Cops And Their Cars Trivia Quiz

Answer: Peugeot 403 convertible

Peter Falk played "Lt Colombo" in a long-running series that was broadcast between 1968 and 2003. Colombo was a bumbling cop who drove a dirty and battered car. The show had a similar premise for each episode. It opened with the viewers seeing the crime and learning who the killer was. After that, it was a matter of Colombo proving it. Most of the prime suspects sneered at Colombo, thinking they were cleverer than he. Most often he proved them wrong.
Several versions of the 403 were produced between 1955 and 1966. Colombo drove a two door soft top convertible.

Answer: Citroën DS

Simon Baker played Patrick Jane, a consultant to the 'California Bureau of Investigation' in a show that first aired in 2008. Jane had been a fair show 'mystic' and used his powers to ferret out the secrets of those involved in cases. He was brilliant and unorthodox, much to the chagrin of the CBI team leader Teresa Lisbon (played by Robin Tunney).
When car buffs sit down to compile their lists of "best ever" cars, the Citroën DS is frequently high up there.
Between 1955 and 1975, the Citroën DS was one of the most innovative and comfortable models on the roads. They were good enough for French Presidents. Citroën called it the DS because in French the letters sounded a bit like the French word for goddess.

Answer: Ford Gran Torino

I'm sure you remember those opening credits when Starsky (or was it Hutch?) jumped onto the roof the car to chase a crook. David Soul and Paul Michael Glaser played the California-based detectives in four seasons (was it only four?) between 1975 and 1979 and was a ratings triumph in both the US and the UK.
The Ford Torino was produced between 1968 and 1976. The sportier Gran Torino was made between 1972 and 1976.

Answer: Audi Quattro

"Ashes to Ashes" aired on British TV in 2008 and was a sequel to the hugely successful "Life On Mars".
The premise in both shows was of a 21st century cop sent back in time. The modern cops, with their 'touchy feely' methods, had to cope with the rough and unsophisticated attitudes of the 1970s and 1980s cops. Phillip Glennister played DCI Gene Hunt, the biggest dinosaur of them all, in both shows.
The star car of "Ashes to Ashes" was Gene Hunt's red Audi Quattro. The Quattro was the first successful modern European four-wheel drive car and first ran in 1980.

Answer: Jaguar MK II

John Thaw played Inspector Morse in the TV show "Morse", 1987 to 2000. Morse was a detective who solved crime on gut feelings. He was shown as a lover of the fine things in life, such as solving crossword puzzles and drinking real ale. In fact the character was a bit of a curmudgeon. Parody shows often mocked him as Inspector Morose".
Almost 90,000 MKIIs were built between 1955 and 1867. The burgundy 1960 Mk II used in all 33 "Morse" shows was sold in 2005 for more than £100,000

Answer: Bristol 410

Nathaniel Parker played Detective Inspector Inspector Tommy Lynley in "The Inspector Lynley Mysteries" between 2001 and 2008.
Lynley was, in fact, a toff - the 8th Earl of Asherton. He proved adept at solving murders, along with his working class sidekick Detective Sergeant Barbara Havers (played by Sharon Small. A typical aristocrat, Lynley almost always called her "Havers" and very rarely used her Christian name.
Bristol cars were first produced in 1945 by the British Aeroplane Company to give employment to its engineers who had worked on WWII aircraft. Bristols were understated luxury cars. Just 79 410s were produced, in 1968 and 1969.

Answer: Ferrari Daytona Spyder

In fact it was a kit car version of the 1972 Ferrari Daytona Spyder 365 GTS/4 that Crockett drove in seasons 1 and 2. Ferrari were furious at the use of the kits, which were based on Corvette running gear. In later seasons, the Italian company provided Ferrari Testarossa models, on condition that the kit cars were destroyed. Miami Vice starred Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas and ran from 1984 to 1990.

As well as the glamorous cars, the show was noted for the chic fashion sense of its main characters.

Answer: Triumph Roadster

John Nettles played Detective Sergeant Jim Bergerac in the show "Bergerac" between 1981 and 1991. Bergerac worked for "The Bureau des Étrangers", which was charged with solving crimes involving Jersey's non-residents. As most of these seemed to be millionaires, it was a very glitzy job for a cop. Bergerac's burgundy 1947 Triumph Roadster matched the beauty of the countryside. Just 4,500 Roadsters were built between 1946 and 1949.

Answer: Ford Consul

Between 1975 and 1978, Jack Regan (played by John Thaw) and George Carter (Dennis Waterman) were the roughest, toughest cops on British TV. The were members of the Metropolitan Police's legendary 'Flying Squad' and they mixed it, often literally, with the meanest, hardest crooks around.
The car they were most used to was a Ford Consul, though they also used Ford Granadas and Ford Cortinas. For fast chases they were sometimes seen in Jaguars (because the stunt drivers believed the Jags were more stable, safer cars).
The Ford Consul was produced in Europe between 1972 and 1975 and was a smaller engined version of the similarly-shaped Ford Granada. In 1975, Ford dropped the Consul name and all the cars were known as Granadas.

Answer: Ferrari 308

Several models of Ferrari were used by Tom Sellick as private investigator Thomas Magnum. Magnum was a retired Navy intelligence officer hired as head of security at the estate of the reclusive Robin Masters - who we never saw on screen. The show ran from 1980 to 1988 and it was often one of the top-rated shows on US TV.

The 308 (in GRP - fibreglass - and in steel) was produced between 1975 and 1986.