Mannix is one of those guilty pleasure shows for me. It’s one of those campy shows that some folks think are beneath them. I also openly admit to loving the Andy Griffith show and the Brady Bunch so maybe I’m not one to judge others when they don’t like a particular show. One thing that’s hard to argue with about the TV show Mannix, they sure had some cool and unusual cars, such as this George Barris creation: the Mannix Roadster, a 1967 Oldsmobile Toronado. This famous TV personality can be found here on eBay, not in Hollywood but in Bridgeport, Connecticut. The seller has a buy it now price of $135,000 listed!
There it is on the set, cool. For as many beatings as Joe Mannix took during the show’s nine-year run, this car looks great. Movie and TV producers are notoriously hard on vehicles which I guess they have to be in order to get the shot, everything else be damned. Actors, too.
I wonder why Oldsmobile never made a Toronado convertible? This profile photo may give a clue to that mystery, it isn’t exactly the most eye-catching and gorgeous creature out there, unlike some of Joe’s female cohorts. This Olds wasn’t the show’s first custom car, the pilot episode used a 1966 Mercury Comet Caliente convertible and then a variety of Fords and Mercurys. This ’67 Olds Toronado didn’t come along until a few episodes into season one.
This may be a better photo that shows why Olds never made a Toronado roadster. George Barris lopped the top off of a new Toronado and put a tonneau cover over the entire back seat, giving it an ultra-custom look. This car was used for most of season one and was then sold when they put Joe into that sweet Dart GTS. They had more than likely struck a deal with Chrysler until season 8 when GM cars were used. This particular car was purchased by a gentleman in New York state who used it as a display piece in his theme park until closing the doors and then in the late-80s it was sold to yet another collector who had several TV show cars on display at his museum in Tennessee.
A fun fact related to Mannix and the Brady Bunch: Bob Reed who played Mike Brady was also a semi-regular on Mannix for years playing Lt. Adam Tobias. Yes, even in the Brady perm years, even though he didn’t have a perm in Mannix when he did at the same time on the Brady Bunch. I always wondered how his hair didn’t fall out with all of those perms. He was one of the best actors of all time in my opinion, perm or not. The interior on this car looks as close to being perfect as you would expect from a museum car. This Toronado still has the famous phone in-between the seats which isn’t that much smaller than my first cell phone in February of 1987. And, those holes in the seats? Barris created heated seats and those are the vents.
This is Oldsmobile’s 425 cubic-inch V8 which is most likely in stock configuration as it had a healthy 385 hp from the factory. There is no word on how or if it runs or how or if anything else works on this car, but I’m assuming that everything works as well as Joe Mannix does in tracking down a perp in 51 minutes or less every week. What’s your favorite Mannix car? Or better yet, your favorite TV show car?
Very nice article! Your enthusiasm for the show and the cars used for the show leaps off the page, Scotty G.!
Having never watched a Mannix episode, you make me want to, if just to see this Toro in action. And Robert Reed in a non Brady Patriarch role.
I’m not at all embarrassed to be a Mannix fan. Just tonight my wife and I watched two episodes from season one – the Intertect season, which I happen to think is the most interesting season. (No offense, Peggy. :)) It was withheld from syndication, so when the DVD came out, it was the first time those episodes had been seen in 40 years.
If you’ve never seen the show, start from the beginning. “The Name Is Mannix” is one of the best TV pilots ever made.
The show is worth watching just for the cars, like this season one ride, and the various Dodges and Plymouths in seasons two through seven. Joe loved him some Mopar muscle. Here is more info about that.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mannix#Mannix's_automobiles
I like all of Barris creations. Some may look odd, but 99% of the time, he created what the customer asked for. As far as Bob Reed, there’s a Hollywood subject for ya’. He also starred in “The Defenders”.
I’ll never forget his guest role as a transsexual on Medical Center.
And yes, in one hour he transitioned; easy peasy!
Nice write-up, Scotty. For a while any show worth its salt featured a cool Barris custom. This one is not pretty from some angles, but the Euro headlight nose is pure art. Maybe I’ll buy it for *my* theme park. Now I just just have to come up with a theme. Thanks for honoring this awesome piece of history. I hope it goes to someone who will show and share it properly.
Saw this car at Hershey year before last
https://www.instagram.com/p/BZ4dmgenKel/
Hahahaaaaaa. $135,000? Not even $13,500 would be a deal on this joke. People are so incredibly stupid with money and because some fool got taken to the cleaners in purchasing this Fugly pile of garbage, they want to try to get about 20 times what this is worth. If I was going to buy a 67 Toronado, I would find a factory built one over this car. Better yet, get a Buick Riviera. Built on the same platform (along with the Cadillac Eldorado), either of the other two are nicer cars than the Olds, and the Riv is a total ‘Leaner’. Ask someone born before 1962 what a leaner was. I doubt anybody younger than that would know. Probably a lot of you from my era (1960) won’t even know! Maybe it was just a South Sider (Chicago) thing.
