When The Cars Are The Stars – The Top Ten Iconic Cars From The Screen

One of the mixed blessings of spending my days driving during the temperate months of the year is being surprised by the interesting cars I see while I am out on the road. Unfortunately (although some would say fortunately) I cannot whip out my phone camera and preserve these experiences.

Last week I was on our local multi-lane beltway when I was passed by – – – a DeLorean? Yes, a genuine stainless steel 1981-83 DeLorean. My mind immediately raced for a “Back To The Future” reference, and I laughed to myself that this unmistakable bit of 1980’s nostalgia was clearly going less than 88 mph.

I mentioned this to a friend, who suggested that if not for that movie, nobody would have any idea what a DeLorean was. I decided that he was right, which got me thinking of other cars that everyone can identify only because of a starring role in a movie or television show. And having a blogging deadline approaching, I decided that it would be a great idea to think of as many as I could and to rank them in order of pop culture phenomenon-ness. Which will be a word allowed only for today.

There have been, of course, certain cars that were custom-built for a film or TV role – the Batmobile or the Monkeemobile from the1960’s come to mind. And others that those of us who live and breathe old cars will remember from classic cinema. But I decided to restrict this exercise to more-or-less stock models that were used in media in a way that makes the general public remember that particular one whenever they might see any of them. So, here is my list of the top ten.

Tenth Place – The Dodge Charger from Burn Notice

The show “Burn Notice” ran for seven seasons on the USA network (2007 through 2013). The show starred Matthew Donovan as a government spy who was unceremoniously dumped by his agency via a thing called a burn notice (hence the title of the show). The premise was that the spy, named Michael Weston, tried to find out how and why he was burned and occupied the rest of his time as an unlicensed private eye working with some of his old spy contacts.

This one maybe be slipping into that great chasm of obsolete pop culture, but Michael Weston drove a single car for the duration of the show – a black 1974 Dodge Charger with big chrome wheels and an even bigger hood scoop. The 1973-74 Charger is the last one to get any respect from car fans – at least until police agencies started driving modern ones. Dodge put lots of “you had to be there at the time” vinyl roof treatments on these Chargers, but the Burn Notice car is one of the low-trim models with the plain roof. These were not common when new and are (in my own opinion) the only ones that look decent.

Maybe I noticed this car more than most people because my college roommate had one of these plain-roof Chargers in his family. Only his was a completely stripped model with a six cylinder engine, a three-on-the-tree manual transmission, and was painted bright red. At least it looked fast from the outside.

Ninth Place – Steve McGarrett’s Hawaii Five-0 Mercury

Or is it Mercurys. Hawaii Five-0 had an incredibly long run for its time, twelve seasons (1968-1980). Jack Lord starred as Steve McGarrett, the detective in charge of Hawaii’s State Police agency. He was clearly important because he answered only to the State’s governor. And that importance rated a high-trim Mercury instead of the low-trim big Fords that his subordinates drove on the show.

Most TV shows of that time rotated new cars into each production season, but star Jack Lord is reported to have resisted Ford Motor Company’s efforts, using only two cars during the show’s long run. The first was a 1968 Mercury Park Lane 4 door hardtop which served for the first six seasons (1968-73).

That car was finally replaced by a 1974 Mercury Marquis 4 door hardtop, which was used for the final six seasons (1974-79).

Big black Mercury sedans are not hot items with the Cars & Coffee crowd, but on the rare occasion when one is seen, that famous theme song is sure to start playing in your head.

Eighth Place – The Starsky & Hutch Torino

This one may be more generational than most, but who would ever remember a 1975 Ford Gran Torino if not for the ABC television show Starsky & Hutch, which ran from 1975-79. The show’s creators wanted to use a Camaro, but settled on a Gran Torino coupe because Ford Motor Company was the car supplier for the show’s production company. (See also, Charlie’s Angels).

The Ford Motor Company of the mid 1970’s is not remembered very fondly by most people, and the Ford Gran Torino of those years is something that most of those same people have chosen to forget. Like the Charger from Burn Notice, the Gran Torino in S&H avoided the ubiquitous vinyl roof and side moldings in place of the unforgettable white stripe that defines the car.

It has been reported that the show’s stars, Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul, hated the thing, complaining about the flabby steering and roly-poly handling that seemed to be Ford’s specialty in those years. Although I have never had the least desire to own one, others disagree and plenty of these cars have been saved, painted red and given a big white stripe if only because of this show.

