Full Disclosure: I totally ripped off this idea from Jamie Ray’s Fave Five From Fans podcast. Be sure to check out his podcast and let him know that yours truly sent him your way! Click this link to find out more!
“Chicks dig the car.”
Okay, so “chicks” might not be the proper term to use these days but it’s a well known fact that back in the day, plenty of chicks were attracted to certain vehicles on television. Some of those vehicles were actual cars and trucks that you could buy off of a lot (so long as you had a ton of money in hand) and some were either customized stock vehicles or entirely new fabrications for a series.
In this list I’ll be ranking my top ten favorite vehicles from television. I’m limiting myself to vehicles on television, so no 1989 Batmobiles or Christines. I’m also limiting myself to vehicles that actually have wheels. This eliminates the awesomeness that is Airwolf and the Riptide boat. I’m also not what you’d call a “car guy,” so I’m not getting into the technical aspects of the vehicles. With that in mind, let’s waste no more time and get to the list!
Number Ten: 1972 Ferrari Daytona Spyder 365 GTB/4
Sure, this ride wasn’t actually a Ferrari, but it looked awesome and was, at least in my opinion, the coolest car on Miami Vice. The exterior panels were Ferrari, but the engine was from a Chevrolet Corvette. This replica vehicle infuriated Ferrari, and they ended up giving the series two brand-spanking new 1986 Ferrari Testarossas. Popular Mechanics has an awesome article about this and many of the other vehicles used in the series here. I always preferred this black Daytona Spyder over the Testarossa and hated to see it destroyed on the show.
Number Nine: The General Lee
I spent many hours of my childhood pretending to be Luke Duke (I always thought that he was cooler than Bo). I rode all over my yard and used any and every piece of wood, clump of dirt, or any other items as a launching point for my bicycle which I pretended was the 1969 Dodge Charger known as the General Lee. Dukes of Hazzard was one of my favorite shows as a very young child and Daisy Duke was one of my earliest crushes. With the rebel flag on top and that orange paint all over, I thought that this was the baddest vehicle on the planet. I understand that this vehicle has become somewhat controversial over the years but for its time, nothing could beat the General Lee.
Number Eight: 1983 GMC Vandura
Let’s be honest, outside of the Mystery Machine from Scooby-Doo, vans haven’t been sought out that much for transportation on television. While the Mystery Machine didn’t make my list, the coolest van in the history of television did: The A-Team‘s GMC Vandura. Sure, it had a ton of gadgets and weapons in the back, and always the right ones for whatever job the gang was working, but this van is cool because it was black, had a red stripe on it, was almost always driven by B.A. Baracus (Mr. T), and had a freaking spoiler on top! A van with a FREAKING SPOILER ON TOP! If that’s not cool, I don’t know what is!
Number Seven: Black Beauty
The blacked out, souped up 1966 Chrysler Imperial Crown that is best known as Black Beauty from The Green Hornet series is exactly that, a black beauty. When I first saw this vehicle in reruns of the classic Hornet series, I immediately fell in love. The dark coloring made the green headlights pierce the night and it just screamed “cool.” Throw in all of the weapons that were in the vehicle and you’ve got the sweetest superhero ride on the block that is second only to the iconic Batmobile.
Number Six: The Highwayman Truck
The short-lived 1987 series The Highwayman is just one of a long list of shows that were cancelled too soon in my opinion. It starred Sam Jones (Flash Gordon) and “Jacko” Jackson (Energizer Battery commercial star in the U.S.) as a duo of crime fighters in the near future. The Highwayman rolled around a very Mad Max like desert area battling bad guys in a heavily modified 1980 Kenworth cab-over. When I say highly modified, I meant it. The “cab” of the truck was actually a helicopter that could be used for aerial assaults. The vehicle had a number of impressive weapons, a handy car stowed away in the rear, and could also become invisible when needed. The Highwayman’s buddy, Jetto, also had a cool ride that included an awesome car, but that truck didn’t make this list.
