There’s a questionable spy photo of the next-generation Ram 1500 floating around. “Questionable,” because since the dawn of time, a Ram pickup, whether prefixed by “Dodge” or not, has retained solid, distinctive, and simple lines.
Unfortunately, the 2019 model seen in the photo appears with an odd mish-mash of Silverado and Tundra styling cues in place of today’s handsome front fenders and traditional crosshair grille. This got the TTAC chatroom talking. After all, the Ram nameplate is well-known for taking a styling direction and running with it for decades. Two styles over 40 years, essentially.
That got us talking about the most memorable Rams, the most quintessential and #iconic Rams, and, eventually, to the most famous Ram of them all.
While we all remember the solid, conservative model that kicked off the Ram nameplate in 1981, it’s the 1994 model that everyone remembers most. It’s not just because the bold redesign pushed Ram sales from a middling amount (compared to its Detroit Three rivals) into the stratosphere, nor because the model debuted the innovative Quad Cab bodystyle or offered an optional V10 megablock under the hood.
No, you also remember it from a summer blockbuster movie. The TTAC crew agrees that the Dodge Ram’s appearance in the 1996 film Twister represents the pinnacle of automotive product placement. The most effective, the most widely seen, the most memorable. That red, extended cab pickup was as much a star of that flick as Helen Hunt or Bill Paxton, may he rest in peace. Chrysler Corporation execs must have been salivating, eyes rolled back in their heads, at this feature-length advertisement.
“Oh man…..it went through that HOUSE! Try doing that in a Ford or Chevy. You can’t! I f***ing dare you!”
While this author is pretty adamant he’s in the right on this, other examples of automotive product placement abound. Off the top of my head, I could list some Bond films that really pushed the limits — saturating the screen with Chevrolets, AMCs (that was weird), Fords, and BMWs.
What’s your pick for the best starring role by a contemporary car or truck model?
[Images: Brian Cantoni/Flickr, Twister/Warner Brothers]
Breaking Bad had the Challenger and 300C. There was one opening scene where Walter White bought a car for his son and himself that looked more like a FCA commercial than anything else.
It left a bad taste and my interest in the show waned after that – ie, it broke through the “wall” between good taste and screamed product placement.
Also the heavy use of Audi in the Iron Man movies, along with GM vehicles in the Avengers.
No, I’m going to go with Roger Moore’s Volvo P1800 in the Saint.
By the way, the Avengers drove British cars – John Steed drove Bentleys and Emma Peel a Lotus – not GM cars.
Emma Peel drove a Jag XKE.
And despite the articles argument, I actually loved the AMC placements in The Man with the Golden Gun. At the time, AMCs were the most advanced-looking cars on the market, making the rest look positively blocky by comparison. True, they were grossly out of place for the reputed locale but that just made them look all the more advanced.
@Vulpine: Actually it was a Lotus Elan that Mrs. Peel drove in the late 66 to the color 67 shows. I think the OP was referring to the Marvel Avengers possibly.
In the original Avengers TV series, Emma Peel (Diana Rigg) drove two Lotus Elans; a white one in her first season and a metallic blue one in the second. In the ill-fated 1998 Avengers movie, where she was played by Uma Thurman, she drove an E-Type Jaguar.
Lotus continued to supply cars to the show when Diana Rigg left and was replaced by Linda Thorson as Tara King in 1969. Tara first drove an AC 428, followed by a Lotus Europa and a Lotus Elan +2S.
In the 1976-7 The New Avengers, all the cars were supplied by British Leyland. Steed drove a Broadspeed Racing Jaguar XJ12C Big Cat, his new male partner Mike Gambit (Gareth Hunt) drove a Jaguar XJS and Purdey (Joanna Lumley) drove an MGB and a Triumph TR7. A Rover SD1 and several Range Rovers were shared by all characters. The BL vehicles were very unreliable and caused numerous problems (as did the XJS used in The Return of The Saint) and later episodes shot in Canada used Toyotas!
Nice to know someone else who knows who The Avengers are. (Hint: They have nothing to do with a comic book).
Conversely, most disgusting product placement: BMW yanking James Bond out of Aston Martins and Lotuses, and sticking him in or one whatever the latest product the factory was pushing. Putting him on that R1200C was the worst.
