The car Rockford drove in The Rockford Files was more realistic to what everyone was driving at that time...:O)
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A late 70s metallic gold-bronze Firebird Esprit “sleeper” I believe - likely with a well-tuned Trans-Am suspension and a 400ci engine with all the emission controls tossed back in a dumpster
James Garner also starred in “Grand Prix” - he was (and still is) good driver
Robert Wagner and his bunch ran a weird set of crooked production and prop expense books on “The Rockford Files” and scammed Garner bigtime -
If the series had continued Jim Rockford would have been driving a tricked-up Chevy El Camino pickup (race-mod and tuned ‘Vette 350ci engine and Chevelle SS suspension) in the show