Since television became a staple pastime in most homes, cars have been prominent features in a number of popular broadcasts. Decades after some series go off the air, the noteworthy cars are still remembered fondly by viewers. The coolest TV cars of all-time include fanciful fiction, icons of beloved characters, and real life dream cars.
A show that showcases as many classic driving scenes as “The Rockford Files” had to include its main character in an immediately recognizable car. Jim Rockford drove a customized copper Pontiac Firebird Espirit that added unique style to the racing stunts for which “The Rockford Files” was known. The show used a new model every year, until Pontiac came out with the 1979 Firebird Espirit with a modified design that did not suit the taste of the show’s star James Garner.
It is nearly impossible to think about “The Dukes of Hazzard” without picturing the flamboyant 1969 Dodge Charger, named General Lee, driven by characters Luke and Bo Duke nearly every episode. The bright orange muscle car is emblazoned with the number “01” on its door and a Confederate flag on its roof to match the horn that plays the tune from “Dixie.” The one-of-a-kind personality of the General Lee Charger is what makes it one of the coolest TV cars of all-time.
Few people, aside from die-hard “Family Matters” fans, realized that Steve Urkel’s tiny and nerdy car was actually a BMW model that was extremely popular in Europe. This cool TV car doesn't go fast in reality but, thanks to the tinkering of fictional genius Steve Urkel, it reached comically impressive speeds in one memorable episode of “Family Matters.”
The original TV Batmobile is as one-of-a-kind as it gets. Batman and Robin’s first small screen ride was a uniquely customized Lincoln Futura concept car, of which there was only one manufactured. The car was styled in a manner that gives it the perfect comic book aesthetic to complement the rest of the quirky TV show.
Not every TV car is considered a full-fledged character of its own, but the modified 1982 Pontiac Trans Am from the TV show “Knight Rider” known as KITT certainly fits that description. The crime fighting upgrades made to the Trans Am muscle car take an already cool fast car to another level. One of the most memorable, and enviable, upgraded features was a button that allowed KITT, and driver Michael Knight, to jump through the air over anything in its path.
The coolest TV cars of all-time include a wide range of vehicles, from campy comic book classics to rough and tumble racing muscle. What all of these memorable cars share is their status as unforgettable symbols of the shows on which they became famous.
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