I liked the Avengers along with The Saint and The Persuaders.
Emma Peel drove a succession of Lotus Elan convertibles.
John Steed drove Bentley Blowers. Actually used a couple of different ones.
And any male who ‘came of age’ in the 1960’s should have images of Emma Peel indelibly etched in their mind. Even Al Bundy.
There clothing was custom designed by Pierre Cardin and that show made Cardin. Heck, even now I would not mind having Steed’s wardrobe for myself.
As for Emma Peel’s wardrobe, the leather catsuit will remain a classic.
“Conversely, most disgusting product placement: BMW yanking James Bond out of Aston Martins and Lotuses, and sticking him in or one whatever the latest product the factory was pushing.”
I dunno….seeing the AMC Matador and Hornet placement in “The Man With The Golden Gun” chase scene was painful. You can tell that they had to speed up the film playback to give the illusion that these cars were really moving. Particularly funny/painful, was when the Matador turns into a plane and flies away….looks like the SPFX guys were off that day.
I wonder if AMC sold more Pacers and Gremlins after that movie…lol!
The Challenger and 300C may have been crudely crowbarred into the plot, but it was clear that the writers of Breaking Bad understood car culture from the cars they assigned to other characters.
Oh Yeah…Mike (the enforcer) had a stable of throw away cars..Gus with his Volvo..Saul’s Caddy and who get forget the Aztec, right down to the wheezing engine…Perfect.
Val Kilmer’s Avengers?
Val Kilmer’s Avengers?
NOPE
https://en.wiki pedia. org/wiki/The _Avengers_ (TV_series)
No, I know Val Kilmer and Uma Thurman’s Avengers was based on the Emma Peel series. I was asking if the GM cars that dividebytube mentions appear in that Avengers movie because I don’t remember GM cars being prominently featured in Marvel’s Avengers.
I remember a show I used to watch as a kid, Malcolm in the Middle, which also seemed to favor Chryslers.
The parents, Lois and Hal (also played by Bryan Cranston of Breaking Bad) consistently have a couple of terrible Chryslers, including a Dodge Dynasty and a 1990 Town and Country.
When the titular character, Malcolm, decides to spend his illicit gambling winnings on a car, it’s a ’68 Barracuda.
In the episode in which Hal tries to buys the boys’ love, one of the last scenes finds him in a Chrysler dealership, *this* close to signing on the line for a Crossfire SRT-6 for Malcom, a current product at the time…which really tests your suspension of disbelief if you see how cash-strapped Lois and Hal are and their inability to pay bills on time throughout the rest of the series. Then again, it was a Chrysler dealership, so they were probably giving credit away.
Lois wins a keep-your-hands-on-the-car contest at the shopping mall, and the car in question is a then-new Dodge Dakota. We know she’s won because we see her bring it home and park it in the driveway in the final scene, although we never see it again; presumably they sell it and keep the other cars.
Not that there aren’t other brands’ cars serving as plot points. Hal throws up in a Porsche Boxster, which the boys later destroy by dropping a cart full of paint on it from the roof. Malcolm and Reece are given a first-generation Ford Mustang convertible by their well-off aunt, but Lois and Hal don’t want them to have it and Hal removes the engine block and locks it away (hilarity ensues). In a fit of holiday parking lot rage, Lois destroys a first-gen Ford Taurus that we only see in that episode. In a flashback episode that shows how Hal and Lois’ finances descend into ruins over the births of their various children….Hal is seen driving a then-current Mercedes-Benz SL. He does come from a wealthy family, though.
But…there are lots of Chryslers.
I surely didn’t expect to find another Malcolm fan here. I’ve seen the ’68 Barracuda episode but not the others.
Yes the Chrysler minivan is their primary vehicle. There is however an episode where Hal and Lois ‘steal’ a GM muscle car, I believe that it is a Chevelle.
Hal and Lois had a Plymouth Grand Voyager LE, not a Town and Country. By the way that it smoked, it was a 3.0 Mitsu V-6.
It was also modified at some point during the show with the sliding window in the sliding door. All the exterior badges were removed but the glue remained on the drivers side front fender where the “V6 EFI” badge once was.
Yes, I remember that one in Breaking Bad now, it was so blatant…
That first picture- typical… can’t even park between to brightly painted lines. The driver probably also lopes along in the left lane, oblivious to all the traffic he/she is holding up.
