The Best TV Show Cars

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Ranked #2,035 in Movies & TV, #56,445 overall

The Best Cars on TV...Ever!

I'm sure it's common practice in Hollywood to build a TV show around a personality, but with these shows the actors played second banana to the car.

Knight Rider

1982 - 1986

1982 Pontiac Trans-AM

 

The Knight Industries Two Thousand, every 80's kid dreamed of having K.I.T.T. as their best friend, and thought David Hasselhoff's big hair and furry chest were pretty cool too. Knight Rider, ran from 1982 to 1986 on NBC and was based upon the characters Michael Knight (Hasselhoff) and a car named KITT (voiced by William Daniels) working for a secret organization entitled F.L.A.G. (Foundation for Law And Government). They fought crime across America, comparable to a modern day Lone Ranger and Trigger. The show was wildly popular across the globe and spawned numerous spin-offs, the newest being a television movie entitled Knight Rider in 2008.

Fun Facts:

  • KITT was a 1982 Pontiac Trans Am

  • When asked about KITT's whereabouts, David Hasselhoff indicates that, like Roy Rogers did to Trigger, KITT is now stuffed and mounted in Hasselhoff's living room.

  • Hasselhoff had one car given to him from the original series at the end of production and was sold into a private collection in 1992. It can now be seen at the Cars of the Stars Motor Museum in Keswick, Cumbria, England.

  • KITT was designed by customizer Michael Scheffe. The convertible and super-pursuit KITTs were designed and built by George Barris.

  • Hasselhoff and "KITT" appeared in an episode of Diff'rent Strokes, but Daniels did not provide the voice.

  • KITT accompanied Hasselhoff when he performed onstage, singing one of his songs at Disneyland in 1985, with various Disney characters behind him as his band.

  • KITT appeared in a AT&T television commercial with other robotic entertainment stars as Robby the Robot, WOPR, and Rosie the Robot Maid.

  • KITT's scanner is similar to that of Cylons from the science fiction series Battlestar Galactica. Glen A. Larson, the creator of both Knight Rider and Battlestar Galactica has stated in the Season One Knight Rider DVD audio-comments that he simply reused the scanning light for KITT because he liked the effect.

  • KITT appeared on stage and sang a duet with Nick Lachey during the one hour special, The Nick and Jessica Variety Hour.

  • KITT was reunited with Hasselhoff in a season 1 episode of the variety show/talent show America's Got Talent, on which Hasselhoff was a judge. Burlesque dancer Michelle L'amour brought a replica of KITT onto center stage while strip-dancing to a remix of the Knight Rider theme. The following evening, Hasselhoff incorporated the KITT replica into his musical performance of "Jump in My Car" on stage.

    Watch Michelle L'Amour here.

    Watch "Jump in My Car" here.

  • David Hasselhoff drives the only right hand drive KITT replica built in his music video "Jump in My Car" since the video was shot in Sydney, Australia, with the car coming from Victoria, Australia.

  • According to an appearance on MTV Cribs, Joey Fatone owns one of the actual KITT cars used on the series.

  • In the Futurama episode "The Honking", the werecar Project Satan is said to be made of the parts of the most evil cars in the world, including KITT's windshield wipers.

  • In the Simpsons episode "Milhouse Doesn't Live Here Anymore", KITT is featured in an exhibit at the Museum of Television and TV titled "Things that shouldn't talk... but do".

  • Also in the Simpsons, KITT was animated in the episode "The Wizard of Evergreen Terrace".

  • On April 4, 2007, one of the four KITT cars used in production of the television series was put up for sale for $149,995 by Johnny Verhoek of Kassabian Motors, Dublin, California.

  • David Hasselhoff appeared in an episode of the claymation series Celebrity Deathmatch, fighting on a Baywatch style ring. After David was heavily injured KITT was tagged in to fight.

    •  

    Knight Rider Intro

    curated content from YouTube

    The Dukes of Hazard

    1979 - 1986

    1969 Dodge Charger

     

    The General Lee is the dream car for all rednecks and 80's kids everywhere. Bo and Luke Duke (John Schneider and Tom Wopat) played second fiddle to the General Lee, probably the most famous muscle car of all time. The Dukes of Hazzard ran from 1979 to 1986 and still brings fond memories to most of America and rednecks; yes let's not forget the rednecks. The silly plot of the Duke brothers bootlegging moonshine and outwitting the moronic local authorities had Robin Hood written all over it. Nevertheless the car made this show and the car is why we watched. God bless the General Lee.

    Fun Facts:

  • The General Lee was a 1969 Dodge Charger

  • Despite popular belief only 1968 and 1969 Dodge Chargers were used on the show, there were no 1970's models used.

