UFO
UFO Home Page, devoted to the 1970 British science fiction television series UFO, created by Gerry & Sylvia Anderson and starring Ed Bishop as Commander Straker
All well before my time but stumbled across snippets in this direction & thought I should hunt some more and share:
(sorry about the size)
UFO / Doppleganger cars
These cars, wo of three originally built for Gerry Anderson's first live-action feature film "Doppleganger" (US title: "Journey to the Far Side of the Sun"), would go on to feature prominently in his later TV series "UFO". The one shown above in bronze color belonged to "S.H.A.D.O." Commander "Ed Straker" (played Ed Bishop) while the second car, in violet, belonged his Second-in-Command, Colonel Paul Foster (played be Michael Billington).
The cars were designed by Ford consultant designer Len Bailey and built by the famous Alan Mann Racing Company (builders of the world famous Ford GT-40 racing cars and the "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" from the movie of the same name). They were built over a six month period on modified Zephyr-Zodiac Mk4 platforms fitted with Escort engines and gearboxes, cost approximately $12,000 to build and were considered under-powered by those who drove them. The two cars have aluminum bodies made from the same basic mold lines with minor modifications to make them appear to be different. Straker's car could be considered the "basic" version while Foster's car has added details to change its appearance, such as the obvious air scoops and less-obvious extensions to the front and rear body work. These extensions not only make the car slightly longer but also serve to make it appear sleeker. While the Straker car dimensions are unknown, the Foster car is reportedly 8 feet wide by 18 feet long. That's a big car by any standard!
FostersCar:
The first B&W photo at the top of the page shows the original look of the "Foster" car when it was being used for the film "Doppleganger". The front, side and rear photos of the car were probably taken so that studio draftsmen could prepare drawings from which miniature versions would later be built for use in special effects sequences.
The bottom set shows the car as it looked by1999.
Strakers Car:
Originally painted metallic grey for Doppelgänger, it was resprayed a tan/gold colour and became Commander Straker's car in UFO.
During the production of "UFO" this car would have a mold made from it and series production attempted in an effort to sell copies to the general public. David Lowe and Sidney Carlton invested the required funds to form a new company and buy the license rights to produce the car. The new company was called the "Explorer Motor Company" and their Straker-car copy would be called "Quest". The venture ultimately fell through when the expected sales never materialized and only one example is known to survive today, it being in the collection of Tony Read along with the original Paul Foster car.
Straker's car and SHADO jeeps
Constructed on British Leyland Mini Mokes by Space Models at Feltham
UFO Home Page, devoted to the 1970 British science fiction television series UFO, created by Gerry & Sylvia Anderson and starring Ed Bishop as Commander Straker
All well before my time but stumbled across snippets in this direction & thought I should hunt some more and share:
(sorry about the size)
UFO / Doppleganger cars
These cars, wo of three originally built for Gerry Anderson's first live-action feature film "Doppleganger" (US title: "Journey to the Far Side of the Sun"), would go on to feature prominently in his later TV series "UFO". The one shown above in bronze color belonged to "S.H.A.D.O." Commander "Ed Straker" (played Ed Bishop) while the second car, in violet, belonged his Second-in-Command, Colonel Paul Foster (played be Michael Billington).
The cars were designed by Ford consultant designer Len Bailey and built by the famous Alan Mann Racing Company (builders of the world famous Ford GT-40 racing cars and the "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" from the movie of the same name). They were built over a six month period on modified Zephyr-Zodiac Mk4 platforms fitted with Escort engines and gearboxes, cost approximately $12,000 to build and were considered under-powered by those who drove them. The two cars have aluminum bodies made from the same basic mold lines with minor modifications to make them appear to be different. Straker's car could be considered the "basic" version while Foster's car has added details to change its appearance, such as the obvious air scoops and less-obvious extensions to the front and rear body work. These extensions not only make the car slightly longer but also serve to make it appear sleeker. While the Straker car dimensions are unknown, the Foster car is reportedly 8 feet wide by 18 feet long. That's a big car by any standard!
FostersCar:
The first B&W photo at the top of the page shows the original look of the "Foster" car when it was being used for the film "Doppleganger". The front, side and rear photos of the car were probably taken so that studio draftsmen could prepare drawings from which miniature versions would later be built for use in special effects sequences.
The bottom set shows the car as it looked by1999.
Strakers Car:
Originally painted metallic grey for Doppelgänger, it was resprayed a tan/gold colour and became Commander Straker's car in UFO.
During the production of "UFO" this car would have a mold made from it and series production attempted in an effort to sell copies to the general public. David Lowe and Sidney Carlton invested the required funds to form a new company and buy the license rights to produce the car. The new company was called the "Explorer Motor Company" and their Straker-car copy would be called "Quest". The venture ultimately fell through when the expected sales never materialized and only one example is known to survive today, it being in the collection of Tony Read along with the original Paul Foster car.
Straker's car and SHADO jeeps
Constructed on British Leyland Mini Mokes by Space Models at Feltham