It’s a “fine four-fendered friend” that flies on yellow and red wings tipped with propellers with actor Dick Van Dyke at the helm, at least on the silver screen.
Now the namesake star of 1968?s “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” will turn everybody’s head this weekend at its owner’s new Jacksonville business.according to our Florida Times-Union news partner.
Ralph Tyler Spencer shows the movie star car from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the grand opening of his huge Mulch Manufacturing facility in a former FedEx warehouse at 2480 Lane Ave. N. Complete with flowing copper exhaust pipe and shiny brass grill, it will join a Batmobile built for Mark Wahlberg’s 1995 film “Rock Star,” replicating one created by the late George Barris for 1965?s “Batman” TV series.
Parked atop beds of one of 22 different varieties of mulch Spencer’s company makes, they will have repeat showings at the same Bat-times over the next three weekends, weather permitting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZIT2EL_Tak&feature=youtu.be
Spencer said he’s always liked the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang motorcar and had looked for it for years. When it came up for sale in 2007, he bid $505,000 and won it, then spent about $575,000 to restore it to better than new. Now he’s showing it off on the 50th anniversary of the film.
“I’ve driven it in my neighborhood. It feels great,” he said. ”... I felt it was a good time to unveil Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the Batmobile so people know where it’s going to be. There’s been a lot of people who have asked to see it.”
Valuing a car from one of the most popular children’s movies is difficult, said Hagerty Insurance spokesman Jonathan Klinger. He and the classic car insurance company just helped display the 1968 Ford Mustang driven by Steve McQueen in the 1968 film “Bullitt” at the Amelia Island Concours d’Elegance. He said Chitty also has “pop culture appeal” a half-century after that film came out.
“If anything, it is the fact that Spencer went to as great a length as he did to restore it to better when it was filmed,” Klinger said. “These are some of the toughest cars to peg a value on. The reality is you are not buying just a car. It is what it represents as far as pop culture and it is larger than just the car. The car itself is the character. If you were to put together a list of the top-10 most recognizable TV and movie cars, this one is on the list along with Herbie the Love Bug and the Batmobile.”
Van Dyke played inventor Caractacus Potts in the film. Six versions of the car he “invented” were made for the film, two for driving and close-ups. With a Ford V-6 engine, its classic boattail is red mahogany and white cedar, and its aluminum wheels are designed to look like wooden spokes. “Hobbit” film producer Peter Jackson bought the primary film car in 2011 for just over $717,000. Spencer’s is the other one that was used for driving scenes.
Spencer said he tracked this car to a Chicago restaurant display, but its owner wouldn’t sell. When the restaurant went bankrupt, the car went to auction to pay bills. Spencer said he kept out-bidding a couple who also wanted the car and got it, surprised at the low price. He also got something else related to the fictional country whose ruler, Baron Bomburst, kidnapped Grandpa Potts in the film.
“I won the rights to the name Vulgaria,” Spencer said of the fictional country.