TV and Movie MoPars

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TV and Movie MoPars
Your best chance to see a classic MoPar... back when it was still new!
Chrysler furnished free of charge, or leased (for next to nothing) cars and trucks for many popular TV shows
and movies in the 60's and 70's. It was money well spent by the corporation to "advertise" their newest products.
(Many were rumored to be "leased" for a fee of $1/month)

Movie MoPars

Vanishing Point
An entire section full of information and pictures about the ULTIMATE MoPar lover's movie... where the star of the movie IS the car!

Christine
An entire section devoted to another great movie that features MoPar as it's main talent!

Dirty Mary/Crazy Larry
Finally out in DVD format after 31 years of waiting...

Tommy Boy
Another entire section devoted to a Movie MoPar!

Other Movie MoPars
Misc. pictures from other movie MoPars

More Movie MoPars soon!
Duel, and many others...

Chrysler Corporation TV Commercials

Chrysler Corporation TV Commercials
YouTube videos of classic Chrysler products (1955-1978)

TV Shows that feature MoPars
There were so many TV shows that had Chrysler products featured on them, especially if you count the ones that had Chrysler Corp. police/taxi units, that it would be impossible to list them all. But here are a bunch of the major shows that featured MoPars on a regular basis.

Mannix
(1967-1975)

Mannix TV Show Intro

"Joe Mannix" was a "tough guy" private detective all the way. The series was labeled as one of the most violent TV shows of the time, and was action packed to say the least. Car chase scenes were commonplace on the show. Plenty of action, car chase scenes, and lots of late 60's short skirts!

"Joe Mannix" (played by Mike Connors) was single, and lived at 17 Paseo Verde in Los Angeles, California. He was frequently assisted by his secretary "Peggy Fair" (Gail Fisher) who was the widow of a police officer killed in the line of duty. "Peggy" had one young child, "Toby" (Mark Stewart).

The series ran 8 years. A longer run than most detective shows of the time, or of present time for that matter. Although he started off in a George Barris studio customized Olds Tornado convertible, and ended up in a Chevy Camaro after the show as winding down into oblivion... In the 8 years that the show ran, "Joe" had more than his share of great MoPar muscle to power him through those chase scenes. Even his secretary "Peggy" drove a Simca 1204 sedan, and a Dodge Colt!

The following images were captured from Nickelodeon's "TV land" in the 90's using analog cable, a TV card, and the software available at the time. The quality is not as good as I would like, but they seem to be the only pictures of the "Mannix" MoPars currently on the internet. The series is rumored to be released soon on DVD, the 1st season coming out as a box set on June 3rd, 2008. So we might be able to see this great show again, and I'll get new images if it is released.

1967 (Olds Tornado Barris custom) Used when "Mannix" worked for a company called Interect, a sophisticated computer-oriented detective agency. That scenario did not work out, so Mannix changed jobs (going out on his own) and cars.

1968 Dodge Dart GTS convertible
rumored to be a 383 4 bbl. car

Mannix with his car phone 1968 Dodge Dart GTS
Shown here using his car phone, NOT a common item in the 1960's

1969 Dodge Dart GTS convertible
rumored to be a 340 4 bbl. car

Modified 1969 Dart GTS featured on Mannix
A "mild customized" model. Notice the narrow molded in non-factory hood scoops. Fog lamps were added to the grill in an attempt to make the car appear closer to the car from 1968, turn signals/parking lamps were hidden behind the grill and hardly ever seen in use. It was also equipped with Cragar SS wheels.

1970 Plymouth Barracuda convertible
rumored to be a 383 4 bbl. car

Mannix next to his 1970 Cuday convertible
A little dusty... but still one clean car!

Shooting at the bad guys while hiding behind his 70 'Cuda convertible
Mannix ready to take off in his 70 'Cuda convertible
It was equipped with Rallye gauges!

Another shot of Mannix with his 70 'Cuda convertible
Dual exhaust with bright tips!

Mannix on his car phone in his 1970 Barracuda convertible
Still has a car phone!

1971 Plymouth Barracuda convertible
rumored to be a 440 4 bbl. car

1972 Plymouth Barracuda convertible
Yes, I am well aware that there is no such thing as a 1972 'Cuda convertible. Chrysler made a couple of prototype cars for the show using 1971 cars, with 1972 front clips and tail lamp sections. Possibly they were thinking about holding the e body convertible over for one more year, but "pulled the plug" before production? Whatever the reason, they did make these "1972" Barracuda convertibles available for the show. The "1972" car was rumored to have a 383 4 bbl. motor (1971) and used through the 1971-1972 and 1972-1973 seasons.

