We are counting down the Top 50 hot rods and street cars of all time that have made an appearance in a television series, or a memorable television episode. Starting from #50, and counting down to our #1 pick, follow along with our memories, and see where your favorite show lands.
35. Dallas: 1977 Chevrolet Corvette C3
Airing for the first time in 1977 and running through 1991, the original “Dallas” series continues to thrive in the syndicated market as a villainous, backstabbing series built on corruption, passion, deceit, greed, and power.
Set in the sprawling, open prairies of Texas, the series brought primetime soap operas to an entirely new level. At the heart of the story is Southfork Ranch and the Ewing family, led by pioneer and patriarch Jock (Jim Davis), his bride Miss Ellie (Barbara Bel Geddes), and their three sons, J.R. (Larry Hagman), Bobby (Patrick Duffy), and estranged son Gary (Ted Shackelford). The wives and mistresses that cause turmoil and catastrophe as much as the men, with cliffhanger endings that kept viewers coming back for more week after week.
What could be more satisfying than knowing who shot J.R.? Relishing in a swanky, sexy black 1977 Corvette C3 featured in the second season on episode number five, Black Market Baby (ok, not really … that was a great moment in television history!).
Although the episode title did not refer to the black beauty on four wheels, it did make us coo like a baby! The ‘Vette was introduced as Pamela Ewing (Victoria Principal) is preparing to re-enter the workforce — because I guess gazillions in oil money is not enough! There is just one problem: Pam doesn’t have a car of her own so she drives her husband’s convertible, red Mercedes with plate Ewing 4 in the first series – one that we came to know so well throughout the series.
To alleviate the issue of who will get the car for the day to drive into work, Bobby surprises his bride with a brand-new 1978 Chevrolet Corvette C3, complete with a personalized Texas license plate: Ewing 5. The perfectly polished ebony coupe is equipped with a T-top for those long, picturesque drives from the ranch into the mecca of Dallas. The Corvette would eventually be replaced in seasons three and four when Mrs. Ewing scoots around the Lone Star State in a black Porsche, albeit with the same plates.