Allow director George Miller to explain:

Growing up in remote Australia, the car was the thing. Big, big expanses of landscape and long straight roads and […] the car was a way to get out of town, a way for people to express themselves in some way […] it was something that really struck me.

He might as well be describing Fury Road, right? This movie is all about the way in which the vehicle a person drives through the Wasteland reveals who they are in a bunch of different ways. The cars are more than just vehicles—they're a way of life for the citizens of the Citadel, and means of survival for anyone who's lucky enough to sit behind the wheel.

As production designer Colin Gibson puts it,

The cars were a metaphor for power. And the one thing that George was very keen on and understood, I think, is that in a world where there's next to nothing, what little there is left needs to be loved.

In that sense, cars are precious commodities. Objects to be worshiped and pampered. And if you think about it, that makes sense, given the fact that they even have a certain religious significance, too. After all, cars are what enable the War Boys to fight on Immortan Joe's behalf in order to rise to Valhalla…but more on that later.

The Breakdown

There are about a zillion cars in this movie—so many distinctive rides that they feel more like characters than machines. To help you keep track, we've culled together the most important rides and have a few quick notes on each one's significance.

The War Rig. Shmoopers, this is The. Ride. in Fury Road. Think of it as the Church of the Road. It's practically sacred in the world of Fury Road. It's both a (somewhat) home to our protagonists—where they share intimate moments and support each other through challenges—and a kick-butt battle-waging machine. Designed to look fierce and animalistic, the War Rig tears across the desert with all the ferocity of, well, Furiosa. Which, hey, it's also worth noting that this is the only car in the Wasteland driven by a woman.

Max's Interceptor. Max's car has been his trusty sidekick for all three of the previous Mad Max movies. Sure, it's seen better days, but it's clear—based on Max's indignation when it's stolen—that it's a well loved car. As George Miller says, "In the old westerns, each cowboy had his favorite horse. I think Roy Rogers had Trigger. I think Max has his Interceptor. That it's stolen in the beginning, chopped up, and totally coopted by the Citadel to wage war on the War Rig is clearly a devastating blow to Max's sense of self and survival in the Wasteland. It's also a good indication that the franchise as fans know it is being reinvented. Max is no longer a loner with an Interceptor. He's something else entirely. Colin Gibson says it best: "It's really Max discovering that he has to destroy his own car to survive."

The Gigahorse. Think of this one as Immortan Joe's moving throne. The Gigahorse is a beast of a car—two Cadillacs stacked on top of each other, with wheels that are big enough to hold their own in a monster truck rally. The Gigahorse is as ostentatious as you would expect for a man who needs to make his power obvious to everyone he encounters. It's Immortan Joe's way of saying, "Bow down to me, and maybe I'll sprinkle you with some water someday."

The Bigfoot. Rictus Erectus's monster truck is everything you would expect a giant man baby to drive. Rictus is not exactly mature—he likes to hit things, drink mother's milk, and do his dad's bidding. So it's fitting that his ride resembles nothing so much as a giant, life-sized toy. It's every young boy's dream: hot rod body, gun turret with multiple machine guns, monster truck wheels, the ability to jump over huge rocks, and, oh yeah, a flame thrower.

The Doof Wagon. According to production designer Colin Gibson, "Every armada has a little boy on the fife and drum." That's the Doof Warrior on the Doof Wagon. It's got six drums, giant speakers, and of course, the Doof Warrior, strapped to the front of the rig and playing a flame throwing electric guitar for all the Wasteland to hear. To Shmoop, the Doof Warrior on his Doof Wagon pretty much single-handedly represents the all-out crazy world that Mad Max: Fury Road has created.

The People Eater. Close your eyes. Imagine an old-school limousine, towing two giant tanker trailers filled with gasoline. Yep, that's the People Eater. Think of it as the presidential limo of Gas Town. It's swanky in the extreme—or, at least as swanky as a dust-covered limo can get in the apocalypse. The inside is tricked out with the kind of gaudy décor you'd expect from a post-apocalyptic oil baron, and he's got everything he needs to keep tabs on the finances of his little civilization. The People Eater gets its shining moment when, during the final chase, it blows up in spectacular fashion, as you'd expect a giant tanker trunk might.

Shiny and Chrome and the Screaming Skull

We've said it before and we'll say it again: on the Fury Road, a car isn't just a car. In fact, it's practically a religious symbol. How's that?

Think about it this way: the cultish devotion Immortan Joe inspires among his War Boys is demonstrated in their use of car-related language. They believe that by defending him, they will go to Valhalla, "shiny and chrome." They literally want to be like cars in the afterlife. And their battle language is all about cars, too. They say things like "Thunder up!" and "Fang it!" to indicate when it's time to put the pedal to the metal and burn some rubber.

And finally, we've got that oh-so ubiquitous screaming skull. It's on everything: steering wheels, the cars' grills, the necks of Immortan Joe's subjects. If you can think of an object—or a person—in Fury Road, chances are it's got a screaming skull on it somewhere. That symbol, tied closely to the vehicles on which it's found, represents the totally bonkers violence and bloodthirst that defines Immortan Joe's world.