A star vehicle has historically been a movie, play, TV show, or other production whose primary purpose, besides turning a profit, is to enhance someone's career. Vehicles are most commonly produced when a young or inexperienced actor has signed a long-term contract with a major studio. By showcasing the actor's talents, the vehicle is an attempt at creating a bankable star.

In some cases, an actor may produce a vehicle for him- or herself, in which case it may be regarded as a form of self-promotion.

One of the earliest and best-documented examples is The Wizard of Oz (1939), which MGM centered on then-teenaged Judy Garland. The DVD notes give extensive film and radio examples of the publicity campaign undertaken to promote the movie and hype Garland's singing and acting talents.

With the demise of the studio system, star vehicles are less common in the movie business, although they continue to appear occasionally (e.g. Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman, The Rock's The Scorpion King, or more recently Miley Cyrus' The Last Song). They remain extremely common in television, where sitcoms routinely function as vehicles for stand-up comedians. Seinfeld, The George Lopez Show, Everybody Loves Raymond, Everybody Hates Chris and The Bernie Mac Show are recent examples.

More recently, the term has been used to describe a film written and/or produced for a specific star, regardless of whether the motive is to further their career, or to simply profit from their current popularity.