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Tuesday 4 September 2012

KAR 120C

  I think this is my best side, I'm more photogenic from this angle don't you think? But I was not always how you see me now, oh no. There I was, the Lotus Car's demonstrator, having a nice kip under a tarpaulin sheet, when suddenly it was pulled away revealing me to the elements. These chaps all stood about looking at me, when this chap said 'That's the car I want. But have it re-sprayed in British racing green, and give it a yellow nose." Bloody cheek I thought, I liked my black gleaming paintwork just as it was.
   So I was re-sprayed, and I wondered what all this palaver was about? Little did I know at the time that I was going to star in a television series! When they came to collect me, they drove me up and down a long and deserted runway, I was at my best in that scene, I could really put my foot down, racing out of the distance towards the camera. The wind rushing over my bonnet, the burning rubber, pounding pistons, the smell of oil and petrol in the air, this was real freedom woweeeeeeeeee.
   Then we went to London, the busy traffic was not so good for me. Beep beep I went, get out of my way! I began to feel uncomfortable, my engine began to over heat.......that damned number attached to my front grill, it was obstructing the air flow! But it was a great sight seeing trip, the Westminster bridge, Houses of Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Hyde Park Corner, Apsley House, and Marble Arch. I had never seen such places, let alone having driven along the Mall before.
   I thought that was it for me, but not so. Because a woman took over behind the wheel, she said she had always had a taste for a little speed! Then this other chap came along, I'd not seen him before, but he was a little more adventurous, we were set to go abroad, judging that we left London for Dover, well that what's the road sign said. Over the English Channel, through France, Switzerland, into Austria..........No, they didn't do anything of the kind! It was all done with tricks of the camera and film projected on a screen, we hardly left the film studio! I was disappointed I don't mind telling you, I'd never been on the European continent before!
    And that was it. I was returned to Lotus cars. In time I was sold to some chap in Australia. He was no driver, in fact........there was an accident, we crashed, I was..............completely written off! You've heard of the ghost in the machine, well I'm the machine!
    Then the day came when they came calling for KAR120C again, but I wan't there. They arranged for another Lotus 7 to be painted in the same British racing green for the filming. The car in 'Fall Out' looks like me, but it isn't me.......or is it? Because just between you and me, some of the film in 'Fall Out' is clearly stock footage, the same as it was in 'Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling,' and that means me, and not some Lotus 7 imposter!
  Today my spirit lives on, as motoring enthusiasts for 'the Prisoner' give their hand built cars the British racing green and yellow nose livery of the original KAR120C.

I'll be seeing you

2 comments:

  1. KAR 120 C was BLACK - not green.
    Confirmed by David Nearn - head of Caterham cars who provided it (them), on numerous occasions. He still owns the reg KAR 120 C

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    Replies
    1. Hello Mr. Fitzsimmons,

      Absolutely right about the colour, but I didn't know that David Nearn still owns the reg KAR 120C, thank you for adding that information.
      Of course you'll be aware that the original KAR 120C, the Lotus demonstrator, was sold to a buyer in Australia, and was a right-off in a car crash. But I do not know what became of the second Lotus 7 used in 'the Prisoner.'

      Have a good afternoon
      Very kind regards
      David

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