TV Cars: An Illustrated Guide

Cars have been among the most important characters in many television series. Some shows have centered around a car: "My Mother the Car", "Knight Rider", "Knight Rider 2000" and "Viper". In some shows, the action revolves around an automobile: "Route 66". "Car 54, Where are You?" "Adam-12", "Speed Racer", "The Dukes of Hazzard", "Taxi". Other shows feature cars as messages about the main characters: the lugubrious old chauffeured limo in "The Addams Family"; the family-style "woody" station wagon in "The Brady Bunch"; the Batmobile in "Batman"; the bedraggled Peugeot of "Columbo"; the slashing white striped Ford Torino muscle car of "Starsky and Hutch"; the hotly contested red company Ferrari 308 GTB of "Magnum, P.I".; and the endless project car of "Home Improvement".

Arranged chronologically by decade, TV Cars focuses on these series and discusses the cars in relation to story and character. Car profiles include a synopsis of the episode(s), behind-the-scenes stories and complete technicalinformation about make and model.

TV Cars is a fun ride through American car culture. The introduction provides a brief historical background comparing the growths of the television and auto industries, including the various roles that car manufacturers have played as TV sponsors throughout the medium's history. Also featured are alternate modes of personal transportation, such as Fonzi's motorbike; the varied customized vans of "Scooby Doo", "The A-Team" and "Chico and The Man"; BJ's semi; and Rockford's trailer home.