History Main / MetallicarSyndrome

* Gin, one of the higher-ranking members of the [[TheSyndicate Black Organization]] in ''Manga/DetectiveConan'', always drives a Porsche. The specific model is so rare that Ai can identify it immediately, but it never keeps him from blending in whenever noone plot-relevant is around.

* Despite being an internationally-wanted criminal, Franchise/LupinIII often drives the very rare Mercedes-Benz SSK. A JustifiedTrope; his desire to show off is at least as powerful a motive as the money from his spectacular capers.
** Subverted in ''Anime/TheCastleOfCagliostro'' where Lupin drives a Fiat 500 (that just happens to have been hot-rodded to an astounding degree.)

* {{Averted|Trope}} but {{Discussed|Trope}} early in ''ComicBook/{{Runaways}}'', where Chase drives the Runaways around and one of them complains about how uncool his plain white van is; he responds that he got it on purpose because a plain white van is the most inconspicuous vehicle possible.

* Characters in ''ComicBook/SinCity'' are often supposed to be hiding out from the cops or mafia, but when they choose rides, they usually get the CoolCar. This trope is actually justified in that '''most''' cars in the city are vintage muscle cars.

* Subverted in one issue of ''ComicBook/GIJoeARealAmericanHeroMarvel''; the ninjas Storm Shadow, Jinx, and Billy are rescued from federal agents in a daring airport raid, with the Joes driving off in a brightly-colored sedan. After leaving the airport, they drive through a car wash, which washes off the bright water-based paint and leaves their ride an inconspicuous dull grey instead.
* {{Justified}} and {{Subverted}} in ''ComicBook/{{Diabolik}}'': the title character drives a black Jaguar E-Type because it's insanely fast even before he augments the engine, and, being the public enemy #1, he ''needs'' a fast car (hence why he has multiple Jaguars and will steal or buy others if given the chance); also, the police ''knows'' he tends to use cars of that model and ''will'' give chase and call for reinforcements upon spotting one, hence why he will drive a less conspicuous car whenever he had any need for stealth.

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]
* ''Film/SmokeyAndTheBandit'':
** The black 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. This is actually an aversion, as the entire point of The Bandit's car is to draw Smokey's attention away from the tractor-trailer he is escorting. In perhaps a bit of irony, the Firebirds of that year/generation sold in very high numbers. Even though his was a brand-new and top-of-the-line model, Bandit would have probably still been able to blend in a bit with the thousands of other similar Firebirds and Camaros on the road if he had tried, and may have needed to work a bit to ''get'' noticed at first. However, that year's model (and indeed, that car) were the first to feature the famous (or perhaps infamous) "flaming chicken" hood decal Trans Ams were later famous/notorious for.
** In the first film Snowman is driving Bandit's rig which features a large custom-painted mural on the trailer, an odd choice for someone ostensibly trying to blend in with the hundreds of other 18-wheelers on the highway hauling plain white trailers or ones with less-conspicuous industrial graphics.
*** This is actually [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] by Junior earlier in the film and later when Bandit admits he's a show off.

* Pretty much every car in ''Film/TheGumballRally''. Justified in that only a race-bred exotic (like the antagonist's Ferrari California or the protagonist's Shelby Cobra) would have a hope of winning a balls-to-the-wall auto race across the entire United States. Though there were some teams relying on stealth or deception, such as van crammed with gas tanks entered by the team with the "no stops" strategy (they crashed early due to overloading) and the Police Cruiser entered by the cops.
* [[SubvertedTrope Subverted]] in ''Film/TheMuppetMovie'': Fozzie's Studebaker is painted with psychedelic colors by the Electric Mayhem to help Kermit elude Doc Hopper. This, at least, had a chance of working because Hopper had encountered Kermit and Fozzie before when the Studebaker was a tan color. The paint job doesn't fool Hopper or his assistant Max because Max looks straight at who's ''in'' the car, but it does hide it surprisingly well when they stop in front of a similarly-painted billboard. See the Page Image above.
-->'''Doc Hopper:''' ''(off-hand, as Max drives him)'' Max, find me a bear and a frog in a tan Studebaker.\\
'''Max:''' Gee, Doc, all I see are a bear and a frog in a rainbow-colored Studebaker.\\
(Main/{{Beat}})\\
'''Doc Hopper:''' ''(off-hand)'' What?!?\\
(cut to Fozzie and Kermit in the Studebaker)\\
'''Kermit and Fozzie''': [[Main/OhCrap What?!?]]