Seventh Place – Andy Griffith’s Mayberry Squad Car

The 1960’s seemed to be the golden era of car manufacturers getting their newest products placed on popular television shows. One such show featured Andy Griffith, who starred as the sheriff of the small fictional North Carolina town of Mayberry. The show ran for 8 seasons (1960-68), and there was one constant – each season provided Sheriff Taylor with a current-year Ford squad car.

The first five seasons are the ones everyone remembers – those were the ones filmed in black & white and which co-starred Don Knotts as Sheriff Taylor’s hapless Deputy, Barney Fife. Knotts’ tenure on the show synched perfectly with the 1960-64 generation of big Fords used on the show (1963 version shown above). The 1965 season lost Knotts, was broadcast in color and started a distinctly different generation of Ford police car.

The 1960-64 Ford sedan is one car that seems, more often than not, to be restored as a Mayberry squad car. That old TV show is probably responsible for more of these cars being saved and outfitted with black and white paint finishes and an old-time gumball roof light than anything else. The pictured example above is a 1960 model that I stumbled upon among a display of old farm equipment in Central Indiana quite a number of years ago. And of course, the television show’s whistled theme song began playing in my head. Just as it may be playing in yours now. You’re welcome.

Sixth Place – Herbie, the Love Bug

The Love Bug is a movie I remember seeing in the theater. As a budding young car nut, how could I not have? This 1968 film was one of many Disney live-action movies that starred Dean Jones. (Didn’t they all?) In this one, Jones starred as Jim Douglas, a down-on-his-luck race driver who crosses paths with an off-white 1963 Volkswagen Beetle that has a mind and personality of its own.

Douglas’ friend (Buddy Hackett) catches on that the car isn’t just a car, and names it Herbie. Herbie goes on to win races, provide plenty of laughs, and he even gets the girl for Dean Jones. Yes, that might be considered a plot spoiler, but is it possible to spoil the plot of a movie called “The Love Bug?” These old Volkswagens have become plenty popular on their own merits over the years, but wherever a crowd of Beetles gathers, there is sure to be at least one of them with racing stripes and the number 53 on its doors and its sloping front end. That movie’s popularity led to some sequels, all featuring Herbie in some way or other. One interesting bit of trivia is that in the first movie, Volkswagen would not grant permission to identify the car by name, so it was always called “the little car” or something similar. Of course, they got the free publicity anyway. Who in the civilized world didn’t know that Herbie was a Volkswagen?

This particular one was one I caught at our local pool when my kids were young. There is something about Herbie that causes him to make friends with kids (of all ages) wherever he goes. I still remember how my own kids made a beeline for this car when they saw it. And I was right there behind them.

Fifth Place – The Rockford Firebird

The Rockford Files was another long-running show. This one ran six seasons from the fall of 1974 to the spring of 1980 and was a vehicle for James Garner, who portrayed low-budget private eye Jim Rockford. Rockford, who had to scramble for every buck, lived/worked in a trailer home that was somehow placed next to the beach in Malibu, California. And for the entire run of the show, Rockford drove a golden Firebird Esprit.

Though the show used several cars, each newer version was equipped and painted to match the original gold ’74 model. Part of this attention to detail was because Jim Rockford was not a new-car-every-year kind of character, but also because the production company could cut scenes from multiple seasons into current episodes.

Everyone remembers other, more flamboyant Pontiac Firebirds. But when anyone sees a plain gold one, James Garner’s winning smile and sardonic wit jumps to mind, as does the famous theme song from the show.

Fourth Place – The Smoky And The Bandit Firebird Trans Am

OK, THIS is the Pontiac Firebird everyone remembers. And the one everyone wanted. Even if they don’t know it was a Pontiac Firebird. Everyone certainly knew that it was a “Trans Am” – which was the Firebird’s hottest trim and equipment level.

The Burt Reynolds/Sally Fields movie, “Smoky And The Bandit”, was a breakout smash in 1977. The black Trans Am with the gigantic golden eagle hawk chicken bird decal splayed across the hood probably would have become a 1970’s icon all by itself, but when it became the vehicle (yes, I intended this pun because it is just who I am) for a beer smuggler and a runaway bride to evade the dogged sheriff Buford T. Justice (Jackie Gleason), a star car was born.