Number Five: 1973 Dodge Open Road
Batman has the Batmobile. The Green Hornet has Black Beauty. Panthro has the Thunder Tank. So what stylish ride would you expect one of the most powerful superheroes of all time to roll around in fighting crime? If your answer was a 1973 Dodge Open Road, you’re correct! From 1974 to 1976, Billy Batson, who with one magic word would become Captain Marvel, and Billy’s mentor named….um….Mentor, would travel from town to town looking to right wrongs. Outside of the sweet lightning bolt on the front and a tricked out communicator that allowed Billy and Mentor to speak with the mystical elders, there’s nothing special about this vehicle. It’s just really cool and deserves the five spot on my list.
Number Four: Magnum, P.I. Ferrari 308 GTSi
Tom Selleck actually drove three versions of the Ferrari 308 GTSi during Magnum, P.I.’s eight season run. The 1981 version was used the longest, seasons 2-6, with the 1979 card being used only in the first season and a 1984 model used in the final two seasons. All three of the cars were gorgeous and looked great while cruising around Hawaii. Of course, Thomas Magnum is an iconic character, so he deserved an iconic car.
Number Three: 1951 Ford F1
On the surface it doesn’t look like much, but the red 1951 Ford F1 pickup truck was used by a great “collector” and his “coordinator,” Lamont and Fred Sanford of Sanford & Son Salvage. Fred is the “Sanford” and Lamont is the “Son” if you weren’t already aware. I always loved this beat up old truck because I grew up around a lot of folks that drove beat up old trucks. This pickup cruises into the three spot on my list simply because I love Redd Foxx and Sanford & Son so much. It appeared in the opening credits of every episode and was shown during almost every episode, usually parked and always full of junk.
Number Two: The Batmobile
No vehicle is as iconic as the Batmobile. Whether it’s the 1989 version, the “tumbler” from the Dark Knight trilogy, or any other version of this car, there’s simply no other ride on the planet that is memorable as the Batmobile. Outside of the 1989 Michael Keaton Batmobile, the best known version of the car is the heavily modified 1955 Ford Futura concept car used by Adam West in the classic 60’s Batman TV series. It was teeming with amazing gadgets that included the Bat-magnet, Bat-scope, Bat-phone, Bat-ray, Bat…..well, you get the picture. It even had an inflatable decoy! This car is simply amazing and it definitely deserves the top spot on my list…..except one vehicle outshines it in my sweet little 1980’s heart. That vehicle is……..
Number One: KITT
KITT easily tops this list as the most iconic TV vehicle of all time. Only the Batmobile comes remotely close to KITT’s awesomeness. Driven by the always-cooler-than-you Michael Knight (an icon himself, David Hasselhoff), KITT was a self-aware vehicle that could speak, drive itself, and do a ton of other things. KITT (Knight Industries Two Thousand) had a medical scanner, a chemical analyzer, flame throwers, a nearly indestructible body, oil squirters, and so much, much more. In Knight Rider‘s fourth and final season, KITT received an update that added even more gadgets and weapons to his arsenal.
KITT was sarcastically voiced by William Daniels. You might know him from St. Elsewhere, but younger generations will know him as Mr. Feeny from Boy Meets World. KITT had an evil twin named KARR (Knight Automated Roving Robot) who was originally voiced by Peter Cullen, the voice of Optimus Prime. Both vehicles were 1982 Pontiac Trans Ams.
I had the opportunity of seeing a replica of KITT on two occasions. I simply love this vehicle. KITT is amazing. He showed up in my life at just the right time to captivate me and I love that car with all of my heart. I hope to one day meet David Hasselhoff, William Daniels, and Peter Cullen. As a child I wanted to be Michael Knight and as an adult I STILL want to be Michael Knight!
I hope that you enjoyed my list. Let me know some of your favorite vehicles in the comments section. Thanks for reading my post!
Ken's Alternate Universe! 