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The Best Books About Cars

People gathering around vehicles at a tailgate event during sunset, with cars packed and ready for game day.

Game Day Ready: Tailgate Prep Tips for Your Vehicle

As summer fades and fall approaches, it’s time to get ready for the excitement of tailgate season. Just like a quarterback sets the tone, your game day experience starts with your vehicle.

A person checking tire pressure on a vehicle during fall, surrounded by autumn leaves, as part of pre-game tailgate preparation.

Pre-Game Warm-Up: Fall Maintenance Tips

Preparing your vehicle is essential to ensure your tailgate goes off without a hitch. Take advantage of the remaining warm weather to handle fall vehicle maintenance—check tire pressure, rotate tires, and prep for those crisp autumn drives. Consider this your pre-game warm-up.

Packing Smart: Your Tailgate Hub

Tailgates often feel like mini camping trips, so packing smart is essential. Your trunk becomes the ultimate tailgating hub—your end zone—ready to accommodate fold-up tables, grills, and coolers. Use storage bins and Tupperware as your defensive line against spills, keeping everything organized and secure during those slippery turns over fallen leaves.

A car trunk packed with essential tailgate supplies, including coolers, bags, and water jugs, ready for a game day event.
A car trunk packed with essential tailgate supplies, including coolers, bags, and water jugs, ready for a game day event.

Packing Smart: Your Tailgate Hub

Tailgates often feel like mini camping trips, so packing smart is essential. Your trunk becomes the ultimate tailgating hub—your end zone—ready to accommodate fold-up tables, grills, and coolers. Use storage bins and Tupperware as your defensive line against spills, keeping everything organized and secure during those slippery turns over fallen leaves.

A group of friends enjoying a tailgate BBQ, grilling food and socializing before a game.

Don’t Forget the Basics: Game Day Essentials

Don’t let the joyful chaos of game day make you forget the essentials. A surprise rain shower could blitz your tailgate, so be prepared with weather gear, a first aid kit, and cleaning supplies stowed behind your backseat. Tackle chilly winds with a spare blanket and gloves, and keep trash bags and paper towels on hand to make cleanup a breeze—this is your post-tailgate strategy.

Navigating the Game Plan: Route and Parking Information

A few wrong turns during the daily grind might be no big deal, but on game day, missing an exit can throw off your entire experience. Pre-program your GPS and familiarize yourself with the facility’s parking lots. This tailgate prep ensures you coordinate efficiently with your squad, making it easy to find your spot before the game and, most importantly, plan your escape route when it’s all over.

Driver using GPS navigation system to plan a route, ensuring smooth travel to a tailgate event.
Driver using GPS navigation system to plan a route, ensuring smooth travel to a tailgate event.

Navigating the Game Plan: Route and Parking Information

A few wrong turns during the daily grind might be no big deal, but on game day, missing an exit can throw off your entire experience. Pre-program your GPS and familiarize yourself with the facility’s parking lots. This tailgate prep ensures you coordinate efficiently with your squad, making it easy to find your spot before the game and, most importantly, plan your escape route when it’s all over.

A group of friends taking a selfie at a tailgate event, enjoying the pre-game festivities with smiles and excitement.

Arrive Early: Scoring the Perfect Tailgate Spot

With your car packed and ready, the final play is to arrive early. Tailgating is all about the pre-game excitement, so secure your spot by showing up 4-5 hours before kickoff. Choose prime territory on flat ground with easy restroom access, and back in your vehicle to create the ultimate huddle for seating, grilling, and serving your team. With everything in place, you’re ready to score the perfect tailgate.

If you’re a fan of prepping for the seasons, check out our blog on The Top Winter Car Maintenance Tips to see how the fundamentals of vehicle care apply year-round. Whether it’s fall or winter, keeping your vehicle in top shape ensures you’re always game day ready.

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A cameraman captures a car crash during filming of a tv miniseries.

The Top 15 Most Memorable Movie Cars

A cameraman captures a car crash during filming of a tv miniseries.

The Top 15 Most Memorable Movie Cars

Whether you own, lease, or simply ride share, cars undoubtedly play a crucial part in our daily lives by getting us where we need to go. With how essential cars are, it is no surprise that cars appear throughout all forms of entertainment, including television shows, music, videogames, books, and movies. While its common to see a car on the big screen at your local movie theater, it is less common that the car becomes one of the most memorable parts of a film. There are many different reasons a car can be the star of the show. The movie could be about the car, meaning the plot revolves around it or that the car is personified through sounds and expressions to covey emotion. Sometimes a movie just features a really cool car. Here are our top 15 most memorable movie cars (in alphabetical order):

A 1932 Ford Coupe from the film American Graffiti.

1. American Graffiti (1973) – 1932 Ford Coupe

(Photo credit: Universal Pictures)

A 1981 DeLorean DMC-12 that was featured in Back to the Future.

2. Back to the Future (1985) – 1981 DeLorean DMC-12

(Photo credit: Universal Pictures)

The Bluesmobile, which is a 1974 Dodge Monaco from The Blues Brothers.

3. The Blues Brothers (1980) – Bluesmobile, 1974 Dodge Monaco

(Photo credit: Universal Pictures)

The Batmobile from the Dark Knight Trilogy of movies.

4. The Dark Knight Trilogy (2005, 2008 & 2012) – Batmobile

(Photo credit: Warner Bros.)

A 1970 Dodge Charger that was seen in the 2001 film The Fast and The Furious.

5. The Fast and the Furious (2001) – 1970 Dodge Charger

(Photo credit: Universal Pictures)

A 1985 Modena GT Spyder California featured in Ferris Bueller's Day Off.

6. Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) – 1985 Modena GT Spyder California

(Photo credit: Paramount Pictures)

The Ectomobile, which is a 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor that was featured in Ghostbusters 1 and Ghostbusters 2.

7. Ghostbusters I & II (1984 & 1989) – Ectomobile, 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor

(Photo credit: Columbia Pictures)

Greased Lightning, the name of a 1948 Ford De Luxe Convertible that was featured in the 1978 film Grease.

8. Grease (1978) – Greased Lightning, 1948 Ford De Luxe Convertible

(Photo credit: Paramount Pictures)

A 1992 Ford Explorer XLT UN46 that was featured in Jurassic Park.

9. Jurassic Park (1993) – 1992 Ford Explorer XLT UN46

(Photo credit: Universal Pictures)

Herbie, which is a 1963 Volkswagen Beetle Model 117 Deluxe Sunroof Sedan that featured in the 1968 film The Love Bug.

10. The Love Bug (1968) – Herbie, 1963 Volkswagen Beetle Model 117 Deluxe Sunroof Sedan

(Photo credit: Walt Disney Productions)

A 1973 XB GT Ford Falcon from the 1979 movie Mad Max.

11. Mad Max (1979) – 1973 XB GT Ford Falcon

(Photo credit: Kenny Miller Productions)

A 1979 Ford LTD Country Squire that was featured in the 1983 film National Lampoon's Vacation.

12. National Lampoon’s Vacation (1983) – 1979 Ford LTD Country Squire

(Photo credit: Warner Bros.)

A 1977 Pontiac Firebird Trans-Am from the 1977 film Smokey and the Bandit.

13. Smokey and the Bandit (1977) – 1977 Pontiac Trans AM

(Photo credit: Universal Pictures)

A 1976 Lotus Esprit Series 1 from the 1977 movie The Spy Who Loved Me.

14. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) – 1976 Lotus Esprit Series I

(Photo credit: Eon Productions)

Bumblebee, which is a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro from Transformers: Dark of the Moon.

15. Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011) – Bumblebee, 2010 Chevrolet Camaro

(Photo credit: Paramount Pictures)

Honorable Mention:

2 Fast 2 Furious (2003) – Nissan Skyline R34 GT-R

Bullitt (1968) – 1968 Mustang GT 390

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)

Dumb and Dumber (1994) – The Shaggin’ Wagon, 1984 Ford Econoline

Goldfinger (1964) – 1964 Aston martin DB5

Kill Bill Vol. 1 (2003) – 1997 Chevrolet C-2500 Silverado Fleetside

Little Miss Sunshine (2006) – 1971 Volkswagen T2 Microbus

Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) – The Gigahorse

Scooby-Doo (2002) – Mystery Machine, 1972 Ford E200 Econoline Van

Thelma & Louise (1991) – 1966 Ford Thunderbird

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