It is that time of year when awards are bestowed upon movie and television stars. Golden Globes. Academy Awards. Emmy Awards. The one category that never seems to be recognized is '
Best Performance by an Automobile in a Television Series'. We have decided to rectify that oversight in this blog post!
- 1986 Ferrari Testarossa (Miami Vice) - I was a big fan of Sonny Crockett and Rico Tubbs when the cop show first aired in 1984. I went so far as to wear a white suit, teal shirt, and loafers without socks when I went out to the club with my friends. Didn't everybody? Anyhow, the one thing I could never replicate was the car that Sonny Crockett (played by Don Johnson) used to cruise around town whenever he went undercover. Of course, the first two years of the television series the car was a 'fake' Ferrari. But, Ferrari sales increased so much over those first two years that the company provided the television series with two real ones! Tubbs used to rock a blue Cadillac in the show ... but, it never had the panache of the Ferrari.
- 1980 Ferrari 308 GTS (Magnum P.I.) - Magnum was a private investigator in Hawaii who seemed to truly live the good life. He was able to stay in a private estate owned by some mysterious rich guy named 'Robin'. He walked around in shorts and hung out with two of his Vietnam war buddies. The best aspect of his remarkable life on the island was his unlimited access to Robin's red Ferrari. Magnum could be seen all over the island in this convertible sports car ... and I used to wonder what it would be like to have one myself back in the day!
- 1978 Pontiac Firebird Espirit (Rockford Files - This was a realistic show in my view. After all, I tend to own a car for up to 10 years ... and private investigator Jim Rockford (played by James Garner) seemed to have the same Firebird for the entire run of the series (1974-1980). It used to amaze me that Rockford could fit into the front seat of that car. He was a tall guy and the Firebird always seemed so low to the ground. But, if you are living in a trailer out on a beach parking lot ... I guess that you don't have many options when it comes to the car you drive.
- 1976 Ford Gran Torino (Starsky & Hutch) - Do you remember the red and white muscle car used by in the 1975-1979 television series, Starsky & Hutch? The car would be used at least once in every episode powering down some back-alley in an effort to catch the bad guys. The only other character seen more in the show as I recall was their snitch, Huggy Bear.
- 1959 Jaguar Mark II (Inspector Morse) - My favorite car in a television series isn't known by most villagers. This red luxury car was the pride of Inspector Morse (played by John Thaw) in the BBC television series that ran from 1897 to 2000. Morse is a sullen detective in Oxford who solves crimes while having a drink and solving difficult crossword puzzles. I have absolutely nothing in common with this upper-class white guy who listens to classical music at home ... but, I do enjoy his Jaguar ride!
What were your favorite cars on television?
