8 of Our Favorite TV Cars
Seeing The Rockford Files Firebird on Jay Leno’s YouTube channel got us talking. Even though Garner’s golden ‘bird isn’t as decked-out as Reynolds’ pin-striped Trans Am, it’s still got one heck of a following. The Hagerty Media team chatted about what other TV cars have made an impression on us, and the discussion went in all sorts of directions.
While we managed to cover a wide swath of time, any list covering this topic could be dominated by vehicles from the ’70s and ’80s—it’s arguably the strongest vehicle-as-supporting-character era in the history of entertainment. The A-Team van, the Duke’s General Lee, Magnum’s Ferrari 308, and Kitt (not to mention the GMC pickup from The Fall Guy, Daisy’s Jeep, and countless others) are excellent and worthy choices. Many of us went a little more obscure, however.
Here are some of our favorite TV vehicles—let us know yours in the comments.
Reliant Robin
Picking a favorite car from a TV show entirely about cars might seem like a foolish exercise, but I’ll worry about that next year.
Nothing embodied what made the BBC version of Top Gear so special quite like the Reliant Robin. That segment, with Clarkson rolling the three-wheeled car over and over and over again makes me chuckle every time I see it. I know what’s coming, the premise isn’t all that witty, and the jokes are as corny as they come, but as sure as the day is long, I get a kick out of how zany that whole thing was.
Those guys had their hits and their misses, but it’s a disservice to say that Top Gear didn’t play a formative role in the lives of thousands of today’s car nuts. — Nathan Petroelje
Sajeev’s Pick: A St. Regis
As much as it pains this ’70s cop whow/Ford enthusiast not to pick the Starsky & Hutch Ford Gran Torino, there’s only one winner in my heart: The 1980s Dodge St. Regis police car from the TV show Sledge Hammer!
If I recall correctly, the clapped-out, avocado-green St. Regis perfectly embodies the amalgamation of traits that made Inspector Sledge Hammer even more nihilistically perfect than Dirty Harry. I believe there was even an “I 
Violence” sticker on the trunk.
Wait…I have this show on DVD so let me check …
Yep, take it from me, you “no-good yogurt-eating creep,” Sledge Hammer! ensured that bad guys can be a force for good, and bad cars can be the perfect vehicle for this level of justice. Add the fact that this show literally drips in satire (every episode left me in stitches), and that delightfully horrible Dodge St. Regis was the pick of the litter. This Dodge was made for this show, and it deserves to be your favorite TV car too!
Oh, and the episode where Joe Isuzu played a dirty cop that Sledge had to take down was the best moment in comedy that whole year. —Sajeev Mehta
America’s Sports Car on America’s Road
There’s likely a pretty good reason why I have been a lifelong Chevrolet Corvette admirer, something that was kindled by reruns of the CBS TV series Route 66. It starred George Maharis as Buz, and Martin Milner (later of Adam-12) who, incidentally, beat out Robert Redford for the role of Tod, whose father dies suddenly and leaves Tod his new 1960 Corvette. Tod and his friend Buz decide to take off in the Corvette, working odd jobs as they crisscrossed the country. The series premiered in October of 1960 and lasted until March of 1964. Each year, Chevrolet insisted on upgrading the show to the latest model convertible Corvette with no real explanation in the script. The restless-young-people-searching-for-meaning was an obvious ripoff of Jack Kerouac’s 1957 book On the Road, so much so that Kerouac threatened to sue. That wandering-ethos spoke to me, sure, but not as loudly as those Corvettes. — Steven Cole Smith
CHiPs choices
As a massive CHiPs nerd, I had twin loves. One was Jon Baker’s ’77 GMC K15 stepside with the graphics package, rollbar with KC lights, and the push-bar damage multiplier up front. The other was Ponch’s ’71 Pontiac Firebird in Anaconda Gold, which he got for $83 from some dude who set it on fire to prevent it being towed, as one does. Honorable mention goes to Rick Simon’s crusty ’79 Dodge Power Wagon from the show Simon & Simon, with its faded paint and mud tires and enormous front bumper. —Stefan Lombard
Dorifto AE86
The Toyota Sprinter Trueno AE86 from the Japanese anime series Initial D. It’s an odd choice considering I’ve never actually gotten around to watching the show, but the car has permeated into conversation with many younger enthusiasts who ask if my Corvair is inspired by the white and black star car driven by the fictional Takumi Fujiwara as he learns driving skills in the curvy mountain roads of the Kantō region of Japan. He evolves from delivery driver to street racer behind the wheel of the white Toyota. It’s become clear that the series created a new avenue for people to be introduced to car culture. Sounds like I should give it a watch. —Kyle Smith
Supernatural Impala
I’ll chime in for the young’uns here, and volunteer the 1967 Impala from Supernatural, an addictive and long-running show starring two brothers who “save people and hunt [all variety of paranormal] things.” There are ghosts, spirits, beasts, angels, demons, and even God at one point, but the black Impala is a constant, er, presence. Dean adores the car, calls it “Baby,” and rebuilds it countless times. He keeps the trunk full of an array of weaponry, and he drives the car everywhere. Realism is not much of a priority in this show, but if it were, that Impala would have more miles on it than any P1800 could ever boast.
