Chitty Chitty Bang Bang the magical car from the 1968 movie is going on the auction block. The auction is being conducted by "Auction house Profiles in History." The sale will be held on May 14th and 15th in Beverly Hills California at "The Saban Theater". Chitty, a 1910 replica, could fly with retractable wings and use floatation devices on water.
The car has been owned by British stunt man and actor Pierre Picton since he was hired to do promotional work for the film. Pierre was also a stunt driver and double for the human star Dick Van Dyke. Pierre is now 76 years old and is ready to sell Chitty after 50 years of showing her off to waving and cheering crowds. "Chitty has been a great friend and it has been an amazing experience to get noticed with admiration wherever I take her". "I am getting older and it's now time to set her free to fly to pastures new". "I hope the car will continue to bring great enjoyment for generations to come."
The heroic car is still fully functional and road ready but sadly lacks the flying equipment and floatation devices. The car was designed by Ken Adams who also designed the James Bond movie sets. The car was built by Ford racing on a custom ladder frame chassis. The power was from a 3.0 liter Essex competition racing engine that was covered by a polished aluminum hood. The body was red with a wood white cedar boat tail. Chitty also had brass fittings from antique cars and an alloy dashboard plate from a World War I British Fighter plane. The car is still registered with the GEN 11 license plate seen in the film.
Chitty is estimated to sell between $1 and $2 million dollars. A small price to pay for a world famous magical car that is part of movie history. I only wish it could fly.
What do you remember about Chitty Chitty Bang Bang? I remember watching the movie at the Crocket Theater and on TV as a kid. I always liked Chitty and the songs from the film. The special effects were not the greatest and it has a few corny moments. I still enjoy the movie and wish I could take a ride in this magical car. I would like to watch the Blue Ray version with all the extras. Does anyone have any reviews of the extras on the Blue Ray? Do you have any favorite memories about the movie or any more information about Chitty Chitty Bang Bang? I have included a few video clips about Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. I hope these bring back a few more memories.
Stay tuned for more information about your favorite movies, TV shows and more on Remember When. Coming soon "The Invaders" from the Twilight Zone.
Absolutely INCREDIBLE car! I wish I owned it for myself and plan on making a perfect scale model replica. There was a similar one made before but it has a different horn and not quite to scale on the hood. I want to be the first to make a perfect replica.
ReplyDelete