They were celebrities in their own right...
The American Television industry has been a major player in the automotive industry for decades because of their influence over their audience. One of the biggest things that gave both industries a sort of leg-up was the introduction of the Hero Car concept. Essentially, this vehicle would carry almost as much fame and status as the actors themselve, and sometimes even more. Despite this incredible fandom, many of these vehicles were never very well-taken care of. So the question that puzzles practically anyone looking to get a hold of one of those automobiles, what happened to all of them?
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Well, to be honest most of these vehicles were either blown up, crashed, auctioned off and forgotten about, or abandoned wherever they were filming. In the case of the General Lee Charger, around 256 cars were built and used in production. By the time filming had stopped only around 13 of the on-screen examples had survived which now reside across the nation in various conditions. Almost the exact same could be said for the Blues Brothers cop car with one notable exception, all of those vehicles were destroyed. So it's easy to see that these vehicles can be pretty difficult to get your hands on with little to no remaining examples left.
One vehicle that might catch the attention of some enthusiasts with a love for the golden era of TV is the Magnum PI Ferrari. Reportedly using about five of these cars per season, the producers of this show would eventually go on to sell the Ferraris at auction with one landing in the Peterson automotive museum. So if you are an enthusiast who enjoys looking at classic cars on the big screen, that is your answer. Some of your favorite hero cars are gone sure, but at the same time others have been preserved and well taken care of. Either way, you can almost always find a replica looking for a new driver and if you’re lucky you might be able to get behind the wheel of a true legend.
