Alan H
11th Dec 2003, 08:00
Thunderbirds really are go! Lady Penelope's new car has been out on the road for the first time during shooting for the forthcoming live-action film of the popular Sixties TV puppet series - and we think you'll agree it looks FAB in action.
The pink six-wheeler is the work of Ford and a blue oval spokesman told us: "The car was designed by a team at Ford of Europe, but Universal Studios brought in their own contractors to build it."
To create the vehicle, film bosses used engineers familiar with making such unique machinery. The job was given to the special effects team at Pinewood Studios, Bucks, which put together most of the cars featured in the James Bond films.
The vehicle is a runner, and underneath that long bonnet is a Ford engine. Although the spokesman wouldn't say which unit it is, the likelihood is that it's a V8 from the firm's very own Thunderbird model!
The car - which bears the registration plate FAB 1 - is more than eight metres long, so no existing chassis was suitable. Instead, engineers created their own, but given that the script says the vehicle also transforms into a jet plane and then a hydrofoil, this was no easy task. While Lady Penelope's car is sure to get all the attention, other members of International Rescue will be seen driving other Fords. Shooting of Thunderbirds is taking place in the UK and the Seychelles, and the film will be released next summer.
The pink six-wheeler is the work of Ford and a blue oval spokesman told us: "The car was designed by a team at Ford of Europe, but Universal Studios brought in their own contractors to build it."
To create the vehicle, film bosses used engineers familiar with making such unique machinery. The job was given to the special effects team at Pinewood Studios, Bucks, which put together most of the cars featured in the James Bond films.
The vehicle is a runner, and underneath that long bonnet is a Ford engine. Although the spokesman wouldn't say which unit it is, the likelihood is that it's a V8 from the firm's very own Thunderbird model!
The car - which bears the registration plate FAB 1 - is more than eight metres long, so no existing chassis was suitable. Instead, engineers created their own, but given that the script says the vehicle also transforms into a jet plane and then a hydrofoil, this was no easy task. While Lady Penelope's car is sure to get all the attention, other members of International Rescue will be seen driving other Fords. Shooting of Thunderbirds is taking place in the UK and the Seychelles, and the film will be released next summer.