How about realizing that different folks have different tastes/interests? You’re not THE car source; just because you hate it doesn’t mean that everyone who likes it is wrong. “Fugly” doesn’t necessarily describe the car, but it certainly describes your bad attitude.
Johnny Josephh The Riviera wasn’t built on the same platform of the Eldorado until 1979.
As a former owner of a 67 Toronado, and a non purist, the only comments I wish to make are, that I agree with the author that it is a good thing GM didn’t make a convertible. Secondly, I am not crazy about the colour. I liked them best in silver with the black vinyl roof. I like customs, and do think that some of the other changes were innovative.
Bob
Lots and lots of car from 60s TV, Red Tiger from Get Smart, White P1800 from The Saint, The Monkee Mobile, The Munster Mobile, Bat Mobile, Black Beauty from Green Hornet…
R.I.P. Peter Tork.
Any of the Corvettes from Route 66.
One would only know this if one is Armenian. Mike Conner’s aka Mannix real name? Krekor Ohanian. Yep, an Armenian. So I’ve got that going for me.
He was also billed as Touch Conners prior to Mannix.
I thought he was billed as Toucn McCann
Remember the Barris, Twister “T”?
Used to drive it around town in the early 90’s.
No top, no heater, no wipers.
Had a 54 Dodge Hemi, 241 C I.
Don’t think it was on any TV show.
The trophy that car got was twice as tall as the car.
Love watchin old movies when I can, just for the cars and background cars.
Imagine what American car design could have been if we were able to use European style lights in the 60’s and 70’s. Not crazy about the back,but overall pretty cool.
I love Mannix! It’s on every night at 2am Eastern, 1am Central on the MeTV Network (In most markets). This Toronado was and is outstanding! Great post!
About 20 or so years ago being a Mopar guy I went too look at a old dodge dart convertible in the desert north of Palm springs. When I arrived it was needing most everything And did not really appeal too me especially as the guy was asking $4000 for it And it was green….yuck. the one thing I could not figure out was what badge was missing from the lower part of the drivers fender. Well you know where I’m going with this don’t you. I passed it up. Well I later found out the badge that was missing was the George barris badge that are on all his creations and yes it was the one from the Mannix tv show. Not one of my best moments.
DIdn’t Chrysler put a tiny pentastar in that area on the fender?
Yes on the passenger side. But this was the drivers side with four holes not just one.
Its nice but 135k nice???? Most really nice ’66 Toro’s you can get for 25k or less.
Here is mine and I feel its got more character than a ’67 Eldo or ’66 Riviera.
“Here is mine”…..um….where? OH, I see it, parked next to Wonder Woman’s Invisible Plane piloted by the Invisible Man no doubt !!!! Sorry, just kidding, I could not resist. Apparently posting your photo did not happen.
There are a lot of people out there that have a lot of money, like cars that not everyone has and they WILL PAY big bucks for the history of the car, bragging rights and to be able to say “I own it and it is the only one”. God bless them. It’s their money and their preference. I don’t love this car but I like the fact that it is different.
How about we all respect the fact the if there are what, 40 plus flavors of ice cream, that the kind you like doesn’t taste terrible to everyone, in fact it is someones favorite.
Stop the hate and negativity. Being kind, positive an uplifting starts with the person in the mirror.
waste of a nice car
To get a taste of the times go to YouTube and listen or download the MANIX theme music. Not bad if you listen to the whole thing. This was a high budget show given the music talent used and the creative cars. I like the front end better than what the later generations of Tornados had. I wish GM did not have so much of a not invented here mentality.
I also saw this car at Hershey in 2017 (and I’m a different Jeff from the one above). I have all seasons of Mannix on DVD, and grew up watching it on TV on Saturday night. Also saw the Dart GTS convertible from Mannix at Carlisle some years back. My favorite Mannix car, that Dart!
The Mannix ’68 Dart GTS lives. I know, because…I own it. Never to be sold.
Mannix was my favorite TV show as a kid, and Joe was the man.
Getting to interview him and reunite him with the Dart in 2010, was a high point of my magazine career. He was a super nice guy, and every bit as cool as the TV hero in real life. He even gave me one of his screen-worn plaid sport coats. Does it get any better?
Watch my interview here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DBOAJSF1ypA
Great to see Mike with the car, and a great comment too, no, can’t get better than that!
