The market effect of Magnum P.I.

From what I heard Porsche wanted some kind of cut or fee for every episode that uses the porsche.

So they went with Ferrari instead, and I'm glad they did.

 

The 3x8 series is a timeless design. It's iconic on TV or not. However, I would say yes, the show raised Ferrari's profile a great deal even if many people do not consciously think "Magnum PI" when they see the cars. TV is the most powerful medium today and it creates the pop cultural landscape, urban myths and legends, iconography, that we are in at any given time.

 

Wouldn't credit the show with much effect at all beyond the public recognition of one model F-car.
Prices seem in line with numbers condition and other models of the marque. Most owners want it for its styling and not to vicariously live out a PI fantasy.

 

Don't think so folks the reason for the Ferrari was the removable roof you could easily identify the actor in the car nothing more.

You think Porsche would of cared about providing 928??????

In fact Magnum himself(Tom Selleck) owned a 928 and in later years he purchased 928 for some of the other actors and crew.

 

Most of this Magnum arcana is covered repeatedly in various threads if one does a search.

 

At the time (1980-81) it was a game changer for Ferrari around here. Before that, there were some older cars around with some well known collectors.

After that, Steve Barney's local dealership (started in 1978) expanded their sales volume by several times. Research Triangle Park added more cars in six months than were there already. I remember that time, it was really cool and a direct result of increasing public recognition of Ferrari in general.

 

Really?
I'd thought they were already well known and heavily featured in film and other pop culture.
A 250 GT LWB Tour de France appeared in the 1964 film "Viva Las Vegas" driven by the King himself. A whole generation knew what they were before Magnum came along.
Phil Hill drove his own in one early '50s movie and Gina Lollabrigida was always getting into or out of one. The Love Bug, the Pink Panther, State Fair and a whole plethora of racing movies from McQueens Le Mans down to lesser landmarks. Presley to McQueen in a period where film stars dominated American culture to the point where even a rising star like James Dean could make Porsche a household name through his death.
Not sure how much the 308 being the first Ferrari volume sportscar had its own effect that Magnum is credited with.

 

I concur.

I admit to owning a few Magnum DVDs, but the whole Hawaii PI thing is a bit cheesy in 2008.

IIRC it did move Ferrari into the public consciousness -- i.e., even people who didn't subscribe to R&T or C&D knew that Ferraris were fast, rare and expensive thanks to Magnum and National Lampoon's Vacation film. It was the first one I ever saw, living in Cleveland at the time -- where we had no exotics, as a rule.

It's also probably fair to say that the huge sales success of the 308 (12,000 made?) paved the way for the user-friendly Testarossa, the supercar 288 GTO and F40, as well as the later V8 generations of road cars. However, the car sold well before Magnum went on the air, so you could argue Pininfarina had hit a grand slam back in 1975 and Magnum just amplified the effect.
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I think there is no denying Magnum added demand for the car both when new and for years after. I sold my first 308 in 1997 to a guy who said he wanted one ever since seeing it on Magnum. Still, if the car had not been beautiful in the first place, Magnum would have had little or no effect.

Dave

 

That picture is so sweet. What an American beauty.

 

First time I ever saw a Ferrari as a teenager was on Magnum.
Every week I'd wait for the opening scene when he peels out from the side of the road with a knowing smile and a little sideways action.....at the time that was pure sex to me. I'd watch the show hoping for scenes with the Ferrari in it, that was the main reason I watched.
There is no doubt it had an impact on Ferrari's brand recognition in the States....Magnum was cool...that little red Italian car was cool.
Just because a car is a Ferrari doesn't mean it had to by default end up coveted. Back in the 50s and 60s there weren't so desired by Americans. There are numerous car companies out there now with cool little cars that people don't care about.

With regards to the comment that Porsche would have easily giving up a 928 for free for the show....I'm not so sure. The only reason Omega can advertise they have the only watch that went to the moon was because some moron at Rolex turned down NASAs request for free Rolexes for the astronauts...Omega gave them the watches...and whamo...only watch to ever go to the moon. No doubt that Rolex Executive was canned.