Twister? Come on, nothing beats the dually Suburbans in that movie. :)
Those were cool.
I’m sorry, but I have to say Transformers.
I know its a copout, but my goodness it inspired millions of kids to love cars, and camaros at that.
The reason I have to give serious props to chevy is because Bumblebee has a long storied history… and it wasn’t a camaro. They managed to not only change the type of car an iconic superhero is, but to make everyone think that its “right”.
When I had a camaro I had hundreds of people asking to get their photos with it. Kids ooogled and oggled it. it was pretty cool.
I know I’m biased because I bought a bumblebee camaro in 2009, so I was one of the first to have it, but I don’t know if the camaro would have been nearly the success it was if it wasn’t for that product placement…
So true. To this day when my wife sees a Camaro she calls it “Bumblebee”. The movie have that perfect little throw back by having the Beetle establish the link between the old and the new Bumblebee in the movie. Plus having the Decepticon as a Mustang was just so perfect. Sadly I don’t think anyone knew what a Solstice (at a Caddy dealer no less) or GMC Topkick was, but the whole movie was one long GM / Chevy ad. Thankfully they left Optimums Prime alone.
@arach – Transformers was a big one.
Back to the Future.
If it wasn’t for that film series the knowledge base on the DeLorean would be reduced to dedicated car enthusiasts and a few “Hey, remember this weird car from the 80s?” blog posts. Instead it has international recognition and a niche ability for production.
Doesn’t count. DeLorean didn’t supply the cars. DeLorean was already out of production before BTTF was made. For the same reason, 1968 Dodge Charger in the Dukes of Hazzard isn’t a valid answer for this question either.
This is asking about “contemporary” vehicles supplied by auto manufacturers specifically looking to profit from the enhanced brand recognition.
Fair enough but I still say BTTF had a larger effect on the DeLorean brand than any other “official” product placement I can think of.
This isn’t a Corey question so I should be safe breaking the rules.
Haha. I may still yell at you.
You member this gold Rare Rides we have here?
While the point was made that wasn’t really product placement, the Toyota pickup must have been? But maybe not as they never called it by name, just “get a load of that 4×4!”
The DeLorean was what first popped into my mind as a response to the QOTD.
A bit more thought, and almost all vehicles used in movies and TV programs were placed there, not just randomly used.
So let’s get obscure – does anyone remember Time Trax? They filmed it in Australia and used Ford models available there and in the US to try to make the locations somehow seem more American.
Sometimes you can watch an old show or movie and see that every car used by the main characters (or even seen at all) came from the same company.
Those of a certain age can’t forget all the fords in every Quinn Martin production in the 70s. And which manufacturer provided the chassis for the partridge family bus? And did we ever get to see Al Bundy’s Dodge?
Was it one of the Bourne movies where only the good guys got to drive BMWs, including motorcycles?
Yes, we did see Al Bundy’s “Dodge” several times during the show’s run…except it was actually a ’71 Plymouth Duster!
They even made a joke about it during that episode where it gets lost at the car wash.
“Ooo, Al! They have a Plymouth!”
“I don’t want a Plymouth, Peg! I want my Dodge!”
‘The Mighty Dodge’, an iconic image.
As far as product placement nothing beats Aston-Martin in the Bond movies. Why else would a DB5 with below average performance and non-existent reliability be worth over one-half million dollars?
The funny part is that Al’s Dodge was a Plymouth Duster.
There’s one where Dodge. Would offer him a free Viper if he took a photo of his “Dodge” hitting a million miles, but the one where Kelly auditioned to be the new Cadillac Allante girl is definitely product placement.
Oh, come on…Bond’s Aston Martin in “Goldfinger.”
Not only was it a great product placement, it probably made the company, and still does. Astons are STILL Bond’s ride 50 years later (and “Twister” still sucks 20 years later).
Nothing else even comes close.
Yep. And then BMW screwed it up royally.
I’m going to go with the Trans Am in Smokey and the Bandit. Pontiac only allowed them three cars for filming because they thought the movie would be a dud.
I second the Trans Am. Pontiac got a ton of sales out of that for next to nothing.
Some type of futuristic-looking BMW in one of the Mission: Impossible movies. Ghost Protocol?
