Reasons Why Mark in ‘Severance’ Drives a 1997 Volvo, Plus Insights from the Show's Car Coordinators

      Apple (cropped)

      Severance isn’t just about cars. Apple TV+’s acclaimed series is a haunting sci-fi drama that alternates between being humorous and frightening, yet it deeply delves into its characters. The majority of its scenes unfold within a foreboding office building reminiscent of the 1970s, all while set in a somewhat contemporary timeline. Even though it's fundamentally a close-knit human drama largely contained indoors, its selection of vehicles has been exceptional and sparked discussions among The Drive team since Season 2 kicked off in January. Eager to learn more about the automobiles featured in Severance, we spoke with prop master Catherine Miller and car supervisor Peter Dancy about their selections and the reasons behind them.

      Editor’s Note: For those fans of Severance who are still catching up, rest assured there are no significant spoilers in this article. Even if you haven’t been following the series, this piece offers a compelling glimpse into how cars are represented in television.

      Everything about Severance is meant to disorient the viewer, and that is intentional. The show’s visual style was carefully crafted to reflect the characters' unease. A significant element of this disorientation comes from its car selections, as vehicles can readily signify a specific era, which was precisely what the producers of Severance aimed to avoid. Instead, they opted for particular cars that contribute to a more ambiguous temporal setting while incorporating seemingly random yet intriguingly specific automotive elements.

      Ben Stiller (left), Patricia Arquette (middle), and Britt Lower (right) with an old VW Rabbit—one of the few vehicles appearing in multiple episodes. Apple

      Why are modern cars absent?

      “Cars play a crucial role in defining a character and a narrative; they instantly indicate time, place, and context,” Miller explained to The Drive.

      Creating the aesthetic for a show that presents two distinct realms—the “innie” world within the enigmatic Lumon building and the “outie” world outside it—is a complex challenge. The main characters compartmentalize their work and personal lives, never allowed to merge the two. Therefore, the aesthetic design for the show originated in the innie world, which, although devoid of cars, needed a distinctive look.

      “There was a feeling that the innie world had to be very curated and sophisticated, evoking an era when companies took pride in their office spaces and the design elements within them. Thus, we immediately leaned toward a slightly retro vibe for the innie world,” Miller noted.

      Showrunner Ben Stiller and Production Designer Jeremy Hindle intended to extend that aesthetic to the outside world, necessitating that the cars also have a timeless quality.

      "When we moved to the outie world, we began discussing cars, as they are essential to populating any external setting. Ben and Jeremy felt that the vehicles should evoke a sense of timelessness. We didn't want them to be overly modern," she shared. “We aimed for nostalgia in our cars, allowing them to feel as though they could belong to any era, ensuring we didn’t define time by the vehicles."

      I was curious—was there a cutoff year for the cars that Miller and Dancy could select from? My editor and I speculated about possible in-show lore explaining the older cars; perhaps they all had to be pre-OBDII for some reason. However, as far as Miller and Dancy would disclose without giving away too much, it was all about the aesthetic that Stiller and Hindle sought. Cars from the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s showcase distinct, angular lines and shapes that align with Lumon’s brutalist design and, according to our experts, appear more visually appealing on camera.

      At the outset, the specific makes and models of automobiles were not primary considerations (with one exception that will be discussed later). The production team went to significant lengths to eliminate all branding and labels from the show. “[It was a] deliberate creative decision to avoid showcasing any brand names,” Miller stated. “Even down to the beer that Mark would take from the refrigerator, we created those brand identities and labels ourselves. We wanted to exist in a realm that felt somewhat alternative, outside specific time and place. Some brands are very definitive and tied to particular moments.”

      Instead, the focus was on the designs and overall aesthetic of the cars.

      What was the actual process for selecting vehicles?

      It all begins with the script. Dan Erickson, the writer and creator of Severance, built a detailed world featuring complex yet focused characters, and the script ultimately dictated the vehicle choices.

      Choosing the cars is a collaborative process, but it primarily starts with Dancy, who literally thinks about “casting” cars for each character. “When I read a script, I visualize casting cars for the actors. It's a bit like visually determining which cars suit which characters by diving into the script and understanding them. Then, I think, ‘Wow! What kind of car would Dylan be driving?’"

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