  • Although the exact number of General Lees used varies from different sources, according to Ben Jones ("Cooter" in the show), as well as builders involved with the show, 309 General Lees were used to film the series.

  • Approximately 23 General Lee's still exist in various states of repair, including the first General Lee. This car, known as LEE 1, is seen in the debut episode 'One Armed Bandits' and jumping a police cruiser at the end of the opening credits of every episode with John Schneider and Tom Wopat; in fact, this was the first time a jump was performed on the show.

  • When filming a jump, anywhere from 500 to 1,000 pounds of lead or concrete ballast was placed in the trunk to prevent the car from nosing over.

  • All cars used in large jumps were immediately retired due to structural damage.

  • As the show progressed finding cars became an issue, especially considering how popular the show was. Towards the end of its run they began using miniatures and old footage to compensate for the lack of Dodge Chargers.

  • The first 3 General Lee's were built by Warner Brothers Studios.

  • Andre and Renaud Valuzet built General Lees for Warner Brothers from the 2nd season into the 4th season.

  • By 1983, Warner Brothers turned total control of building General Lees to Ken Fritz because the Valuzets were caught selling wrecked cars that had received cosmetic repairs and forged VINs. Fritz didn't have the job long before he too was fired and at this point Warner Brothers moved full production in-house.

  • The General Lee became so famous that the car began receiving its own fan mail. Over half of the fan mail for the show was actually addressed to the General Lee.

  • Engines in the TV show General Lees varied; 318, 383, and 440 CID V8s were used. However, the "close-up" Lees were 383-powered.

  • The show's explanation on why the doors did not open in the General Lee was because racing cars doors are welded shut.

  • John Schneider (Bo Duke) has restored over 20 Dodge Chargers.

  • During one of the famous jump sequences the stunt crew actually set a world record.

  • The first General Lee ever built was salvaged out of a Georgia junkyard in August 2001 by Travis Bell and Gary Schneider. The car has since been fully restored to its on screen appearance. It was officially unveiled to the public November 11, 2006 with John Schneider behind the wheel.

  • A new Dukes of Hazzard movie was made in 2005 starring Johnny Knoxville, Seann William Scott and Jessica Simpson. It sucked.

    •  

    Dukes of Hazzard Intro

    Dukes of Hazzard Intro

    Dukes of Hazzard

    curated content from YouTube

    The A-Team

    1983 - 1987

    1983 GMC Vandura

     

    The A-Team; how a bunch of war criminals kept eluding the authorities while driving a one of a kind tricked out van all across America, I'll never know. The best scenes in this show were during the "building a contraption" montage, followed by every scene involving B.A.'s (Mr. T.) awesome van. If there was ever a van to lose your virginity in (or consummate a marriage) this was it! This show was probably responsible for a brief comeback of the 70's van craze where all the cool kids had shaggin' wagons, but it didn't last, thank god. The show starred the late George Peppard (Hannibal), Mr. T. (B.A. Baracus), Dwight Schultz (Murdock), and Dirk Benedict (Face).

    Fun Facts:

  • The A-Team van was a 1983 GMC Vandura

  • One of the original six vans used for the show is displayed in the Cars of the Stars Motor Museum in Keswick, northern England.

  • In the first season the van had a red GMC logo on the front grill, and an additional GMC logo on the rear left door. However, early in the second season, these logos were blacked out (although GMC continued to supply vans and receive a credit on the closing credits of each episode).

  • Most people think the van is all black, whereas in fact the section above the red stripe is metallic grey, this error even showed up on to most toy models of the van.

  • There were many scenes where the van was required to do a "burnout", this was difficult to do in a van and tricks such as using oil on the tires had to be used.

  • There are many continuity errors on the show where sometimes the van has a sunroof, sometimes it doesn't. The sunroof vans were the "show" vans used for close-ups and "A" shots, the plain vans were used for stunts.

  • There is still an original A-Team van on the back lot of Universal Studios left to rot, it has become a tourist attraction in its own right.

  • Almost every single episode involved a car-stunt, where a car had to jump dramatically in the air and perform a crash landing. In addition, the people driving these vehicles invariably were shown getting out afterward, unscathed.

    •  

    The A-Team Intro

    curated content from YouTube

    Magnum P.I.

    1980 - 1988

    1979 Ferrari 308 GTS

     

    What's sexier than Tom Selleck's moustache? That's right a red Ferrari. While I didn't understand the premise of how a detective could properly do detective work driving this awesome car around, it didn't matter as long as I got to imagine myself living in Hawaii, with the babes, a Ferrari, and a moustache of my own. The show was pretty cool, and still holds up relatively well today. You probably can't afford a Ferrari but go ahead and grow that moustache, you too ladies!