Demolition Man Oldsmobile 442
That or the Bluesmobile Dodge Monaco.
Oh, wait… product placement implies selling new cars…
Wasn’t there a lot of hubbub for 5 minutes about the Audi R8 in Iron Man?
The Transporter. Both the movies and TV series were Audi advertisements. All the main character would drive was an Audi A8. The R8 was well represented too.
I was watching old Columbo movies from the early 70s on Cozi TV. One episode had a 60s Ferrari 265 gtb. Another episode had a Jag e type convertible. Then, there was the 60s Lincoln suicide door on an old Mannix … they run those at 2AM. Love watching the old classics … nearly new.
Lots of old American Iron in Perry Mason. Many times, he’s in a suicide door Lincoln Continental convertible, and Paul Drake is in a Thunderbird convert. Sure, sometimes they drove something else, but I’ve seen a lot of those two.
Also, the guest stars almost always drove Buicks. Ventiports looked so correct on those cars, makes the fake aftermarket glued on ones of today look even more terrible.
@jimmyy…There we are jimmyy, we finally agree on something. Got to love Colombo,s 62 Peugeot it fits the character perfectly.
The 2 a.m. run of Mannix just came to its end (spring 1975) and restarted again (fall 1967); contemporary Imperials up through the 1972-73 version were frequently used, some of them stretch limousines. After the first season, Mannix himself usually drove a Chrysler product until the last season or two. They even made “1972” and “1973” Barracuda convertibles for the show, to succeed his ’70 and ’71 versions of the same — essentially, product placement for an unavailable car.
How can I be the first to bring up the Camaro and Power Wagon of Simon & Simon, or Hunter and the Dodge Daytona?
That aside, I vote Drysdale Chryslers ftw.
Mr. T’s van. I don’t think anybody ever said what it was, but I’m sure it helped.
Probably as much as KITT in Knight Rider. The Trans Am of that era was not a great car, but the show helped sell them.
Actually I recall watching B&W reruns with my Grandmother, a lot of the shows all had “vehicles provided by the Chrysler Corporation” at the end. Don’t know if that was a fluke in the shows we watched, or ChryCo just had a big chunk of the product placement market back then.
At the end of every Andy Griffith Show was “Ford Motor Company”, as are many Perry Mason episodes. GM did sponsor the latter at some points, but Andy always drove a Ford. Even in Matlock, his character always had a Crown Vic. At one point, his housekeeper drove a Tempo, the female private investigator drove an Explorer, and the black guy who played Conrad McMasters always drove an early Mustang convertible. There were other cars, like Cliff Lewis’ Honda Accord hatchback.
One of the most memorable automotive product placements to me is the flying AMC Matador in The Man With the Golden Gun, even though the ACTUAL flying scenes used a model plane that looked like a Matador. Did people actually go buy Matador coupes because of the movie though?
The original Vanishing Point was another great one. Chrysler supplied all of the Challengers for that, then distanced themselves after previewing the finished movie and deciding they didn’t want to be associated with it after all.
The Firebird “KITT” in Knight Rider was another good one, and probably contributed to the sale of lots of black Firebirds.
I was annoyed in the 3rd Matrix movie that, in the fight/chase scene on the highway, every single vehicle was a contemporary GM product. Not a single one stands out though. The only memorable vehicle in the entire Matrix series was the early 60’s Lincoln that the heroes sometimes drove in.
One of the WORST product placements has to be the 2016 movie “Monster Trucks”. My son watched this on the weekend. Bad plot, bad acting, and an extended chase scene involving a whole bunch of jacked-up Ram pickups in both hero and villain roles. They even worked-in a scene where they used a dealership garage after-hours to modify some trucks, and stole a brand new one off the showroom floor.
Then of course the 1963 Chrysler Turbine was the real star of the movie “The Lively Set”, and the only reason to watch the movie.
Chrysler was really pushing to inform the public about the advantages of a turbine as the automotive powerplant of the future. There’s a whole scene where the hero discusses all of its technical advantages to a bunch of guys in suits.
Before Smokey, those who know…Herbie
Monte Carlo had Goodyear tires as a product placement, but given that it’s about racing it kinda fit in.
Interestingly, The original Gone in 60 Seconds featured a lot of Good Years too.
