Factual error: In more than one scene you can hear the sounds of a steam locomotive chugging and blowing the whistle. Steam locos were almost entirely phased out by the early 60's, and none ran in Philadelphia at the time this movie was made.
Factual error: After the match with Thunderlips the newspaper says it was Wednesday, May 15 1982, but that day was a Saturday.
Factual error: Players didn't wear numbers on uniforms at that time.
Factual error: When Fitz and the Diggstown boys are playing 5 card stud poker, the cards are supposed to remain on the table. However, Corny has his cards in his hands, like they're playing 5 card draw poker.
Factual error: In the scene during the first race with Matt Dillon, right after he spins Lindsay Lohan out, she grabs the gear shift. We see "magical electricity" head down the shaft and forward into the engine. But, the engine on Bugs is in the back. In other scenes, it is confirmed that the front hood on Herbie gives access to a trunk and not the engine.
Factual error: In the movie, the over is shown to be of six balls. In 1896 the British played cricket with a five ball over.
Factual error: Considering Happy lives on an upper floor, his apartment complex must have the world's fastest elevator. His girlfriend leaves him and is down by the front door in less than 15 seconds.
Factual error: In the very beginning (2nd scene) just after Danny (the Caddy) eats and then jumps down from the backside of his house and hops on his bike to head to work, look in the background behind him and at about the 5th house or so he passes you will see a classic palm tree in the front yard. The movie takes place in Nebraska (which doesn't have any palm trees of course).
Factual error: In the beginning of the movie, Goaltender Denis Lemieux is on Jim Carr's show demonstrating the different types of penalties. When he shows us what spearing is, that was actually butt-ending. Spearing is done when you use the other end of your stick; the blade end.
Factual error: During their transatlantic boat trip, on their way to Athens, the American athletes are having fun naming various foods from back home that they already miss. One of them claims he misses chocolate chip cookies. Oops. That particular cookie didn't exist until Ruth Wakefield invented it in 1930.
Factual error: When Rob Lowe first arrives in Oxford he is driving down a street taking in the sights. Most of the sights he views are actually scattered throughout the town and not on any one street. This is especially true for Radcliffe Camera (part of the Bodlean Library) as it is in a cobblestone courtyard completely surrounded by buildings and cannot be viewed from any street.
Factual error: In the first scene, the math problem is wrong. It says "Grave buys a bag of 240 jellybeans. There are 35 yellow ones, 52 red ones, 63 green ones, 26 white ones, 41 blue ones, and 40 black ones." That is 257 jellybeans not 240. Don't ask why I stopped and did that math.
Factual error: When Creed and his girl go to the sandwich shop the cashier tells him it's $10.95. He hands her a $20 and she gives him back a $10 bill. Not only that, there is no way you would get two fully loaded Philly sandwiches and drinks for $10.95 in Philly.
Factual error: In the Radiator Springs courtroom there is a Latin motto over the doorway, that should read "Justitiae via strata veritate" Which means: "The path of justice is paved with truth." But the first word is spelled wrong as "Justitae."
Factual error: The bikes used in film are Enfield Classics, which were introduced in 2010 and not available in 1960 or 1947. The engines are visible in 2 scenes (when young Milka meets his sister for first time in Delhi and when Milka rides to see his old home when in Pakistan) and are AVL engines, not the cast iron engines in 1950s bikes.
Factual error: After the onside kick, they did NOT return for a big gain. Bateman tried to keep running with the ball, but Falco (who as quarterback shouldn't even be on the field during this play) tackled him. While Bateman was running with the ball, he just kept going back and forth near the line of scrimmage and didn't advance.
Factual error: When Arantxa Sánchez Vicario cries in anger her accent is Mexican, not Spanish, because that's where the actress portraying her is from.
Factual error: At the conclusion of the film it is stated on screen: "Ayrton Senna died aged 34. In the aftermath of his death, the FIA appointed Ayrton's friend Prof. Sid Watkins to improve safety in Formula One. There has not been a fatality in Formula One since." While it is true that no driver has been killed at a Formula One Grand Prix since Senna, there were crashes at the Italian Grand Prix in 2000 and the Australian Grand Prix in 2001 which resulted in the deaths of marshals. (01:37:50)
Factual error: When Marcus is walking down the street after first meeting the team, he gets picked up by Johnny and his sister. You can see Government of Manitoba vehicles in the background, while the movie is set in Des Moines, Iowa. (00:22:38)
Factual error: When Secretariat crosses the finish line, that finish line pole is not from Belmont, that finish line pole is from Keeneland.