CORGI, the famous diecast model company (now owned by HORNBY), has issued CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG three times over the years. The first occasion was in 1968, and you can see the original car above and below. (The car is original, but the box and base are spare ones issued with the next release.)
The car was reissued as a collectors' piece in 1991, and that's the very chappie in the next two pictures. Cast mainly from the original moulds, the figures were newly tooled, as was the dashboard, which was slightly different, but unless you had an original with which to compare, you'd probably have been none the wiser.
Next up (below) is the most recent version from back in 2005. The handbrake which released the (unpainted) wings was omitted, the wings were pulled out manually, and the front and rear wings were conspicuous by their absence. The car included only Professor POTTS this time around, and though still a nice model, it's not quite in the same league as the original.
Anyone got any memories of having the original car back in the '60s? Feel free to share them in the comments section.
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Update: Below is the 50th Anniversary reissue from 2018, which I believe is still available from the Corgi website. (At least, it was when last I looked.) There are a few differences from the original, in that this version doesn't have jewelled headlights and the bonnet strap is printed on, not an actual plastic one. Also, I think the base is plastic instead of diecast metal, but it's still quite an impressive model. And the side wings pop-out when the handbrake is pushed, just like the original. A nice addition to have.
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I had the original when I was a kid.....I barely remember it. It's long gone now, but I really enjoyed that movie. Can't remember a thing about it now, but loved it back then.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how many people tend to think it was a Disney film (even TV listings) - it had that flavour to it. Never had the toy as a kid, but a relative did and I remember seeing it on visits. I love the soundtrack.
ReplyDeleteYeah I never saw the movie as a kid but I knew the songs. As I posted on a previous entry right on this blog, we had this car and I played with it in the tub I don't know why because I don't even know if it had a floating car sequence.
ReplyDeletePerhaps the 2005 one is a social commentary, Truly dumped Caractacus and got custody. He's left sitting alone, amid the tattered remnants of his past glory. He's off for his final flight over the needles, with an incomplete set of wings and no handbrake.
ReplyDeleteThere is a sequence in the movie, Phil, where the car transforms into a sort of hovercraft. Your toy being diecast, however, it wouldn't have floated in the tub.
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That'd be the Channel 4 version, DSE. Although the BBC would show it as well, the way they're going.
Was the name Caractacus Potts meant to be a joke - because it sounds like "crackpot".
ReplyDeleteIt could be. Ian Fleming who also wrote the James Bond novels had character names like that. Pussy Galore, etc. So it stand to reason that your guess might be true.
DeleteI'd imagine that it may have been Ian Fleming's intention, CJ, but it's rather a lame joke if it was.
ReplyDeleteI had the original toy as a Christmas present, I think (in December 1968, probably). I remember being taken to see the film at Hamilton Odeon (possibly in '69) and there was an intermission, just after the car takes off for the first time.
ReplyDeleteYou'll be pleased to know, Dougie, that the intermission card was restored for the widescreen edition of the DVD. I didn't see the movie until the mid to late '70s on TV.
ReplyDeleteI got the original for my 5th birthday (1970). The girl was missing from the back seat, so we returned it. It was the last one the store had. Ever since I looked for one at swap meets, antique stores, etc. Then in 1991, I got a letter in the mail there was to be a 25th anniversary edition. I was so excited. I still have it currently displayed in a sealed glass cabinet. I just also got the 2025 reissue to put with it. Because we returned the original, I became obessed over the years. I love the car, movie and music.
ReplyDeleteI've got the 25th Anniversary edition as well, which came with a wooden plinth in a blue box. Absent was the repro box, which wasn't exactly the same as the original, but I contacted Corgi when I found out about the box and they sent me one. I've also got the 25th reissue, as well as the one available from the Corgi shop, which has a few minor differences to the original and the 2025 reissue. Namely, the strap is 'printed' on the bonnet and isn't a plastic one, and it doesn't have 'diamond' headlights. Plus, the running boards were black and not silver.
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