It's more than the same make, it's the same car.

In the last few seasons of the original "Hawaii 5-O" series, which ran from 1968 to 1980, Det. Steve McGarrett (played by Jack Lord) drove an all-black 1974 Mercury Marquis. When the show ended, Lord gave it to his stuntman, John Nordlum, to show his gratitude -- and since it was Nordlum who did the hardest work behind the wheel.

When the new series came along -- with a zero instead of the letter "O" -- Nordlum agreed to lend the car to the producers to put on screen occasionally.

"Jack's spirit is in that car, and he is going to live again in this show through that car," Nordlum told the "Honolulu Advertiser."

Being more than 40 years old and lacking working pedal brakes, the car can't perform as the show's main vehicle, but it shows up now and again. In the reboot, the car is said to have belonged to Steve McGarrett's father, Jack. But of course, this can also be seen as a wink to the fact that Jack Lord's Steve McGarrett is sort of like the father of the new show's McGarrett (played by Alex O'Loughlin).

There's another automotive nod to the original show, as well: O'Loughlin's car bears the plate number F6-3958, the same as the plates the Marquis had in the original series.

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