I like to use this space to ask probing questions about cars that cut to the very heart of why we’re enthusiasts. I want to know how automobiles became such an important part of our lives, and how being in the car community enriches us.
Not this time. I just want to know what kind of cars the Bradys would own if TV’s most famous bunch were appearing on our flat screens today, rebooted for a modern spin on family fun and hilarious hijinks. And maybe Alice is a robot? I’m still wokshopping it.
For any younger readers who have no idea what I’m talking about: As kids, the television clicked on after we got back from school, and inevitably one station would constantly show reruns of a sitcom that originally ran from 1969 to 1974 about a man named Brady and “a lovely lady” with three kids apiece who, after losing the partners they created their broods with, get married to instantly form a blended family of a half-dozen children. A tale as old as time, really, and if Mike and Carol murdered each other’s spouses in order to be together, well, the heart wants what the heart wants.
I was born an Autopian, so the appeal of the show to me was the fact that the family cars played major roles in many of storylines; certainly, they made a lot of appearances. The main family ride, usually driven by wife Carol Brady, was always a “mid-sized” Plymouth Satellite wagon, starting with a 1969 model.
It was later replaced by newer, more “fuselage” style versions such as this 1971 at the Grand Canyon.
Architect Mike Brady was always untethered by the demands of the children; the kids shared two smallish bedrooms and one bath while he had an enormous “den” all to himself:
Also, he seemed blissfully unaware of the need for a car suited to such a large family, though the pilot episode featured a large Dodge Monaco convertible:
However, as soon as the two broods combined to a party of eight (nine with live-in maid Alice), he inexplicably bought small Plymouth Barracuda convertibles:
For the final season, Mike got a seemingly-more-appropriate barge-like Chevy Caprice convertible:
This is a car that you could ostensibly seat four across in on the park-bench-like seats, but in reality there’s a lot less room in that thing than you’d think. It’s also terrible for driving around a gymkhana-style course and having to get as close to an egg on a cone as possible.
Fast forward fifty years (ouch!) and one has to contemplate what a modern interpretation of the Brady Bunch family might have in their rather fake-looking driveway. Mike seemed like a pretty successful guy, so one would hope that he could have afforded a sizeable vehicle for Carol, like a Yukon Denali or maybe one of those new Wagoneers that I don’t like.
If Mike was really as selfish in terms of cars as he seemed in the original show, I could see him going all-out with a Lexus LC500 convertible; it’s one of the few droptops you can get, especially with “four seats” (yeah, I’ve seen the back row of that thing, and I know.)
What do you think our Brady crew would be driving in a more modern-day reboot? What might Greg or Marcia drive in hilarious “getting their first car” episodes? What if The Brady Bunch had first aired in 1985, or 1995? Have some fun!
Top graphic image: Paramount Television screenshot
Well, in today’s world, they’d need seatbelts for all nine of the crew (Carol, Mike, Marcia, Greg, Jan, Peter, Cindy, Bobby, and Alice) if they’re riding together. My guess is that Carol would have a Sprinter or Transit. Unless it’s just Carol (or Alice) shuttling the kids to and fro, then they could make do with a Pacifica and just rent the big van for those trips to the Grand Canyon.
Mike was for sure a convertible guy but unfortunately, there just aren’t that many factory droptops available these days. A Mustang seems the most likely choice. Unless we’re going back to the days of “Automobiles furnished by The Chrysler Corporation”, then he doesn’t get a convertible, he gets a Charger, Challenger, or maybe even a big, stonking Ram truck.
I’m too young for this show…by a lot. So I can’t say anything for how the characters are written.
However, I know an Architect on the east coast, he owns a second-gen Chrysler 200S with the V6. So that with a slightly newer Pacifica for her. Because I can’t fathom even an Architect could afford anything new at modern prices.
Three grey SUVs that are hardly distinguishable from each other – and a red C8 Corvette that hotshot architect Mike dailies.
A full sized van and thanks to a combination of housing prices and AI gutting the demand for architects they’d all be living in that van down by the LA river.
I’m the youngest of six, so this was obligatory viewing for us, although it bore absolutely no resemblance to our life on a financial knife edge in northern NJ.
The obvious family truckster would be a Suburban, but I could see the very rational Mike choosing something like a full-size Transit van. My dad went with a ’66 VW bus followed by full-size Dodge and Plymouth (yes, they badge-engineered one) vans to get us through the most intensive family-hauling years.
For Mike’s personal car, I could see a Tesla.
