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2026 Honda Ridgeline ReviewThe Cars from Home Improvement
It was one of the biggest sitcoms of the 1990s and it was also a great showcase for some classic automobiles. These are the cars from Home Improvement.
The Many, Many Cars of Home Improvement
Before HGTV, there was Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor, a TV character who was all about home building and, well, anything related to tools. Home Improvement took a little bit of Bob Vila and put it into a sitcom setting. Not only did Home Improvement focus on home appliances and construction, but it also focused on vehicles. It focused on some very fun, expensive, classic vehicles.
Some of the cars were used as polished props on the set, but others were legitimately used in on-location scenes. A Bobcat, a BMY M88 armored vehicle, and a 1970 Autocar S64U were all seen in action, sometimes in the studio but mostly filmed on location. Tim Allen, or whoever it was who helped secure all these cars for the show, definitely liked cars from the ‘60s and definitely leaned toward Ford, but there’s quite a variety when you look at all the cars from all eight seasons of the show. By my count, there were more than 60 automobiles used at one point or another. The cars below are some of the best of the bunch.
1934 Ford Roadster & 1933 Ford Roadster
One of the most memorable automotive-themed episodes centered around a race. Season three, episode 25 featured a drag race that put real-life fixer and TV host Bob Vila up against the fictional Tim Taylor. Vila’s ride of choice was a famous yellow Boyd Coddington design, the Aluma Coupe. Coddington, known for his chopped and channeled hot rods, engineered this one with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder Mitsubishi Eclipse engine.
Meanwhile, Tim Taylor was behind the wheel of a blue Magoo’s-built 1933 Ford roadster. The custom car was part of Tim Allen’s collection. It was shown a few times throughout the first few seasons. In fact, the end of the episode showcased a little highlight reel of the progress of the build over the first few seasons. While Vila ended up winning the race by nose, the main point of the story was appreciating the dedication, time, and heart it takes to work on a project car.
1955 Chevrolet Bel Air Nomad
It would seem that this would be one of Tim’s cars, but it wasn’t. No, Jill Taylor drove this on Home Improvement. Whether it was to work, to the grocery store, or everywhere else. The ‘55 Chevy Bel Air Nomad was Jill’s daily driver on the show. Well, it was until Tim accidentally dropped a three-ton beam on her car while he was operating a crane. The show received hate mail from car lovers, but they didn’t actually crush a real ‘55 Nomad. Producers used a hollow mock-up frame of the Nomad for the scene instead.
In real life, the Nomad was part of Tim Allen’s collection until October 2001, when he donated it to Jay Leno as part of eBay’s “Auction for America” in the wake of September 11. The classic has changed hands a couple of times, but it hasn’t been modified, so it’s generally in the same condition as it was on the show. The current owner takes it out and puts it on display sometimes, so keep an eye out for it if you’re heading to any car shows anytime soon.
1966 Shelby GT 350 H
Tim Taylor wasn’t only buying and restoring cool cars for himself and his wife, but he also gave his oldest son, Brad, a 1966 Shelby GT. Although it was only in a couple of scenes, restoring the Shelby was one of the driving points of the episode. With the hood up, you can see that 4.7-liter 306 horsepower engine.
Jenny McCarthy guest starred in this season eight episode as the mechanic who worked on the Shelby. Home Improvement ended after the eighth season, so the Shelby wasn’t seen again, but it made an impression! If you want to read a little more reading material on some great Shelby models, click over to our ranking of the Top 10 Mustangs of All Time.
1969 Chevy Camaro SS
During an episode where Tim teaches a community college class on auto repairs, this 1969 Chevy Camaro SS was front and center as the vehicle that was being worked on. There were 34,932 Chevy Camaro SS models built for the ‘69 model year. That was the model that helped increase the sportiness of the Camaro with a redesigned grille, inset headlights, and new sheet metal in most areas of the car.
As you can see with this ‘69 Camaro SS, that makeover worked. The 1969 Camaro SS had a great look to match the 325-horsepower V8 engine under the hood. You can read more about the evolution of the Camaro by clicking on our in-depth look at the Chevrolet Camaro Generations: Through the Years. Oh, and if you want another glimpse of this Camaro, check out season six, episode 6. It’s on the car lot when Jill is looking for a new car.
1967 Austin-Healey 3000
After the Nomad was ruined two seasons prior, it was time for Jill to get a new classic, so she spent some inheritance money on a 1967 Austin-Healey 3000 in a season-six episode. The 3000 was the most well-known of the “big Healeys.” You can learn more about the other big Healeys in our look back on the Austin-Healey Motor Company.
This ‘67 Healey 3000 was really the star of this episode, getting more screen time than some of the costars of the family. The ‘67 model was equipped with 2.9-liter twin-carburetor six-cylinder engine good for 152 horsepower. It used a four-speed manual transmission. With stricter safety regulations and evolving emissions standards, the ’67 was the last model year for the 3000. A 4000 Mark IV was one of a handful of prototypes that were built as a possible evolution to the 3000, but it didn’t end up getting put into production.
