History Film / TheCar

* DaylightHorror: The Car's first few attacks take place during the day.

* NoEscapeButDown: Said almost word for word by Ray as he chases the Car towards a dead end; "There's no way down but straight down!". This how he meets his end, when the Car pushes his cruiser off the side of a cliff where it explodes into flames as it tumbles down the mountain. Not only that, but Ray's burning corpse is shown being flung out of the flaming cruiser.

* DisproportionateRetribution: The Car runs over John Norris for [[FlippingTheBird flipping it off.]] Four times.

* TheAlcoholic: Deputy Luke Johnson ''was'' one, and he briefly falls {{off the wagon}} [[DespairEventHorizon when both Pete and]] [[spoiler:[[DespairEventHorizon Everett]]]] [[DespairEventHorizon get murdered on the same day]]. He gets it back under control after [[WhatTheHellHero he foolishly forgets to warn the local school not to hold their parade practice, which leads to the deaths of five fellow deputies.]]

* CoolTeacher: The film awkwardly attempts to make Lauren come off as one by having her dismiss a boy drawing a picture of her naked as harmless fun to her crabby boss.

* CopKiller: The Car murders countless cops, even murdering [[spoiler:Everett]] in front of the police station.

* DisconnectedByDeath: [[spoiler:Lauren]] is on the phone with Wade when the Car kills her by driving through the middle of her house and running her over.

* DisconnectedByDeath: Lauren is on the phone to Wade when the Car kills her by running her over by driving through the middle of her house.

* DeathlyDiesIrae: Used as both the film's opening theme and the Cat's {{Leitmotif}}.

A 1977 horror film directed by Elliot Silverstein, ''The Car'' is exactly what would you get [[JustForFun/XMeetsY if you crossed]] ''Film/{{Jaws}}'' with ''Film/{{Duel}}'', minus the Creator/{{S|tevenSpielberg}}pielberg. The cast includes Creator/JamesBrolin, Creator/KathleenLloyd, Creator/JohnMarley, Creator/RonnyCox, Creator/RGArmstrong, and Creator/JohnRubinstein.

Out of nowhere, a car appears in the [[NothingExcitingEverHappensHere fictional Utah town of Santa Ynez]]. But not just any car: It is a [[CoolCar heavily modified black 1971 Lincoln Continental Mark III]], which proceeds to mercilessly [[VehicularAssault run down]] local citizens. The local police force is baffled by this, especially given the sketchy claims from eyewitnesses that the car had no plates, and much more oddly, no driver...

* HonkingArrivingCar: [[PlayingWithATrope Played With]]. The killer automobile blares its horn just before [[spoiler:driving through Lauren's home and running her over while she's on the phone.]]

* HonkingArrivingCar: [[PlayingWithATrope Played With]]. The killer automobile blares its horn just before driving through Lauren's home and running her over while she's on the phone.

* POVCam: We get a number of shots from inside the Car, looking through its dark reddish-orange tinted windshield as it bears down on victims.

* PlotArmor: Wade. After killing countless police officers who pursued it, the car comes across Wade who stands in the middle of the road and draws his gun on it. Rather than just run him down, it slows to a stop and sits there, likely so Wade can find out the hard way that bullets have no effect on it. When he attempts to get a look at the driver, the Car just knocks him out and leaves him on the side of the road.

* LoudOfWar: The Car's horn is extremely loud, and is variously used to intimidate victims and as a sort of BondOneLiner, coupled with the equally loud engine. At one point, [[GlassShatteringSound it gets so loud that it shatters some windows.]]

* PlotArmor: Wade. After killing countless police officers who pursued it, the car comes across Wade who stands in the middle of the road and draws his gun on it. Rather than just run him down, it slows to a stop and sits there, likely so Wade can find out the hard way that bullets have no effect on it. When he attempts to get a look at the driver, The Car just knocks him out and leaves him on the side of the road.

A 1977 horror film directed by Elliot Silverstein, ''The Car'' is exactly what would you get [[JustForFun/XMeetsY if you crossed]] ''Film/{{Jaws}}'' with ''Film/{{Duel}}'', minus the Creator/{{S|tevenSpielberg}}pielberg.

Enter [[TheHero Chief Deputy Wade Parent]] (Creator/JamesBrolin), who must find out who or what is driving the damn thing and how to stop it, and hopefully protect his kids, his girlfriend Lauren (Creator/KathleenLloyd), and, well, ''everybody else'' in town from this motorized menace.

The film stars several well-known character actors, such as the aforementioned Brolin, Creator/JohnMarley, Creator/RonnyCox, Creator/RGArmstrong, and Creator/JohnRubinstein.

* ToTheTuneOf: The main theme by Leonard Rosenman is based on the Latin hymn "Dies Irae".

* WouldHurtAChild: The Car's first victims are a pair of teenage cyclists, and would likely have killed many of the kids at the band parade rehearsal if they hadn't been herded into the cemetery.