Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is the vintage racing car which is featured in the book, musical film and stage production of the same name. Writer Ian Fleming took his inspiration for the car from a series of aero-engined racing cars built by Count Louis Zborowski in the early 1920s, christened Chitty Bang Bang. The original Chitty Bang Bang's engine was from a Zeppelin dirigible. The name reputedly derived either from the sound it made whilst idling, or from a bawdy song from World War I.^{[citation needed]}

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
The car with UK registration GEN 11, which was the primary model used for the driving sequences of the 1968 musical film (photographed Sep 2010); its owner at the time, Pierre Picton, is shown at left with a colorful striped scarf.
Overview
Manufacturer	Alan Mann Racing
Also called	Paragon Panther
Production	1967
Designer	Ken Adam, Frederick Rowland Emett
Body and chassis
Class	custom film model
Layout	FR
Powertrain
Engine	2,994 cm3 (182.7 cu in) Ford Essex V6
Transmission	automatic

Six versions of the car were built for the film and several replicas have subsequently been produced. The version built for the stage production holds the record for the most expensive stage prop ever used.

Novel and inspiration

According to Fleming, the original Chitty Bang-Bang was built in 1920; it used a pre-War Mercedes chassis with a six-cylinder Maybach military aeronautical engine that was typically fitted to Zeppelins. The engine had four overhead valves per cylinder and twin Zenith carburetors; the car was more than 5 short tons (4.5 t) with a bonnet 8 ft (2.4 m) long, finished in grey.[1]^: Foreword

In the novel, the car is described as "a twelve-cylinder, eight-litre supercharged Paragon Panther. They only made one of them and then the firm went broke." At the time the Pott family purchased it, the car was a long, low four-seater in wrecked condition, lacking a bonnet and with British racing green paint peeling off in strips.[1]^: 16–17 After purchasing the derelict racer, the children excitedly note the old registration tag, "GEN 11", could be construed as "genii", referring to the powerful magical servants.[1]^: 21 Caractacus Pott restored the car over a period of three months, and noted "certain modifications, certain changes, had, so to speak, taken place all by themselves during the night, when I wasn't there. Certain – what shall I say? – rather revolutionary and extraordinary adaptations"[1]^: 30 which turn out to allow her to convert to an aerocar when stuck in traffic,[1]^: 39 and a hovercraft mode when the family is stuck on a sandbar.[1]^: 58

Film cars

For the 1968 film, at least six cars were created:

1. A fully functional road-going car with UK registration "GEN 11"
2. A second, smaller road-going version
3. An engineless version for trailer work and close-ups
4. A flying car
5. A transforming car with primarily aluminum fittings
6. A hover-car (boat)

It is not known if the original racing variant shown in the opening montage was converted into one of the filming models. Only the original road-going version used the registration GEN 11 legitimately and it was owned by Pierre Picton of Stratford upon Avon.[2] Most of the secondary film cars were fitted with engines after filming was complete and were used to promote the film throughout the world.

One of the original cars appeared in a humorous Public information film (PIF) by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency aimed at British motorists, reminding them to pay their Vehicle excise duty. Ironically, there was criticism as all cars built before 1 January 1973, including the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang model, are exempt from vehicle excise duty in the UK. The PIF was a parody of the MGM film.[3][4]

Chitty prime (GEN 11)

The primary "Chitty" used to photograph most of the driving sequences in the film is a fully functional road-going car with New Zealand registration GEN 1I (formerly UK registration GEN 11). This car was designed by the film's production designer, Ken Adam, and cartoonist and sculptor Frederick Rowland Emett, built by Alan Mann Racing in Hertfordshire in 1967, fitted with a contemporary Ford 3000 Essex V6 engine and automatic transmission and allocated a genuine UK registration.[2] The wooden body was manufactured by ship builders.[5] They employed Architectural Metal Workers, Leonard and Eric Harrington of Ware to manufacture the external metal components. Actor Dick van Dyke, who drove the car in the film, said that "the car was a little difficult to maneuver, with the turning radius of a battleship".[6] Chitty prime is approximately 17+1⁄2 ft (5.3 m) long and weighs 2 short tons (1.8 t).[7] Externally, the roadgoing Chitty prime can be distinguished from the other filming models by the presence of small position lights atop the front fenders to meet motor vehicle standards.