How big of a star? I am thoroughly convinced that there are far more Trans Ams from the late 1970’s painted in that black/gold combo today than were ever built by Pontiac back when these were still rolling out of factories. At the time, I thought these got entirely too much love. They were garish and oh-so 70’s. Maybe that is why I have become a fan. There are few cars that scream 1970’s (or maybe even Burt Reynolds) more than one of these.

Third Place – The Dukes of Hazzard’s General Lee

Everyone knows the General Lee – a bright orange 1969 Dodge Charger that was used by characters Luke and Bo Duke as they got into and out of sticky situations in their rural southern community of the early 1980’s. The Dukes Of Hazzard ran for seven seasons, beginning as a mid-season replacement series in January of 1979. In those seven years, it is reported that no less than 309 1968-70 Dodge Chargers were used (or used-up) in filming the show. I suspect that the car depicted above was one of them that headed right for the scrappers at the end of the day’s shooting.

I was in college by the time this show got going and wasn’t one of its regular viewers, but even I knew that if you wanted to see an old Dodge Charger doing jumps and all kinds of chase scenes, the Dukes of Hazzard was the place to go. And it was right about then that old Chargers of this generation left the realm of ordinary cheap old Dodges that nobody wanted (and which I could have bought all day long for under $1000) and were turned into clones of the General Lee.

Like this one I photographed quite a number of years ago at a burger joint. Some have said in recent years that the car’s rooftop decor and its name have made it a racist anachronism. And this may be why General Lee impersonators are not as common as they once were. I did not think to bring it up to the African-American gentleman who was driving this particular car. And have not brought it up with the fellow of similar ethnicity I know whose driving-age son fell in love with a modern Charger painted and decorated in this same way. When you say either “vintage Charger” or “General Lee”, everyone thinks of the other.

Second Place – Christine

Several of the examples above became icons after television shows that ran for many seasons or movies with multiple sequels. This car is different, with only a single 1983 movie and Stephen King’s source novel for inspiration. Anyone who sees a 1957-58 Plymouth (or even the similar shaped 1959 edition), the first word that follows is “Christine”, as likely as not. In the story, Christine is a 1958 Plymouth Fury that is adopted by a pimpled teenager named Arnie Cunningham. In truth, it was the other way around with a car that adopted him.

Those of us who pay attention to such things know that the 1957-58 Plymouth Fury was a high-end, high performance model that came in a single color – eggshell white, and was trimmed both inside and out with gold accents. For the rest of the world, any proper Fury of this vintage simply has to be red. Stephen King explained that the car’s red paint was a special-order of the guy who bought it new. Then again, King made a lot of mistakes about these. But thanks to King (and the 1983 film), there are plenty of red 1957-58 Furys out there now.

I am fortunate to have owned my white 1959 Fury (by which time it was a full model line with 4-door versions) before the movie Christine came out, so my car never got that nickname. Had the movie car’s malevolent personality been known to my mother in the fall of 1979, perhaps she might have given it more respect (instead of calling it Moby, after a certain white whale of literary fame). But from 1983 on, there has been no question that Christine was a late 50’s Plymouth and that every late 1950’s Plymouth is Christine. It is hard to get more iconic than that.

First Place – The Back To The Future DeLorean

OK, I will admit it. My mind wrestled with itself for quite a while over whether this car or Christine would take the No. 1 spot. It was only when my brain was black and blue that I decided that the most iconic starring car simply had to be John DeLorean’s ill-fated DMC-12, in its iconic role as Doc Brown’s time machine in the Michael J. Fox movie franchise of the 1980’s.

The DeLorean was an inspired choice for the movie. First off, it looked very futuristic at the time. Only four decades later have we become used to seeing cars with a polished stainless steel finish, thanks to Elon Musk’s Tesla Cybertrucks. Even better, the DeLorean served as a bit of a joke – these were never common and were more of a curiosity than the object of anyone’s affection. Especially two years since the company had gone under. But once the scriptwriters threw some extra wiring harnesses and a flux capacitor into the thing, a sprint to 88 mph would transport the occupants forward or back into time, always with plenty of fun for those of us watching.

Most of the other cars here could always count on an independent fan base for its basic make or model. The DeLeorean, however, was more of a pop culture island that reminded us all of its once-high flying corporate chieftain, who was arrested during an innovative financing program that apparently involved cocaine.

