Motoring has never just been about engines, tyres and road trips. It’s also a world rich in myth and mystery. From phantom vehicles roaming country lanes to cursed number plates, urban legends surrounding cars are as varied as they are spine-chilling. But how much truth is behind these stories – and what’s just smoke and mirrors?

Phantom Vehicles: Tales of the Vanishing Car

One of the oldest motoring legends involves cars that appear out of nowhere, usually on quiet rural roads, before disappearing without a trace. These "ghost cars" have been blamed for causing accidents or terrifying drivers into swerving. While spooky, most reports have more to do with poor lighting, optical illusions, or overtired drivers than the supernatural. Still, if you've ever thought you saw headlights in the rear-view mirror that never overtook, you're not alone.

The Driverless Car That Wasn’t Invented Yet

Long before the era of self-driving Teslas, tales emerged of cars navigating themselves. Urban legend has it that abandoned vehicles have been seen rolling through towns or idling by kerbs without anyone behind the wheel. Most of the time, the explanation is far more mundane – a handbrake left off on a hill, or an automatic vehicle left in gear. Not quite Knight Rider, then.

The Curse of the Number Plate

In the UK, one of the most notorious legends surrounds the registration number ‘ARK 666Y’ – said to bring misfortune to any car bearing it. Whether it’s electrical faults, accidents or near misses, the legend insists no owner has kept it long. In reality, some people just love a good story, and superstition often fills the gaps where logic leaves off. But if you see that plate on the motorway… well, maybe don’t tailgate.

Wartime Wraiths and RAF Runways

Abandoned airfields often bring their own set of ghostly motoring tales. Drivers claim to hear engine revs or see vintage military vehicles on long-disused runways, only for them to vanish. These tales are likely fuelled by history and imagination, combined with the eerie atmosphere of overgrown WWII sites. Still, they make for some great stories by the fireside.

The Truth Behind the Tales

Many of these legends are based on coincidence, exaggeration, or simple misidentification. Foggy conditions, failing eyesight, even pareidolia (seeing patterns or faces where there are none) – all contribute to these ghostly tales.

But there’s no denying the allure of a good motoring mystery. As long as there are cars on the road, there will be stories about them – and not all of them will be about fuel economy or top speeds.

Busted, but Brilliant

While most motoring myths don’t stand up to scrutiny, they’re part of the fun of car culture. Ghost cars and haunted highways might not be real, but they remind us that motoring isn’t just mechanical – it’s magical, mysterious and full of character.

So next time you're on a late-night drive down a misty backroad, keep your eyes peeled. You never know who – or what – might be sharing the road with you… even if they don’t leave tyre marks.