 

As an owner of a 308GTS I tell them it is the car from Cannonball Run. Best line ever I think, Dom Delouise says to Burt Reynolds (questioning why he would trust two Catholic Priests in a Ferrari, Sammy Davis Jr and Dean Martin) "They are doing the work of the Lord. In a Ferrari, they can do it faster!"

Classic. (also, I can write off the Ferrari as a church donation, see?)

 

I agree as I too have a 308 GTS. For me it all happened well before Magnum, which I hardly saw anyway (no CBS in the mountains ).

Anyway, it's all sort of a niche thing. My next door neighbor's wife had no idea what I had bought when she saw the 308 and I would say she is in her 50's.

Yesterday we had a close friend's near teenage boy overnight en route to the airport. He seemed completely taken when I showed him the 308. He had absolutely no idea what make or model it was except by reading the nomenclature. The pop up headlamps were a huge hit.

Seamus

 

One more note......I used to get a lot of Magnum comments in the mid 90's but you don't hear them much anymore.

Dave

 

two of the best TV shows ever:
Magnum and Miami Vice!
Bring them both back!

 

Here's the dope on the Magnum Ferrari..This is first-hand since my wife and I both worked on the series from time to time..Tom Belassario, the producer is a very strong-minded person ..He doesn't take anything from anyone..He bought the car outright at the very start,which ment that he could do as he pleased with the car..The car was a true LEMON from the get-go..every time they went to shoot, something was wrong with the darn thing..Belassario personally called ENZO and told him that the very next time that the car broke down that he was going to fearure the Ferrari as a running joke through-out the show..ENZO went berzerk!!..Two days later they had two Tiger Air jumbo jets on the tarmak at the Air Force base in Honolulu..each of them containing the two
ferrari factory Fomula 1 semi-tractor-trailers and entire racing crew..they immediately dis-assembled the entire car..then they re-assembled it, tuned it(Enzo did this all at his own expense because his legendary ego could not possibly suffer the prime-time humiliation)..the car never failed again..As an aside..how many of us would have ever even considered buying a running joke??..Just asking...Jacques

 

This is a cool question. I agree with several that for many the 308 was already known to them. I can remember reading about it in R&T at the end of the 70's and I already knew it was cool looking and it was a Ferrari. But all I had at that time was the magazines. What I will say about Magnum P.I. is that that was the first time I ever saw the car in action and heard the way it sounds. I remember seeing the promo for the TV show and they had an over head shot of the car going down a road. I thought wow, I have to watch this show. So for me Magnum P.I. let me see a 308 in action and hear what a Ferrari sounds like. Prior to that all I could do was imagine as I read every magazine I could about cars. Yes, as someone has said Magnum was cool and so was the 308 and as a teenager it made me want to be him driving a Ferrari around even though Magnum couldn't afford a Ferrari.

Today if you are curious about a car all we have to do is go to the web and search of it and half the time you can find some short clip of the car you are looking for and you get to see it and hear what it sounds like. As an example before I drove a F430 I had already heard what it sounded like from You Tube and a Top Gear test I watched. Even though I still read numerous magazines I don't have to wonder what a particular car sounds like I can search for it and watch a clip of it. So I think for a certain group of people what shows like Magnum did is give us a chance to see and hear a Ferrari in action and may be just may be want one even more than we did just reading about it.

Just My Two Cents

Thanks

 

Porsche refused to provide a 928 with an enlarged sunroof and would not allow the producers to modify one themselves. They shot themselves in the foot passing up that opportunity.

 

Regarding post #18, it's Don Bellasario, not Tom. Not so sure I'm buying this story--first I ever heard of it, sounds bogus to me!

Greg

 

Love it!

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=ZA_N0JW_IBc

 

Yeah, its got holes you could drive the whole scuderia's F1 team transporters through.
Tiger Air?
I thought Enzo's wet work team was call signed Horse-pucky 1.

 

I don't believe this story for 1 second.
? Dr. Strangelove???

 

Maybe, although a rich celebrity novelist probably wouldn't have bought a 928 anyway - Ferrari is much more suited to the creative temperament.

The big Porsche would have been a bad car casting call, and the 928 hasn't proved as timeless as the 308.