1973 Dodge Challenger Rallye
rumored to be a 340 4 bbl., this car was used through the 1973-1974 season

1975 Chevrolet Camaro
(last season, used because there were no more Chrysler E body "pony" cars. The show was on it's way "out" by this time)

Extra vehicles used in special episodes...

Dodge Travco Class A Motor Home

Adam 12
(1968-1975)

Adam 12 was a very long running "Cop" show. Over the early years the cars used in the show were mostly Plymouth Belvederes. Even the Sergeant's station wagon was a Belvedere wagon. Towards the end of it's run they moved their fleet to AMC (now our adopted cousins) cars to reflect the changes made by the city of Los Angles.

Cars used as the main patrol cars were:

1967 Plymouth Belvedere (pilot / first episode only)

1968 Plymouth Belvedere

1969 Plymouth Belvedere
(Used in the 1969 and 1970 seasons)

Changing a tire as part of the story, 1969 Belvedere Adam 12
(Note the white inside trunk lid. This is a civilian Belvedere. Real LAPD fleet vehicles had a black deck lid inside, as the vehicles were ordered in black... and the mid section was painted white after they arrived in LA).

Studio cars in this studio shot. Notice the Belvedere wagon!
(Note the Belvedere wagon being used as a tow vehicle for the "driving" shots)

1971 Plymouth Satellite

1972 AMC Matador
(used in the last 3 seasons)

AMC Matadors were used in the final 3 years of the show...

Leave it to Beaver
The Cleaver's family car was a Ford in when the show started in 1957, but soon after
they were switched to MoPars for the rest of the entire series

1960 Plymouth Fury 4 dr.

1961 Plymouth Fury 4 dr.

1962 Plymouth Belvedere 4 dr.

1963 Plymouth Fury 4 dr.

Nash Bridges
1971 Plymouth Hemi Cuda Convertible (clone)
It is reported that the series had 4 cars, and that three were 318 cars, and one was a 440

All four 1971 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda convertible clones
1971 Hemi 'Cuda Convertible clone with Don and Cheech
Don and Cheech riding in the Hemi 'Cuda convertible

The Green Hornet

1966 Imperial

Black Beauty from the Green Hornet TV series
Black Beauty (Custom 1966 Imperial)
Another "stock" 1966 Chrysler Imperial was also used

The Dukes of Hazzard

1969 Dodge Charger "General Lee"
(Heavily modified exterior and interior)

       (click picture to see larger image)
                           "Lee 1"
          At the 2008 Barrett Jackson Auction

I am personally not a fan of the Dukes of Hazzard TV Show, or of the 2005 movie. But it should be listed on the TV page, as it is one of the biggest MoPar TV stars ever.
I know many people loved this show, and do not agree with my thinking about the show (you should see the email I got in the 90's on this subject), but everybody is entitled
to his or her own opinion on the subject, including me. It doesn't make ANY of those opinions right, since they are just "opinions".

According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, a total of 309 Chargers were used in making the TV Show. Only 23 still remain in varying stages of repair. That leaves 286
Dodge Chargers that were wasted to make the TV show. To me, it wasn't worth the loss of these great B body classics to make ANY TV show, let alone one as brainless
as the Dukes of Hazzard. The original car, "LEE1" (built when the series started), was originally a 383 car with A/C. When it was "used up" by the TV folks, it was sent to a
Georgia junk yard and left there to rot. It was found, and totally restored (with an added Hemi), and sold for $450,000.00 at Barrett Jackson's 2008 Scottsdale, AZ. sale.
It's nice to know that someone rescued this fine B body, and brought it back to life.

1973 Plymouth Satellite 2dr (Daisy Duke)

Jeep CJ series (Daisy Duke)

Various MoPar police vehicles

The Brady Bunch

Plymouth Sport Fury convertible

Barracuda Convertible

Satellite wagon

The Mod Squad

1972 (1971) Challenger Convertible
Factory retro-fit of 1972 front clip and rear tail lamp area to make a 1972 Challenger convertible when none were actually produced, similar to the "Mannix" cars
above. Pictures below are from an ebay auction, claiming to be of the real TV car used in the series. Beautiful restoration, except the use of non factory seat covers!
(click pictures to see larger image... YOU MUST USE YOUR BROWSER'S "BACK" BUTTON TO RETURN TO THIS PAGE!)