Hardcastle and McCormick - The Manta Montage

[e21meister]

♫ DRIVE... push it to the floor while the engine screams... DRIVE... driving like the demon that drives your dreams. DRI-♫

er, ahem... Way back in the 80′s I loved the Hardcastle & McCormick show. Not because the show was anything special, but because the real star of the show was a Manta Montage that had been tricked out and renamed the Cody Coyote.



I still have a copy of the Hardcastle and McCormick pilot on VHS. The quality is poor and I have to fast forward through the commercials, but I don’t mind. It’s a UHF time capsule that I unearth once in a while - along with Miami Vice. Like Vice, the focal point of this TV series is a guilty pleasure I keep coming back to. Yes, it’s a kit car, and the revving engine was a sound effect.



The Cody Coyote was actually a modified Manta Montage, a kit car replica of the McLaren M6GT, but based on the humble VW Beetle. Bruce McLaren had big plans for original M6GT, plans that came to a halt with his untimely death in 1970. But thanks to Manta, this classic shape did not go quietly into the night. Contrary to popular belief, the Montage is a pretty faithful representation of McLaren’s original design. It shares many cues with Porsche racing cars like the 917 and 908. But the Montage seems much leaner, especially in a profile shot. The Coyote takes this a step further, removing the rear glass and emphasizing an open-air feel. This replica was professionally built and powered by a 3.3 litre GM V6. At only 1900lbs in weight, it likely flew.




Of course, everyone always points out the kit car taillights. Admittedly, these lamps clash with the overall feel of the car. But it’s the only serious deviation from the original theme - one that I can forgive. Many dislike the pin-striping and side decals, but don’t all TV cars need a little icing on the cake? (Think of the A-Team van or Face’s Corvette) The smoked headlamp lenses make a stronger impression than the clear McLaren lenses. The Centerline Champ 500 rims are an excellent choice, meshing well with the car’s signature sound. We never see much of the Coyote’s cockpit, and this is probably for the best. Cars of this type are not known for their, uh… interior accoutrements, shall we say.

The Cody Coyote...




...and the Dopey Coyote. Oh the humanity.



Like most TV cars, this one has an unhappy ending. After season 1 of the show, the original Coyote was replaced with a DeLorean-based car (one 80's icon masquerding as another). Brian Keith, who played Hardcastle, had difficulty climbing in and out of the first car, and the new gull-winged configuration solved this problem. But the boxy Coyote was so ill-proportioned and thrown together; even a 12-year old like myself could tell something looked seriously wrong. After three series, the show was canceled, and the Cody Coyote was parked for good.





Several versions of the TV car, boxy and original, still survive. Some die-hards have even built their own replicas from Manta kits. As for the series, it’s available on DVD - albeit at outrageous prices.
Personally, I think I’ll make do with my grainy old VHS tape - at least as long as it holds together…



Series 1 intro; note prancing horse logo and - ahem - gated shift...



Series 3 Intro; not so much Cody Coyote as Boxy & Bloaty:



No Dodge Diplomats were harmed in the making of this car chase. Oh wait...

[akku]

When I was a lad, much was made of the fact his nickname was "skid". Thus he was "Skid Mark" and was even referred to as such in the show. I trust that "Skid Mark" still means poo stain in your pants? At least on this side of the Atlantic.

I also loved that show.

Along with many other dodgy double acts of the time - BJ & The Bear, Freebie & The Bean, Dempsy & Makepiece...

[BiAS]

Nice looking thing in its original form, thanks for posting that.

AK - Dempsy and Makepeace! I was thinking about that as I was reading that, XR3i Cab FTW
Although I watched a couple of episodes last year and the show itself was a bit curse word.

[akku]

"a bit" curse word? More wooden than Noddy's toy box as I recall...

[🇿🇼Kingludba🇬🇧]

Hey, don't forget the judges car, dunno what it was........big, black and loud. Anyone know? Looked mean.

[robinmasters]

Aug 3, 2011 20:29:27 GMT BiAS said:

Nice looking thing in its original form, thanks for posting that.

AK - Dempsy and Makepeace! I was thinking about that as I was reading that, XR3i Cab FTW
Although I watched a couple of episodes last year and the show itself was a bit curse word.

A bit curse word?? Eighties cars hooning around docklands pre-Canary Wharf? What more do you want?!

[matto]

Oooh that brings back some memories, it was shown at a time that was decently beyond my bedtime but was one of the few things I could stay up and watch, the equaliser being another although I'm not sure I always understood what was happening on that.

Also I love the excellent build quality on the Coyote and how the door mirror clearly doesn't fall off on that landing in the last clip

[EmDee]

I had completely forgotten about this, thank you so much!

Now where can I get one...

[fatbaldbloke]

Aug 4, 2011 8:35:39 GMT EmDee said:

Now where can I get one...

Must still be some UVA Montages floating about.

Edit - www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/2947955.htm

[bobbygg]

been trying to remember what this show was called for years

can anyone remember what they used to do with their watches, time them to ten seconds or something to see who would pay for breakfast - at least something along those lines!

Rob.

[EmDee]

Aug 4, 2011 10:38:23 GMT fatbaldbloke said:

Must still be some UVA Montages floating about.

Edit - www.pistonheads.com/classifieds/2947955.htm

That is lovely - although it needs those huge tinted headlight covers and t-tops.

The main issue here is whether the seller would consider £3.74 and half a packet of digestives a "serious offer"

[akku]

Aug 4, 2011 0:04:26 GMT robinmasters said:

What more do you want?!

plot, pacing, story lines which make sense, character development, acting ability...

[e21meister]

Aug 5, 2011 9:51:45 GMT akku said:

Aug 4, 2011 0:04:26 GMT robinmasters said:

What more do you want?!

plot, pacing, story lines which make sense, character development, acting ability...

Well H&M was a Steven J. Cannell production, responsible for some fine TV programming such as The A-team and Hunter...


And a fairly poor novel called King Con, but we'll gloss over his literary efforts for now.

[akku]

I was still on the moan about Dempsey & Makepiece.

I only watched that because I had the hots for Glynis Barber.

I don't recall Hardcastle & McCormick well enough to remember if it was any good to other than a 12 year old boy's standards

[e21meister]

Aug 5, 2011 10:06:13 GMT akku said:

I was still on the moan about Dempsey & Makepiece.

I only watched that because I had the hots for Glynis Barber.

I don't recall Hardcastle & McCormick well enough to remember if it was any good to other than a 12 year old boy's standards

Boardwalk Empire it wasn't. ;D

[akku]

High water mark in standards of drama when I were a lad was The Rockford Files



Jim's 'Bird to keep it on topic

[e21meister]

Thanks to flat4alfa on autoshite, this is where the rear lights came from, been bugging me for ages

Chevrolet Monza, 1978-on facelift



Turned upside-down

[DWDarkWheels]

Cool. I remember that from first time around. I seem to remember reading something at the time about them having something like 4 or 6 cars for the show - some for ordinary driving shots and close-ups that were cosmetically good, and some for long-shot stunts that were understandably a bit rougher around the edges.

On the subject of 80's naff shows (well it didn't seem it at the time) who remembers Streethawk ? Sorry : bike content.

[steveo3002]

hah id forgot about street hawk...

[e21meister]

Been on a massive scanning spree this weekend (check your inbox, Mr Pollitt...), so finally got round to comitting this to digital; the original UVA Montage kit in the UK. Wheels are Appliance mags in case you're wondering: