'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' Banned (Not Roadworthy)

UPI ^ | July 8, 2009

[nickcarraway]

The beloved vintage car from the 1968 movie "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" can't appear in a British parade because it's not roadworthy, local officials say. The car, with its red and yellow wings, flew children away from danger in the film, but now presents a danger to the public in this weekend's Norwich, England, Street Procession, because it lacks a proper Ministry of Transport inspection certificate, the Daily Telegraph reported Wednesday.

"The Chitty Chitty Bang Bang car does not have a valid MoT certificate and therefore breaches regulations," said Harry Mitchell of the Norfolk Police told the newspaper, adding that he'd be happy to allow the 50-year old car participate if it were placed atop a flatbed truck.

An official with the parade's producer, the Norwich Theatre Royal, said he tried to find a trailer for the car but couldn't locate one in time.

"It just proved too difficult to … get the necessary permission and insure the car despite several weeks of effort," John Bultitude told the Telegraph. "It would have been easier if Chitty really did fly as a pilot's license only takes a minimum of 45 hours to obtain."

[Joe 6-pack]

"Oh, sure, were it a Bond car, they’d have no problem..."

It is a Bond car. Ian Fleming wrote Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

[a fool in paradise]

And Broccoli produced the film as well as the Bond series.

[Political Junkie Too]

It is a Bond car, of sorts. Same movie producer. Same author.

Same villian, too. (Gert Frobe - Goldfinger)

-PJ

[Charles Martel]

Same villian, too. (Gert Frobe - Goldfinger)

Desmond Llewelyn ("Q") had a bit part in the film as well, as the junk dealer who had the old race car (IIRC).

[Political Junkie Too]

Yup. He was Coggins.

-PJ

[GYL2]

This is in the same place where they wanted to ban fire extinguishers.

[Tanniker Smith]

Guess I should've included a smiley in my original post.
8-)

[packrat35]

[supercat]

Better run it on ethynol, the engine be damned.

IIRC, the only CCBB car with a functional engine ran on butane (for the same reason that many forklifts do--to allow indoor use without special venting requirements).

[supercat]

So what’s the deal? It is a real antique car or a mock-up made for a movie?

IIRC, there were multiple CCBB prop cars. Although most of them lacked any sort of engine, one of the cars was built with a butane-powered engine to allow it to be driven both indoors and outdoors. While the car was built to be a movie prop, and would likely not be durable enough for use as an everyday automobile, it is (or would be, but for H.M. government bureaucrats) a drivable which, given its age, could reasonably be called antique.

[Still Thinking]

Well, fine, so just fly the damn thing along at 12” above the pavement, or MacAdam, or whatever the hell Brits call asphalt.

[smokingfrog]

[50sDad]

Ah, when the world was young, I was too, and it was a compliment to enjoy the smile of a pretty woman. (And other things, of course.)

[RichInOC]

“Bloody ’ell. Does this mean I can’t fly my privy, either?”

[Yardstick]

Somehow the Brits’ characteristic orderliness and respect for civil authority has become pathological. I wonder how many of them are aware that they're not quite themselves these days?

[Ultra Sonic 007]

An entirely different reason to click on this thread.

[Slings and Arrows]

Cue “Yakkity Sax”...