FAB Facts: What was this vehicle for in UFO's SHADO HQ?

[@Wurlyscope]

I think these transport devices where more of a safety hazard for those walking around because of the pointy front corners with nothing acting as a shock absorbing bumper. But it looked cool and give the impression the Shadow underground headquarter complex is huge. In space 1999, i cannot imagine moonbase Alpha without the pink-lit transport tubes reminding the viewer of the shear size of it.

[@andrewkearley]

Do we ever see that guy getting out of the little cart? Since we only see the one, I kind of assumed it was just for that one operative - that he was disabled, and it was how he got around HQ, which would also account for why it goes at walking pace.

[@DanBen07]

Yeah I also thought these could be used if people that have walking issues.

[@susanscott8653]

I came here to comment something similar - it was perhaps an initiative - in the future of 1980 - to get reduce the barriers to disabled people being in work. It probably wasn't allowed to go faster than walking pace for health and safety reasons.

[@zacmumblethunder7466]

Judging by how he's sitting, if he doesn't have a disability to begin with, he will after a couple of rides in that thing.

[@walterscientist]

I also assumed it was a futuristic motorized wheelchair. If moving people around more efficiently was the idea, I would assume the vehicle would have multiple seats like a golf cart.

[@kjamison5951]

That’s what I thought too. There was a broad range of characters with different ethnicities, it’s only fair to make the leap of faith that a person who was differently bales would also be employed by SHADO based on their merits and expertise.

[@andrewbennett7385]

It was quite common to have golf cart style vehicles in use on big sites, especially for executives to use. Probably more a case of taking an accepted normal idea and projecting it into the future rather than inventing a futuristic concept.

[@richardmattocks]

If SHADO HQ was huge, the idea of a buggy works better., and speaking as someone who works in a very large public building, we have buggies to go from one area to another. Yes they only go slightly faster than walking pace but if you have to move around the area for 8h+ they have their place.

[@mikesilva3868]

Agreed 😊

[@metropod]

I'm pretty sure, like, they do that at the Pentagon. There's like these, repurposed luggage carts they drive around in.

[@masterbondofox8982]

My early memories were that it was a golf cart, and I also swore it had the SHADO logo on the front. Frankly, I never thought it got enough screen time, I always thought it was a cool vehicle and a cool idea. Where is it now, I wonder.

[@LatitudeSky]

The little "evil lair" monorails in Bond's Moonraker and You Only Live Twice were probably from a similar thinking. Moving set dressing (can't think of a better way to say it) worked a bit better on the bigger scale of a movie set. Would not at all be shocked it the same effects craftspeople worked on all three.

[@zacmumblethunder7466]

Interesting point about Bessie in Dr Who. It fitted the third Doctor in a way that the Whomobile really didn't. Yet the Whomobile suited Jon Pertwee perfectly.

[@Crafter_Dave]

Starski & Hutch car, was a Ford Torino. With a dropped rest axle. I saw a clone at a car show, and the owner, admitted that handling was terrible .😂

[@TheMightyAntar]

At the time the series was made, such things were on the market both in the UK and the USA for getting around large scale factories or industrial plants. Search on Google for the Morrison Midge Runabout for an example. In the UFO series we only see SHADOW headquarters as a small underground base because it's where all the action takes place, I would guess at the planning stage of the series the HQ was envisaged as a vast underground base and the vehicle is there to give you an idea of what you can't see.

[@TonyNaggs]

Interesting little vehicle that I had forgotten. For a big hq site it could have the same role as segways and golf carts in big complexes of facilitating travel further across the site and maybe moving equipment?

[@katenunyabizness9221]

I also suspect the chutes the interceptor pilots went into was a nod to the Tracy boys.

[@cyberleaderandy1]

And Skydiver as well

[@metropod]

I knew someone would bring up that Sinclar overly complicated go-kart...

[@thomridgeway1438]

The original C5, proof that Sir Clive Sinclair was an alien from another world

[@LoftBits]

No, it's 1980, Sinclair has had his prototypes and blueprints for some time now - SHADO must've nicked them!

