What’s the greatest TV car of all-time? We asked readers of automobile express to vote for the most memorable models from the small screen, and now we have the answer. We drew up a shortlist of 40 classic cars from cartoons, comedies and crime capers to see which was the nation’s favourite.
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And thousands of you voted for your top choice, too. So which came out as the winner? could it be Basil Fawlty’s trusty Austin 1100, which came in for a severe beating with a branch after breaking down on the hapless hotelier? Or could it be the famous black-and-red van used by the A-Team as it cracked down on dictators and criminal gangs? Or will a cartoon car come out top – the Flintstones’ foot-powered model or the hi-tech flying car used by danger Mouse?
In this countdown we reveal where your much-loved TV cars have ranked – and it seems the automobiles made popular on the box are as memorable as the classic scenes and characters. There are no losers in our list; just the cars that have left a bigger impression on you. In the end, the winner took an easy victory, recieving a substantial 15 per cent of the vote.
1. KITT – Knight RiderHere is your winner – the car that could drive itself and speak to you. based on a 1982 Pontiac Trans Am, KITT was the best companion for hi-tech crime fighter Michael Knight, played by David Hasselhoff. The black car was fitted with a turbo boost, armour and a scanner bar that allowed it to see. KITT even had a sense of smell and was fluent in several languages, and frequently got The Hoff out of tight situations. creative tech on cars is commonplace now, but there is still nothing on the market quite like KITT. maybe that’s why you voted it the best TV car ever.
2. Dodge charger – Dukes of HazzardThis car had just about everything going for it, and maybe the only surprise is that it doesn’t top our poll. The general Lee was the best automobile for the duke brothers to do their high-octane chases and stunts, with its signaturehorn, orange paintwork and welded shut doors. The charger starred in all but one episode, although the same car never appeared twice. On average, a lot more than one car was used per show, with producers getting through hundreds in six series.

3. Ferrari 308 GTB – Magnum PIJust about screeching on to the podium in our poll is a car that often had to play second fiddle to a perfectly trimmed moustache. The semi-convertible Ferrari in Magnum PI had to be specially modified to accommodate the frame of lanky heartthrob Tom Selleck. Yet despite the alterations, the Targa-style top was very rarely up, as Selleck’s head was stillabove the windscreen header rail. The light-hearted private investigator series ran for eight years during the eighties, and throughout that time only three 308s were used for filming the show. All three were auctioned off when the programme ended in 1988.
4. Audi Quattro -Ashes to Ashes “Fire up the Quattro” were the immortal words barked by DCI gene hunt to cement the Audi’s place in the top five. The eighties car, famed a lot more for its rallying prowess, gained a whole new following when it appeared in the BBC crime drama. The car helped the show transport customers back in time, just as its predecessor Life on Mars had. Yet while the series is set in 1981, the car used is actually a red 1983 model. Hunt’s Quattro gets crashed in a stunt jump and shot-up in the finale, although the original remains intact with the BBC.
5. Ferrari Testarossa – Miami ViceIf you’re an undercover cop chasing criminals in the Miami sun, you’re going to need a fast car. For Crockett and Tubbs, it could only be a Ferrari. While they also drove a Daytona Spider in the show, it was the Testarossa that stole viewers’ hearts. The crisp white Ferrari was the ideal car for Don Johnson’s Crockett, who was undercover as a high-roller drug dealer. The Testarossa now lives in the Fort Lauderdale swap shop after it was gotten from NBC for $750,000 (£450,000).
6. Volvo P1800 – The SaintThink cars and Roger Moore, and 007’s glamorous wheels probably spring to mind. but fans of sixties TV show The Saint will pick out the white Volvo P1800 Moore drove as Simon Templar in the original spy thriller series. Moore fell in love with the P1800 just as much as the audience, and gotten one for himself. The car debuted at 1961’s Geneva motor Show, alongside the Jaguar E-Type, which the producers were keen to get on the show. Yet Jaguar refused to supply a car for the series, leaving the door open for Volvo.
7. Reliant Regal Van – Only Fools and HorsesDel’s three-wheeler is certainly not the most glamorous choice of wheels, but it’s still the top British car in our poll. The yellow van, emblazoned with the logo of Trotters Independent Traders, was the ‘office’ of Del and Rodney. When not transporting dodgy goods, the Reliant was often at the centre of gags, including a blow-up doll occurrence and the classic moment in which the brothers emerge dressed as Batman and Robin.
8. Ford Gran Torino – Starsky and HutchThe ‘Striped Tomato’ Gran Torino was even a lot more recognisable than Starsky’s knitted cardigan and the TV pair’s trademark bonnet slide. The big Ford was often seen blazing around the streets of the fictional Bay City, California, collecting a lot more than its fair share of bumps and bruises. actor Paul Michael Glaser (Starsky) reportedly hated the Torino and made sure he mistreated it during stunts where possible. When the show was cancelled, the cars were returned to Ford before being sold off at auction.
9. Ford Capri – The ProfessionalsHigh-speed chases were one of the main attractions in The Professionals, and the Ford Capri verified the best car. main characters Bodie and Doyle often used the Capri MkIII 3.0 S during pursuits for the fictional secret agency CI5. The V6s made the Capris ideal for sideways action as they chased the bad guys, although Doyle also used the rally-bred Escort RS2000 in some episodes. other Fords driven in the show included the Cortina and Granada Ghia, while early episodes starred British Leyland cars, such as the triumph Dolomite Sprint.
10. Ford Futura Batmobile – BatmanThe distinctive black Batmobile, with its bright red trim, wowed fans when it hit the screens in 1966. Although the final car was a customised version of a one-off 1955 Lincoln Futura concept car, the Batmobile was originally going to be based on a 1959 Cadillac. but producers made a decision they wanted a faster Batmobile, so the Futura was converted in just three weeks. Batman’s trusty car featured a cord cutter blade, a bat ray projector, tyres that could reinflate automatically and the ability to dispense bat smoke.
11. lady Penelope’s Rolls-Royce – ThunderbirdsPossibly one of the most distinctive Rolls-Royces ever created, lady Penelope’s pink limousine from hit puppet show Thunderbirds came with all the luxuries an aristocrat could need, plus a little a lot more besides… 
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