Magnum PI

Encore TV is now starting to run the Magnum PI series. This is what inspired me to get my 308 GTSi. I forgot how much fun this was to watch.

 

Great show!

 

Is there a VIN number list of the Magnum Cars? someone told me Mine was one of the cars but how can I know? My VIN is 25297

 

Netflix has the series on line - great to pick the episodes you want to watch!

 

Gonna check it out. Never watched it as a kid. But! Why doesn't my targa top work like Magnum's? Skip to 3:09 in the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZA_N0JW_IBc

 

LOL!

 

Shenanigans!

 

it does work the same. You just need a couple of interns back there.

 

I was in front of the TV when the pilot aired in 1980. I was in 7th grade. We didn't have a VCR so I recorded the several of the first shows on a cassette tape. I would rewind the scenes with the 308 and play them over and over. My favorite was Don't Say Goodbye because you could hear a double clutch in the chase scene. I still have the tapes too. Funny to hear them now. One has a commercial for a new movie called "Strips"

I watched every show, even the reruns, for the entire duration ( I skipped a fraternity meeting when I was a pledge to see the last episode) but I always thought the first two seasons were the best. Still do.

 

"someone told me Mine was one of the cars "

Me too! I was in a gas station when a guy pointed at my car and told his wife - "That's one of the Magnum cars!"

I guess he was one of the show's producers or something; how else could he have known?

 

Anybody have this list?

 

Hi Patrick,

I have gathered a list of eight "confirmed" chassis numbers so far, mainly from posts on this site, notably from Steve Harris Import who, as far as I have correctly understood, was the shop providing and preparing the cars, and others such as Marcel Massini.
I'm sure this list is still incomplete, but it should be reasonably confirmed. If somebody has futher information, is able to complete, etc..please feel free to do so:

28251
29109
34567
38527
45579
45607
51941
57685

Rgds

 

maybe we should add 28525

I took these pictures in 1985 - please take a look at page 2, post #70
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/308-328/322953-vintage-pictures-i-took-308s-1981-1997-a-2.html

 

At least they knew it was a Ferrari,

I was stopped in a rest area when I was trailering mine home from the dealership, a very nice older lady came over to compliment me on the condition, color and very glossy shine on the car when she asked if it was a FIREBIRD, I looked at the wife and said the car was going back!

 

Hi Dr Tommy,

(BTW, post 70 is on page 4, not page 2)
Seems convincing enough to me to establish suitable credits to include 28525 in the list.
As far as I remember, the person working at Steve Harris Import said that they used two cars per season, one for the filming, one as a spare.
Of course, it doesn't mean that we should find 16 chassis numbers, as one car may have been used for more than a season, but I guess we should end with more than eight nevertheless (been a carbed car, 28525 could have been the one driven by Erin Gray, boys...)
So we have nine now. (and there is also that green one...)

Rgds

 

I just got it on demand on my cable system this week I was excited to see it on even though I have all the DVD's!
I like the first season the best out of all of them.

 

Having started watching the Magnum P.I re-runs I've noticed something quite odd!:

Magnum drives all over Hawaii in a brand new red Ferrari, parks up places and wanders off to check out a lead, then comes back to the car, drives somewhere else, parks up etc., etc., and nobody at all pays any attention to the car whatsoever!

Women he meets never say anything about him driving a Ferrari, they just get in it without batting an eyelid as though it's just an everyday car, passers-by don't even look at it and he never comes back to the car to find people checking it out! What's the deal here?

I know Hawaii is quite an exotic place (on the face of it!), but I struggle to believe that Ferrari's are that common on the islands that no one notices them or is surprised that a private investigator drives one.

He never even has to explain to anyone that the car doesn't actually belong to him!

Having read various Ferrari owners comments on here about how much attention their 308's still generate to this day, I struggle to believe that not one person shows an interest in the car Magnum drives!


Also, is it that the Ferrari 308 GTS handles really badly? - Or is a late 70's Cadillac some sort of supercar in disguise?, because Magnum always seems to struggle to shake them off in a car chase with the Ferrari!







(And yes, I do realise that it's just a TV programme! )

 

I can remember one episode in which Magnum has amnesia and he is trying to retrace his steps and he asks a rest. parking valet if he remembers him being there with a red ferrari and the guy replys "I haven't seen a Ferrari let alone a red one since the auto show"
Then starting with the first episode people are always laughing at him when he calls it 'his car' Mac laughs at him in the first episode when he is at the gate to pearl. In another episode he picks up a female client at the airport and as they walk out to the parking spaces in front she gets right in the Ferrari and he asks her "how did you know that was my car" she replies "what else would a man like you drive" In the episode where he gets cut off by Floyd he gets rear ended by the elderly lady and as they are looking at the damage she replies "it's a shame such a nice car I'm sure whoever owns it is very proud of it"
And there are many more references throughout the series.

 

I am paraphrasing

"This is your car?"
"Yes, Doesn't it look like my car?"
"Fooled me too, I thought it was Robin Master's car"
"Robin... I knew your name wasn't Magnum"

add that to the list

 

LOL i knew you'd chime in Tommy!

 

I've been watching them on and off again through the seasons just so I could watch them in order. I finished season 5 not too long ago so I will get to 6 sometime soon.




PDG

 

I'm on the last season watching on DVD, haven't seen them since they first aired.

 

Another:

(Magnum showing someone a picture)

"See that red one there? Well, that's my car. Actually, It really isn't my car but it's more my car than your car..."

 

With mere mortals, a Ferrari outshines/outclasses the driver. With MAGNUM, however, it's just the opposite...

NOW you know the diff between Thomas Magnum and the rest of us...


My most memorable memory of the show(I watched 'em all, for sure) took place in 1991, of all times. I spent a week in HNL and stayed at the Hyatt Waikiki(nice place). Anyway, I was walking back the hotel, came up on the Diamond Head side entrance and just stopped for a moment to take it all in. You see, that was the exact entrance, where on TV, I'd seen Magnum drive up to it, get out and hand the keys to the valet(yeah, I know, a VALET?), mutter something and scamper on into the hotel, as he was working a case. Just blew my mind that I was THERE, even though it was a few years after the series wrapped shooting. Still think about that occasionally and every time since that I stayed at the Hyatt(been there many times), I usually wander that way for a quick look.

Funny how TV sometimes makes strong impressions on us...

 

I have not watched that series since it originally aired but you have all inspired me. Fun show.

I actually liked and knew of the car before I saw it on the show. As a kid, I loved cars and especially European cars.

It is interesting that no one comments on the car. My guess is the writer(s) had no idea how much attention the car really attracts. It is a rare day when I do not get comments or strike up a conversation with someone.