* Subverted to the point of comedy in ''Film/{{Drive}}''. The opening scene shows Ryan Gosling picking up a modified car for use in a heist. He and the mechanic walk past 5 or 6 flashy American muscle cars while the mechanic quips, "Here she is, plain-Jane as can be, the most popular car in the state of California, the [modern day] Chevy Impala". Keep in mind that a [[Series/{{Supernatural}} 1967 Impala]] is ''the'' Metallicar.

* Film/JamesBond's [[WeaponizedCar Aston Martin DB5]] could rotate the license plates to choose between 3 different versions to distract the villains. Even as [[TheSixties the 1960s]] lacked computer databases of cars, even a thick-headed villain might have understood there couldn't have been too many silver Aston Martins in a given town, let alone in the relative poverty of most European countries at that time. A real London-based spy in 1964 probably would've driven a gray Morris Minor.

* Subverted in ''Film/{{Taxi}}'', where the bank robbers escape in conspicuously ''red'' Mercedes-Benzes and then, after having the whole city searching for ''red'' Mercedes cars, they stop off at a garage and quickly repaint the cars in inconspicuous ''grey''.

* Averted in ''Film/NeedForSpeed''. Tobey drives a fairly rare Shelby Mustang with a distinctive paint job on his cross-country journey, and after escaping the police in Detroit, police chatter specifically says to be on the lookout for that type of car. Later on, when he stops to refuel, he almost gets arrested because a cop spots the car and decides to investigate.
* Par for the course in ''Film/TheLoveBug,'' as nobody really sees a race-coloured Volkswagen Beetle being used as a daily driver for a little old lady (in Herbie Rides Again) everyday.

* Averted in ''Film/TheForceAwakens'': the heroes are trying to sneak their way to the Resistance, but it's pointed out the ship they have is too distinct (both visually and in terms of traceable output) for such a task, so they try to get a less conspicuous one. [[spoiler:Both the First Order and Resistance find them first, so they stick with the Millenium Falcon for the rest of the movie.]]

* Genevieves' '57 Plymouth in ''Literature/{{Anno Dracula}}: Johnny Alucard''. Left parked in a bad neighbourhood in Baltimore while she investigates a drug den, as by this point in the book she is a forensic medical examiner specialising in vampire-related cases, no longer being a private detective. After giving her opinion on the charnel house, she returns to the vehicle to find it in perfect condition apart from a fresh pool of blood under its nose...
* ''Literature/{{Demon Road}}'': Okay, so the Charger is special... Trouble is, Demoriel remembers it as being Milo's car/daemonic symbiote, and Amber's parents have now seen it, during the climactic battle in the first book. But it stays with them for the whole trilogy.

--> '''Chuck''': [[BurgerFool Wienerlicious]] really pays well, huh?

** Parodied in [[Recap/DoctorWhoS33E6TheBellsOfSaintJohn "The Bells of Saint John"]], where the villain ''does'' try to track the TARDIS and leads to a "[[NoodleIncident serious embarrassment]]" when they accidentally mistook a surviving ''real'' Police Box in Earl's Court for it.

* Lampshaded on ''Series/InPlainSight'' after Mary's car is destroyed and she gets a muscle car as a temporary replacement. She wants to keep it permanently but her boss tells her that, working for Witness Protection, she cannot drive a car that people will notice and remember.

