You’ve probably heard of haunted houses, but did you know that some cars have also given people the creeps? From the ‘ghost crash of Surrey’ to the ‘jumping car of Cape Town,’ let’s take a spooky road trip through ten of the most famous haunted cars (and cursed cars) in history – if you’re brave enough.
- The Jumping Car of Cape Town
Late one night in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2004, a family slept. They had just finished hosting a dinner for friends. Suddenly, they woke up to the loud noise of a car starting. They thought someone was stealing their Renault Megane. Hurriedly, they went outside but found no one there. Instead, they saw something strange – the car was jumping, even though it was turned off and empty.
The family checked the car. They found no keys in the ignition and the handbrake was on. They called the police. When the police arrived, they thought it was a prank. But then, the car started again and jumped into a tree.
Nine people, including two police officers, saw the car move on its own. Renault believes it was a faulty starter motor. But nobody knows why it revved up like that. This unexplainable event adds the Renault Megane to the list of cursed cars that baffle and frighten people.
- President John F Kennedy’s Lincoln Limousine
This limousine is where President John F. Kennedy was shot during his visit to Dallas, Texas. What’s strange is that even after the incident, it stayed in service for a few years.
But that’s not the only odd thing about this car. When it was retired to the Henry Ford Museum in Michigan, visitors reported spooky incidents. Some said they felt a ghostly presence near the car. There are rumors of a gray man standing by the vehicle. Skeptics say he’s just a shadow or trick of light, but more sightings happen in November. Kennedy was shot on November 22nd.
Is it all a coincidence, or is the President’s spirit connected to his limousine – willingly or not? This presidential limousine joins the ranks of other haunted cars associated with tragedy and unexplained occurrences.
- President Abraham Lincoln’s Funeral Ghost Train
It’s said that President Abraham Lincoln’s funeral train retraces his final trip from Washington to Springfield, Illinois every April. When the train passes, clocks and watches stop, lagging behind by 5-8 minutes. Sometimes, eerie music or a ghostly whistle can be heard. And as if that’s not enough, the train never reaches its destination. Is it because Lincoln’s body never found peace?
- Silverpilen (Silver Arrow) Subway Train
Be cautious when riding the Stockholm subway late at night. There’s talk of a ghostly train that roams the tracks, stopping at random stations at unpredictable times. It may seem like the last train, catching unsuspecting commuters off guard with its empty carriages and unpainted silver exterior – especially if they’re not familiar with the subway’s colors.
Inside, the absence of ads and partially removed graffiti might raise suspicions. But encountering a carriage full of ghostly passengers is sure to send shivers down your spine. The unluckiest passengers who board this ghost train might find themselves at Kymlinge – the subway station of the dead.
Those who end up there could lose weeks or even years of their lives before returning – if they’re lucky. Some vanish entirely, believed to be taken to a station with no way out…
- Bonnie and Clyde’s Haunted Car
Two of the most notorious villains of the 20th Century, known for their crimes in the 1930s, still haunt people’s memories nearly 80 years later. On May 23rd, 1934, police ambushed their 1932 Ford Model 18 near Sailes, Louisiana, and ended Bonnie and Clyde’s reign of terror with over 100 bullets, killing them instantly. But their story doesn’t end there.
That same car now rests in Whiskey Pete’s Casino in Nevada, still bearing the scars of bullets. Just seeing it sends shivers down your spine. Many visitors have reported feeling uneasy and not alone around it. Some even claim to see mysterious objects in photos taken near the car. While nothing is certain, could the ghosts of Bonnie and Clyde be forever tied to the vehicle of their demise?
- Franz Ferdinand’s Gräf & Stift Limousine
The curse of Franz Ferdinand’s limousine began on the tragic day he was assassinated by Gavrilo Princip, igniting the First World War. After narrowly escaping death earlier, the limousine stalled outside the cafe where Princip emerged, leading to the Archduke and his wife’s fatal shooting.