This car was privately owned by Pierre Picton of Stratford-upon-Avon[2] from the early 1970s until May 2011. He made numerous public appearances with the car up until the end of 2010,[8] including stops in Malta (1990)[9] and the city of Norwich in August 2009, to promote the theatre show. Public appearances of the car in 2010 were listed on the GEN 11 official website, with a note that there will be no more as the car was sent to Los Angeles to be auctioned on 22 May 2011.[10][11] The auction price was expected to reach US$1–2 million, but capped at $805,000 (£495,415) with the winning bid submitted by New Zealand film director Sir Peter Jackson, who according to his spokesperson said he would use it as a charity fund-raising vehicle.[12][13] It was registered in New Zealand as GEN 1I, as the registration GEN 11 had already been issued.[14]

Chitty beta (11 GEN)

The second road version, a slightly smaller car, only appears in for 1 minute & 35 seconds of the entire movie. The car was used for the scenes:

• when Lord Scrumptious was driving behind the car trying to get past (before the railway bridge - which was the first scene shot for the movie)
• the car under the viaduct after they landed in Vulgaria
• inside the Castle, fitted with secondary controls near the floorboards to make it look like the car was driving herself
• the scene when the cast & car descended the staircase on the outside of the Castle

Fans have noted several external differences for this example:

• The support bars behind the radiator grille are vertical
• The wood of the steering wheel is darker
• The metal dashboard has a matte finish

The car was used to promote the American release of the film. Eventually it was purchased by and displayed at the Cars of the Stars Motor Museum in 2000, where it remained until the Keswick museum closed in 2011. The Cars of the Stars collection was purchased by collector Michael Dezer, where it was displayed in Miami as part of his eponymous collection. This car is now on display at the Stahls Automotive Foundation in New Baltimore, Michigan,[15] where it carries the fictional registration 11 GEN to distinguish it from Chitty prime.

Trailer Chitty (GEM 11)

This engineless Chitty was built for close-ups of the actors while driving; the body was mounted to a trailer and scenes were filmed from cameras on the tow vehicle. It had wings, though they were slightly different than the flying Chitty, and was used for both aerial shots as well as some aquatic scenes, filmed in the Pinewood Studios pool.

In this car, the steering wheel sits higher on the dashboard. In addition, the front position lights are carried at the bottom front edge of each fender.[16]

Pierre Picton purchased the trailer Chitty in the early 1970s and had an engine fitted to it;[2] he also modified the front-left fender to fly up for his circus act. Picton sold the car shortly afterwards, and the car was publicly displayed at the Heathfield Wildlife Park and The Rotunda in Folkestone before being sold in 1980/81 to collector Anthony Bamford, who registered it under GEM 11. Bamford has occasionally shown GEM 11 at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu, UK.

Flying Chitty

One car was built with wings and fiberglass pieces and filmed for flying scenes. The leading edges of the wings house folding propellers. This car was used for publicity stills to promote the film upon its release in 1968 and features prominently in posters.

In 1973, the flying Chitty was sold at auction for US$37,000 (equivalent to $226,000 in 2021)[17] and subsequently was displayed at the Cavalcade of Cars, an exhibit at the Gaslight Village amusement park in the Village of Lake George, New York, starting in 1975.[18] After the park closed in 1989, it was sold at auction in 1990 to Jim Rich, a Chicago businessman,[19] who displayed it at his restaurant, Chicago West (billed as "Mona Lisa's Hideaway"),[20] until it was sold again at auction in 2007 for US$505,000 (equivalent to $660,000 in 2021) to Ralph Spencer, a Florida resident.[21][22] The car went through an extensive restoration before being put on temporary display at a Mulch-Production facility in 2018.[23]

Transforming Chitty

A version with primarily aluminum fittings was built for the tidal scenes when Chitty has become stranded before transforming into a boat. It appears on screen for less than a minute, as its appearance was significantly different from Chitty prime; the aluminum was substituted as it was thought the sea and salt air would corrode the brass radiator surround of the primary filming cars. The lighter aluminum car also was hoisted for scenes showing the transformation to flying mode.

After filming was complete, this car was used to promote the film in Australia. In 1991, it was purchased by and displayed at the Cars of the Stars Motor Museum in Keswick, then sold to Eon Productions in 2000,[24] who used the aluminum Chitty to promote the stage musical. Eon tinted some parts to a brass-like color to more closely resemble Chitty prime, but the transforming aluminum Chitty retained the original aluminum (silver-colored) shifter, exhaust, and muffler. As it does not have a MOT certificate of roadworthiness in the U.K., it is not allowed on public roads. In July 2009, the Norwich police barred its use in a parade, as the car was not roadworthy, properly registered or insured.[25]

The transforming aluminum Chitty is on long-term loan from Eon to the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu.[26]

Hovering (boat) Chitty

The hover-car was a shell mounted on a speed boat, and was destroyed after filming. According to Heather Ripley, who played the role of daughter Jemima Potts, the boat was controlled remotely from the helicopter filming the scene; because the steering wheel was only cosmetic, Dick Van Dyke would spin the wheel without affecting their path.[27]

