Classics left to die/rotting pics
Discussion
eddy02 said:
yellowjack said:
Cowley had a Granada Ghia, Bodie had a silver Capri 3.0S, and Bodie started off with the white Escort RS2000 in the '78 and '79 series, but switched to a gold Capri in the final two series.
Did Bodie not start off with a white Dolomite Sprint.LordBretSinclair said:
Dapster said:
I can understand nostalgically holding on to a decaying old Moggie or Beetle hoping that one day you'd get around to restoring it, but a Yugo 45??
Why not???
As soon as it's 25 years old it will magically transform into a classic
tr7v8 said:
eddy02 said:
yellowjack said:
Cowley had a Granada Ghia, Bodie had a silver Capri 3.0S, and Bodie started off with the white Escort RS2000 in the '78 and '79 series, but switched to a gold Capri in the final two series.
Did Bodie not start off with a white Dolomite Sprint.yellowjack also said:
For the first series ('77) British Leyland had supplied the cars. Various Rovers and Triumphs were prominent, including a yellow SD1 reputed to have also appeared in The New Avengers as Steed's car.
There were reputed to have been many issues with the supply of the BL cars. Colour and model/trim changes by BL, reliability issues, and failure to supply cars as agreed/withdrawing cars prior to agreed dates. This was said to have played havoc with filming schedules as the cars were such a prominent feature of the series.I concentrate on the Fords from series 2 to series 5 as they are the cars most people remember. The Ford era series get regular re-runs, but I can't remember the last time I saw a 'season 1' repeat on the telly. It's also true to say that the first series wasn't the viewing peak of the run, and so fewer people remember it now, simply because fewer people watched it when it first aired.
Remember also that Martin Shaw wasn't really proud of his work in 'The Professionals' and so it wasn't allowed to be repeated on British terrestrial TV for many years. He described Doyle as something of a 'one dimensional character in a one dimensional series'. He and Lewis Collins fell out over this, as repeat fees where valuable to an actor who might spend long periods of time 'between jobs'. He is said to have relented only when he was told that Gordon Jackson's widow was suffering financially after Jackson's death.
Among the BL cars seen in the show were...
Rover P6 2000 Auto (brown, 1970 car) driven by both Bodie and Doyle in a couple of episodes
Rover 3500 SD1 (Turmeric Yellow) appeared as Cowley's car in several episodes. Reputed to have also been Steed's car in 'The New Avengers', also seen in early episodes of 'The Return of The Saint'.
Triumph TR7 (Pageant Blue) seen in two episodes, driven by Doyle
Triumph Dolomite Sprint (White) seen in at least 4 episodes, both Bodie and Doyle at the wheel
Then came at least SEVEN Capris, FOUR Granadas, and the RS2000, making various appearances in seasons 2 to 5.
shakotan said:
LordBretSinclair said:
Dapster said:
I can understand nostalgically holding on to a decaying old Moggie or Beetle hoping that one day you'd get around to restoring it, but a Yugo 45??
Why not???As soon as it's 25 years old it will magically transform into a classic
LordBretSinclair said:
yellowjack said:
Doyle drove a white Escort RS2000 with a black vinyl roof 
He certainly did.
Speculation in the Ford world continues to this day about the RS2000 and its possible whereabouts.
The reg number may not be real.
The car is the wrong spec for a T reg as well.
iva cosworth said:
Ford RS anorak in the house....
Speculation in the Ford world continues to this day about the RS2000 and its possible whereabouts.
The reg number may not be real.
The car is the wrong spec for a T reg as well.
Lots of the cars in 'The Professionals' wore false plates for filming. Several mistakes were made when preparing cars for filming, whereby there are very brief appearances by the genuine plate on screen, and plate swaps between cars. You really have to have a lot of time on your hands to find them though. Sometimes the bulk of a genuine plate was used, but 'doctored' to disguise it's true ID. Speculation in the Ford world continues to this day about the RS2000 and its possible whereabouts.
The reg number may not be real.
The car is the wrong spec for a T reg as well.
At least four of the Capris used were saved, and still exist. One of the later Granadas was traced to a breakers by a fan. He found it's location three days after it was cubed! Most of the other vehicles are no longer with us, having long since stopped being reported on DVLA records. There is a very active scene for fans of the show, especially the cars, and the ones that do survive often appear at classic car shows.
You are right about the spec of the RS2000. It wears a 'T' plate on screen (1978) but it's real identity is PNO 672R. The internet sites concerned with the show suggest it's a 1976 car. DVLA shows it as a vehicle built/first registered in 1977, and it's last tax disc expired on 01 February 1988.
It was also returned to Ford and retro fitted with a sunroof during filming, as the car was too dark for filming purposes, having already appeared on screen without the sunroof.
