Now I’m asking you to reach back in the old memory banks for this one. Some may even require the assistance of their elderly relatives, but I’d like to tell you about the very first movie car to make a real impact on my life.
The year was 1968, and I was still sporting short trousers and spending my evenings tying knots whilst attempting to gain my Boy Scout first aid certificate. Then Saturday night came around and Dad took me to the local Odeon to see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang !
This was back when film companies could afford more than just one big name star. In fact, the movie’s credits boasted a whole stream, including Dick Van Dyke, Sally Ann Howes, Benny Hill, Lionel Jeffries, James Robertson Justice, and even Barbara Windsor of Carry On fame made an appearance.
These were major names back in their day, and yet one young actor, who was almost unheard of at the time, went on to even bigger and greater things, albeit in a completely different industry. Yes, although he did later star in the motion picture Buster , a film on the Great British Train Robbers, Phil Collins is perhaps better known for his rather successful musical career.
Of course, the true starring role went to the vintage race car which was specifically designed for the film. Six of them were built for the movie. The writer, Ian Fleming (of James Bond fame) took his inspiration for the car in his book from a series of aero-engined racing cars built in the early 1920s. The film cars were styled by the company’s Production Designer, Ken Adam, with a little help from his cartoonist friend, Frederick Emett, and were built by the famous Alan Mann Racing in the UK.
One was actually allocated the genuine UK license plate GEN 11, and this became the name by which the vehicle was universally known.
The other five others were used for various stages in the movie, such as the transforming car, the hover-car and, of course, the flying car. After filming, most were given operational powerplants for worldwide promotional work.
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| Photo: dieselstation.com |
The year was 1968, and I was still sporting short trousers and spending my evenings tying knots whilst attempting to gain my Boy Scout first aid certificate. Then Saturday night came around and Dad took me to the local Odeon to see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang !
This was back when film companies could afford more than just one big name star. In fact, the movie’s credits boasted a whole stream, including Dick Van Dyke, Sally Ann Howes, Benny Hill, Lionel Jeffries, James Robertson Justice, and even Barbara Windsor of Carry On fame made an appearance.
These were major names back in their day, and yet one young actor, who was almost unheard of at the time, went on to even bigger and greater things, albeit in a completely different industry. Yes, although he did later star in the motion picture Buster , a film on the Great British Train Robbers, Phil Collins is perhaps better known for his rather successful musical career.
Of course, the true starring role went to the vintage race car which was specifically designed for the film. Six of them were built for the movie. The writer, Ian Fleming (of James Bond fame) took his inspiration for the car in his book from a series of aero-engined racing cars built in the early 1920s. The film cars were styled by the company’s Production Designer, Ken Adam, with a little help from his cartoonist friend, Frederick Emett, and were built by the famous Alan Mann Racing in the UK.
One was actually allocated the genuine UK license plate GEN 11, and this became the name by which the vehicle was universally known.
The other five others were used for various stages in the movie, such as the transforming car, the hover-car and, of course, the flying car. After filming, most were given operational powerplants for worldwide promotional work.
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| Photo: dieselstation.com |