Replica cars

• 
  Registration GEN 22: Tony Green's replica car
• 
  GEN 22: Close up of Tony Green's replica car
• 
  TGK 681M: Carolyn Pointing's "Chitty" at a 2009 event
• 
  772 YUJ: Gordon Grant's Chitty at Beaulieu

Green Chitty (GEN 22)

There is an MGM-licensed replica in the United Kingdom, built by Tony Green from the original plans for a commercial photography business over a three-year period, starting in 2000.[28] The car is roadworthy and has the registration number GEN 22.[29] It weighs around 1.5 short tons (1.4 t) and is nearly 18 ft (5.5 m) long and 6 ft (1.8 m) wide. The brass lamps are all original period pieces and the brass snake horn came from one of the original Chitty cars. The engine is a 3L V6 Ford with a BorgWarner automatic gearbox.[30][31]

The vehicle currently resides at the Dundee Museum of Transport.

Pointing Chitty

Another Chitty 'copy' was built by Nick Pointing of the Isle of Wight at the request of his wife Carolyn, a lifelong Chitty Chitty Bang Bang fan who asked him to build her dream car. The car was built on a 1970s Land Rover chassis and engine and was driven 12,000 mi (19,000 km) overland to Australia in 2007/8 to raise money for charity.[32]

Grant Chitty (772 YUJ)

A replica Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car built by Gordon Grant was sold at an auction held on 1 December 2011 at Bonhams at Mercedes Benz World in Weybridge, Surrey, UK.[33] The car was later sold to broadcaster Chris Evans after the purchaser found it was too long to fit in his garage.[34] The car, which is now registered as 772 YUJ, has been reported erroneously in several newspapers as the original GEN 11 film car.[34]

Rothwell Chitty

Another replica was built and finished in July 2014 by hospital worker and jeweller John Rothwell from Cambridge. It is based on a Reliant Rialto chassis and took approximately 3 years to build in a small garage rented from the local council. Having a three-wheeler based chassis makes this car unique and also disqualifies it from being a genuine replica. This version of Chitty was used by a local car insurance company for a promotion campaign and is frequently taken to local car shows where it helps to raise money for Addenbrookes Hospital Charitable Trust.[35][36]

Garofalo Chitty

A replica car built by retired NYPD police Sergeant, Tony Garofalo, of Long Island, New York, was completed in June 2015 after a 5-year build at a cost of over US$100,000. The car is modelled on the original motion picture car, after Garofalo conducted a personal inspection of two original Chitty Chitty Bang Bang cars. Built on a vintage, road legal, 1914 Overland car, and a vintage Ford Model A Engine, the car has automated opening retractable wings and vintage brass adornments. All of the bright work is brass, aluminum, stainless steel and copper to prevent any corrosion. It is reported that over 90% of the car has been fabricated, although the original vintage chassis, drivetrain and rear axle have been retained, with an additional conversion to 12 volts. The car is finely detailed with all of the brass features of the original movie car, including a vintage serpent snake horn from an old Mercedes. Garofalo also owns the original Broadway Stage Production Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car featured in the U.S. Stage tour.[37]

Skinner Chitty

Richard Skinner of Hampshire built another replica car, completed in 2019. Following two years of research, the car was built from original drawings of the film car, using the same Ford V6 engine and various original Edwardian car parts. The wooden body was constructed using the same afrormosia and obeche wood used in the original.[38]

Stage production car

Another version of the car, built for the British stage production of the story, debuted at The London Palladium in 2002. Built at a cost of £750,000, the car is listed in Guinness World Records as the most expensive stage prop ever.[39]

In July 2014, Tony Garofalo became the new owner of the US National Broadway Touring Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Prop Car, by a sale release made by Big League Productions of New York City. This prop car is highly detailed and is fully equipped with multiple Stage prop tricks, including computer activated retractable wings and rotating 45 degree tilt tires. The car was originally constructed at The Rolling Stock Company of Sarasota, Florida and hydraulics designed and constructed at PRG of New Windsor, New York, under license by Michael Rose and MGM On Stage.[35]

References

External links

• Original GEN11 Chitty Motor Car at Nunnington Hall, near Helmsley in North Yorkshire England, National Trust/Nunnington Hall & Rievaulx Terrace
• The cars constructed for the film, Unsinkable Cork
• Beaulieu, Britain: National Motor Museum
• Chitty fan page, Unsinkable Cork
• Chitty Chitty Bang Bang cars - Originals and Replicas, MarinPics USA, archived from the original on 2 May 2013, retrieved 29 March 2013
• GEN22 MGM Authorized Replica Chitty (Note: Good info on fake Chitty Replicas in England), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang GEN22, archived from the original on 27 March 2013, retrieved 5 April 2013
• Photos of GEN1l at 2014 Seatoun School Gala (Wellington, New Zealand), Mike Riversdale