This list, as are all “Top Ten” kinds of lists, is purely opinion. Think of it as your humble scribe’s attempt to, well, spend a lot of effort on something that is not very important. Undoubtedly, some great examples were missed and it is just as certain that there will be disagreements about the rankings. Robust discussion will undoubtedly settle matters once and for all. (Hahahaha!). What is sure is that some cars have become the stars and will draw a crowd at any event where old cars are found. And if you can’t get out to see the occasional tribute or replica in your area, all of the shows and movies are there for the streaming. So enjoy!

Photos are by the author, where identified. Others are random pictures found online. The lede photo was not taken by the author, but by someone else who captured the experience of being passed on the road by a DeLorean.

56 thoughts on “When The Cars Are The Stars – The Top Ten Iconic Cars From The Screen”

  1. Great post! It’s really a challenge to come up with 10 cars which effectively star in a show/film, but you’ve done it. I’ve been scratching my head all morning to see if I could come up with others, and my two best others aren’t actual cars (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang…arguably since it was an actual vehicle’s name, but not the literal vehicle; and the Wagon Queen Family Truckster from Vacation…neither a factual name nor a quite real vehicle). Of those on your list, I’d have to mark Jim Rockford’s Firebird and the Hawaii Five-O Mercuries as my favorites and most memorable.

    And thanks for reminding about Herbie. At the time that came out, I was neither a fan of VWs or that string of Disney films (which my friends and I disparagingly and categorically referred to as “That F’–ing Cat!”). Although I will grant that The Love Bug was considerably more successful than Disney’s/Jones’ effort of several years earlier – Monkeys, Go Home – which aside from focusing on the challenges of replacing child laborers with chimps (as you might expect, mayhem ensues) featured a really nice Renault 8 Gordini (and Yvette Mimieux)…but I guess Renault didn’t have the juice that VW ultimately did.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Thanks! It took me awhile to think of these, and I finally made it to ten. Actually, I almost bumped the Burn Notice Charger to Honorable Mention and replaced it with the Corvette from Route 66 (Martin Milner and George Maharas), but I had already sunk enough time into this project and decided to move on. I had also thought of Knight Rider, but decided that that was more in the Batmobile category (though not by much). Though I suppose if I could accept a DeLorean that jets its occupants back to 1955 or a Volkswagen that can pee oil on the shoe of a snobby Englishman, then why not a talking Firebird? I had also remembered the short-lived Jerry Van Dyke show “My Mother The Car”, but remember researching that one time to learn that there was no such thing as a 1928 Porter.

      I have never tried to count all of the Dean Jones/Disney movies. Somewhere in my basement I still have the Disney album that told the story of “The Ugly Dachshund”. I think my family bought it after we saw the movie. And I love the editing you and your friends did on the title of “That Darned Cat”!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  2. I was going to object to some of your choices as they were cool cars when I was younger.. then I realized I was young/ish after most of those shows.

    The Delorean was the definition of form over function. It had some interesting features in its build, but I have a hard time imaging any of them getting to 88 miles per hour. But it does explain the constant breakdown the cars had in the movies as more than just plot contrivances.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

      • It’s not strictly generational – or perhaps it’s cross generational.

        I thought Burn Notice was stupid. I never watched Starsky & Hutch. Everything else (aside from Christine and Back to the Future) I remember watching with my folks. My younger brother was obsessed with the Dukes of Hazzard.

        Weirdly, from that list, the show I probably watched more as an adult than any other was the Andy Griffith Show.

        Liked by 1 person

  3. Your entry reminds me that when I was watching many TV shows of the era, it seemed like any Quinn Martin production was “in bed” with the Ford Motor Company, and who ever was starring had one of their upscale offerings, as well as a lot of additionally used vehicles. Barnaby Jones? Frank Cannon? All upscale Ford products.

    Surprised you didn’t have the Bullitt 1968 Mustang 390 GT, but I have to admit, as a Mopar man, I always thought the sinister black 1968 Dodge Charger R/T 440 that was the “criminal car” in that chase scene was my favorite.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • The Bullitt Mustang was another one that I kind of wrestled with, but wondered if that one wasn’t iconic more for the great chase scene than the car itself. Like “Eleanor”, the Mustang Mach I in the original “Gone In Sixty Seconds”. And yes, that black Charger from Bullitt has long been a favorite of mine. In later years I have learned what a slug the 390-powered Mustang was. The Ford 390 was great for propelling station wagons full of kids over the Rocky Mountains, but was no race engine. I have read that The stunt driver in the Charger (Bill Hickman, who also played the dark haired hit man with the black glasses) had to keep easing off because his car was so much faster and handled so much better than McQueen’s Mustang.