    Fun Facts:

  • The Ferrari used in the pilot episode was driven across the United States by noted author P.J. O'Rourke. His essay "Ferrari Refutes the Decline of The West", published in his book "Republican Party Reptile" is a great road trip story in itself. O'Rourke was working for Car and Driver in 1979, when he and his boss were asked to drive a brand new 308GTS from New York to LA, and then write an article on it. Naturally they do so (at speeds as high as 140 mph) and his essay was the result. At the very end of the essay O'Rourke remarks the car was being shipped to Hawaii to be used in filming a movie called "Don't Eat the Snow in Hawaii", which (although O'Rourke didn't know it at the time) was the title of the Magnum pilot.

  • The fictional license plate on the Ferrari changed from "56E 478" to "ROBIN 1" after thirteen episodes (the first 13 bought), which it remained for the duration of the series. The original plate number can be seen, briefly, in the titles of every episode, just as the 308 pulls away from the shoulder of the highway. Other vehicles in the series displayed similar "ROBIN" vanity plates, including an Audi 5000 with "ROBIN 2", a GMC Jimmy SUV with "ROBIN 3", and a green Ferrari ("ROBIN 28") driven by Robin's nephew, R.J. Masters.

  • The video Hard to Explain by The Strokes, begins with a scene from Magnum P.I., where the Red Ferrari is accelerating from the dirt.

  • Several cars were used, a new one for each season, most being auctioned off after filming. The first was a 1979 model with chassis number 28251.

  • In 2004, Sports Car International named this car number five on the list of Top Sports Cars of the 1970s.

  • The body of the Ferrari is made of glass reinforced plastic.

    •  

    Magnum P.I. Intro

    Magnum PI Intro

    http://www.retroclobber.co.uk/tv-t-shirts/magnum-pi-t-shirts.aspx The video features the opening sequence to the 80s television series Magnum PI. Visit Retro Clobber for Magnum PI T-shirts in the UK.

    curated content from YouTube

    Batman

    1966 - 1968

    1955 Ford Lincoln Futura Concept Car

     

    No TV Show car list would be complete without the inclusion of the campy 60's Batmobile. I am sure there are lots of debates out there about which car is better: the old Batman TV show car or the new ones from the movies. The answer is simple, the old one and the answer is simple: Adam West. No Batman is as cool as Adam and no one ever will be, therefore any car driven by Mr. West undoubtedly would receive "coolest" status. Besides in 100 years which Batmobile will people remember? That's right: the original.

    Fun Facts:

  • The Batmobile is a 1955 Lincoln Futura Concept Car.

  • The Batmobile was created by Barris Kustom City (George Barris) during 3 weeks in 1965.

  • The fire in the rear of the car was just a prop, but the car did have a 390 cubic inch V-8.

  • The Batmobile is Approximately 19 feet long (that's long!).

  • There were only 2 Batmobiles used in the Batman TV show, the #1 and #4 car (Seen in two episodes in 1967).

  • Barris Kustom City built four cars in total during the late sixties. The #1 was made out of metal and there were 3 fibreglass replicas.

  • The #1 Batmobile is now In North Hollywood, CA.

  • The #1 Batmobile is worth over $1,000,000 and still runs!

    •  

    Batman Intro

    Batman '66

    This is the opening theme of the 1966 series that starred Adam West and Burt Ward.

    curated content from YouTube

    The Munsters

    1964 - 1966

    1923 Ford Model T (Modified)

     

    The Munster Koach has to be the best looking vehicle monsters have ever driven in. Even though the show was a little before my time, I remember watching reruns as a kid and being in love with that huge car. The show ran from 1964-1965 and starred Fred Gwynne (Herman Munster), Yvonne De Carlo (Lily Munster), Al Lewis (Grandpa), Butch Patrick (Eddie Munster), Beverley Owen / Pat Priest (Marilyn Munster), and Mel Blanc (The Raven). The show was a satire of the monster movie genre made popular in the 1950's.

    Fun Facts:

  • The Munster Koach was made from 3 Model T bodies and is 18 feet long.

  • The Koach was created by Barris Kustom City (George Barris) during 3 weeks in 1964.

  • It has a 4-speed manual transmission and power rear end.

  • The Engine is a 289 Cobra and was bored to 425 cubic inches.

  • In 1964, the cost to build the first one was $18,000.

  • It had "blood red" velvet interior and a Gloss Black Pearl exterior.

  • It took 500 hours to hand form the ornate rolled steel scrollwork.

  • There are 2 Koach's.

    •  

    The Munsters Intro

    curated content from YouTube

    Speed Racer

    1967 - 1968

    Mach 5

     

    The Mach 5, a commuters dream car, enabled the title character Speed Racer to race his family car to victory, overcoming most any obstacle in the way. The Mach 5 sported a number of gadgets that would make Ian Fleming roll over in his grave, such as: auto jacks, belt tires, cutters, deflectors, evening eye, frogger mode, and gizmo rocket (more details on these features below). The hit show stemmed from Tatsunoko Productions in Japan and was modified for the English audience. It quickly became a cult classic and has recently been made into a non animated full feature movie.