* In the first season of ''Series/BreakingBad'', Jessie Pinkman drove a bright red Monte Carlo lowrider with a vanity license plate bearing his street name. By the time his and Walt's meth business got bigger and more dangerous and his car being destroyed in a shootout; he replaces it with a more subtle Toyota Tercel wagon, telling Walt he should "lay low."
* In ''Series/BetterCallSaul'', Daniel Wormald is a pharmacist who made several deals selling stolen pharmaceuticals to drug dealers. After a few successful scores, he trades in his minivan for a [[HummerDinger gaudy yellow Hummer H2]] with spinners, a [[PrettyFlyForAWhiteGuy "PLAYUH"]] vanity license plate, and a flame paint job. Mike tells him the Hummer might as well be a "flashing neon sign that says 'DRUG DEALER'."

* NeedForSpeed: ''Most Wanted'', ''Carbon'' and ''Undercover''. To lower notoriety with the police, it's a simple matter of changing the visual appearance of the car. Even if the (usually egregious) paint job is the exact same as before, they won't bat an eye because of the different spoiler and rims.

* In ''Series/{{Chuck}}'', Sarah Walker's personal vehicle is a Porsche 911 Carrera, which she drives around while masquerading as an unassuming retail worker who sells hot dogs and frozen yogurt for a living. Chuck even lampshades it when he first sees the car.

* Of course, we have ''Franchise/TheGreenHornet'' and his car Black Beauty. Not just a CoolCar, but one specifically modified to be distinctive. The [[Film/TheGreenHornet 2011 movie]] even gives the Hornet multiple identical cars in case one is destroyed. Near the end of the film it demonstrates color-shifting paint (from black to red), but it's still not the kind of car you see every day.

* Mentioned in ''Film/TheDarkKnight'' when Bruce needs to go rescue someone in daylight, and Alfred asks if he'll be taking the [[CoolBike Batpod]]. It's a Lamborghini Murciélago -- [[StealthPun meaning "bat"]].

* Fozzie's Studebaker on ''Film/TheMuppetMovie'' is painted in psychedelic colors by the Electric Mayhem to help Kermit elude Doc Hopper. The paint job doesn't fool Hopper because he looks straight at the ones ''in'' the car, but it does hide it surprisingly well when they stop in front of a similarly-painted billboard.

[[folder: Anime & Manga]]

* Genevieves' '57 Plymouth in ''Literature/{{Anno Dracula}}: Johnny Alucard''. Left parked in a bad neighbourhood in Baltimore while she investigates a drug den, as by this point in the book she is a forensic medical examiner specialising in vampire-related cases, no longer being a private detective. After giving her opinion on the charnel house, she returns to the vehicle to find it in perfect condition apart from a fresh pool of blood under its nose...
* OK, so the [[Literature/{{Demon Road}} Charger]] is special... Trouble is, Demoriel remembers it as being Milo's car/daemonic symbiote, and Amber's parents have now seen it, during the climactic battle in the first book. But it stays with them for the whole trilogy.

** [[Recap/SupernaturalS08E18FreaksAndGeeks "Freaks And Geeks" (S08, E18)]]: A big blue van that's been spotted at multiple crime scenes is even more conspicuous than Dean's baby.

* Series/TheATeam's black van with custom red trim, though it [[LampshadeHanging got noticed]] as "the A-Team's Van" once or twice during the series. Not very often, though. Face {{Lampshade|Hanging}}s this once when Hannibal tells him to keep tailing the episode's villain in his white-with-red-stripes Corvette:
-->'''Face:''' He's going to ''know'' I've been following him in the 'Vette.
* Referenced on ''Series/TheMuppetShow'' when Sam the Eagle complains that guest star Music/EltonJohn "dresses like a stolen car."
* Series/NashBridges' Hemi Cuda (of which there are like 7 in existence). He drives it everywhere, even while undercover.
* Perhaps justified on ''Series/BurnNotice''. The team tends to use fancy cars for their high-speed chases and wealthy cover identities. But they also go through a ''lot'' of cars--stealing (and then returning) new ones for almost every job and buying junkers when they're more appropriate. The exceptions include Michael's [[CoolCar Charger]], which really should have been recognized at some point. Of course, [[spoiler:he blew it up]], so that isn't going to happen now.
** Most of the time, Michael isn't really hiding from anyone, so there's no point in tracking him down through his car. It's easier to just ask one of the many people who know where he lives.

