# This is Jim Rockford, leave your name and a message…if you’d like to buy my car. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 19, 2019, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-jim-rockford-leave-your-name-and-a-message-if-you-d-like-to-buy-my-car/828021 "2019-01-19T02:19:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2019, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-jim-rockford-leave-your-name-and-a-message-if-you-d-like-to-buy-my-car/828021/1 "2019-01-19T02:19:17Z")
I’ve been grinning at these photos for 20 mins. Already got the don’t even think about it stare from my wife. ; I’d love being at the auction to see the car and at least make a bid before the big spenders drive the price to six figures. Brings back so many wonderful memories watching the Rockford Files. Best detective show ever made imho. The News article has an error. Production used three cars _every season_. Collectors own several of them. This is a 78 and probably season 3? > **[This Is The Largest Collection Of Rockford Files Cars In The Universe](https://jalopnik.com/this-is-the-largest-collection-of-rockford-files-cars-i-5928402)** > > James Garner comes up on this site a fair amount. Some months ago we solved the mystery of the James Garner 4-seat Indy Car, and this past weekend attended the Rockford Gathering, which must be the epicenter of James Garner-related activity. I’d love buying a new car in this color. My current van is close but it has more gold in the color. > **[James Garner's 'Rockford Files' Pontiac Firebird is crossing the auction block](https://www.foxnews.com/auto/james-garners-rockford-files-pontiac-firebird-is-crossing-the-auction-block)** > > Leave your name, message and bid. > [@](#): > > The Sierra Gold coupe is one of three identical cars that were acquired by the production company for the making of the detective program. According to Hagerty, the Formula 400s and their powerful 6.6-liter V8 engines were needed for stunt work, but the cars were stripped of some parts and badges to make them look like one of the cheaper Firebird Esprits that down-on-his-luck Rockford might actually be able to afford. > [@](#): > > The car used for Garner’s character was always a gold Pontiac Firebird, starting with '76 models, then moving to the '78s. Garner didn’t like the look of the '79s, so they never went to those. The show used three cars per season, all Firebird Esprits (the lower-end model, fitting with the character’s down-on-his-luck image) but with engines from the higher-end Formula versions. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2019, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-jim-rockford-leave-your-name-and-a-message-if-you-d-like-to-buy-my-car/828021/2 "2019-01-19T02:30:53Z")
Auto week has more details. > **[Buy this '78 Pontiac Firebird from 'The Rockford Files' and live the James...](https://www.autoweek.com/car-life/classic-cars/a1714731/buy-78-pontiac-firebird-rockford-files-and-live-james-garner-dream/)** > > How long could you go before whipping a J-turn in this baby? ---
**Author:** ![River\_Hippie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/river_hippie/32/26_2.png) [@River\_Hippie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/River_Hippie)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2019, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-jim-rockford-leave-your-name-and-a-message-if-you-d-like-to-buy-my-car/828021/3 "2019-01-19T02:51:22Z")
I immediately pictured the Dodge Dart but did a GIS and realized I was thinking of Mannix’s car. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2019, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-jim-rockford-leave-your-name-and-a-message-if-you-d-like-to-buy-my-car/828021/4 "2019-01-19T03:11:50Z")
Cars from the vintage shows often became extended characters. Viewers knew the cars Mannix, Cannon, Rockford and Columbo drove. Cannon drove a Lincoln Continental. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2019, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-jim-rockford-leave-your-name-and-a-message-if-you-d-like-to-buy-my-car/828021/5 "2019-01-19T03:14:44Z")
Watching those shows recently (I got the Rockford Files complete on Blu-ray for Xmas), it’s amazing how much those cars bouce around during the chases. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2019, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-jim-rockford-leave-your-name-and-a-message-if-you-d-like-to-buy-my-car/828021/6 "2019-01-19T03:18:57Z")
They bounced when I drove them too. The suspension wasn’t very good. Especially after 50k miles. Handling got rough. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2019, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-jim-rockford-leave-your-name-and-a-message-if-you-d-like-to-buy-my-car/828021/7 "2019-01-19T05:09:56Z")
What did Columbo drive? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2019, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-jim-rockford-leave-your-name-and-a-message-if-you-d-like-to-buy-my-car/828021/8 "2019-01-19T05:15:55Z")
A beat up looking 1959 Peugeot convertible, Model 403. I wasn’t sure and had to look it up. [http://www.columbo-site.freeuk.com/car.htm](http://www.columbo-site.freeuk.com/car.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2019, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-jim-rockford-leave-your-name-and-a-message-if-you-d-like-to-buy-my-car/828021/9 "2019-01-19T21:10:13Z")
Never mind, the timing doesn’t work unless the theme song hit the Top 40 before it was released as a single. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2019, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-jim-rockford-leave-your-name-and-a-message-if-you-d-like-to-buy-my-car/828021/10 "2019-01-19T21:17:02Z")
Too late to edit again; had it right the first time, the Wikipedia article has the general release rather than the promotional radio station release. The “Rockford Files” theme did break into the Billboard Top 40 44 years ago this week. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2019, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-jim-rockford-leave-your-name-and-a-message-if-you-d-like-to-buy-my-car/828021/11 "2019-01-19T23:44:38Z")
It is on the block live right now on Discovery. $105,000 SOLD ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 20, 2019, 1:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/this-is-jim-rockford-leave-your-name-and-a-message-if-you-d-like-to-buy-my-car/828021/12 "2019-01-20T01:35:59Z")
“According to Hagerty, the Formula 400s and their powerful 6.6-liter V8 engines were needed for stunt work, but the cars were stripped of some parts and badges to make them look like one of the cheaper Firebird Esprits that down-on-his-luck Rockford might actually be able to afford.” Completely negated by the fact he got a new car every year! Why oh why couldn’t they have got a different color? The gold was ugly even on a B&W TV.