Rumour has it that Ford withdrew the RS2000 from the production company after the 1979 series wrapped, because the launch of the Escort MkIII was due in 1980 and they were keen to avoid Doyle being seen driving an 'old' model on screen. It's replacement was a Ford Capri Mark III 3.0S, OAR 576V ('V' changed to a 'W' on screen) in 'Solar Gold', mainly because there was initially no 'hot' version of the MkIII Escort. The following year it too was replaced by VHK 11W (Genuine VRN), another Capri Mark III 3.0S in Tibetan Gold.
Both of the Gold 'Doyle' Capris and both of the Strato Silver 'Bodie' Capris are still thought to survive in running order. Although the post from "eddy02" above suggests that COO 251T is in need of some TLC.
yellowjack said:
iva cosworth said:
Ford RS anorak in the house....
Speculation in the Ford world continues to this day about the RS2000 and its possible whereabouts.
The reg number may not be real.
The car is the wrong spec for a T reg as well.
Lots of the cars in 'The Professionals' wore false plates for filming. Several mistakes were made when preparing cars for filming, whereby there are very brief appearances by the genuine plate on screen, and plate swaps between cars. You really have to have a lot of time on your hands to find them though. Sometimes the bulk of a genuine plate was used, but 'doctored' to disguise it's true ID. Speculation in the Ford world continues to this day about the RS2000 and its possible whereabouts.
The reg number may not be real.
The car is the wrong spec for a T reg as well.
At least four of the Capris used were saved, and still exist. One of the later Granadas was traced to a breakers by a fan. He found it's location three days after it was cubed! Most of the other vehicles are no longer with us, having long since stopped being reported on DVLA records. There is a very active scene for fans of the show, especially the cars, and the ones that do survive often appear at classic car shows.
You are right about the spec of the RS2000. It wears a 'T' plate on screen (1978) but it's real identity is PNO 672R. The internet sites concerned with the show suggest it's a 1976 car. DVLA shows it as a vehicle built/first registered in 1977, and it's last tax disc expired on 01 February 1988.
It was also returned to Ford and retro fitted with a sunroof during filming, as the car was too dark for filming purposes, having already appeared on screen without the sunroof.
Rumour has it that Ford withdrew the RS2000 from the production company after the 1979 series wrapped, because the launch of the Escort MkIII was due in 1980 and they were keen to avoid Doyle being seen driving an 'old' model on screen. It's replacement was a Ford Capri Mark III 3.0S, OAR 576V ('V' changed to a 'W' on screen) in 'Solar Gold', mainly because there was initially no 'hot' version of the MkIII Escort. The following year it too was replaced by VHK 11W (Genuine VRN), another Capri Mark III 3.0S in Tibetan Gold.
Both of the Gold 'Doyle' Capris and both of the Strato Silver 'Bodie' Capris are still thought to survive in running order. Although the post from "eddy02" above suggests that COO 251T is in need of some TLC.
This annoyed me in the second series of 'vexed' on the bbc, they used a pre-facelift Foucs ST (facelift happened at 56 plate), and drove it with a 60 plate, which is too modern for the car!
Dave G fsi said:
Reg plate discrepencies happen alot. To me I'm unsure as to why its done/why more research isn't put into it, or is it just because we are all car nuts and are the only ones who notice?
This annoyed me in the second series of 'vexed' on the bbc, they used a pre-facelift Foucs ST (facelift happened at 56 plate), and drove it with a 60 plate, which is too modern for the car!
That Quattro on Ashes to Ashes was all over the place in this regard...This annoyed me in the second series of 'vexed' on the bbc, they used a pre-facelift Foucs ST (facelift happened at 56 plate), and drove it with a 60 plate, which is too modern for the car!
Yertis said:
That Quattro on Ashes to Ashes was all over the place in this regard...
Although they went to the trouble of pointing out all of them when the series was announced, knowing we'd be all over it if they didn't.I'm sure I've seen an interview with Martin Shaw where he flat-out denied blocking re-runs of The Professionals, and denied being unwilling to talk about it in interviews.
Dave G fsi said:
Reg plate discrepencies happen alot. To me I'm unsure as to why its done/why more research isn't put into it, or is it just because we are all car nuts and are the only ones who notice?
You should try watching the trains in period dramas. Nearly every tearful goodbye departs from Horsted Keynes (Bluebell Railway). If they use stock footage of a train departing a London terminus you can guarantee it's a different loco pulling it when they cut to a shot of it coming out of a tunnel! Usually the engines shown are totally wrong for the location with Southern Railway engines (back to the Bluebell Railway again) pulling a train across the Yorkshire Moors etc. etc. 
My wife tells me not to worry about it but a little research on the part of the directors and care by the continuity people would make the difference. Gassing Station | Classic Cars and Yesterday's Heroes | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff