The ultimate TV cars: small-screen icons that became motoring legends

Over the decades, television has transformed certain vehicles into cultural icons, elevating them far beyond mere transport. From crime-fighting classics to stylish grand tourers, TV cars have embedded themselves into our collective memory - and many are now prized classics in their own right. Here’s our celebration of some of the ultimate TV cars that left lasting tyre marks on motoring history*. 

Few cars suit a character as perfectly as the Jaguar Mark 2 suited Inspector Morse. Refined, intelligent and unmistakably British, Morse’s burgundy Jag became almost an extension of the detective himself as he navigated the dreaming spires of Oxford. 

Introduced in 1959, the Mark 2 offered a rare blend of luxury, pace and handling, making it popular with professionals and police forces alike. Thanks in part to Inspector Morse, the car is now firmly cemented as a classic British icon, admired for its understated elegance. 

No TV show is more synonymous with automotive excess than Miami Vice. The Ferrari Testarossa, with its dramatic side strakes and wide stance, became the defining car of 1980s television. Finished in white and unapologetically bold, it perfectly matched the show’s neon-soaked aesthetic. 

Before the Testarossa, Sonny Crockett famously drove a black Ferrari Daytona Spider - although the car used on screen was a replica based on a Chevrolet Corvette. Regardless, the Daytona’s association with the show added to its mystique, while the Testarossa became one of Ferrari’s most recognisable models ever. 

Bright red with its unmistakable white vector stripe, the Ford Gran Torino was as loud and brash as the detectives who drove it. Built for dramatic slides and high-speed pursuits, the Torino was central to the show’s gritty, street-level action. 

Originally a mid-size American muscle car, its TV fame transformed it into a pop-culture phenomenon. Today, restored examples - particularly those faithful to the original livery - are highly sought after. 

For many enthusiasts, the Ford Sierra RS Cosworth represents the pinnacle of fast Ford performance. Its starring role in Spender, driven by Jimmy Nail’s hard-edged detective, gave the car an image that was gritty, modern and unmistakably serious. 

With turbocharged power and its iconic rear wing, the Cosworth perfectly captured the mood of late-1980s Britain. Now regarded as a modern classic, its TV association only adds to its desirability. 

Few cars are as closely tied to a television atmosphere as the Ford Cortina in Life on Mars. Set in 1970s Manchester, the Cortina - alongside other period Fords - helped ground the show in a gritty, smoke-filled reality. 

The Cortina was the everyday car of its era, favoured by police forces and families alike. Its presence reinforced the cultural authenticity of the series, and today the Cortina is celebrated as a quintessential British classic, valued as much for nostalgia as for its motoring significance. 

Elegant, powerful and effortlessly cool, the Jensen Interceptor driven by Detective Inspector Thomas Lynley brought aristocratic flair to the BBC series. With Chrysler V8 power and Italian-influenced styling, the Interceptor was always more grand tourer than police car. 

Its on-screen appearances reinforced its reputation as a refined yet muscular British classic, and well-preserved examples are increasingly sought after by collectors. 

Few shows showcased automotive glamour quite like The Persuaders!. Tony Curtis’s Danny Wilde drove a Ferrari Dino 246 GT, while Roger Moore’s Lord Brett Sinclair piloted an Aston Martin DBS. Together, they formed one of television’s most stylish automotive partnerships. 

The Dino’s compact proportions and V6 engine delivered exotic Italian flair, while the DBS embodied British muscle and sophistication. Both cars are now regarded as design icons, forever linked to the golden age of television escapism. 

Driven by Roger Moore before his Bond days, the Volvo P1800 gained international fame as Simon Templar’s car of choice. Sleek, reliable and quietly stylish, it helped redefine Volvo’s image from purely sensible to genuinely aspirational. 

Its durability is legendary - one example famously covered over three million miles - and its TV pedigree only enhances its appeal among classic car enthusiasts. 

Proof that you don’t need supercar performance to become a TV legend, Del Boy and Rodney’s three-wheeled Reliant Regal is one of Britain’s most beloved TV vehicles. Frequently battered and rarely reliable, it was central to the show’s slapstick humour. 

Despite the laughs, the Regal represents an important chapter in British motoring history, and surviving examples are now cherished for their cultural significance. 

*Photos of the cars are for illustrative purposes only – they are not the TV cars.