      And yes, yes, yes on Quinn Martin. I wonder if anyone has ever counted the number of cars his productions sent over a cliff in flames.

      Like

      Reply

      • I read that black Chargers were not available, so they bought two cars and had them custom painted that great “foot deep” black. I also read they strengthened the suspensions for speeding on the hills of SFO, but did nothing to the engines: they were rocket ships!

        Liked by 1 person

      • I believe they were offered in black, but I don’t think it was a popular color. I would suspect that there were no black ones in the area when the prop people were rounding up cars, which would explain the painting story.

        Like

  4. A very good list. Somehow, I am not familiar with the “Burn Notice” Charger – but those were peak days of child rearing, so there wasn’t much television watching during that time.

    Matt beat me to it, wondering if a DeLorean could actually hit 88 mph. I’ve seen more DeLoreans in the wild in the last ten years than I saw in their first thirty years of existence – but that is still a tiny number.

    Your mention of the ’60 to ’64 Fords being saved due to The Andy Griffith Show reminded me of two things…First, in Mt. Airy, NC, there is a guy who has a fleet of Fords from this era that he uses to give people tours of the town. He’s up to about six cars, and he has retirees piloting them, so I think he’s found a market. Second, the red ’62 Ford I sold years ago got this treatment. It was a mixed bag.

    On that same front, I suspect many a ’74 to ’77 Dodge Monaco (C-body) has been saved due to The Blues Brothers.

    Years ago, across the road from where I attended kindergarten through 12th grade, a guy had a side hustle of repainting ’68 to ’70 Chargers orange, while putting more decor on the doors and roof. At his peak, I think he had about 25 Chargers jammed onto his property, with the last ones disappearing in the early to mid-90s.

    You’ve got two very good tie-ins with your pictures. The ’68 Mercury has a very nice preview of Jack’s next car, albeit in green, and Sheriff Justice’s colonnade roofline is seen with your ’59 Plymouth. I figure that was your mother’s Pontiac, and it was coincidence, but a fabulous crossover nonetheless.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Oh crap, I completely missed The Blues Brothers’ Dodge police car. “It’s got a cop motor, cop suspension, . . . . ” The Bluesmobile definitely rates inclusion, and would definitely bump the Charger from Burn Notice. I was farther along and had teen boys when Burn Notice show was running, so became a regular viewer for awhile.

      One county to my west is a little place called the Mayberry Cafe. It is right on the town square in Danville, Indiana. It is notable for the Andy Griffith show playing on a nonstop rotation on the television inside and one of those old Ford police cars parked outside as an attention grabber. Somehow, I have never taken the time to photograph one of them (I think there have been more than one).

      I noticed the newer Mercury in the first Five-O shot, but did not think of the Buford T. Justice tie-in with my mother’s LeMans. Oh wait, it was a LUXURY LeMans. One that teenage me treated with about as much respect as Sheriff Justice treated his LeMans squad car. That would have been an interesting mash-up – Sheriff Justice vs. Christine. šŸ™‚

      Like

      Reply

    • I had not heard that a new Rockford was coming out. I pity the actor who has to follow James Garner in that role. And I hope the producers pick an appropriate modern car for the guy. Way too many shows have a character drive a classic from the 60s or 70s to capture some kind of cool factor. A character like Jim Rockford would be struggling too hard to drive anything retro-cool.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  6. Some random trivia…

    James Garner was a real-life car guy and it was his decision that Jim Rockford drive a Firebird. And every season save the last featured the current year model; supposedly James Garner (it doesn’t feel right to call him just “Garner”) hated the looks of the 1979 Firebird so much that Rockford continued driving a ’78.

    Even though Steve McGarrett wore dark suits and drove black Mercuries/Mercurys, any scenes of him driving were shot with the car windows down so there wouldn’t be any reflections and/or glare from the glass. And years after the show ended, Jack Lord was offered an opportunity to reunite with the original ’68 for a photo shoot or something or other but he turned it down. But by then he was close to a near-recluse when it came to his private life anyway.

