Every driver has dreamed of driving the car or truck from their favorite television show. While getting a replica is out of reach for all but the wealthiest or luckiest people, you can still invoke the feel of driving with the likes of Magnum, P.I. and the A-Team. Here’s how you can transplant the charm of iconic TV cars into your daily driver.
Magnum, P.I.’s Ferrari 308 GTS and 488 Spider
Thomas Sullivan Magnum IV has it all: A fantastic mustache, a beachfront home in Hawaii, a thrilling job as a private investigator, and a sleek sports car from legendary Italian automaker Ferrari.
In the original Magnum, P.I., Tom Selleck’s Magnum started with a Ferrari 308 GTS. He upgraded to the 380 GTSi for most of the series and ended the show’s run with a 308 GTSi Quattrovalvole.
The 2018 remake featured Jay Hernandez playing the eponymous private eye behind the steering wheel of a Ferrari 488 Spider. Ferrari provided the cars for both TV series.
Both Ferrari models had vivid red paint jobs that stood out against their tan interior upholstery. If your car shares the same paint job as those famous TV cars, you’re halfway there.
You can get seat covers with the same tan color as the upholstery of Magnum’s Ferrari. Get the Weathertech SPB002TN for your front seats and the Weathertech DE2031TNBX for your rear seats.
If your state allows vanity license plates, you can get one with the same license number as Magnum’s Ferrari: ROBIN-1. Keep the license plate safe with a license plate cover like the Dorman 68146.
Miami Vice’s Ferrari Daytona Spyder GTS and Ferrari Testarossa
Miami Vice will make you think that a Ferrari is a perfectly suitable car for undercover detective work. Ironically, Sonny Crockett drove a fake Ferrari Daytona Spyder during the show’s initial two seasons.
When Michael Mann Productions approached Ferrari to ask for authentic Daytona Spyders to feature in Miami Vice, the Italian carmaker refused. Ferrari had stopped producing the Daytona in 1973, and the model was becoming increasingly rare by 1984.
Instead, Miami Vice used a pair of Chevrolet Corvette C3 cars that received modifications to look like the Ferrari Daytona Spyder. Later, Ferrari took the replica maker to court, but it also offered to provide several new Testarossa sports cars in exchange for dropping the fake Daytona Spyders.
The “Ferrari Daytona Spyder” TV cars are black with tan interiors. It’s easier to get a Chevrolet Corvette C3 than it is to find an authentic Daytona Spyder. Meanwhile, the Ferrari Testarossas kept their beige interior but were repainted white.
While these models are pricey, you can invoke the feel of their luxurious interior. Put tan/beige-colored seat covers like the Weathertech SPB002TN front-row seat cover and the Covercraft GTC4138CABN Carhartt PrecisionFit Series second-row seat cover on your car’s seats.
Starsky & Hutch’s Ford Gran Torino
It’s the Striped Tomato itself. The Ford Gran Torino might have disappeared into obscurity had it not been for Starsky & Hutch. But with actors Paul Michael Glaser (who coined the unflattering but accurate nickname) and David Soul, the red Gran Torino with the white vector stripe became an icon. Ford even built 1,305 replica 1976 Gran Torino units that closely resembled the Tomato.
You won’t put your car through anything remotely close to what Starsky and Hutch inflicted on their Ford Gran Torino. But you can modify your vehicle to match the Tomato’s distinct appearance.
The Starsky & Hutch Ford Gran Torino gets its nose-down profile from air shocks in its rear suspension. Installing an air suspension kit like the Westar KT-1104, Replacement KIT-091613-08, or TrueDrive KIT-042914-02 can give your car the same aggressive rake.
If you want a less extensive modification, why not install a chrome exhaust tip on your car’s exhaust pipe? Shiny exhaust tips like the Walker 35594, JP Group Dansk 1620700500, and Mopar 68271071AA can give the same pizzazz as the chrome tip on Starsky and Hutch’s Ford Gran Torino.
You can also swap out your car’s stock wheels for US five-slot aluminum alloy wheels like the Ansen Sprint-style slotted wheels on the Tomato. If you can’t find them, you can try similar-looking wheels like the AutoWheels ALY05500U10N, AutoWheels ALY03619U80N, and AutoWheels ALY05299U10N.
You can skip recreating the vinyl front bench in Gran Torinos used in earlier episodes. They’re slippery, so the production company switched to bucket seats later.
As a side note, the Ford Gran Torino in the eponymous 2008 movie by Clint Eastwood is of an earlier model year (1972) than the Tomato (1975-1976). Amusingly, Eastwood’s character’s will specifically forbade altering his Gran Torino in any way. Perhaps he assumed that whoever inherited his jet-black car would turn it into a Striped Tomato.
A-Team’s GMC Vandura
One of the recurring jokes of the A-Team is how the titular mercenaries deal with B.A. Baracus’ crippling fear of flying. They’ve used anesthetics, concussions, and hypnosis to get their aerophobia-stricken teammate aboard a plane or helicopter. But why would Mr. T’s character fly when he can drive the awesome A-Team Van?
The A-Team Van is a roomy 1983 GMC Vandura cargo van. In-universe, B.A. personally customized its appearance and interior. The van’s black paint job makes its crimson stripes and rooftop spoiler stand out. It’s a distinct look that you can replicate on your vehicle.
Take a primed spoiler like the Replacement C611110, H611155, or N611106 and spray it the same red shade as the one gracing the A-Team Van’s rear rooftop. Do the same for the wheels.
Inside the A-Team Van is everything the heroes need to pull off their mission. You can set up your vehicle’s interior with the same versatility. A variety of storage boxes like the Du Ha 20067, Bestop 42643-01, Dee Zee DZ6535P, and Go Rhino XG451607 XVenture Gear Series lets you keep cargo of various shapes and sizes. If you’re squeezed for space, consider under-seat storage and boxes. The Du Ha 60051, Bestop 42640-01, and Weathertech 4S009 stand out as options to expand your storage space.
You don’t have to drive an exact copy of iconic TV cars, but with the right accessories, you can get close.
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