Cruisin': The Iconic Cars of ''American Graffiti''

Nothing personifies the classic suburban teenage summer more than cruising around with a group of friends. And no film captured the romance and agony of this cultural phenomenon better than "American Graffiti." 

Directed by George Lucas, the film follows high school graduates in the summer of 1962, who are grappling with the imminent changes that lie ahead. The friends spend one last night together, as they prepare to bid farewell to cohorts Steve Bolander and Curt Henderson - played by Ron Howard and Richard Dreyfuss, respectively - who are leaving for college the next day. 

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According to IMDB, the producers needed about 300 cars built before 1962 to create the cruising scene. More than 1,000 who answered ads in the local newspaper were interviewed. 

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While the actors and Lucas would become superstars in Hollywood, the cars of "American Graffiti" were the stars of the classic film. Cars like the 1956 Ford Thunderbird and Chevrolet’s 1958 Impala have come to personify mid-century cruising culture. 

The film was released on Aug. 11, 1973 to critical acclaim. It’s widely considered one of the most profitable films in history, with a $777,000 budget and $140 million in box office sales. The film’s financial success enabled Lucas to create the space opera “Star Wars.”