That Impala makes me feel nostalgic, not for the ’60s, but for high school, when I binged the show on my tiny iPhone between swim practice and homework assignments. Supernatural made an old car badass, without any connection to The Golden Age of Muscle, even if it probably gave viewers ridiculous expectations of how easy it is to repair frame damage. —Grace Houghton
Fallout Kaiser Darrin
Mine has to be the yellow Kaiser Darrin that appears in the recent Fallout TV series, adapted from the original post-apocalyptic video game. The car belongs to protagonist Cooper Howard, an archetypical 1950s cowboy movie star. The Darrin is so funky and over-the-top that it melds perfectly into the hyper-campy setting in an alternate 1950s Hollywood. It’s all that domestic post-war exuberance and optimism combined with a European sense of elegance and stature. I especially like the doors that recede into the fiberglass body, as well as the Art Deco-style front grille that almost resembles a seashell. The Darrin is so wacky it makes the C1 Corvette look a little boring. —Eric Weiner
Of all the TV cars that have come and gone this is the list that … Never mind. At least you got the Route 66 Corvettes in the list.
Wow, it only took one comment for a “You chose something other than what I like and that makes you wrong” type thought to get posted. You at least did eventually get to the part of “then don’t say anything at all” of that famous saying. I’m betting a lot of people after you won’t, which is a little sad. These are interesting choices and not the same drivel list that gets trotted out by others to appease the loudest in the room.
My first car was a 59 silver Corvette just like the one in the Route 66 picture. Loved that car – only fond memories now.
The Fall Guy truck should find a place. As well Rocky’s truck from Rockford Files. I did like Jons truck too on Chips.
Now the Ponch car was a twisted beat up car before Chis as it and its sister cars were used in Corvette summer. Makes a Good trivia question.
The Route 66 Vette here always left me with questions. On Adam 12 Jim Reed drove a Corvette just like the one here. I always wondered if it Martin Milner owned it or one like it and it was used on the show.
Jack Webb also was a Jazz loving Corvette owner too. But I never knew the year.
As for Robin on Top Gear nothing tops the Shuttle Robin the launch on a rocket. That was the largest rocket ever launched in England. Or so they say.
Oh also special mention to the Ateam on Corvette and GMC Van. John Schinella at GM oversaw the styling on the van.
There’s a show on PBS ( 7:45 e.s.t.) called ‘ Miss Fishers Murder Mysteries ‘ Set in Australia in the late 1920’s, she’s a detective and a ‘modern woman’ of means. Quite fetching I must add. Her car is a 23 Hispano Suiza H-6. My current choice and one I’m sure will not make the list.
Interesting list – one which I won’t try to either dis or add my own examples to – but I’m kind of a +1 on the Route 66 ‘Vette. Not that I’m a huge Corvette fan, but as a kid, I did watch the show religiously. When the opening notes of that Nelson Riddle tune with the tinkling piano and string orchestra started up, I dropped anything I was doing (sometimes the dinner dishes!) and was glued to the screen until the closing credits. Even the mention of the show makes my brain play that theme song in my head!
Route 66 is on Prime and is an interesting watch. Sledgehammer was a damn hoot! I loved it as a kid.
Points for remembering the TV show Sledge Hammer! That short lived show was hilarious. Trust Me, I know What I’m Doing!
Finally, another CHiPs nerd! I loved Ponch and Jon’s cars! I always dug the trucks in Emergency! too!
Two more shows. Perry Mason has many cool cars on the show. Also Broderick Crawford’s Buick Century Patrol car was cool.
Cars on TV shows today are not all that exciting anymore.
There is a 60’s Japanese TV series called “Ultraman”. It was broadcast here in the States as well, and I viewed it regularly long ago in my youth. Interestingly enough, I occasionally still do–with my grandson on YouTube.
Anyway, their supernatural fighting skills are aided by their automobile, a …. …. ….
Chevrolet Corvair, four door 1st generation. It warmed my heart back then, seeing a US market auto in a Japanese market cheesy monster TV series.
You’ll get a lot of flack for skipping the usual suspects…the list is too long to summarize…
I’ll stick with one of the 1914 Stutz Bearcat replicas built by George Barris for the 1971 CBS series “Bearcats!”.
Not only is it great looking, but it gave audiences a rare look at brass era roadsters/racers (the prototype finished 11th in the first Indy 500 mile race). If nothing else it let people know there were cars other than the Model T on the road in pre-WWI America.