    Not trivia but fact: “Smokey and the Bandit” is hands down the best movie of 1977. “Star Wars” is a distant second. With a Trans Am and a jeans-clad Sally Field it’s not even close! ;^)

    And for the Honorable Mention list, I nominate the 1967 Pontiac LeMans from “Night of the Living Dead”.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • I did know that Garner kept some control over the cars in the show, and that he was a fairly accomplished driver. He drove the Pace Car at Indianapolis three times (1975, 1977 and 1985) – and this was after the Speedway changed its rules to require professional drivers after a local Dodge dealer lost control of the 1971 Challenger and ran into a stand full of photographers.

      I have also read that when he was very young, Jack Lord worked as a Ford salesman and was a dedicated Ford guy.

      My Mrs. and I watched Smokey fairly recently – I don’t think she had ever seen it. It is indeed a fun movie.

      Like

      Reply

    • Well, all true about James Garner and Jack Lord. Although I think that Close Encounters, Annie Hall, and dare I say Eraserhead may have a few things to say about your fact re. Smokey and the Bandit. šŸ˜‰ No memorable cars in those aside from Annie’s VW convertible and her drive with Woody down the East Side waterfront under the FDR.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  7. Random cars come to mind – the Dukes of Hazzard Charger, the Porter car in My Mother the Car, the Batmobile, the Imperial in the Green Hornet, the 1955 Pontiac in the I Love Lucy story arc where they drive out to California, the Pinto and the Mustang IIs in Charlie’s Angels, and all those cars in It’s a Mad Mad Mad Mad World. Oh and the Valiant Spencer Tracy drove to go get ice cream in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner. I could never figure out why he would have been cast driving an economy car while owning such a large mansion.

    Great memories!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • You are like me, as someone who remembers specific cars from movie and tv roles where most people would never pay attention. You can add Frank Cannon’s silver Continental Mark III and IV, Joe Mannix’s dark green Dart GT convertible and for a real oldie, the 59 Plymouth Fury driven by the lead character in the old detective show Peter Gunn.

      Like

      Reply

      • IIRC Mannix moved from the Dart GT to a Challenger (maybe a Barracuda?) and eventually a Camaro in the last season. Had the series continued long enough he probably would’ve wound up in a Citation X-11.

        Peter Gunn was another character who got a new car every so often. When the series started he was driving a DeSoto and by the end he was in a ’61 Fury.

        Liked by 1 person

  8. I knew a guy who had a white “new” VW bug who decorated it to look like Herbie just because his little sister asked him to. Of course all my life I bore that nickname. I think the new remake of the movie had one like that but I don’t know. I remember The FBI, starring Efram Zimbalist Jr., was sponsored by Ford. And what about Baretta’s 1966 Chevy Impala? I owned one like that in the late 70s. I always liked those Duke boys (And I never knew any guys who weren’t in love with Daisy.). When my wife and I were first married we were shopping for furniture and the salesman said, “Here is a really beautiful hutch.” Of course I couldn’t resist asking if it came with a matching Starsky.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • Ahh yes, the lovely Starsky hutch. šŸ™‚

      My family used to watch The FBI and I always remember the ending credits, where Efram Zimbalist Jr. would get into his personal car parked at the curb – that always happened to be a brand new Ford of some kind. I also remember that Daisy Duke’s white Jeep was popular at the time.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  9. Gee, I never watched most of these action shows with the cars, like Dukes of Hazzard or Starsky and Hutch, even Hawaii Five-0, but I did watch The Rockford Files – it might have been because of that handsome James Garner. I can’t recall seeing the sherriff’s vehicle in the The Andy Griffith Show – so many scenes were around the sherriff’s office or at home with Aunt Bee and Opie. I certainly remember the Disney film The Love Bug. I’ve never seen any Stephen King movies and I may be one of the few people that never saw Back to the Future. As to the cars themselves, it seems I’ve seen a DeLorean car years ago when I worked in Detroit and I’m pretty sure one of the General Lee vehicles that didn’t make it to the scrapheap was at the Detroit Auto Show some years ago.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • The Rockford Files was one show that had a lot of fans. I always liked James Garner and I liked detective shows, so it was a perfect fit for me.

