Count Zborowski’s exploits inspired Ian Fleming’s Chitty Chitty Bang Bang story. There were six original Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’s built for the 1968 film – two were racers and four were touring cars. One was fitted with a hovercraft skirt to skim over the water, while another was able to spread its wings when required. In the opening credits of the film, you can see tributes to the original Chitty Bang Bang racing history.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
Opening at the 1907 British Grand Prix, the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang #3 took first place. This continued at the 1908 Grand Prix De France with a doppelgänger Count Louis Zborowski exiting Chitty to collect his first place trophy. Next was the 1908 Grand Prix Deutschland with another 1st place win. During the 1909 British Grand Prix, the number 3 cars swerved to miss a young girl who ran after her dog across the path of the racing car, the car went of the track, crashed and burned, ending Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’s racing career. The race car was sold off for scrap metal.
The car eventually ends up in an old garage in rural England, where two children have grown fond of it. However, a man in the junkyard intends to buy the car for scrap, The children implore their father, an eccentric professor that invents wacky machinery to buy the car. After he sees and recognises the famous race car, he eventually promises the children that he will save the car. He then turns the broken-down Grand Prix car into a fancy vehicle for his children, and then they go off on a magical fantasy adventures.
Although the story beginning is not historically correct, it is however a fitting tributes to Count Louis Zborowski and the original Chitty Bang Bangs
BEAULIEU LAUNCHES CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG 50 YEARS EXHIBITION
26/09/2018 – To celebrate the golden half century of one of the world’s favourite films Beaulieu is to launch its Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 50 years exhibition which can be seen in the National Motor Museum from October 20. 2018
The exhibition will tell the story of Chitty as the star of the fantasmagorical family adventure and feature an original screen Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the Humber 8hp driven by Truly Scrumptious in the much-loved musical film.
Coggins’ Garage will be recreated in the museum to house the amazingly inventive machines of Rowland Emett seen in the film, including the Humbug Major Sweet Machine, Clockwork Lullabye, Little Dragon Carpet Sweeper and Hot Air Rocking Chair.
Standing outside will be a full-size replica of Grandpa Potts’ hut, recreated using the original 50-year-old technical drawings from the archive of EON Productions. The actual Spy Phone prop used in the film will be on show alongside.
Costumes as seen in the film will include those of the infamous Child Catcher and Sally Anne Howes’ life-size music box dolldress which she wore while dancing with Dick Van Dyke for Baron Bomburst’s birthday surprise.
A timeline wall will chart the Chitty story from its beginnings – as James Bond creator Ian Fleming’s inspirational book about the magical flying car – to Cubby Broccoli’s unique interpretation on film. Fleming was inspired by the real-life exploits of racing driver Count Louis Zborowski who designed and built four aero-engined racing cars that were named Chitty Bang Bang because of the sound they made while standing idle. The exhaust and leather bonnet strapfrom the Count’s original Mercedes Chitty will be on display as part of his legacy.
The cloud-shaped wall will also feature first edition copies of Fleming’s book which he wrote for his son Caspar and was published posthumously in 1964, alongside producer Cubby Broccoli’sprogramme from the Royal World Premiere of the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang film in 1968. Weird and wonderful Chitty memorabilia includes signatures of the star-studded cast, pedal and Corgi cars, comics, computer games, pop-up books and even lunch boxes made to celebrate the children’s favourite film.
Never exhibited before original film concept art by Sir Ken Adam, storyboard watercolour artwork by Robert Laing and technical drawings by Peter Lamont will be on display, along with the solid silver Chitty model bought for producer Cubby Broccoli by his wife Dana.
Outside in the grounds, visitors to Beaulieu can see a stunning Chitty Chitty Bang Bang reconstruction being driven around the attraction – you may even be lucky enough to go for a ride!
Thanks to Fleming’s brilliant story about the beautiful, magical car and Roald Dahl’s screenplay adaptation, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang remains as popular today as it ever has been.
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang 50 years can be seen as part of the general admission to Beaulieu, which includes entrance to the National Motor Museum, World of Top Gear, On Screen Cars, the ancestral Montagu family home of Palace House, 13thcentury Beaulieu Abbey and the grounds and gardens. To buy tickets in advance online or for more information see www.beaulieu.co.uk or call 01590 612345.
- Six original Chittys were built for the film by Alan Mann of Alan Mann Racing – two were racers and four were touring cars. One was fitted with a hovercraft skirt to skim over the water, while another was able to spread its wings when required.
- Beaulieu’s Chitty is owned by EON Productions and its after-film adventure took it to Australia, before being rediscovered by a film car enthusiast and brought back to the UK in 1987. It was used for the hovercraft and some ‘blue screen’ special effect flying sequences and therefore is mainly made of lighter weight aluminium to make it easier to manoeuvre during filming.
- It has since taken part in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York in 2004, visited the Queen for her Birthday Garden Party in 2006, flew to Singapore to promote Chitty Chitty Bang Bang The Musical in 2007 and had a day on London’s South Bank celebrating Cubby Broccoli’s centenary in 2009.
- The Chitty Chitty Bang Bang film, produced by Albert R. ‘Cubby’ Broccoli of James Bond fame, was Oscar nominated for its musical score and featured a host of stars including Dick Van Dyke, Sally Ann Howes, Lionel Jeffries, Benny Hill and Barbara Windsor.