Vroooooooom with a view

(Correction: Because of a reporting error, a story in the June 4 Movies section misstated the location of the car chase in the film ``The French Connection." It took place in Brooklyn.)

THE INSECTS OF ``A BUG'S LIFE " and fish of ``Finding Nemo " are about to acquire internal-combustion counterpart s . This Friday , Pixar rolls out its latest computer-generated epic, ``Cars ," starring the voices of Owen Wilson , Paul Newman , and such automotive ringers as Richard Petty , DarrellWaltrip , and the Magliozzi brothers of ``Car Talk" fame. A whole lot more cars have figured in movies than bugs or fish. ``Cars" is just the latest in a long line of Hollywood tributes to the automobile. Many of them are noted in the current IFC documentary ``Wanderlust: On the Road With American Road Movies. " Motion pictures and motor vehiclesarrived on the scene at the same time. Hollywood and Detroit effectively grew up together, becoming dual icons of American culture and commerce. From the Keystone Kops to ``2 Fast 2 Furious ," traffic has sped across the big screen with the frequency of cars at rush hour. Hey, ``Rush Hour" -- there'sanother car movie. And here are 25 more.

1954 ``On the Waterfront." A taxi with venetian blinds? That's OK. The meter's running as long as Marlon Brando and Rod Steiger get to argue in that back seat.

1955 ``Rebel Without a Cause." A two-fer: Not only is there the most famous game of chicken in movie history (with Natalie Wood as starter, no less) but also the inevitable association with James Dean's imminent automotive demise.

1955 ``To Catch a Thief." It's hard to say which is the most beautiful onscreen sight: Cary Grant , Grace Kelly , the Riviera scenery, or Kelly's Sunbeam Alpine roadster (which she handles quite expertly, thank you very much).

1964 ``Goldfinger." The term ``ejector seat" finds an application outside aviation, as 007's Aston Martin DB5 makes its debut. Q outdoes himself, with maybe the most fabulous vehicle in Hollywood history. Car buffs are shaken and stirred.

1964 ``Viva Las Vegas." Elvis played a race car driver three times, here as well as in ``Spin Out" and ``Speedway." But only in ``Viva Las Vegas" does he get to sing a terrific title song, let alone have Ann-Margret along for the ride.

1967 ``Bonnie and Clyde." One of the all-time movie taglines -- ``They're young . . . they're in love . . . and they kill people" -- neglects to mention that they also drive around a lot in Depression-era coupes and sedans.

1968 ``Bullitt." Imagine the Brickyard at Indy with hills -- lots and lots of very steep hills. That's what it seems like with police detective Steve McQueen behind the wheel of a Mustang GT 390 in San Francisco.

1968 ``The Love Bug." Herbie , a '63 Volkswagen Beetle, is the title character, the most adorable Disney creation this side of Thumper . It's true Thumper accelerates better, but you wouldn't believe the price of premium unleaded carrots.

1968 ``Chitty Chitty Bang Bang." Dick Van Dyke drives the flying car that gives the movie its name. His real-life brother, Jerry Van Dyke , starred in a television sitcom called ``My Mother the Car ." Did their father own a gas station?

1969 ``The Italian Job." Michael Caine and Noel Coward may get top billing, but the real stars are those three traffic-snarling Mini Coopers.

1971 ``The French Connection." In a race between a subway train and a commandeered car in the Bronx, don't bet against the car -- as long as Gene Hackman's doing the driving.

1972 ``The Godfather." Hey, if Sonny had had Fast Lane , Michael might still be in Sicily, and it'd be Al Pacino starring on ``Las Vegas. "

1973 ``American Graffiti." Rock 'n' roll ranks right up there with cars and movies in the pop-cultural firmament. Realizing this, George Lucas hits a trifecta.

1974 ``Dirty Mary, Crazy Larry." Peter Fonda doubles his standard number of screen wheels, giving up motorcycles to drive a '69 Dodge Charger R/T with a 440-cubic-inch V-8.

1976 ``Taxi Driver." Did Travis Bickle get better tips with or without the Mohawk? And where would he come down on the Venetian blinds question?

1977 ``Smokey and the Bandit." Only ``Star Wars" grossed more that year. It must have been Burt Reynolds's black Trans Am.

1981 ``The Cannonball Run." Reynolds rides again, this time in a cross-country car race where his competition includes a just-starting-out Jackie Chan , who plays a character named, yes, Jackie Chan. Think of it as Pirandello on wheels.

1983 ``D.C. Cab." Mr. T wears a Mohawk throughout -- this is a taxi driver who doesn't worry about getting tips.

1985 ``Back to the Future." Sometimes second-guessing helps. Originally, the time machine was going to be a refrigerator instead of aDeLorean . True, they both have doors, but the resemblance pretty much ends there.

1988 ``Tucker: The Man and His Dream." Carmakers have even bigger egos than filmmakers. Fords are named for Henry Ford , DeLoreans for John DeLorean , and Tuckers for Preston Tucker .

1989 ``Batman." ``Three of us worked on the Batmobile," said its designer, Anton Furst , ``and looked at every car ever made, I think. We ended up with something that has brute force and forbidding power coupled with form, shape, and sculpture. Something that is, frankly, quite rude."

1990 ``Days of Thunder." It still seems impossible. Tom Cruise +NASCAR = flop? Maybe it was his character's name, Cole Trickle . Remember, Ford thought the Edsel was can't-miss, too.

1991 ``Thelma & Louise." Huck and Jim had a raft. Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon have a '66 Thunderbird convertible.

2001 ``The Fast and the Furious." LA gang wars go upscale. No need for fists, switchblades, even Uzis, as long as there are hot cars to race.

2003 ``The Matrix Reloaded." Isn't it reassuring to know that, even in a dystopian future where the world is ruled by computers, there will still be car chases?