Severence Used A Lot of Restored Vintage Cars

Apple TV+’s Severance is more than just a psychological thriller; it’s also full of cool cars for car people. One important but often overlooked feature is the use of vintage vehicles throughout the show. The cars, trucks, and motorcycles are not just random choices; they help build the world of the show and deepen the characters.

The production team specifically chose cars from the 1980s and early 1990s instead of modern vehicles. This choice fits with the show’s unique setting, which combines futuristic technology with a retro, mid-century design feel. The boxy shapes of these cars reflect the stark architecture of Lumon Industries and add to the overall unsettling mood of the show.

They decided to choose, more or less, the most difficult vehicles to source and to keep running… The vehicles I found almost all needed some sort of work, either mechanical, bodywork, or both. — Peter Dancy

Finding the right vehicles wasn’t easy. The team had to hunt for specific makes and models that matched the show’s style and story, which often meant locating rare cars that required a lot of work to restore them to good condition. They even paid attention to details for cars that only appeared briefly, showing how committed they were to producing a high-quality visual experience.

Some cars were chosen to represent their owners’ personalities. For instance, Helena Eagan drives a classic 1968 Lincoln Continental, which symbolizes her wealth and family background. Other characters have vehicles, like Mark Scout’s simple Volvo, that give hints about their personalities and lives outside Lumon.

The thought was, ‘Let’s find some cars or an era of cars that could be timeless, but have some harder edges to them,’ and that’s when we landed on the Eighties, maybe early Nineties window for most of the cars. Every car you see in every driveway, even in the deep distance, was placed by us. Nothing was left to chance and nothing was just what a background person would bring. We carried those cars the whole job, because we wanted to always have the ability to curate any frame that we were looking at with our own aesthetic. — Catherine Miller

The challenges didn’t stop at finding the vehicles. Keeping them in good shape during filming, especially in the cold weather of Newfoundland, Canada, demanded a lot of effort from a dedicated team of mechanics. Last-minute adjustments were common to ensure every detail matched the show’s vision. This level of commitment highlights how important the visual aspects are to the show.

The show is popular and likely will be for a long time, as Apple seems to like it enough to renew. We will have to wait and see what kind of cool cars will be on the show in the future.

Source: RoadandTrack