[@tonygunn6889]

C5 too low to ground on road with car 🚚. View not safe

[@funguy8801]

Not just the Sinclair C5, but more recently, the Segway and the popular Electric Scooters that are everywhere these days. Albeit the latter two are more 'vertical' than 'sitting' personal mobility vehicles.

[@richardjstuart3978]

The weird thing is that in Penn Station NY Post 9/11 they installed a similar vehicle into the station. It was a four seater, kind of a golf cart really. I have no idea what the heck they thought they were going to do with that. But hey, Shado predicted it.

[@Galacticadude]

I think that vehicle may have had a secret compartment. The driver was covertly delivering classified documents to Straker.

[@Laceykat66]

Many sci-fi shows of that era had personal transport vehicles jonting around the "headquarters" of some large organization. West World, Fantastic Voyage, Time Tunnle, etc.

West World and Fantastic Voyage weren't (TV) shows, but "proper" movies. But yes, they did have transport vehicles. West World, IIRC, basically had gold carts… and they moved at a gold cart's speed, which is sufficiently faster than walking speed.

[@jehoiakimelidoronila5450]

Little personal transport thingies like that are a, or a must, in every large & complex places, be it irl or in Sci-Fi. They only go impractical if they're only set to run at walking pace, defeating their purpose to be in that setting in the 1st place Want to go to the bathroom (or loo)but for some reason it's about a kilometer away? Just hop on your personal (fast-moving) transport & you'll be on your merry way

[@johnclay7644]

good fab fact from. 1969+ look forward to the next podcast.

[@adrianfundescu5407]

Yes , the little cart was a reminescence from another era. Just a prop.

[@zacmumblethunder7466]

It's a bit like those things in Silent Running. But more dainty.

[@mikesilva3868]

Great info 😊

[@MarkSW]

I’m sure those vehicles were meant to be some kind of wheelchair with one or two extras.

[@DanBen07]

Yeah I also thought they could be for some some kind of issue with walking.

[@andrewgilbride7546]

Sinclair C5 early prototype, a C1 perhaps?

[@DanielbenYishai]

The little vehicle was too low to the ground. The driver couldn't get in and out easily at that height. At the very least, it could have been a bit longer, with some crates in the back so that it was doing something practical in terms of hauling. Another option would have designed a futuristic wheelchair that was motorized.

[@cyberleaderandy1]

The photo showing the vehicle also shows a girl in a catsuit and a guy in a suit. Weird mix but i know of the three which was probably the most popular with fans.

[@psychoprosthetic]

Car in Starky and Hutch wasn't a Granada it was a Gran Torino. The Granada was John thaw's car in the Sweeney before he was promoted to the Jag.

[@pastorrich7436]

Like my wife wearing heels in evening dress to New Year’s on a cold cold night, it may lack practicality but it looks good! We see devices like the mouse droid in Star Wars. Why? Why not?! They look futuristic and add texture to the show. Loved UFO and still do today. Cheers!

[@JohnWilliamNowak]

Usually, that sort of light vehicle is used to haul cargo or people with a medical condition. Maybe if it had a trailer loaded with something that looked heavy?

[@declanclark5316]

Maybe the guy on it had mobility issues? Not in real life, perhaps, but in the show?

[@chinamayhew6469]

now would you please the explain the harlington straker go carts in time lash?

[@SamLowryDZ-015]

They seemed in line with American shows with secret military bases/bunkers with people buzzing around on golf-carts like the CMDF in the Fantastic Voyage.

[@redengine4433]

i saw it as a wheel chair, a lot like commander's shore hover chair

[@iandeeley9033]

I just wished that they kept the UFO Buggy, it does look futuristic! #FabFacts

[@jd4925]

Wasn't there something similar in the 'evacuation scene' in the last episode of 'The Prisoner' 'Fall Out'?

