Dallas Drives: the cars used in the series

[Lastkidpicked]

Does anyone remember the cars Cliff Barnes drove. I remember the BMW in the early years.

Remeber his Jag?
I was happy about Cliff's license plate when we saw this car during the original run. It's almost as if he finally hit it big enough for his own personalized plate.

 

[Michelle Stevens]

Remeber his Jag?
I was happy about Cliff's license plate when we saw this car during the original run. It's almost as if he finally hit it big enough for his own personalized plate.

View attachment 41644

YES! How could I have forgotten his Jag. Cliff liked his European cars.

Now I wonder if this Fiat was his during his election campaign, prior to the BMW or just a staffers car.

 

[Taylor Bennett Jr.]

YES! How could I have forgotten his Jag. Cliff liked his European cars.

Now I wonder if this Fiat was his during his election campaign, prior to the BMW or just a staffers car.

I'd have to say it was a staffer's. I think he was still driving that excellent white pre-downsizing Cutlass at this point.

seen above conspiring with Old Man Kessel during his OLM days

 

[Michelle Stevens]

I'd have to say it was a staffer's. I think he was still driving that excellent white pre-downsizing Cutlass at this point.

seen above conspiring with Old Man Kessel during his OLM days

Wow, that must be prior to the BMW. In hindsight I do remember Cliff with this Cutlass.

A '74, on the popular Colonnade platform. These were everywhere at that time. Similar to that LeMans Sue Ellen wrecks after leaving the sanitarium.

 

[Taylor Bennett Jr.]

Wow, that must be prior to the BMW. In hindsight I do remember Cliff with this Cutlass.

A '74, on the popular Colonnade platform. These were everywhere at that time. Similar to that LeMans Sue Ellen wrecks after leaving the sanitarium.

hm, now that I think of it, it depends which election this is… in the first one, for Texas Senate, he would have had the Cutlass, but in the later one, for the US House, it would have been the BMW, or as Digger #2 called it, “the rich man’s car.”

(I think this is circa the BMW election… I’m getting “Lucy spying on the devious Alan Beam” vibes!)

Cliff seen above by the driver's side door of his fancy new ride

 

[Michelle Stevens]

Cliff seen above by the driver's side door of his fancy new ride

Just look at that color. How many new cars are brown today, not many. If one is a fan or at least have memories of the cars of the Malaise Era Dallas was a great show to see them. The BMW 633 CSi fit Cliff well, being a youngish man on the move.

 

[Seaviewer]

Do we know why Sue Ellen got Ewing-2?
I would have thought that JR would have had -2 before they even met, Bobby would have had -3 and Sue Ellen would get -4.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Do we know why Sue Ellen got Ewing-2?
I would have thought that JR would have had -2 before they even met, Bobby would have had -3 and Sue Ellen would get -4.

I came up with a theory earlier in this thread:

What if - in the early days of the show - "EWING 2" was Miss Ellie's car? Miss Ellie never drove at that point, so Sue Ellen - as the dutiful daughter-in-law - drove Miss Ellie anywhere. It does seem like the kind of car Ellie would have chosen: practical, no nonsense and able to take her over the Southworth land.

By the time Ellie was seen driving, Jock had died so she got "EWING 1". In other words Sue Ellen got that plate by default.

All conjecture, of course, but it does make sense of it all. At least to me.

 

[Seaviewer]

Yeah. Makes sense. But still strange it was filmed that way.

 

[B.J. Ewing]

J.R.
"Ewing 3"






Mercedes-Benz 380 SEL
1981+ model
Seen in: Season Four+

Mercedes-Benz 500 SEL
1984+ model
Seen in: Season Eight

Mercedes-Benz 560 SEL
1986+ model
Seen in: Season Nine

The last photo: is this a green car or a grey/silver car?

 

[Michelle Stevens]

The last photo: is this a green car or a grey/silver car?

It looks to me to be Thistle Green Metallic or Willow Green Metallic.

 

[Lastkidpicked]

It looks to me to be Thistle Green Metallic or Willow Green Metallic.

A little history for you car buffs out there:

In the 70's, we began to use metal flake in the paint. This was especially popular with hot rodders as it made their cars really stand out. One feature of metal flake is that it catches light. So a car will appear to be slightly different colors depending on the angle you were viewing and the lighting.

I even had a Suburban similar to Ray's and it was painted "Midnight Blue Medium Metallic". The Suburban looked deep blue during the day, but at night, under street lights, it looked black. Oh yes, I was pretty cool back then.

J.R.'s Mercedes was built in Germany, of course. With typical Germanic understatement, the Teutonic styling was "less is more". This meant a very subtle use of flake in the paint.

This is why J.R.'s car can appear to be different shades of color depending on the light.

 

[B.J. Ewing]

It looks to me to be Thistle Green Metallic or Willow Green Metallic.

Thank you so much! I'm asking this because I'd like to buy an 1:18 model of J.R.'s car, but I can't decide which one. Thistle Green (was it THAT green in 1985?) or silver? Which one did he drive? It's a Mercedes-Benz S-Class (W126) 1985.

 

[B.J. Ewing]

J.R.
"Ewing 3"






Mercedes-Benz 380 SEL
1981+ model
Seen in: Season Four+

Mercedes-Benz 500 SEL
1984+ model
Seen in: Season Eight

Mercedes-Benz 560 SEL
1986+ model
Seen in: Season Nine

How about this one? It's also from season 9. Is this also the Mercedes-Benz 560 SEL 1986+ model? Looks more grey than the other one.

 

[Mel O'Drama]

Is this also the Mercedes-Benz 560 SEL 1986+ model? Looks more grey than the other one.

I'd say it's the same 1984+ 500 SEL shown from behind in the Season Eight picture (in my post that you've quoted).

If you look at the alloys, they're different from those on the 1986+ 560 SEL and look more similar to the earlier models driven by JR.


Edit: I've just noticed that the IMCDb page for that car actually uses stills from the very same scene you've captured, suggesting it is indeed the earlier 500 SEL.

 

[Jablone]

Thank you for posting the picture of the 'Burb, Mel O'Drama.

I remember after Ray started driving it and making it cool, every dealer in Texas sold out of Suburbans.

I recently noticed that it had a big James wood sticker on it. Side and rear. Big time local Dallas dealer at the time. Maybe still is.

 

[Lastkidpicked]

Nice catch, @Jablone

Here is a new Suburban at James Wood.

 

[Lastkidpicked]

Stumbled onto something cool. Here are some imagined versions of Jock's car.

 

[Michelle Stevens]

Stumbled onto something cool. Here are some imagined versions of Jock's car.


View attachment 52731

I saw this somewhere (probably Facebook) recently. I've seen aftermarket convertible versions of the Continental Mark V but the others looks cool. The sedan with the suicide-doors is creative as well as the wagons/estates. One of the best looking cars of the "Malaise Era". Big Jock Ewing would approve.

 

[Lastkidpicked]

I saw this somewhere (probably Facebook) recently.

This is exactly why I enjoy some of these groups (such as this one with all of you). There is something relaxing about talking old cars, Dallas episodes, and filming locations. It's a nice break during a busy day.