Dang…..was one of my fave cars he drove…..thanks for keeping it !
wow how cool is that. nice
Interesting, a very nice modification job, and Josephh can leave his attitude somewhere else. I think six figures is strong for the car, but I’d have to do some research and make some calls to get to a price vaguely near reality.
Why is it undercover TV detectives always seem to drive over-cover cars? This, Starsky’s “red tomato”, Nash Bridges’ yellow Hemi Cuda, Magnum’s 308, Dan Tanna’s ’55 T-Bird. Am I forgetting anything? Somehow they never get noticed on a stake out.
Hi Brick, you are correct, the cars Charlies Angels drove always made me laugh when tailing people.
As a comment on Brick’s remark, about 15 years ago I owned a small used car lot (Stevie G’s Used Cars…I am not joking, I even still have a pen as an advertising piece yet). I advertised in Auto Trader magazine back when they were still a magazine. Unbeknownst to me, they also had a website & when I, as a car dealer, ran a full page ad, they would advertise my cars in that ad on a website.
One day, I get a call from an area code I didn’t recognize. Turns out the guy was in Philadelphia. He was interested in a hearse I had taken on consignment from my at the time future boss.
He flew into town. I picked him up from the airport & took him back to the lot. On the way, I asked him what he wanted with the hearse. He explained that he was a bounty hunter & he wanted a car that he could use for staking people out. I, of course, thought he picked the wrong vehicle lol. A bright white 1985 Cadillac hearse with the 4.1 engine is the last car I want to “blend in”, or to either get away from a bad situation or to catch someone trying to get away from me. I expressed my concerns with his plan but he wanted it, was “dead” set to buy it (I couldn’t help myself there).
Anyhow, that’s my story.
A hearse would be fitting if his prey was wanted “DEAD OR ALIVE” , sorry, couldn’t resist.
Johnny Josephh needs to check his facts. The Riviera was NOT a front wheel drive until 1979. So, it did not share the same platform.
I also enjoyed The Mannix show, and I really liked the Dodge Dart GTS .
I REALLY enjoyed the youtube video with Joe Mannix reunited with his Dart. Awesome ! What’s funny, I remembered the car as being Black.
I also thought it was black, but that’s because we didn’t have a color TV until 1973. :)
In a GM oddity, the Riv did indeed share a platform with the 66-70 Toro and Eldo. There was a piece in Collectible Automobile a few years back that explained how and why 2 of them were FWD while the third was RWD. The details escape me now. But that was the 60s when GM had ALL the money and could do what ever the hell they wanted.
The Riviera was supposedly built on the same platform prior to 1979. I am not entirely sure how that works, since I thought the 1977 & 1978 were LeSabre based, but apparently in the 1960’s & 1970’s, prior to 1977, they were based on the same platform as the Eldo & the Toro. Never made sense to me because of 2 of the 3 being front wheel drive, but Josephh’s statement was not unfamiliar to me. Maybe someone else who is familiar with this subject can educate us. As a life long Riviera fan (Mom had a boattail when I was young & I LOVED that car), I am always open to more education on the subject. Not an expert here, just a fan! Oh, and Josephh, I was born in 1970 & I know exactly what a “leaner” is/was.
I think it gets confusing because the Riviera was supposed to be front wheel drive like the other two but GM went the other way on that one.
You can’t say it was the same platform when everything underneath the car, including the floor, is different.
That is what I thought too. I remember reading an article in some magazine or another where they were saying that they were the same platform even though the drive wheels were on opposite ends. What you say, Miguel, is my train of thought where it can’t be the same platform when EVERYTHING underneath is different. Is it all different, even the frame? I would think so but I never seen any of them stripped down that far. Whatever, they are all cool cars. I just prefer the Riviera, with the Eldo being a close second.
Mannix theme song was one of the best ‘60s TV themes. Very sophisticated jazz by one of the consummate musician/band leaders of the day, Lalo Schifrin. A full soundtrack album of the music from Mannix is available on iTunes, including the “short” opening theme and a much longer (4:20) “full” version. Excellent stuff!
Mannix (Soundtrack) by Lalo Schifrin
https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/mannix-soundtrack/210877783
I remember seeing “Joe’s” Toro at a Upholstery ( “Johns ——- ——–“) shop in Battle Creek, Mi about 30 years ago. I want to say it sold once at “Mecums” auction in Auburn Indiana, about that time as well??
Robert Reed used to come into the store that I worked at. Not a pleasant person to deal with. But by then he wa suffering with HIV. So, maybe that had something to do with it. Died not long after I first met him.
It is a George Barris creation.