Herbie The Love Bug
I remember Herbie squirting oil on sombody’s foot…that was a long time ago….
I have a couple.
-Tony Soprano’s GMT400 Suburban
-D2 S8 in Ronin
-Lotus Esprit, Pretty Woman
And two which were just OK placement, but really got my attention as a kid:
-Chrysler LeBaron in Jumanji
-Tim Allen’s Taurus SHO in Santa Clause. (He had a car phone! Oh wow.)
A silver Volvo V70 dropped off Anthony at home in one episode, and reappeared full of ghetto thugs in the following season. Someone got paid twice for their grocery getter to appear in that show.
In one episode Tony bought Camilla a new Cayenne. This was when they were the new hip thing in upscale suburbs.
His mistress played by Anabella Sciorra was a Mercedes dealer and drove a SL with the pano roof.
I remember all these cars!
Of course Tony had an Escalade for a little while toward the end there.
BMW and Audi did some heavy product placement in the Bond movies of the 90s and 00s. Which I always thought was silly. James Bond would take the tube before driving a German car.
Mine was Get Smart! Sunbeam Tiger.
In terms of commercial success, I’d have to suggest the Bandit Trans Am. Became a pop culture icon.
Nope, you’re all wrong (Aston DB5 doesn’t count, it’s not ‘contemporary’).
The Ford Explorers and Jeep Wranglers in the first Jurassic Park. Before MB weaseled their way in.
Honorable mention to the A8/S8s in Ronin and the Transporter movies.
I always assumed Jeep would have come out with an official Jurassic Park package as a tie in. I’m sure people have made copies, but there was never a licensed version for sale. Huge mistake there as they were the go-to vehicle in that movie when everything breaks down. Instead Jeep did some promo with the Call of Duty video game years later. Since the Explorers were electric in JP I don’t think association was something Ford desired at the time.
Jeep?
How about “Rat Patrol”?
Technically speaking, the Explorers also weasled their way in too – they were Land Cruisers in the books.
The Explorers are definitely my answer as well, they’re all I think of on the rare occasion I see a 1st gen Explorer.
All of the chase cars in Ronin. The first gen A8 must have still been for sale when that came out in ’98-ish right? The driver specifically requests an S8 by name “something that can really shovel.”
I didn’t but it because of Ronin, but when I bought a 2001 A8 (in 2004), that movie was still sort of in the back of my mind. Hell of a fun car to drive. But when it hit 50K miles and the warranty expired, up for sale it went. In the year I owned it, it was in the shop more times than I can remember.
Yeah, 98-03 in the US. I think Europe got the A8 starting in 96 or 97.
Also a good one – the Lexus which was built around Tom Cruise in Minority Report. It wasn’t actually for sale, but that was so extensive screen time.
The Minis in the Italian Job are right up there.
Especially the remake.
James Bond in Golden Eye drove a BMW Z3 in 1996. Z3s were flying off the shelf after that film.
Smokey and the Bandit – the Firebird. The car was the movie star.
Jill’s Cobra Mustang, “Charle’s Angels”. Plus exclusive use of Fords.
Wait, were there cars in that TV show?
Not so sure of Fords only. Didn’t one of the Angels have a Firebird that was rigged to crash on one episode…
How about the Pinto in Cujo!
The Grand Am in Lethal Weapon 4, the first generation Taurus in Robocop, and the Harley Fat Boy in Terminator 2 were all great product placement.
What? Are you all too young to know the Bullitt Mustang, and the Dukes of Hazard Charger? Hmm, the Mustang was chasing a Charger as well.
No, I think most everyone here is familiar with it. The question involves contemporary product placement.
The Testarossa, in “Miami Vice”. Ferarri was so disgusted with the blatant use of the cheap Daytona “kit” on a Corvette, he stepped in and gave them 2 new Testarossas. The “Daytona” was blown to smithereens in its final scene.
But then Ferarri couldn’t keep up with demand. You had to order and wait 6 months or buy a slightly used Testarossa for up to $30K more than new.
The Ford products in NCIS: New Orleans are pretty prominent, I was reading online about the filming of the show and ran into several instances of people inquiring about the F-150 the Alabama boy drives.