In the following twelve years, thirteen deaths were linked to this cursed car. An Austrian General who drove it ended up in a mental asylum. Two peasants and a German officer died in the same crash. A Swiss racer rolled the car, and a Romanian owner lost control, resulting in the deaths of five passengers and himself.
Now displayed in the War History Museum of Vienna, the car appears remarkably intact despite its deadly history. Could a malevolent force be preserving it all these years?
- Number 7 London Bus
The sight of a red London bus is usually comforting to English drivers – unless you’re on a collision course with one. In 1934, a driver tragically met his end when he crashed into a wall after encountering the ‘Phantom Bus.’
During the investigation, witnesses revealed the existence of this ghostly vehicle. From the 1930s to 1990, many Londoners reported nearly crashing into an unlit, driverless Number 7 bus in the middle of the road. It always appeared near Cambridge Gardens at 1:15 am – a time when no buses should be there.
After startling drivers, it vanished into the night without a trace. The police were baffled by the ‘Phantom Bus’ – what was it exactly?
- James Dean’s Porsche 500 Spyder ‘Little Bastard’
“You’ll be dead within a week if you get into that thing,” Alec Guinness warned James Dean upon seeing his new car. Exactly seven days later, Dean and his mechanic, Rolf Wütherich, crashed into the back of a Ford Tudor.
Guinness’ comment proved eerily accurate, but Dean and Wütherich weren’t the only victims of ‘Little Bastard.’ After George Barris sold the engine and drivetrain, William Eschrich and Dr. McHenry suffered accidents in the same Californian race. McHenry lost his life, and Eschrich was injured.
The cursed shell of ‘Little Bastard’ continued its reign of terror, causing harm and death even while on display in schools and during transportation.
Two peculiar incidents set ‘Little Bastard’ apart. While on display in California as a cautionary tale, the garage burned down, destroying everything except the malevolent car, which emerged unscathed. Then, in 1960, five years after Dean’s death, ‘Little Bastard’ allegedly vanished from the truck transporting it, engineless. To this day, it remains missing.
- Golden Eagle
Meet the ‘most evil car in America,’ a 1964 Dodge 330 Limited Edition. All three police officers who drove this car during its service brutally murdered their families before taking their own lives. Once sold, the car displayed terrifying behavior – doors opening on the highway, the engine stalling, steering jamming, brakes failing – seemingly intent on causing as much harm as possible.
The car didn’t take kindly to theft or joyrides either. Several vandals in the 1980s and ’90s met gruesome ends. Near the Golden Eagle, at least two children lost their lives. An entire family perished in a house fire two weeks after a child dared to touch the car.
Although the Golden Eagle was dismantled in 2010 due to local churches’ belief that it was possessed by a demon, enough parts remain to reconstruct its shell. However, some who participated in breaking down the car met untimely deaths shortly after. This bloodthirsty car, possibly akin to the killer car in Stephen King’s novel, “Christine,” has claimed over fourteen lives – and the actual count could be much higher.
- Black Volga
Evil – that’s the only word to describe the terrifying Soviet limousine that instilled fear in people, leading them to believe it was driven by Satan himself.
Some claimed to see tire rims materialize out of thin air, or ram’s horns in place of side mirrors. Whenever the car appeared, there were always disappearances. Children vanished without a trace, and those who tried to intervene met their demise within 24 hours – sometimes instantly. The car emerged mysteriously during the 1960s and ’70s and hasn’t been sighted since.
One might dismiss it as Soviet scare tactics to further terrorize the oppressed population. However, in Ukraine during the 1960s, a chilling report recounts two girls being approached by the Black Volga. They were sucked inside as if by a vacuum cleaner. Astonishingly, a witness didn’t drop dead like others but managed to open the door, revealing… nothing. The front of the car was empty. Before he could comprehend more, a blinding flash enveloped him, and he woke up 24 hours later with a pounding headache.
The truth about the Black Volga and the fate of the abducted children remains shrouded in mystery. But surely it wasn’t the Devil himself – or was it?