      One bit of Andy Griffith trivia – Frances Bavier (who played Aunt Bea) was a die-hard Studebaker buyer. The last car she ever bought was a new 1966 Studebaker, which she purchased a few months after the company ceased car production. She refused to replace it for the rest of her life, and drove it into the early 1980’s. Though I do not recall seeing it myself, I have read that her green 2 door 1966 Studebaker Daytona appeared in some scenes of the Mayberry RFD show that was a spinoff from the Andy Griffith show.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      • The Rockford Files was one of my favorite shows, but I also liked Mannix and Colombo, popular detective shows at the time, when you had to watch TV live, as there were no VCRs back then. I forgot to mention in my previous comment that I’ve never seen any Smoky and the Bear movies either. I like Frances Bavier for wanting to keep a car for the rest of her life. I am of that mindset as well, though at 70 years old, with a 17-year-old vehicle, it may not be possible. I did watch the Mayberry RFD spinoff with Ken Berry, but can’t recall Aunt Bea’s Studebaker.

        Liked by 1 person

    • Ahh, I had forgotten about American Graffiti. There was also the white Thunderbird that the boys were searching for. Oh wait, they were actually searching for Suzanne Sommers who was driving the Thunderbird.

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  11. Want to take a real deep dive? A show my father and I loved to watch together (at the time, I was only about eight), was Burke’s Law, with Gene Barry as a millionaire police chief (family money). He was chauffeured around in a Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II, complete with early car phone! I read later on that the production company considered the car to be an integral part of the show, and thought of it as a “character”. Another show we watched together was Honey West, and she was driving a 1965 Shelby AC Cobra!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  12. Car buff I am not, so it comes as no surprise the only cars from your list I’d associate with movies are Herbie and the DeLorean. And I don’t help my case when the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile would make my own list. Having said that, the Mayberry squad car has me wondering if I’d associate a similar-era squad car with Adam-12. Pete Malloy and Jim Reed walk out of my memories like it was yesterday. I’ll never forget ’em.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • Okay, so after reading some of the comments another couple of vehicles come to mind. The ambulance in the original “Ghostbusters” and whatever jalopy Danny Zuko raced in Grease. I’d make the movie association with either one. Guess I really do belong here šŸ™‚

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

      • Oh, the Ghostbusters ambulance is a great suggestion! I had forgotten all about that one. I never watched Grease until one time maybe 15 years ago, and could not tell you about any of the cars from that movie. But yes, you absolutely belong here!! šŸ™‚

        Liked by 1 person

    • I do indeed think of the Adam-12 squad cars – a series of Plymouths early in the series and a switch to AMC Matadors in the later episodes. Just like I remember the tan Ford Fairlane that Sgt. Joe Friday and Officer Bill Gannon drove in the 1967-69 version of Dragnet.

      The Wienermobile could start an entire topic on cars used to sell products. I’ll have to think about that.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  13. I agree with you that the DeLorean beats out the Christine ’58 Plymouth for the top spot, even though I love both movies very much, but for different reasons. Back To The Future is considered the most beloved movie of the 1980s, so the DeLorean would resonate with more people. Which brings up the question, “Why are modern movies so… unwatchable!?” So many iconic movies were made in the 1960s, ’70s, ’80s, into the ’90s that were so inspiring and funny and became iconic in American culture. Doesn’t exist anymore, and I don’t know why.

    I was going to say, “Where’s the Bluesmobile, for cryin’ out loud!” but someone beat me to it. I would also add to the list: the 1966 Batmobile, the Monkeemobile, the Munster Koach, the Ford pickup from Sanford & Son, the clapped-out Mercury Marquis from Uncle Buck, the Mach 5 from the 1960s Japanese cartoon Speed Racer, Columbo’s Peugeot, the Deathmobile from Animal House… Give me a week and I’ll come up with more.

    And how many will know these: the Catmobile from Courageous Cat & Minute Mouse (1959-60); and the 1953 Road Hog Super Automobile which gets destroyed in a Maw & Paw cartoon.

    Catmobile from Courageous Cat & Minute Mouse; and the 1953 Road Hog Super Automobile from a Maw & Paw cartoon.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • I think Uncle Buck’s Marquis and the Sanford & Son truck should make the cut. Probably Columbo’s car too – great call on all. I think the rest are in a different category and deserve a post of their own.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  14. I appreciated the Burn Notice mention, and I thank your son for introducing me to that show. A good piece of storytelling from the show involved the charger getting wrecked after an especially dangerous mission. Michael Weston spends several episodes afterwards trying to fix it, but we, the audience, aren’t quite sure of his progress. Then, during a later episode, as Michael is in trouble, he narrates about old friends coming in to save the day, and queue his love interest Fiona roaring in with the fully restored charger to help him out. It was a great payoff.