Then there are the Dodge cars in the original NCIS. Gibbs sure looks more intimidating in a Charger than he did in a Stratus or Intrepid, but then, so would anybody.
My best friend forever associates the second generation Taurus with the X-Files, as they drove one SO often. When I had my grey 1993, I drove it up to Washington and he HAD to drive it, at one point saying “I feel like Agent Mulder!”
Robocop and Ford Taurus.
Yep, I associate the 2nd gen Taurus with X Files as well, with a Lariat bumper sticker.
The Ramcharger in Lone Wolf Mcquade. Has to push the fed’s Suburban and dug itself out of being buried alive.
“Porsche. There is no substitute.” For my generation, it has to be the 928 in Risky Business, though I’m not sure if that was an official placement.
Laurel & Hardy Ford Model-T
The Ford Explorers in Jurassic Park. The Explorer badging and Ford logos were in coincidently in most shot angles, obvious and clearly read.
Despite the original booking specifying the the tour cars were Toyota Land Cruisers, the movie went with the Explorer. Apparently, the original plan was to purchase Land Cruisers and stick the original plot. However, Ford, wanting to promote their new tough and rugged Explorer, donated a fleet of them to be used instead.
IMO, it worked. The Explorer fit the jungle setting and paint job perfectly. And the movie probably helped add to the Explorer’s already massive popularity
“The Explorer fit the jungle setting and paint job perfectly.”
Couldn’t ANY SUV fit the paint job perfectly?
I always thought they were supposed to use land rover disco’s
CTS in the second Matrix movie.
In the 1966 TV show, the Green Hornet would switch from his everyday 1966 Chrysler 300 convertible to the ultra-cool 1966 Imperial-based Black Beauty. I was truly impressed by the revolving floor flipping the cars as a 12-year-old kid.
A 1966 Chrysler 300 as legitimate and major product placement! I forgot about that one. As far as I’m concerned, you win this QOTD. :)
Of course, the revolving floor wouldn’t work in real life. There’d be a real mess because all of the fluids would dump out. Also, crankcase oil would seep past the rings into the combustion chambers. IF you could get it started, the spark plugs would always be fouled.
The Corvette from “Route 66”.
For those of us old enough to remember that show, yes, that was incredible product placement before placement became so ubiquitous.
Chevy dually, “Lethal Weapon 2”. The truck’s rear jumped 5′ when the slack ran out of the chain, pulling the support-posts out from under that “house on stilts”.
Magnum’s Ferrari, Rockford’s Firebird.
Magnum’s Ferrari is at the Petersen Museum at the moment, along with whole room of Ferraris and a few show cars. I don’t know if Rockford’s Firebird is still around anywhere, but it would be a great addition to the display if it is.
My mother had the Rockford era Firebird (a ’76 Formula with a 455) around 1980. It’s one of those cars she still regrets ever letting go.
“a ’76 Formula with a 455”
Your mom needs a TTAC account.
Rockford’s Firebird is a good one. The only car I know of that in the middle of a police chase can turn around and park as the cops drive by not noticing. Or can be driven normally around the city drawing no attention whatsoever after out-running the cops.
The Plymouth Valiant and the Peterbilt from “Duel.”
;)
Leaving US shores, in Russia the movie “БУМЕР” (pronounced “Boomer,” the Russian version of “Bimmer”) was huge in 2000, and prominently featured a stolen E38 750i (with rewelded VIN plate and snipped hood latch) as the protagonists’ ride throughout the movie. As they leave Moscow for the boonies to lay low, many people they encounter comment on the car, and specifically that it is the V12 “750” on the trunk lid.
https://youtu.be/oK2AgQp51MM
The sequel “Bumer 2” had the protagonist in a facelifted E53 X5, and the movie looks like a straight up extended ad for BMW:
https://youtu.be/QcFdiTSEQIw
The series in turn inspired a popular Russian rap/pop song in the early 2000s “Black Bumer”
https://youtu.be/MAMlCWIA8pc
The show Viper. It featured a Dodge Viper and all the cop cars were Dodge (Stratus?).
hahahahaa yeah that is probably the best example.
Viper features in of the only car chases to involve a golden Buick LeSabre, and it gets away no less!
I was trying to forget the show Viper. :P
Speaking of cop cars, how about the original Robocop, which was released in 1987. All the cop cars in that movie were Ford Tauruses, which would have been a brand new model when Robocop was filming.
