[goatless]

Just came across this. Supposed to be a Formula car made to look like an Esprit for use in the TV series. Owned by James Garner after the series was done.

https://www.barrett-jackson.com/Even...D-FILES-227110

[400 4spd.]

I'm finishing a '78 T/A in that color now. The picture doesn't do it justice.

[Chief of the 60's]

The woman that owns it said in an article awhile ago that she would never sell it. I guess we have hit never.

[Firedup6975]

Originally Posted by Chief of the 60's

The woman that owns it said in an article awhile ago that she would never sell it. I guess we have hit never.

Maybe she died.

[Firedup6975]

What color is that? Don’t think I’ve ever seen that color on any bird before. Must not have been to popular when people ordered it, looks like muddy water.

[TAKerry]

One of my favorite shows as a kid. I would love to have a car set up just like that. One curiosity though, it says this car was used through the conclusion of the series. Each year his car is updated. I read at one time that he was not fond of the nose change in '79. If you watch the shows closely you can see where they fill in with stock footage on some of the car scenes. For example in some of the later shows there will be a chase scene with an earlier car.

[Chief of the 60's]

Originally Posted by Firedup6975

Maybe she died.

Maybe. I wonder if it is going to go with the letter she got from Garner about the car?

[bird72]

Subtle clue to Formula heritage is black out grilles. Cool car that resonates with most of us here.

[Elarson]

I loved the chase scenes and loved him printing bogus business cards for every situation.

Eric

[Stuart]

They should include a plaid sport coat that you could wear when driving the car.

Originally Posted by Firedup6975

What color is that? Don’t think I’ve ever seen that color on any bird before. Must not have been to popular when people ordered it, looks like muddy water.

From the link: "With a special Sierra Gold exterior and tan interior, the factory Formula 400 model was modified to look like an Esprit for the show."

I looked up a few color chip charts and found similar colors, but not one called Sierra Gold. It may have been from an earlier year, and then they kept using it for each new season for continuity.

[Firedup6975]

Yeah I didn’t click the link.

[unruhjonny]

Originally Posted by TAKerry

One of my favorite shows as a kid. I would love to have a car set up just like that. One curiosity though, it says this car was used through the conclusion of the series. Each year his car is updated. I read at one time that he was not fond of the nose change in '79. If you watch the shows closely you can see where they fill in with stock footage on some of the car scenes. For example in some of the later shows there will be a chase scene with an earlier car.

I seem to recall reading that over the years, the shows were cut up, and adjusted to fit diminishing time slots;
So the show(s) you have watched have actually been irreparably cut up and modified when the program went to syndication;
I actually own all the seasons of this show on DVD, you can see how even in the "current" version of the pilot that the car changes several times - As I have come to understand, the pilot was originally shot, and aired with him only driving a 1973 model year car - but the current version is a result of the modified pilot (made for tv movie) to fit a smaller time slot for airing as a regular program.

Again, going from memory, the show started off with Garner piloting a 1973 Esprit 400 car for the pilot, then when the show was picked up, he was piloting a 1974 model year car, followed by a 1975, and (I believe) a 1976, followed by a 1977, then 1978... the 1978 incarnation of the car was retained through the conclusion of the show.

What I do not know, is at which point in time the show's cars started being Formula 400's done up like gold Esprit's - but this is documented.

... so that "stock footage" as you put it, is actually something that happened after the show originally aired, when the episodes were trimmed down to fit smaller time slots.

I love this show.

I would really love it if by some miracle original unmodified programs emerged.. but as I've understood it, this is an impossibility.

[Aaron65]

The pilot Esprit was a '74, but they started using Formulas for '75. In fact, you can see "Formula 400" badges on the fenders throughout the second season. By the third season, the fenders just wore Firebird badges. These are the things I notice when watching TV.

[unruhjonny]

Originally Posted by Aaron65

The pilot Esprit was a '74, ...

Are you sure about that?

... wait a second, as I'm typing this, I am thinking you might be correct - and the '73 I am remembering was a car that was horribly rear ended in the pilot.

Originally Posted by Aaron65

...but they started using Formulas for '75. In fact, you can see "Formula 400" badges on the fenders throughout the second season. By the third season, the fenders just wore Firebird badges. These are the things I notice when watching TV.

hmm, maybe that's a good excuse for me to re-watch the series

[Scarebird]

Originally Posted by unruhjonny

...and the '73 I am remembering was a car that was horribly rear ended in the pilot.

Cars from years earlier than the episode was filmed usually suffered tragic fates.

[77 Canamman]

This is a 403 Oldsmobird

[Bob Dillon]

Originally Posted by 400 4spd.

I'm finishing a '78 T/A in that color now. The picture doesn't do it justice.

Is that color called "cinnamon bronze?"

[Lightfoot]

Originally Posted by Stuart

From the link: "With a special Sierra Gold exterior and tan interior, the factory Formula 400 model was modified to look like an Esprit for the show."

I looked up a few color chip charts and found similar colors, but not one called Sierra Gold. It may have been from an earlier year, and then they kept using it for each new season for continuity.

In the Details field of the page, it's listed as SOLAR GOLD, which is obviously incorrect. It looks more like a 1979 shade called 'Camel' (code 63) to my eyes.

Garner may have pulled some strings to have a couple special ordered with an older color to be consistant with the 76-77 versions of Rockford's Firebird.

[Formulabruce]

Wasn't the '74 Bird in "Denver Gold" ?

[Drag Star Le Mans]

On a side note one of the first things I did after getting my license was a Rockford.