1966 Ferrari 330 GTC
The 1966 Ferrari 330 GTC played a pretty big part in one season eight episode of Home Improvement. If this were an episode of Friends, it would be titled: ‘The One Where Al’s Rich Girlfriend Gives Him a Ferrari.’ That’s right, that’s where the Ferrari comes in. You’ve got to hand it to whoever secured that car for the episode. They’ve got good taste!
Unveiled at the 1966 Geneva Motor Show, the ‘66 Ferrari 330 GTC coupe was slotted in between the 275 GTB Berlinetta and the 320 2+2 Coupe. Designed by Pininfarina in Turin, Italy, the 1966 330 GTC had a 4-liter V12 engine and a maximum speed of 150 miles per hour. 600 of the 330 GTC models were built before production ended in 1968. Silver, spotless, and very cool, the Ferrari is driven into a parking lot by Al. The car wasn’t shown in the episode again at any point, but it was a plot point going forward. In the end, Al gives the car back to his girlfriend because it was too extravagant a gift. I’m not sure that was the wisest decision, but that’s how the episode ended.
1953 Studebaker Commander Starliner Hardtop
This classic car was only shown in two scenes, once near the beginning of the episode and once at the end. It was a minor plot point (given to Wilson for his birthday), but boy did it look nice in that powder blue color! In the show, it was Wilson’s father’s car. That timing is believable. Wilson was around 45 years old on Home Improvement, so his father could’ve owned a ‘53 Commander.
He would have paid around $2,000 for a ‘53 Commander Starliner when it was first introduced. The 1953 Commander was a rear-wheel drive with a 3.8-liter V8 that made 120 horsepower and 190 lb-ft of torque. In the horsepower races of 1953, Cadillac was putting out cars with 210 horsepower, Lincoln had an engine that achieved 205 horsepower, and the Buick Roadmaster was getting 188 horsepower. Chrysler and Packard had models making 180 horsepower, too. Obviously, the ‘53 Commander Starliner wasn’t in that category, but it certainly had looks.
1966 Corvair Corsa
This season eight episode starts off in a junk yard. Tim finds a beat-up, old 1966 Corvair Corsa that looked just like his Corsa. It turns out that it was his Corsa. The college parking sticker was even still on the windshield. Long story short, that car is smashed up by the car crusher, but the episode ends with a different 1966 Corvair Corsa. This one is polished and in working condition. It wasn’t actually driven by anyone on the show. It was stationary in the garage for the one scene it was in, but it certainly looked nice.
Jill bought it for Tim, trading in the Healey mentioned above. Tim responds with an accurate, “You got freakin’ ripped off.” However, we all know that some cars have sentimental value, even if the book value doesn’t match up. Jeff Dunham’s car collection is an example of that. He owns a Yugo GVS, an AMC Gremlin, and several Bradley GTs.
1932 Ford Model B Hot Rod
Both Tim Taylor and Tim Allen like their hot rods, in case you haven’t been able to tell yet. In this episode, Tim is given the “Car Guy of the Year” award from a local hot rod club. The 1932 Ford Model B four-cylinder engine, but it’s hard to say what was in this one. You can see it’s customized with those chrome exhaust pipes on the side. The chrome on top looks great, too. You’d think this one would be in Tim Allen’s real-life car collection, but it wasn’t in his garage when he did a walk-through with the Petersen Museum for a YouTube video in 2022. It’s a shame this hot rod didn’t get more screen time.
A Lamborghini, a Jaguar, a Bugatti, and More
Tim Allen has appeared on Jay Leno’s shows countless times over the past three decades, so it’s probably no surprise that Leno made a guest appearance on Home Improvement, too. Jay plays a millionaire’s mechanic in an episode from season four. The garage used in the scene houses a dozen or more cars like a 1931 Bentley 8 Litre, a 1946 Ford Super De Luxe, a 1949 Jaguar XK 120, and a 1969 Lamborghini Miura P400 S.
In actuality, that garage was Jay’s real garage filled with cars Jay actually owned. You’ve got to have a sharp eye to spot them all, but a 1926 Bugatti Type 37, 1993 Dodge Viper RT/10, 1914 Franklin Model Six-30, and a 1969 Lamborghini Espada are all also featured. This episode alone should prove that the Jay Leno car collection is epic.
There was a tiny yellow car he drove to the set of Tool Time (episode about motors) and featured a tiny (grain of rice) car that Tim obviously broke. But I want to know what the car was he drove there. It was the first episode of season 6
What about the 46 Tim buys after selling the 33 hotrod to the pizza guy without telling the family. That car was featured in many episodes. Mark even made a video about the car for special episode for Tool Time.
Yes that was a great one! So many awesome cars in that show, too many to mention in one article.
Brad’s Mustang was an 88′ GT. The Shelby was just in the garage where Tim was considering having work done on Brad’s GT.