This Oscar winner Hollywood star is one of those actors that not only lands the cool roles, but he always scores the cool rides too. On screen he’s been lucky enough to be linked with an eclectic mix of great cars, and when, “That’s a wrap!” is called, he’s the kind of guy who needs to keep that feeling going by jumping into his own slick ride.
Dazed & Confused
I saw this movie as teen, the perfect age to appreciate the theme and the cool 70s imagery of America’s youth. McConaughey plays a twenty something guy called David Wooderson. Hanging around with kids a few years younger than himself and driving a black 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle SS he calls Melba Toast, Wooderson uses the legendary muscle car as jailbait.
In Wooderson’s own words: “Let me tell you what Melba Toast is packin’ right here, all right. We got 4:11 Positrac outback, 750 double pumper, Edelbrock intake, bored over 30, 11 to 1 pop-up pistons, turbo-jet 390 horsepower. We’re talkin’ some fu*kin’ muscle.”
EDtv
EDtv sees McConaughey as a slacker working in a video store. After managing to impress TV producer, Ellen DeGeneres, he makes the cut to appear in a reality TV show, where they film him 24/7. He’s not an instant hit, but after a few days in the life of Ed, the audiences demand more.
Whether you like him or not, you can’t help but love this beaten up 1966 Dodge Charger.
Failure To Launch
Failure to Launch is a 2006 rom-com featuring McConaughey as a 35-year-old man living with his parents. If this isn’t bad enough, he shows no great interest in leaving the comfortable lifestyle either. So what’s a mother’s boy doing driving a retro 1973 Porsche 911?
The Lincoln Lawyer
The name is in the title with this one. Not am I only a fan of car movies but I also follow car fiction. The Lincoln Lawyer is a 2005 novel by Michael Connelly and features a typical L.A. ambulance-chasing lawyer. He’s smooth, smart and instead of using public transportation to meet clients and show up at court, Haller has his driver, Earl on his payroll. Whilst Earl drives Haller around Los Angeles, the street-savvy lawyer uses the back of his Lincoln Town Car as his office – here he makes phone calls and completes paperwork. In fact, Haller likes the car so much, he has a few more tucked away in an empty building.
The 1986 Lincoln Town Car in black is one hell of a barge, and did you notice the plate? NTGUILTY
Killer Joe
In this black comedy McConaughey plays the role of Joe Cooper, a police detective who moonlights as a contract killer. He wears a black cowboy hat, cowboy boots, dark shades and leather gloves. The car of choice is a government issue dark grey Dodge Charger – this car somehow manages to suit both professions rather well.
Dallas Buyers Club
This movie gained McConaughey a Golden Globe award for best actor and an Academy award nomination (Update – Matthew McConaughey just won the Oscar for Best Actor in a Leading Role). As you can see from the picture transformation above, this was a serious movie and McConaughey put in a serious effort in nailing the role – I haven’t seen such weight loss since Christian Bale in The Machinist.
The movie is based on the real life events of Ron Woodroof, an electrician and rodeo cowboy with a reckless attitude and lifestyle – drinking, smoking and drug abuse. He’s a typical racist and homophobic Redneck, and after a visit to hospital for an injury, he gets told he is HIV+ and has around 30 days to live.
We watch Ron go from anger and denial to acceptance and actually helping others like him. Ron started the rollercoaster ride in a cool Mid 70s Dodge Monaco, and later in the movie we see him lose his mind in an early 80s GMC Sierra V8 truck.
Alfa Romeo Giulia Spider
If being asked to star alongside the gorgeous Scarlett Johansson in a commercial for Dolce & Gabbana isn’t enough, McConaughey got another gorgeous co-star for good measure. Directed by Martin Scorsese in NYC’s West Village, the D&G shoot saw McConaughey drive this stunning Alfa Romeo Giulia Spider. Between the two, I’d be hard pushed to make a choice, although I’d probably end up with the Italian girl.
Chevrolet Camaro Z28
When he isn’t in front of a camera, McConaughey likes to keep it old school with his 1981 Chevy Camaro. Apparently, he’s been in love with and drooled over this car since his teens, and it wasn’t until his partner, Camilla, gifted him one, that he got to actually own one. The Z28 has a 5.7L, V8 under the hood, and despite being average compared to modern cars, it was way ahead of its time with power windows, power locks and cruise control. What better colour for a V8 muscle car than black?
GMC Yukon XL
McConaughey is known for his great body and is often spotted doing outdoor activities to stay fit. Although not too cool in status, the GMC Yukon possesses a great heritage dating as far back as 1936. It’s not only spacious but it’s also equipped with superb interiors and top-quality instruments and gauges. A 320-bhp 5.8-L V8 powers the monster, and its 335 lb-ft of torque makes it a great towing vehicle.
Lincoln MKX
If McConaughey has to endure a long journey, he likes nothing better than jumping in his metallic black Lincoln MKX. Similar to the Yukon in being a quality SUV boasting luxury and high-tech features, the Lincoln differs in overall size. Despite being powered by a smaller engine than the larger Yukon – a 3.7-L V6 – it produces 305-bhp, only 15 less – this means a better power-to-weight ratio, perfect for clipping down the highway.
1971 Corvette
McConaughey proved his love for the classics by once owning this Corvette. Known as the ‘The Shark’, the Chevy was up for auction to benefit Oprah Winfrey’s angel network. It’s 5.0-L ZQ3 lump produces 330-bhp, capable of shifting the car to 140-mph, not too bad for its time.
