
One of the reasons audiences of all ages have fallen in love with Nickelodeon’s endlessly upbeat sea sponge is its perseverance. The running gag that Spongebob just can’t get past his driving test and get his license over two decades of screen time is something that will never get old. The boat-mobile symbolizes that elusive success that eludes all of us in all the endeavors we pursue. It’s also downright fun to imagine anthropomorphic animals driving underwater ships to work and to run errands!
1929 Ford High Boy Roadster Pickup (Happy Days)
Almost five decades after its creation in 1974, Happy Days remains one of the best nostalgic, era-focused shows ever to air on television. The series starring Ron Howard and Henry Winkler represented one of the first times a network sitcom attempted to lure viewers based on sentimentality for their younger years, and the Roadster Pickup that can be seen driving by the main characters at the end of the opening song credit is a nod to how we cling to our innocence. I could have chosen a variety of different retro hot rods from the show, but this truck’s relevance is enhanced by the fact that it’s already 40 years old in the show’s fictional universe. This takes old school to a whole new level!
2003 Harley-Davidson Dyna Super Glide Sport by Jax Teller (Sons of Anarchy)
If you watched the entire series of FX’s most popular drama of 2010, you probably know that Sons of Anarchy is about a million things more than motorcycles. Loyalty, betrayal, small town politics, family and brotherhood are the main thematic symbols of the show. Still, the motorcycles these boys rode on the fictional streets of Charming, California were often quite pretty. No motorcycle was more eye-catching than Jax Teller’s (Charlie Hunnam) Harley-Davidson Dyna Super Glide Sport. Jax rode this motorcycle for much of the series, and it represented a lot about his character. Jax was a unit of a club member. He never shied away from the attention of being the heir apparent to the SAMCRO presidency. He was brash, loud, loyal to a fault, and grabbed the attention of the room when he entered. The Dyna Super Glide Sport was synonymous with many of those same qualities, and Jackson was very loyal to this machine as he was to everything else in his life.
If you combine the feel-good family vibes of Fred’s Mystery Machine from scooby-doo and KITT of Knight Rideryou get the Chevy Impala from Supernatural. This awesome vehicle was brothers Sam and Dean Winchester (Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles) used to hunt down the forces of evil for a decade and a half of the popular sci-fi series. Because he was present in almost every major scene, this Impala symbolized the antidote to evil spirits, if you will. The Metallicar was nicknamed so due to the Winchester brother’s fandom for heavy metal music while cruising in the vehicle.