Factual error: Right after the movie title is shown, you can see in the background a UPS truck. The only problem is that it has the new logo on the side of it. (00:02:00 - 00:06:00)
Continuity mistake: The opening shot of the movie shows the 'Bay City' police department front entrance, and there is a 2-door silver Torino parked up front. If you look closely, you will see that it is actually Starsky's red and white Torino, but the film has been modified to 'hide' the car from being obvious. Even though the car was shown speeding around in the opening 'credits', it had not made its 'debut' at this point in the movie, so the producers were probably saving its 'first' appearance for the spectacular first stunt scene. The opening shot of the front of the police station shows up later in the movie, yet this time the red and white Torino is 'magically' in place of the silver one. It is obviously the same piece of film, due to the same cars driving by and the same people populating the scene. (00:04:35)
Continuity mistake: Starsky and Hutch are both called in to the boss' office after robbing a bookie and destroying a Cadillac's roof. When Hutch walks into the office, the top drawer on the right side on the boss is closed. But when the shot changes to the boss when he starts talking to Hutch, the drawer is open. (00:05:20)
Continuity mistake: In the scene towards the beginning of the movie where Starsky is jogging along the beach, he is very obviously covered in sweat and his sweatshirt has huge sweat rings around his arms and neck. He falls in the sand after checking out the girls, but when he gets up there is no sand sticking to his sweaty face or clothing. (00:13:45)
Factual error: In the beginning of the movie, before Starsky jumps their Grand Torino, they are coming out of the police station, and there are police cars out front. But the police cars are 1980 Pontiac Bonnevilles, which is impossible considering the fact that the movie is set in the 70's. (00:16:15)
Revealing mistake: Towards the beginning of the movie Starsky and Hutch are driving the Torino and they get a call over the police radio. There is a shot of the car pulling a u-turn on a bridge from above. Look at the bottom of this shot, you can see tire marks where they practised the move before. (00:17:10)
Revealing mistake: Multiple times during the movie, specially during the chase scene towards the end, skid marks can be seen from previous takes which match the car's actions perfectly. (00:17:10)
Continuity mistake: When Starsky and Hutch first visit Reese the drink that Hutch is given changes from being in his hands to being on the table next to him several times. (00:20:40)
Revealing mistake: When Huggy Bear meets Starsky and Hutch in the alley to supply information, there is a closeup on his face as he sits in his car and just before he leaves. In this shot, it is very obvious that the facial hair on his cheek is attached with a glue strip. (00:27:55)
Deliberate mistake: When Reese is looking at Starsky and Hutch's police profiles, his brunette girlfriend says, "Ooh, he's cute, the blonde", referring to Hutch. From the way she says it, it sounds like she's referring to the picture, however you cannot see Hutch's hair in the picture. She had not previously met Starsky and Hutch, either, as it was Resse's blonde wife that was in the room at the time. (00:28:40)
Factual error: As Starsky and Hutch are driving back from their "interrogation" of Big Earl, they are listening to the Starland Vocal Band's "Afternoon Delight" on the radio. However, the film is set in 1975, and the song was not released until 1976. (00:38:00)
Continuity mistake: When Starsky & Hutch leave the prison after doing their twin dragon show for the inmate, Hutch's car window is nearly fully open when viewed from inside the car but is nearly shut when viewed from straight on. (00:38:10)
Continuity mistake: After the dance-off, Hutch puts Starsky in bed and places his hand on Starsky's chest. However, in the next shot, Hutch's hand is no longer on Starsky's chest. (00:40:15)
Audio problem: When Hutch is playing guitar after Starsky has accidentally drunk some of the cocaine in his coffee, there are several times where you can see that Hutch's hand movements do not match up with the music. (00:44:00)
Continuity mistake: After Hutch has played his song, his guitar is hunched into his armpit in wide shots, but lower down in close-ups. (00:44:55)
Factual error: When Starsky is coked up, you see him on numerous occasions snorting and rubbing his nostrils (sign of classic coke abuse - done to clear the nose and sinus). As he drunk the coke in coffee, he wouldn't be doing this. (00:45:05)
Continuity mistake: When Hutch tackles Starsky to the ground after his gun goes off in the disco, Starsky's badge falls to the ground beside his head. Hutch grabs it and holds it up, telling people to calm down, but when the shot returns to Starsky the badge is still there next to his head. (00:49:40)
Continuity mistake: It's a great new car Starsky gets at the end, just like his old one...even down to the licence plate, which is 537 0NN, proving the same car's used both times. You see the original's plate when he crouches down while being shot at, and the replacement when it takes that jump right at the start of the credits at the end. Same both times. (00:51:20 - 01:30:05)
Continuity mistake: Just after Starsky and Hutch have been shot at outside Starsky's house, Hutch gives the vehicle details over the radio and tosses the mic through the window. When the dispacher replies with the owner details, the mic is hanging nicely on it's hook/holder. (00:51:45)
Factual error: The events of this film take place in June, 1974. But at one point, the boys shoot out the rear window of a 1978-80 AMC Pacer which won't be built until the fall of 1977. While Huggy's '76 Lincoln is also not possible, it's an obvious joke suggesting he has good connections. The Pacer, however, is a clear mistake, as nobody has connections good enough to have a car over three years before it is built. (00:53:25)
Answer: It's entirely possible, since they were not wearing their disguises at the prison, that they had already changed clothes, and therefore, could change vehicles.
Phoenix