* In ''Series/DoctorWho'', the Doctor's TARDIS is [[ShapeshifterModeLock mode-locked]] as a police box from 1963, which, while a common sight when the series premiered, has become increasingly anachronistic with each passing decade. Lampshaded in the revived series, where the Doctor finally explains that it's equipped with a PerceptionFilter that prevents (most) people from noticing this.
** Parodied in "The Bells of St. John", where the villain ''does'' try to track the TARDIS and leads to a "[[NoodleIncident serious embarrassment]]" when they accidentally mistook a surviving ''real'' Police Box in Earl's Court for it.
** In one serial from the '80s, the 6th Doctor actually got around to trying to fix the chameleon circuit, but it just made matters worse: the TARDIS vworped into the middle of South-East London disguised [[EpicFail as a Hammond Organ]] and just got less inconspicuous from there. He apparently gave up after that and left it on the police box setting.

[[folder:RealLife]]

* A JustifiedTrope for the Mark II Jaguar with British criminals in the 1960s. There were many more ordinary cars to use as getaway cars but the 220 horsepower Jag was so popular because it was pretty much the quickest point-to-point car that could fit more than two passengers available.

* Par for the course in ''TheLoveBug,'' as nobody really sees a race-coloured Volkswagen Beetle being used as a daily driver for a little old lady (in Herbie Rides Again) everyday.

* The second Cannonball Baker Sea to Shining Sea Memorial Trophy Dash (the RealLife road race that inspired ''TheGumballRally'' and ''CannonballRun'' films) was won by legendary racer Dan Gurney and legendary auto journalist Brock Yates in a Ferrari Daytona that Gurney described as "cleverly disguised as a racing car" -- painted in Sunoco colors (midnight blue with yellow pinstripes) and some additional sponsors' decals.

-->'''Hunter Gathers:''' You call parking a supersonic jet in front of a titty bar inconspicuous? Who taught you to be a spy? F***ing Gallagher?

** Subverted in ''TheCastleOfCagliosto'' where Lupin drives a Fiat 500 (that just happens to have been hot-rodded to an astounding degree.)

* Averted in ''Film/TheForceAwakens'': the heroes are trying to sneak their way to the Rebels, but it's pointed out the ship they have is too distinct (both visually and in terms of traceable output) for such a task, so they try to get a less conspicuous one. [[spoiler:Both the First Order and Rebels find them first, so they stick with the Millenium Falcon for the rest of the movie.]]

* The second Cannonball Baker Sea to Shining Sea Memorial Trophy Dash (the RealLife road race that inspired ''TheGumballRally'' and ''CannonballRun'' films) was won by legendary racer Dan Gurney and legendary auto journalist Brock Yates in a bright yellow Ferrari Daytona that Gurney described as "cleverly disguised as a racing car" with a lime-green stripe.

If your protagonists, AliceAndBob, are of the AntiHero variety, they will drive a rare and/or unique-looking vehicle in order to show how utterly {{Badass}} they are. Somehow, the authorities never think to look for their pink-and-green SUV or purple-striped Ferrari, though ordinary {{Muggle}}s might, if Alice and Bob are the WeHelpTheHelpless type of anti-hero.

* In ''Series/DoctorWho'', the Doctor's TARDIS is mode-locked as a police box from 1963, which, while a common sight when the series premiered, has become increasingly anachronistic with each passing decade. Lampshaded in the revived series, where the Doctor finally explains that it's equipped with a PerceptionFilter that prevents (most) people from noticing this.

* Exploited in ''Manga/FullmetalAlchemist'': Ed and the chimeras were being chased, so Ed transmutes their car to make it big, flashy, and purple (as opposed to how inconspicuous it was before) when their pursuers lost sight of them for a moment. The pursuers pass by.

* Gin, one of the higher-ranking members of the [[TheSyndicate Black Organization]] in ''Manga/DetectiveConan'', always drives a Porsche. Ai can even identify his specific model immediately, but it never keeps him from blending in whenever noone plot-relevant is around.

* Par for the course in TheLoveBug, as nobody really sees a race-coloured Volkswagen Beetle being used as a daily driver for a little old lady (in Herbie Rides Again) everyday.