Noir Aesthetic
Frank Darabont’s Mob City takes viewers to late-1940s Los Angeles — a city where the war has just ended, but the streets are already divided between the police and the mob.
The show’s visual language is built on contrasts: sharp light and deep shadows, crisp suits and fedoras, fog and dust on night roads.
But one of the key elements of authenticity lies in the cars. They set the rhythm and scale of the streets, helping the audience truly believe in the era.
“New Old” Cars
Almost all the vehicles in the series are from 1946–1948, mainly Plymouth, Dodge, Ford, and Packard.
At first glance, they may look too “new” for a noir story — but in 1947, this was exactly the kind of car fleet that filled American streets.
The reason is simple: during World War II, civilian car production in the U.S. was halted (1942–1945).
Factories fully switched to military equipment — tanks, trucks, aircraft engines.
After the war, assembly lines returned to their pre-war designs, slightly updated but still very recognizable.
That’s why the streets of Los Angeles in 1947 were dominated by these heavy postwar sedans and coupes, just as we see in the series.
For the creators of Mob City, authenticity wasn’t a stylistic flourish — it was a rulebook.
They worked with professional car wranglers in Los Angeles who maintain fleets of period-correct vehicles, ensuring that every car seen on screen could realistically have been parked outside a diner or rolling down Sunset Boulevard in 1947.
Instead of mixing decades, they focused on the short but specific window of 1946–1948, when U.S. manufacturers had just restarted civilian production after WWII.
This explains why so many of the cars in the show — Plymouth Special Deluxe, Ford Super Deluxe, Dodge Deluxe, Packard Clipper — share design cues from the late 1930s.
They were “new” in the sense of being recently sold, but their styling still carried the prewar DNA.
This attention to detail changes how the series feels:
- long hoods and upright grilles reflect the bulkier engineering of the time,
- chrome trim was deliberately polished to catch the harsh noir lighting,
- and the six-cylinder and straight-eight engines used in many of these cars provided the authentic, lower-frequency rumble you hear in the background of tense exchanges and chase scenes.
Still from the series Mob City (2013), © TNT / Frank Darabont Productions
Chevrolet Master (1938)
If there is a car in Mob City that carries the aura of the prewar years into the late-1940s setting, it’s the Chevrolet Master of 1938.
At first sight, it looks like a relic from an earlier time — rounded fenders, a tall narrow grille, headlights perched proudly on the front wings.
But that slightly dated look is exactly what makes it so evocative on screen.
Born in the final years before America entered World War II, the Master reflected the aspirations of a middle-class nation: solid, respectable, not ostentatious.
Its vertical grille and flowing lines gave it dignity, while its stance made it equally at home outside a neighborhood bar or idling under a streetlamp during a clandestine meeting.
Under the hood sat a dependable inline-six engine of 3.5 litres (216 cu in), delivering about 85 horsepower — modest by today’s standards, but more than enough to move confidently through the dimly lit boulevards of Los Angeles.
The 3-speed manual gearbox with a floor-mounted shifter demanded a steady hand, adding to the sense of weight and deliberation in every gear change.
On set, the 1938 Chevrolet Master played more than just background décor.
Each appearance reminded the viewer that Los Angeles in 1947 was still full of cars from the previous decade, survivors of the Depression and the war years.
The car’s gentle growl and chrome glint under neon light bring a touch of prewar melancholy into the show’s noir tapestry — proof that in Mob City, even the cars carry the shadows of history.
Buick Roadmaster Convertible (Model 76C, 1948)
In the world of Mob City, where cars are more than just background props but carriers of atmosphere, one of the most striking symbols of postwar luxury is the 1948 Buick Roadmaster Convertible (Model 76C).
This was the very model that debuted Buick’s new Dynaflow automatic transmission — introduced in January 1948 and offered exclusively as an option on the Roadmaster that year, making it a showcase of the brand’s technological ambition.
Its seamless, gearless flow of power created a sensation at the time, giving drivers the feeling of “gliding” rather than shifting.
Under its long hood lay Buick’s proven straight-eight engine, 320 cu in (≈5.2 L).
In standard trim it produced 144 horsepower, while Dynaflow-equipped versions were rated at 150 hp, underlining not only the car’s comfort but also its power.
On screen in Mob City, the Roadmaster stands in sharp contrast to the more utilitarian Plymouths and Chevrolets.
Its chrome gleam, flowing lines, and upscale detailing speak volumes: this was a car of wealth, influence, and authority — perfectly suited for those who commanded not only a vehicle, but the city itself.
They act as “supporting characters,” adding weight and credibility to every frame.
Vehicles help signal the social status of the characters (the wealthy ride Packards, the police drive Dodges, ordinary citizens rely on Plymouths and Fords).
That’s why the series feels so convincing: it doesn’t just imitate “retro style,” it immerses you in an era where even the cars follow their own rules.
