Practically Classics Forum

It looks like the adverts for the remake of Thunderbirds have started to be aired!

So my question is what will Nosey be driving this time?

In the puppet series it was a Rolls Royce, but in the live action movie it was a Ford which looked and
was wrong on so many different levels!

Was the original not a Bedford coach chassis under that vision of pinkurity? Maybe that's an urban myth but I'm sure someone said it was.

Geez, is this really the only thing to do during the agonising wait for Dr Who to come on?

I am pretty sure it was a Bedford chassis - IIRC the Chinese six wheel arrangement was their idea. I vaguely remember that RR weren't too keen on it (nor did they like the "Dodd FGR" - a fibreglass machine with a Merlin engine and RR grille). I know the car was at a museum in Keswick for a while, but I think it was sold to an American place a year or two ago when the museum closed.

I believe that FAB1, or the original Gerry Anderson puppet show version anyway, was actually endorsed by RR and allowed to have the parthenon grille and the spirit of ecstacy, something which their solicitors would normally have offenders in court for faster than a Thunderbird one blast off!

And more is here. That Bedford based one was the replica of the original and was used to take the creators to a launch bash.
It seems as though RR positively encouraged the use of their brand, taking a hand in both the design work and supplying the grille for the original car.

I believe there were a few versions one been based on a Bedford VAL 6x2 chassis.

I watched a programme on TV yesterday with George Barris the King of Kustom cars. They had the Munster Coach, actually a replica that Barris had built, plus the Batmobile. Barris did many others for TV including the 'Monkey Mobile', Pink Panther car, 'Dragula' from the Munsters, The 'Bat Boat' and the truck out of the Beverley Hilbillies. An amazing custom car builder and still going. The programme showed his amazing collection of free hand sketches for his projects. Not all were drawn by GB but to too his ideas. An amazing guy. Just imagine what FAB 1 could have looked like with the Barris touch!

I have a Barris tee shirt.

I have a Barry Boys T shirt, does that count?

Back in the oatcakety-twelves when I was working for a while at the BBC** on a "between real jobs" basis, there was some fella not far from our workshop/converted piggery right under the loudest part of Concorde's flight path (We could barely hear the radio in the welding shed, even though it was a f'n big one - the radio, not the shed which was tiny). Anyhow, this fella was in business building Batmobile replicas and similar things, the Adam West one mind, 'cos he was the only Batman we knew back then. Friday lunchtimes were lengthy affairs as we locked up the premises and put a sign on the gate saying "please don't jump over this gate, break into our customers' cars and steal the 6V radios or desirable white steering wheels from early sixties models" and then began the afternoon in the Slug & Lettuce, a pub that was conveniently right by our workshops.
So that Friday, after an especially good session and a 6pm finish to lunch hour, we were waiting for the bus to Reading to pass by the road ends when the Batmobile, along with costumed driver, went by. I'm told that our welder gave up the beer that day, or maybe it was the draw he gave up.


**-Berkshire Beetle Company, what else did you think I meant?

I thought seeing thunderbirds re hashed a few years after it had been made into a live action film might have been a bad idea but after reading an article (in link below) they are re doing "The Man from Uncle"

Guy Ritchie's reboot of The Man from Uncle arriving in August.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-30477264




So what will Solo be driving if not this little thing?



Well the original Illya Kuryakin is currently cutting up and talking to the dead with Gibbs

The new Cast

Henry Cavill as Napoleon Solo
Armie Hammer as Illya Kuryakin
Hugh Grant as Mr. Waverly
Elizabeth Debicki as Victoria Vinciguerra
Alicia Vikander as Gaby Teller
Jared Harris as Saunders
Luca Calvani as Alexander
Simona Caparrini as Contessa


The old shows and films are being brought back and reset to original characters and setups.
So Who/What is next?

Captain Scarlet
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
In like flint
The Beverley Hills Hillbillys
Danger Mouse
Matt Helm
The Avengers(Steed and Tara King or Mrs Peel)
M*A*S*H
Hart To Hart
The Six Million Dollar Man(not that that much money will get you anywhere these days)
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
Columbo
Cannon
Banacek
Kojak

Not too sure how that car helps in the battle against Thrush? Isn't Canestan Combi better for that?
Other central heating boilers are available...