I only have vague memories of this, most of them from the film spin-off. didnt he used to drive an old lincoln continental? I also remember he had a cameo in "police squad" you saw him for about 3 seconds getting hurled from a fast moving car.
Yes, it was a Lincoln Mark IV. I remember it as a 1974 model. We never had the episodes on the national Danish television, why we had to suffer from watching him "speaking" German on either of the German channels. Yes the car was "strong". I remember one episode where it was hidden inside a large truck. At high speed (the truck), he reversed the Mark IV out, causing it to "fly" down and land on the asphalt and start chasing the bad guy he wanted to get. It must have been this which started my facination of the Lincoln Mark IV, causing me to finally buy one in 2002. I haven't though been able to track down any video recordings of these episodes.
Actually, he had a current year model for every year the show ran. All of the Quinn-Martin shows at that time were Ford dominated, they supplied virtually every vehicle used on the show. When the series began, he had a 1971 Mark III Continental, then a 1972 MK IV, 1973, and so on up to the end of the show . I like the Mark III better, actually, sharper styling and somewhat better quality control, along with better performance,since 1972 was the first year for detuned, smog contolled engines.
I read an article once in a Ford Magazine that said originally they had Cannon set to drive some sports car which Bill Conrad could not fit into comfortably, a Mustang I believe, at any rate, Conrad left the set and when he came back, pulled up in his own Lincoln Continental. The producers of the show realized that car was as much a part of Cannon as anything. The car did take a lot more abuse than he ever did, and I think he used it as a weapon more than his gun. I currently own two vintage Lincolns, one of which is the later Mark V. I can attest that this is one powerful, impressive car. Great show and great showing of the Lincoln. The Cannon Car is almost as famous as Steve McGarrett's black Mercurys from Hawaii Five O. Would have loved to have seen Cannon and McGarrett both chasing the same bad guy.
I would confirm all you say regarding a new model for each year of the series. Many Cannon fans do not realize that he had a Mark III for the first series as these shows have seldom been screened since! We had a re-run of mid-70s episodes on satellite TV a few years ago and I had to sense to video some of them, the tape is now a treasured possession!
I too became a Mark IV/Mark V addict as a direct result of the series and several of these beauties have passed thru my hands, despite the huge fuel bills caused by UK prices! These cars are UNIQUE, what other vehicle comes anywhere close in the appearance stakes? The likes of them will never pass this way again and I hope to always be able to own one until the day I have to hang up my driving gloves! Check out the Lincoln and Continental Owners Club of the USA, they have associate regions around the world, I belong to the UK region as well as the main USA Club. Lots of good stuff!
Cannon brought a lot of attention to the Lincolns.....however,seems not many people knew really what it was.I remember them calling it the "car with the hump on the back"...
i'm glad i found this post and thanks for clearing it up for me. about a year a go i found a '75 mercury cougar xr7, bronze with the dark brown roof and all i could think was it's "cannons' car" so i restored her and am driving it today. not a lincoln but close enough being so clean with a/c, cruise, 8 track player and cassette adapter. brings back memories of when i was a kid.