Realistically they would drive a pair of clapped out minivans or 3 row SUVs since a single income and 6 kids means they live in poverty, unless we presume Mike pulls in mid-high 6 figures. Alice doesn’t exist or is someone they pay under the table, driving very carefully to the Brady home every day to avoid ICE.
For TV make believe they would drive a new Suburban and some kind of large-ish EV truck. Maybe a Rivian? The options are limited. The Hummer EV is too flashy for the show and there is no way the network would be stupid enough to put them in Elon’s wank panzer. The F-150 Lightning would have easily been the choice if Ford still made them. It feels like the second vehicle would definitely be a pickup given the current US market trends.
Originally it was Mopar product placement, so the GW would fit even though Carol would more likely have a Toyota hybrid, a Sienna or a Grand Highlander but the Sienna with the 8-passenger option is screaming how perfect it is, especially at SoCal gas prices.
The producers back in the day wanted Mike to have a convertible and that really restricts his options now even more than it did in the ’70s, hence the switch to the Barracuda when it was the only ragtop Chrysler made and then the Chevy when Chrysler (which still got an “Automobiles Supplied by” credit!) stopped making them entirely. Neither a Mustang nor a Mini fits.
I’d go with a Tesla Model 3, an early one with chrome accents so he could honestly say he bought it before Elon went crazy or at least when he was paying attention to his PR people.
Greg’s beater first car, a ’56 Chevy in the original, would be a turn-of-the-millennium Honda Civic but really if Mike’s that loaded he’d buy the kids a new or newish car, maybe an off-lease Bolt or Leaf (again, SoCal gas prices). Or maybe Mike’s not as loaded and he’s driving the Bolt or Leaf.
If it’s anything like my two architect landlords, a Subaru wagon and a Golf. I’ll substitute the Golf for a new VW bus. Since everyone is rich around me, they also have a third car, which I agree would be best suited as a Grand Wagoneer, as you suggest.
I was thinking of Albert Brooks in Lost in America and Jerry Seinfeld – in the 80s and 90s, Mike drives a SAAB.
Mike drives a base Mustang convertible. He’d like to drive an EV, but needs the range so he can visit his mistress in Carmel, where he keeps a vintage 911 Targa on the down low.
Carol rolls in a Pacifica hybrid. It doesn’t have the stow and go seats, but with six kids, the seats are never down anyway.
Gregg’s first car is a sun bleached Baja with a surfboard rack and a leaky head gasket.
Marcia’s first car is a 2nd gen Mini convertible with a timing chain about to expire because she never checks the oil.
Alice has a bus pass because she lost her license due to a fifth DUI conviction.
His and her Hummer EV SUVs.
The show was already kind of ridiculous with its socioeconomic placement (six kids, stay at home mom and a house keeper, all on one salary???) why not do a pair of $100,000 vehicles as well?
With a house built by an architect that had two kids bedrooms (fairly small). I think Alice’s room was the size of the kid’s rooms.
This is too complex to answer. Is Alice buying her own car? Is she paying any living expenses from her estimated $35k salary?
In this one to make the names generationally appropriate Alice is the youngest daughter. Cindy is Mike’s older sister who lives with them and helps out but has another full-time job.
Ultimately, it would depend on which automaker paid the most for product placement and which models they wanted to highlight
If Stellantis, maybe a silver Pacifica and a silver Grand Cherokee. If GM, maybe a silver Equinox and a silver Traverse
I would think it would be a Minivan for the moving everyone. For the commuter, I would like to think high end but it would probably be a Toyanda Beige.
This, THIS is why I pay for the Autopian. Do I like the other stuff? Obviously, but this sounds like one of the favorite pastimes in Jasonia; reimagining old stuff with current cars. Even vice versa. Jasonia’s wild, I tell you.
As for the cars, Carol has a Suburban. Alice has a RAV4 and Mike has an Audi convertible, don’t care which one. Biggest surprise is that Sam the Butcher drives an NSX.
Marcia and Greg, learner cars? KIA or Hyundai.
Unfortunately for Mike there are no more Audi convertibles. Maybe he held on to a last gen TT (fitting for an architect) or settled for a B9.5 A5 convertible for the idea of rear seats. It seemed like me made good money, but I can’t imagine him springing for an R8. Jay Pritchett (Modern Family) probably could’ve afforded one, but he bought an A8.
In the 2026 version, Mike drives a BMW 5 series to keep up appearances at the office, Carol drives a Lexus RX350 for her daily trips to Starbucks and pilates classes, and Alice spends her days booking Uber rides for the kids.