    Fun Facts

  • The Mach 5 was a cartoon car.

  • The car featured a control panel labled with buttons A-G with special functions:

    - Button A (Auto Jacks): Used to either boost the car for adjustments and repairs, or to traverse large obstacles.
    - Button B (Belt Tires): Toggles special grip tires for traction over rough terrain.
    - Button C (Cutters): Releases a pair of rotary saws to cut away many obstacles.
    - Button D (Deflector): Releases a transparent cover which seals the cockpit into either an air-tight or water-tight chamber depending on the environment in which the car is in.
    - Button E ("Evening Eye"): Controls special illumination lights allowing the driver to further and clearer than with ordinary headlights. The "night shades" on Speed's helmet enhances his vision with infrared light. The original Japanese version strictly translates this as "illuminating eyes."
    - Button E was later modified to activate mini-wings (Pops got the idea from the Car Acrobatic Team) that would slide out from under the car to assist Speed in long jumps.
    - Button F (Frogger mode): An oxygen canister supplies the cockpit with breathable air for 30 minutes and a periscope rises to scan the surface of the water and its output is relayed to a video screen inside the Mach 5's cockpit.
    - Button G (Gizmo Rocket): Releases a flying, gull-shaped "homing robot" from under the hood of the car.

  • An actual race car that most closely resembles the Mach Five would be an early Ferrari 250, which has an eerily similar body, designed by Scaglietti around 1958 through 1961.

  • Stats:

    - Vehicle Manufacturer: Pops Racer; Body Type: 2 pass, 2 door retractable Hardtop coupe
    - Drive system: Mid-engine 2-4 WD; Top Speed: 220+ (approx)
    - EPA Rating: City: 16, Highway :24
    - 0-30: 2.64 seconds
    - 0-60: 6.32 seconds
    - 0-100: 11.02 sec
    - 1/4 mile: 11.51 sec/104.3 MPH
    - 30-0: 33.2 ft; 60-0: 132.0 ft; 90-0: 196.0 ft
    - Body: "Memorite", discovered in the late '40s, a nickel/titanium alloy that can be forged into any desired shape. If the metal is damaged, quickly raising or lowering the metal's temperature 7 degrees will cause the metal to revert to its original shape.

    •  

    Speed Racer Intro

    Speed Racer Intro

    The original English Speed Racer intro

    curated content from YouTube

    Starsky and Hutch

    1975 - 1979

    1974 Ford Gran Torino

     

    The year 1975 boasted two accomplishments; a mediocre detective show and the world renowned birth of this author. Starsky and Hutch, an Aaron Spelling production, starred the "striped tomato", a 1974 Ford Gran Torino and a couple of hacks named David Soul and Paul Michael Glaser who jumped on the car a lot. The show ran from 1975 - 1979 and followed the adventures of David Starsky (Glaser) and Kenneth 'Hutch' Hutchinson (Soul), two Californian cops trying to get the bad guys, all I can remember is that beautiful car.

    Fun Facts:

  • The car was a 1974 Ford Gran Torino.

  • The nickname "striped tomato" was never written in the show but was a real life comment Paul Glaser made when he first seen the car. The name stuck.

  • The cars used in the show varied between 1974 - 1976 models, since the body styles were the same.

  • The car came equipped with a 351 Windsor V-8 engine, this was not powerful enough for stunts so Spelling had it modified to over 400 horsepower.

  • Because the front seat of the car was bench style and slippery vinyl, stunts became problematic as the actors would slide into each other going around sharp turns.

  • Due to the success of the show, Ford released a limited edition (1000 units) Starsky and Hutch replica Gran Torino in 1976.

  • During the last season of Starsky and Hutch, The Dukes of Hazzard premiered on CBS, and one of the factory replicas was used in the first episode.

    •  

    Starsky and Hutch Intro

    Starsky and Hutch - Intro de la serie de tv

    Cabecera de la serie de tv Starsky and Hutch

    curated content from YouTube

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    What's the best TV Show car ever? (Poll) 

    The Dukes of Hazzard

    1

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    The Dukes of Ha... 3 points
    Knight Rider

    2

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    Knight Rider 2 points
    Speed Racer

    3

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    Speed Racer 1 point
    The A-Team

    4

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    The A-Team 0 points
    Magnum P.I.

    5

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    Magnum P.I. 0 points
    Batman

    6

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    Batman 0 points
    The Munsters

    7

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    The Munsters 0 points
    Starsky & Hutch

    8

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    Starsky & Hutch 0 points

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