The Rockford Files - Firebird Esprit

Firebird Esprit

Familiar to viewers of the show was Jim Rockford's gold Pontiac Firebird Esprit automobile, which Rockford always took through its paces. One oft-recurring element of the show was the famous "Jim Rockford turn-around" (also known as a J-turn or "Rockford", and commonly employed as an evasive driving technique taught to Secret Service agents driving for the President of the United States). When trying to evade someone tailing him or when otherwise cornered, Rockford would shift into reverse, speed up backwards in a straight line and sharply turn his wheels. This maneuver would spin his car around 180 degrees and he would then quickly shift back into forward gear, speeding off to escape while maintaining a straight course the whole time. James Garner claimed in a Season One DVD interview that he performed this stunt himself for the duration of the series. The car's license number, 853 OKG, is currently assigned to a look-alike Firebird driven in and around the city of Riverside, California.

Starting with the 1974 model year, Rockford would get a new model-year Firebird Esprit each year throughout the series, although they would all be an identical brown/gold mix color with a corresponding tan interior (and, occasionally, sharp-eyed car connoisseurs would be able to spot the different model year cars used in various chase scenes that would differ from those in the actual episode, especially in later seasons). Although the series ran until early 1980, no Firebird was used past the 1978 model year as Garner reportedly was displeased with the restyled front end of the 1979 and later Firebird models and as such did not wish to have them featured on the show.