The car’s the real star
Left, John DeLorean at the wheel of his sportscar and, right, Michael J Fox as Marty McFly during filming of Back To The Future II getaway cars, insisted that Inspector Morse would have driven an iconic British car, never an Italian sports car. Dexter was so impressed with this argument that he asked his publishers to change “Lancia” to “Jaguar” in all subsequent reprints of his novels.
James Bond’s beautiful Aston Martin DB5 came with a lot of extras including Browning machine guns, wheel-hub tyre-slashers, a bullet-proof screen and revolving licence plates in films like Goldfinger and Thunderball.
The gadgets were designed by special effects expert John Stears for the modified motor and the success of Goldfinger saw DB5 sales surge to record levels. 007 actor Sean Connery was so taken with the car, he bought one himself saying: “These DB5s are amazing.”
The epic Mini chase in 1960s movie The Italian Job has been called the best movie car scene ever. Led by Cockney criminal Charlie Croker, played by Michael Caine, the six-minute sequence featured three Mini Coopers leading police on a merry dance through the streets of Turin.
However, the famous scene where the Minis race through sewers was shot in Coventry and Sir Michael Caine could not drive at the time so is never seen behind a wheel.
His red Mini bore the number plate HMP 729G, for Her Majesty’s Prison and Croker’s prison number.
Of course, if you’re looking for a little runaround, then BBC comedy Only Fools And Horses had just the thing. The famous 1968 Reliant Regal van was bought by the BBC who painted it yellow and slapped the Trotters Independent Traders sign on it, along with the boastful claim of New York, Paris, Peckham.
The van was also fitted with a tiger-skin print interior to reflect Del Boy’s character. Sir David Jason, who played the wheeler dealer, recently called the yellow Reliant Regal “hell on three wheels” and said they had been fond of it, despite it being smelly, noisy and not very comfy.
Several motors were used over the 22-year run of Only Fools And Horses and the look was often completed by fluffy dice on the rear view mirror and a “tax in post” note on the windscreen.
Lovely jubbly.