Of course all most people remember from Robocop were the ads for the “6000SUX” that only got 8.2MPG.
One that drove me nuts was the Hyundai Tucson (could have been the Santa Fe) in one of the earlier seasons of the Walking Dead (I am thinking season 2 or 3). That design was brand new at the time, and had the world actually collapsed a couple of years prior (as the plot would indicate), then it would not have existed.
(smaller point It also never took any visible damage if I remember, only cosmetic “wash me” dirt/blood/gore.)
The Mercedes suv’s in The Lost World: Jurassic Park were also pretty blatant. Another “if I recal” situation, but I remember there being a Mercedes ad during the trailers (at least on the original VHS of the movie) showing the exact vehicle. They also never used them outside of the opening 1/3 of the movie where they are PULLING A HUGE CAMPER /MOBILE LAB off the edge of a cliff in deep mud. I’d go out on a limb and say they weren’t rated for that kind of work load…
“Basic Instinct”
How about the 1998 Oldsmobile Intrigue featured in the X-Files movie? Okay, so it’s not quite memorable, but GM seemed to think it was a big deal at the time.
On a somewhat related note, I just started watching Mindhunter, a Netflix series set in 1977. Lots of period-correct cars are featured. In one scene, they show a progression of different rental cars, all Ford products. Just as I was wondering aloud as to why, they cut to a scene at a Hertz lot. Suddenly it all made sense! I was surprised at that bit of detail. Not all of the cars in the series are Fords, in fact the main character drives a Chevy Nova.
The best thing about the Intrigue and Luminas in late 90s X Files is the V8 engine sound effects that are dubbed over when they’re being driven.
The Intrigue/X Files campaign produced some radio or TV ads (possibly both) that ended with the line “Drive the Intrigue. See the movie.” No, thanks. At that stage of its decline, Olds’s ads couldn’t afford to be subtle — but that’s just awful.
I’m a bit surprised that nobody has mentioned the Starsky and Hutch Gran Torino.
The Starsky & Hutch Bright Red Gran Torino was probably one of the most visible examples, but I think the 3 Angels’ cars on Charlie’s Angels was one of the most productive product placements for a manufacturer. Ford encourage its dealers to stock a White Mustang II Cobra II, a Beige Mustang II Ghia and an Orange Pinto hatchback. Having the glamorous stars of the show drive such visible yet relatively ordinary cars boosted the image of the Mustang II and Pinto. Not surprisingly, I don’t think Bosley’s Green Thunderbird impacted sales much, although the late 70s T-Birds sold pretty well.
Smokey and the Bandit is probably the most successful example, the Jurassic Park Explorers are my favourite one, and a really iconic one no one has mentioned is the red Porsche 944 in Sixteen Candles.
Chuck Norris drove Dodge Rams in “Walker, Texas Ranger”. Pretty cheesy show, but it was still Chuck Norris’s truck…that has to carry some weight! I mean Chuck Norris
I can’t believe that I had to scroll this far down to find Walker. His truck was front and center about 8 times in every episode, and the show started before Twister came out. That faux big-rig grill on the Ram was every bit as macho as Norris himself. I’m certain that it sold more vehicles than any other car or truck mentioned so far.
The S2000 in the movie “Heartbreakers,” driven by Jennifer Love Hewitt.
I’d have to say the movie “Twister” as well for featuring the Dodge Ram. “Vanishing Point” was no slouch either, for the Challenger.
How can we forget “Bewitched ” Darins 64 Malibu , drop top.
The best product placement would have to be all of the Chevrolet featured in the classic TV sitcom, “Bewitched,” starring the enchanting Elizabeth Montgomery.
Honorable mentions to Pontiac for the cars featured in “I Dream of Jeannie,” starring Barbara Eden and to the Chrysler Corporation for the cars in “The Beverly Hillbillies.” Especially Miss Jane(played by Nancy Kulp)in a Dodge convertible.
Those classic sitcoms were full of cars. “Hazel” featured a ton of Fords, which seemed to appear in nearly every episode even if they added nothing to the storyline. One of my favorite examples was when Mr. B pulled up in a Mustang convertible, then explained that his car was being washed, so he had to take his secretary’s car. That information was completely irrelevant to the episode, they just wanted to feature the Mustang.
