One of the most popular series on television is NCIS. The show is set to begin its 19th season, and some fans wonder whether their favorite celebrities will be coming back, especially one in particular: Mark Harmon. This individual appears to navigate to classic, older trucks instead of a supercar. According to the Daily Mail, he was seen picking up one such old Ford truck from a garage near LA. What made him so famous, and what vehicle did he indulge himself with?

Mark Harmon and the series that made him popular

Mark Harmon has been a regular on the long-running NCIS series for quite some time. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the 18th season left his character on a bit of a cliffhanger. Agent Gibbs was thought to have been killed when the boat he was on exploded in the finale. Since Harmon had been talking about leaving the show for a few months before the taping of this episode, one would think this was the last we’ll see of his character, Gibbs. 

However, it looks like that’s not the case. Producers left the explosion with a possible return from Gibbs, just in case. Harmon, wanting to retire from the series, was told by the network that they would end the series altogether if he left. So, he set out to discuss the situation with them to keep it going. In the end, he agreed to return for the 19th season, but it appears that he will only have a handful of appearances instead of being one of the main regulars. 

His leaving seems to coincide with his turning 70 years old on September 2nd of this year.  He was spotted in the San Fernando Valley at a garage just before his birthday, inspecting what the Daily Mail reported was a vintage truck. 

What’s so special about Mark Harmon getting into an F-250?

Harmon, who’s played Gibbs on NCIS for many years, reportedly made $525,000 per episode and could have gotten himself something snazzier or flashier befitting a star of his stature. Instead, he seems to have decided to go a little more down to earth and step into an older Ford pickup. 

He arrived at the garage wearing a baggy-style checkered shirt paired with khaki pants. Topping off the attire is a nice pair of sneakers. But the real attraction here is the truck. Pictures show him inspecting a Ford F-250 pickup that could be from the early 90s. It sports what appears to be ninth-generation redesigned headlights, which came from that period, according to Auto NXT. Models made around the millennium could go for several hundred thousand miles or even 2 million. 

The four-door white pickup comes equipped with dual tanks and a topper on the bed. While we don’t know much about it now, we know that it falls within the classic vehicle range, instead of the vintage Daily Mail reported it as. 

The difference between antique, vintage, and classic when it comes to cars

All three categories refer to older vehicles. But they don’t exactly mean the same thing. For example, an antique car usually refers to a vehicle manufactured in 1975 or earlier, making it around 46 years old. This distinction is sometimes needed with car collectors who want to ensure their investments. Of course, insurance agencies differ on what they consider antique or classic.

When someone refers to something as vintage, they usually refer to something from the 70s or so, like clothing items. For vehicles, it points to a time period much older than that, like the 1919 to 1930 era. 

When it comes to classics, it’s generally agreed that it means vehicles over 25 years old. These segments aren’t set in stone because other factors come into play, like antique vehicles. They wouldn’t be one if you followed this standard. 

Mark Harmon may be phasing out of NCIS, but it looks like he plans to go out in style. With the classic Ford F-250, he will go down the road to the next chapter in his life, whatever that may be.