TV has produced some memorable shows, but within those shows were some four-wheeled car stars that played bit parts in various episodes.
Here’s a MyStar look at these lesser-known players in classic TV series.
Jerry Sutherland
The first car star was found on ‘Father Knows Best’. ‘Father Knows Best’ came from the Golden Era of TV when people would watch test patterns just to see what this new gadget was all about. Father Knows Best’ was a typical 50s family sitcom–it came from a radio series of the same name.
It aired on October 3, 1954, and the lights went out on May 23, 1960.
Robert Young played the father, and he drove a very unassuming 1957 Ford 300 four-door sedan—nothing flashy, but that’s what 50s dads drove on TV.
The second TV family car was found on ‘The Dick Van Dyke Show’. This TV show starred Dick Van Dyke and a very young Mary Tyler Moore. Dick played a TV writer in this series that ran from October 3, 1961, to June 1, 1966.
Dick drove a very unassuming 1957 Dodge Coronet Lancer two-door hardtop in one of the few scenes with a car. This car told you Dick only had one kid, and his TV writer salary only allowed for a four-year-old car budget.
The third car was found on ‘My Three Sons’. This show featured Fred MacMurray as the TV dad. ‘My Three Sons’ ran from September 29, 1960, to April 13, 1972–it crossed over from the young Elvis era to the Las Vegas Elvis era.
Fred MacMurray drove many cars over the twelve-year run but one of the coolest was a 1970 Pontiac Bonneville station wagon. It was large-and-in-charge, and it came at a time when station wagons were still the first-round draft choice for family haulers.
The fourth car was found on ‘The Brady Bunch’. This family sitcom ran from September 26, 1969, until March 8, 1974. Most young guys from that era remember two things about ‘The Brady Bunch’— Mr. Brady (Robert Reed) drove a 1971 Cuda convertible at one point and Marcia Brady was really hot.
That Cuda was the second car. Mike Brady drove a lot of station wagons and one of his coolest was a 1972 Plymouth Satellite long roof. It was the perfect role for a Brady Bunch car star.
The fifth car came from a newer TV show—but it was set in the 70s. ‘That 70s Show’ ran from August 28, 1998, to May 18, 2006. This show produced a few stars, but for many viewers the car was the biggest star.
It was an Aztec Gold 1969 Olds Vista Cruiser that the son got from his father in the pilot episode set in1976. The Olds was a big part of the show, and it was featured in several episodes, but its real magic was its built-in cool factor.
These weren’t spectacular cars—they were the kind of cars an average family would drive in the 50s, 60s and 70s. That’s the real star power.
Jerry Sutherland
By: Jerry Sutherland
Jerry Sutherland is a veteran automotive writer with a primary focus on the collector car hobby. His work has been published in many outlets and publications, including the National Post, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Ottawa Citizen, Montreal Gazette, Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post, Vancouver Sun and The Truth About Cars. He is also a regular contributor to Auto Roundup Publications.
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