Magnum's First Ferrari Revisited - Interesting

Tommy,

I for one can't wait for you to solve this. I can tell you that both of the those stickers ARE Hawaii inspection stickers. My car in Hawaii has the same ones. However, there is something "funny" with the picture of the sticker on the back of the bumper...it's missing a number sticker next to it. The pic of the bumper with the sticker on top of the bumper looks correct. This got me thinking; is it possible the other cars you refer to were never in Hawaii? I'll bet you they did other filming in LA or someplace else for whatever reason. Hard to say but I hope you solve this.

 

For a couple of hundred you should get more than just info...

 

I'll have to watch the pilot again because I distinctly remember at some point there was a shot of the car with a number on the sticker. I remember thinking that must be where Hawaii puts their inspection stickers.

 

Tommy, I really do love your "obsession" for all Magnum related stuff. Magnum was the series that triggered my love for these cars!

 

Hey Tommy, Did Ferrari ever give Tom Selleck a 308 to drive around as a personal car? I think I remember some story like that, but he gave it back because of all the attention? Probably just an urban myth...

Franny

 

Tommy,

I had some time to kill while traveling and assembled several shots from the first episode. I hope this doesn't seem obsessive but I think it's interesting.

I found this site: Ferrari 308 (Magnum PI) where the author states:

"Between 3-5 examples of each car were used during filming, employing different cars for various types of shots. Cars in pristine condition were used for close-ups, and less cared for cars were used for action scenes and stunts. Some sources claim that the car used for stunts was not a real Ferrari, but a kit car."

This seems consistent with the photos below. Interestingly enough, I found a third car with NO decals on it. This third car does seem a bit beat up and it's used for all the heavy action shots. So now we have one with a decal on top of the back bumper, a decal on the back of the bumper and one with no decal at all.

One more thing I noticed, in the scenes where there are interior shots (18:30 & 28:50) there is sticker goo on the back window. This is missing in other scenes.

Lastly, the author says: "On an interview on the Late Show with David Letterman in 1997, Tom Selleck talked about the cars used in the series. He claimed that 5 different cars were used, and that they were all auctioned off at the end of the series for outrageous prices."

It'd be interesting to find this interview. I couldn't find it on yourtube but the first time Tom was on Letterman in 1997 he had no mustache and the second time he had a full goatee so it shouldn't be hard to find.

Hope this is new information.

*NEW EDIT* After I posted this, I noticed something I had completely missed altogether. The first picture (and the car with NO decals on the back) has a passenger side mirror that neither of the two decal cars have.

Craig
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I met a fellow in Tacoma, WA about 6 years ago. He was the original owner of a fantastic daily driver 400, which is why I introduced myself. He had lived in different parts of the world and during those Magnum years said he lived on the Islands. He stated he had the only privately owned red 308 at that time and they reached out to him to use the car on a few occasions when the need arose.

He didn't bring it up in a rush, it came out over about 1.5 hours of conversation and my pending purchase of my Mondial. ************ in general and the various cars he had owned as DDs over the years. I have no reason to disbelieve.

I think I still have his number around somewhere.

 

Magnum PI is on DIRECT TV these days on channel 537

 

I'm surprised none of you Magnum fans(of which I'm a mild one) have tracked the license plate numbers. Just the sample of pics above show more than one, and allowing for different years of filming, late car/early car, etc., I'll bet when the film crew swapped cars(close up vs. action scene) it'd be easy to tell by viewing the plate numbers. Would also make it much easier to track the various cars throughout the series.

Hawaii would have required separate registrations for each car and I doubt the film crew would bother to swap plates for continuity purposes.

 

Fun thread - I am watching Season 8 of Magnum for the first time. Once I finish this run it will be my first time going through all seasons in order.




PDG

 

Great thread Dr T!

 

Dr Tommy,

Being the fan That You are, I'm sure You have noticed, as I did recently watching season one again, That one of the cars used in That season has a Small part of the body indent line (or crease line) not painted black but left in red: The Small section behind the driver's door on the rear fender, before the rear Wheel arch, Just above the "pininfarina" badge. If my memory, etc...that car can be seen in, among others, the épisode with Erin Gray (good occasion for watching it - or her - again)
Rgds

 

Saturday morning out at the gun club the manager said, "Hey, I saw your car down at Universal theater." He then said my car actually looks a lot nicer than one that was down there. He was on vacation and he implied it was the Magnum PI car. Fwiw.

I'll ask him again on Wednesday.

 

But which one? There were at least sixteen of thèse used in the série, perhaps even more. A châssis number (on the plate above the steering column, behind the steering Wheel) would Be most welcome.
Rgds

 

I knew You would have catched it...

Rgds

 

Ah, That thing...my hopes of getting another S/N are gone...

Rgds