Like a good costume or the perfect watch, a well-chosen car says a lot about a character. In fact, that’s as true in the real world as it is in the fictional world of TV. If, like us, you can spot an obscure old BMW or a vintage Alfa Romeo from the outline of its headlights in the dark, then you’ll have spotted these standout four-wheeled performers on the small screen recently too. Here are the best cars on TV right now.
Industry, Season 4: Jaguar E-Type
As you’d expect from a series increasingly about England’s landed aristocracy, there have been some tasty jam jars (cars… sorry) in the HBO series from hot-shot writers and creators Mickey Down and Konrad Kay. Those include a beautiful old Morgan Plus 4, an Aston Martin DB11, plus more Range Rovers than you can count. Our highlight? The Jaguar E-Type convertible driven by Henry Muck (Kit Harington) and Yasmin (Marisa Abela) early in Season 4. We were fans since day 1 — just saying, back when it was one of the least-watched new shows in HBO history — but now, as season 4 just wrapped up, Industry has blown up. (Think: Euphoria meets Succession.) In addition to Harington and Abela, it stars Myha’la, Ken Leung, Toheeb Jimoh, Miriam Petche, Kiernan Shipka and more.
Shrinking, Season 3: Ford Bronco
Jason Segel drives a vintage Bronco in real life, but so he’s no stranger to the iconic American SUV. The two-door Bronco is almost too cool for Segel’s character — a grieving, increasingly unhinged therapist — but there’s a good reason he drives one in the show. No spoilers here, but you can watch the entire series on Apple TV+. If you’re thinking about getting one like Segel, just don’t. Prices for vintage Broncos jumped the shark long ago, and they’re all too predictable. We’d recommend several lesser-known old SUVs, like the Suzuki Samurai, the OG Nissan Xterra (has to be yellow), a GMC Yukon GT, or the Mitsubishi Pajero.
Landman, Season 2: Ford F-350
Taylor Sheridan’s TV universe continues to expand, for better and worse, but mostly worse. (Why are so many of his characters now prone to long, preachy, politically-charged monologues?) Still, we’d be remiss if we didn’t put one of the Texas oil patch trucks from Landman on this list. Since we’ve covered them before, you’ll know Billy Bob Thornton’s character Tommy spends much of the show driving to one crisis or another in a 2017 Ford F-350 Super Duty Crew Cab. A spokesperson for BFGoodrich, the firm that supplies the T/A KO2 tires for the trucks, told us the production actually uses several different Ford trucks for filming but they’re all rigged to appear as F-350s. You’ll be seeing more of that truck, and the Sheridan-verse, since Landman has been renewed for a third season.
The Night Manager, Season 2: Toyota Land Cruiser
Tom Hiddleston and Hugh Laurie return for a loooong awaited season 2 of The Night Manager, a moody and glamorous spy thriller based on John le Carré’s novel of the same name. While season one featured a rather battle-worn vintage Land Rover Defender, the first episode of season two features a different (but not less cool) vintage SUV in the form of a 1980s Toyota Land Cruiser. Some sleuths on Reddit noted it was a Series 60, which were ubiquitous across much of the Middle East.
Paradise, Season 2: Rivian R1S
In Hulu’s Paradise, the police ditch their usual Crown Vics and Explorers to drive the all-electric Ford Mustang Mach-E. Similarly, the Secret Service eschews the tried and trusted all-black Chevy Suburban and instead goes for the electric Rivian R1S. Saying why these government agencies have gone electric might be giving away too much. Paradise stars Sterling K. Brown as a Secret Service agent, alongside James Marsden and Julianne Nicholson. The season two finale just wrapped up, so now is the perfect time to watch this one.
FEATURE PHOTO COURTESY OF APPLE TV+.