    Your list was great. My honorable mention would be the V8 Interceptor / Pursuit Special from the Mad Max series. The car itself was fictional, but in real life it was a modified 1973 Ford Falcon. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pursuit_Special. Not sure where Ford Falcons rank in popularity amongst car fans, but I think the 73 ones look cool.

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  15. Wanna open another can of worms? PBS watchers like myself who haven’t driven an American car since 1975, have been presented with a mouth watering array of foreign vehicles while watching our favorite BBC programs! Inspector Lindley started with a Jensen Interceptor MkII (which I always though had an ugly rear end), and moved on to a Bristol 410, a sleek sedan, Chrysler V8 powered and made in limited numbers. Of course, we all know Emma Peel’s Lotus Elan, and John Steed’s pre-war Bentley, as well as Inspector Morse’s Jaguar Mark II, that many considered the finest and most dependable car Jaguar ever built. Capt. Hastings on Piorot was driving a Lagonda (which I always thought was French or Belgium, but, no, it was British). On Father Brown, sidekick Bunty is driving a downright beautiful, red, Sunbeam Talbot 90 convertible. Even the latest offering on my local PBS station, a New Zealand produced show called Brokenwood, with a slightly world-weary detective driving a pristine Holden Kingswood, a Australian produced sedan remembered fondly and held in high regard by our “down-under” pals. Plenty of cars to go around for the aficionado!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    • And one I forgot, the wild and weird show “The Prisoner”, which we watched and argued over incessantly when I was in college; had Patrick McGoohan driving a Lotus Super 7 in the opening scenes and for most of the first shows. I read a story about it once and it seemed like Brit TV productions really sat down and thought about what the stars should drive, instead of having it as an afterthought.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    • Excellent choices! Someone else pointed out the Peugeot convertible driven by Detective Columbo and I am now remembering the Volvo P1800 driven by Roger Moore in The Saint.

      Like

      Reply

      • Love, love, LOVE the Volvo P1800! I visited a friend in Portland Oregon in the early 2000’s, and a neighbor of his had two pristine models in his driveway, one in light blue, one in cream white. Considered “bullet proof”, even for Volvo!

        Liked by 2 people

  16. A lot of discussion on that Mayberry RFD Ford Galaxie here. I clearly remember one episode where a deputy assigned to RFD gave Deputy Fife a ticket for not signaling before making a right turn. It went all the way to court, where Sherriff Andy had to take the whole courtroom outside at the right time of day, to demonstrate that the rear turn signal had in fact been working when Barney made the turn, but it had been blocked out by the sunlight at that very time of day. He held a file folder over the light to show it was actually blinking. Amazing the dumb stuff you recall clearly from more than a couple of years ago.

    And I don’t think a single commenter above has mentioned any of the James Bond cars, unless I missed it.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  17. If I recall correctly, Michael J. Fox’s character in Back to the Future even commented on Doc Brown’s choice of a DeLorean. If not for that movie, the DeLorean would be as obscure as the gull-wing Bricklin from the mid-1970s. In real life, Fox did not have kind words about the car itself.

    On television, there was Miss Jane Hathaway’s succession of red Dodge convertibles on The Beverly Hillbillies. Mr. Drysdale drove an Imperial four-door hardtop. Over at Green Acres, the Douglases owned a series of Lincoln Continental convertible sedans, until they were discontinued. Then they switched over to a Mercury Marquis convertible.

    No word on what Arnold Ziffel thought of the downgrade.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Haha, I can remember that My Mother The Car was must-see television for me in the single, brief season it was on the air. But then I was 6 or 7 years old, so at least I have an excuse. I ought to look into whether it is available for streaming. Or maybe not, or my old man’s tendency to talk about how much better TV was when I was a kid will be a problem. At least there was Batman!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  20. This may be sacrilegious but other than the DeLorean I can’t say I really even took that much notice of the cars in those old shows….other than maybe the Batmobile because it was so different?

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    • Which makes me feel better about the DeLorean coming out on top of this list! As far as being someone who doesn’t pay much attention to such things, I think there are more people like you who watch tv and movies than there are people like me. šŸ™‚

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      • That may be true, but if cars are your hobby that’s what you notice. I like fashion, so I notice what people are wearing, particularly if it is an older show and I remember the styles.

        Liked by 1 person

Leave a comment