My mom liked that show. I tried to watch it, but her voice and being seemingly cross-eyed drove me nuts. I wanted to reach through the T.V. (and back in time I guess) and choke her. She was no Aunt Bee.
@Johnster: Good call, yes Elizabeth Montgomery was as you so classically phrased it ‘enchanting’ and the Camaro was featured, if not unveiled, on Bewitched.
The Oldsmobile Silhouette in “Get Shorty.” It is “the Cadillac of minivans.”
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mohoyRj_VpU
I thought by now “Sajeev” would have mentioned Cannon”s Mark IV.
The above mentioned RAM in Twister.
Dodge MS4 Turbo – The Wraith
Zeta based Camaro – Transformers
Chevrolet Suburban – The Sopranos
Ford Mustang – Bullit
Audi A8 – Transporter and Ronin
Mini Cooper – The Italian Job
Wagon Queen Family Truckster – Vacation
Dodge Daytona – Gotcha
Delorean – Back to the Future
Honorable Mention
Krups coffee grinder aka Mr. Fusion add on to the Delorean – Back to the Future (look up how much one of those sells for)
Sunbeam Tiger – Get Smart
Plymouth Satellite Wagon – Brady Bunch
GMC van – The A-Team
Pontiac Firebird – Knight Rider
Honorable Mention
Krups coffee grinder aka Mr. Fusion add on to the Delorean – Back to the Future (look up how much one of those sells for)
Robocop and the Taurus cop car.
The Saab 900 in Seinfeld. After Saab’s appearance on that smash comedy hit, there was no stopping the little automaker from Sweden!
What about the Lebaron that Kastanza got. That car got a when episode. Jerry also had a BMW that got an episode…the valet’s BO made it stink so bad he had to trade it in.
Does the 67 Impala which plays a pretty strong supporting role in Supernatural count? I’ve wanted one since I began watching the show.
Buddy Farrow’s 62 T Bird?
Nobody has mentioned William Holden’s Nash-Healy sports car in Sabrina.
The Jeep Grand Wagoneer in “The Great Outdoors” with John Candy
Sanford and Son-Ford F-1 pickup.
Get Smart-Sunbeam Alpine or Tiger
Brady Bunch-Plymouth Satellite Wagon as well as a 71 Barracuda convertible. There is a scene where the oldest Greg goes to a drive in movie date in the Cuda but is forced to bring Bobby along in the back seat. It starts to rain and Bobby pulls out an umbrella and rips a hole in the roof. In most families this would a upsetting incident but somehow he leans his lesson. All resolved in a sitcom length 22 minutes.
My favorite Martian-they drove several Mopars.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0402336/?ref_=nv_sr_4
I’m surprised everybody missed this one. Certainly the cheesiest,
a 90 minute infomercial for the 2004 GTO.
Kids in the Hall: Brain Candy has an *amazing* “I’m Gay!” musical number wherein the entire street is filled with red first-generation Dodge neons. The crane shot at the end is spellbinding.
Also, I’m super fond of the rich people in The Beverly Hillbillies all driving Chrysler cars.
I only ever counted 2 non-Mopars in TBHB. One was a ’65 Ambassador
used as a cop car, and the other was a “Nudie” Pontiac.
https://www.google.co.kr/search?q=Nudie+Pontiac&client=firefox-b&dcr=0&tbm=isch&source=iu&pf=m&ictx=1&fir=xpL0s4V_X9vphM%253A%252CJaKg_ckxXigTRM%252C_&usg=__pUyiYb_T3106SBQ4XncmqgrIYqE%3D&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjepbm_mvrWAhVKGZQKHcfVClMQ9QEIKzAA#imgrc=xpL0s4V_X9vphM:
A fictional Western movie star paid a visit to the Clampets driving one.
Not real product placement (or a real car for that matter) so probably why no one mentioned it.
But as a impressionable youth I so wanted the Coyote X from Hardcastle & McCormick.
I was always upset that the bad guys could get away from that car.
All the Mopar products in the 2nd season of the Man From U.N.C.L.E. were fun. One episode had a silver 66 Charger drive through the street scene several times. It felt like a “Lookit me! Lookit me!” type of a deal.