Sniff.
He was a very early crush, for me. His non-traditional attitude on "Maverick," and in "Rockford Files" was refreshing and fun.
I was once at a small event where he was. Of course, I couldn't say a word; I just looked.
Familiar to viewers was Jim Rockford's gold Pontiac Firebird Esprit automobile, which Rockford always ran through its paces. One oft-recurring element of the show was the famous "Jim Rockford turn-around" (also known as a J-turn or "Rockford", commonly employed as an evasive driving technique taught to Secret Service agents driving for the President of the United States).[8][9] When evading a tail or when otherwise cornered, Rockford would shift into reverse, speed up backwards in a straight line, sharply turn his wheels causing the front end to swing around; Jim always matched his steering to his speed allowing him to spin his car around 180 degrees and then quickly shift into forward gear, speeding off to escape while maintaining a straight course. James Garner claimed in a Season One DVD interview that he performed this stunt for the duration of the series. The car's license number, 853 OKG, was a reference to Garner's Oklahoma roots and his signing in August 1953 as a contract player (although the license in some early episodes displayed the number 835 OKG). The number was last assigned to a look-alike Firebird driven in and around the city of Riverside, California.[citation needed] As of April 5, 2013 the California DMV shows no record on file for license plate 853 OKG.[citation needed]
Starting with the 1974 model year, Rockford would get a new model-year Firebird Esprit each year throughout the series, though they have identical "copper mist" color with a corresponding upgraded interior (and, occasionally, sharp-eyed car connoisseurs would spot the different model year cars used in various chase scenes that differed from those in an actual episode, especially in later seasons). Although the series ran until early 1980, no Firebird was used past the 1978 model year as Garner reportedly was displeased with the restyled front end of the 1979 and later Firebird models and as such did not wish them featured on the show (although an answering machine message in one episode in the final season indicated his car was 1979 Firebird).
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