When Apple TV+ handed Seth Rogen the keys to its new Hollywood satire The Studio, the pot-loving pottery king didn’t just park himself behind a mahogany desk—he brought two gloriously question-able convertibles along for the ride. They’re loud, leaky, and, according to co-star Ike Barinholtz, borderline homicidal at 40 mph through the canyon roads—but they steal every frame the way a boom-mic steals dialogue.
1. The Brown MGB Roadster—Episode 1’s Budget-Friendly Flex
The Promotion opens with Matt Remick (Rogen) wheezing up the lot in what Reddit sleuths ID’d as a 1969 MGB Roadster—yes, the same tiny Brit famously out-drag-raced by a rental Corolla. Stock numbers? A 1.8-liter B-series four punching out a heroic 95 hp and 110 lb-ft.Automobile Catalog
Why it works: Matt’s still the new guy, desperate to look “quirky auteur” on a bean-counter’s salary. Nothing says “I read Cahiers du Cinéma, honest!” like wire wheels, questionable oil pressure, and a tan that’s probably rust.
2. The Black-On-Silver Studebaker Lark Convertible—Episode 2’s Diva
By The Oner the prop budget clearly got a protein shake. Out goes the MGB, in roars a ’63 Studebaker Lark Daytona convertible—V8 badges and whitewalls gleaming. Depending on trim, you were looking at 180–195 hp from Studebaker’s 259 ci small-block…with the structural rigidity of a wet baguette.
Rogen careens through the Hollywood Hills in one long take while Barinholtz clings to the dash like a cat in a bathtub. “They have no safety features,” he told Den of Geek, “just hold on to the clutch.”
HOOPTY Scorecard: 10/10 for cinematic swagger, minus 11 for a steering wheel the size of a pizza pan.
3. Why Vintage Drop-Tops Beat Greenscreen Gimmicks
Director Frida Perez could’ve faked traffic with an LED wall, but letting Rogen actually downshift a 60-year-old gearbox gives The Studio that grimy authenticity. It’s the difference between a stunt double and Tom Cruise duct-taping himself to a 747: audiences feel the rattles. Even The Guardian gushed about Matt “careening through the Hollywood Hills in his convertible” during magic hour.
4. Easter-Egg Watch: Could Black Beauty Return?
Rogen once daily-drove the weapon-stuffed ‘Black Beauty’ in The Green Hornet. We haven’t seen it yet, but an unused sound-stage at Continental Studios sure looks long enough for a Gatling-gun limo cameo. Keep an eye on Episodes 9–10—Hoopty’s betting a can of Canadian weed it shows.
5. Specs Quick-Hit (So You Can Correct People on X)
| Car | Engine | Horsepower | Not-So-Fun Fact |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 MGB Mk II Roadster | 1.8-L inline-4 | 92-95 hp | Factory top-speed: 105 mph—Matt Remick hits maybe 45 before the take ends. |
| 1963 Studebaker Lark | 259-ci (4.2 L) V8 | 180-195 hp | No seatbelts filmed; Barinholtz is actually screaming. |
6. The HOOPTY Verdict
Neither ragtop is remotely practical for a modern commute, but that’s the point. The Studio isn’t chasing Tesla-level polish; it’s embracing “producer money, assistant-director taste.” If your own driveway needs more personality than horsepower, snag an MGB. If you want to cosplay a 1960s mogul and accept the mechanical consequences, hunt down a Lark (and budget for brake fluid).
Plot beat we’d bet a six-pack on:
Episode cold-open: Matt tries to prove the lot’s ancient flood set still “has range.” He floors the Amphicar off a pier, phones the CFO, and yells, “See? Synergy!” as the propellers churn mud. Smash-cut to title card.
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