Sacramento Bee - February 14, 2007
- 1971 Plymouth Barracuda convertible, from "Nash Bridges" -- You get to drive a monster-horsepower, bright-yellow 'Cuda on the streets of San Francisco, and you have a police badge to negate speeding tickets. What's not to like? formatting link
- Modified 1966 Chrysler Imperial LeBaron, from "The Green Hornet" -- Not only were actors Britt Reid as The Green Hornet and Bruce Lee as Kato way cooler than Batman and Robin in the 1960s, their hot-looking ride edged out the Batmobile as a hip hero- transporter.
- Ferrari 308 GTS, from "Magnum, P.I." -- OK, getting to drive someone else's Ferrari in a tropical paradise - with the car owner footing the gas bill - gets no argument from me.
- Modified 1994 Dodge Viper RT/10, from "Viper" formatting link-- Am I the only person who remembers this 1994-99 TV series about a federal task force fighting crime in the fictional California community of Metro City? Well, probably. The show wasn't that memorable, but the rumbling Viper made a lasting impressionformatting link
- The Batmobile, a modified 1955 Lincoln Futura concept, from the
1960s "Batman" series -- I saw it up-close for the third time last summer at the California State Fair. Legendary car customizer George Barris did an admirable job capturing the hard-charging spirit of the Dark Knight.
- The Munster Koach, based on a 1923 Ford Model T chassis, from "The Munsters" -- Another Barris creation, this "family" car had an exposed engine with enough chrome piping to fill a warehouse. The monstrous vehicle implied serious horsepower, and any prospective drag racer challenging it on the street was making a grave error.
- 1975 Ford Gran Torino, from "Starsky and Hutch" -- It pains me to admit that such an in-your-face creation designed to market Ford horsepower is on my list. But it's a worthy addition. I couldn't take my eyes off it in the original television series, and the same was true in the 2004 movie based on the TV show. formatting link
- 2003-04 Aston Martin DB AR1, from the current "Vegas" series - - Sin City tough guy Ed Deline (played by James Caan) drives this limited- edition car around town when he's not grabbing casino cheats by the collar. Either way, he looks good.
- The Flintmobile, from "The Flintstones" cartoon series -- Wheels of solid stone made it a crash-test player, and did you ever notice how Fred Flintstone never had to keep moving his feet to propel the vehicle once it got going? I'm guessing he had a secret formula. Fossil fuel, perhaps?
- 1959 Mercury Parklane convertible, from "77 Sunset Strip" -- A wide stance, understated rear fins and a V-8. Keep your comb, "Kookie"; this droptop was a highlight of the 1958-64 series. formatting link