[@DanBen07]

Well if a character had a walking issue and wanted to still get around🤔

[@tomstamford6837]

They loved those little buggies in 70s sci-fi. UFO, Space 1999, Silent Running, to name a few. Speaking of toys, to this day I am kicking myself I never got the Dinky models Interceptor! Got the Shadow mobile and one of the variants of an Eagle, but I really wanted that Interceptor. At least I know what to do if I ever win the lottery - hunt this stuff down!

[@AtheistOrphan]

The Silent Running buggies were the coolest, I SO wanted one of those!

[@tomstamford6837]

@@AtheistOrphan Get in line. 😆 I can't believe I never looked them up, never knew these 6 wheel ATVs are called Amphicats. Not that expensive really. But yeah, if I had a property or somewhere to goof around, I would definitely get one.

[@mcasualjacques]

you know Straker when he parks at the The Headquarters isnt there a 2nd futuristic car or 2 in that parking? the problem is i mix it with "Mission Impossible" when they fooled a bad-guy into thinking he woke up 20 years in the future after a coma

[@MsMrBigglesworth]

Keep in mind that people still crave single person carriers as witness to the no-so cheap Segue carrier, or the far more inexpensive alternates of electrified bicycles and skateboards. So maybe the main view of a personal transport is that it is very firmly rooted in sci-fi and in current reality. Showing Anderson as a near prophetic genius concerning this futuristic trend. Except getting the size if it right. It should have been smaller.

[@DavidSiebert]

Okay if you want to make it logical maybe they have high-speed transport tubes we just don't see that those carts can merge onto and cover a larger distance. Probably not all that fast because of the lack of wind protection. Another option is they can tow a trailer or several like a train to transport heavy objects around the area. When you see it alone it could just be going from one location to another. The real answer is they thought it looked cool and made it so they used it for a while until they saw no real reason to use it. If you pay for a prop you might as well use it.

[@bettyleeist]

I remember,some What,a golf cart in Sikent Running.I think 🤔 a robot 🤖 crossing it’s path got run over,and ended up;”a bloody mess’in the 🎞 film!I remember Edward Straker and Virginia Lake rode in that futuristic vehicle 🚗 at;Harrington-Straker studio’s!It reminded me of the vehicle’s in;Journey to the far side of the 🌞 Sun from;1969.😅😅😅😅😅😅😅❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@trevorbrown6654]

Thankyou for addressing the elephant (well, personal transport vehicle) in the room. I noticed that when I finally saw the whole series when BBC2 showed twenty something years ago. The poor bloke in the vehicle was probably told he looks cool and futuristic but then he realised years later he just looks a bit of a dick driving that thing. It still must have cost a few bob to make it though and then they realised it just makes the people of the future look bloody lazy. Still, the concept didn't entirely go away as the moon buggy that turned up in Space:1999 looked a lot more sensible and actually made sense in that show.

[@trevorbrown6654]

Actually I think that vehicle may have turned up in another episode. Can't entirely be 100% im right but I remember an episode ('Timelash') with Patrick Allen trying to kill Straker on the studio backlot. I'm sure that vehicle may have made an appearance there.

[@Thrawn1]

i thoght it was made out of a Sinclair c5.

[@stevem-h3562]

fifteen years before the C5. Gerry was a visionary, LOLZ

[@NiennaT]

the litle vechicle is basically a mobility scoter,. Maybe someown would like to make one for a disabled sci fi con goer or sci fi colsplayer who is diabaled.

[@geoffburrows6988]

Looks like a Bond Bug.

[@LoftBits]

Could it be means of transport for disabled SHADO personnel?... Or for those who couldn't walk straight after multiple visits to ubiquitous whisky dispensers?...

[@MichaelS-pr9qn]

I always assumed that this was a mobility aid for someone with either a temporary of permanent walking challenge due to an in service injury. Oh Well, clearly the future was not that inclined.

[@timetraveller6643]

BETTER IDEA: Human sized Sushi Train. Raised to about a meter off the floor, hop on, lie down, hop off at your destination. You're welcome.

[@andrewparkin4036]

Richard James hang your head, Starsky and Hutch drive a Ford Gran Torino not a Granada tsk tsk. You are forgiven.

[@borisgalos6967]

Of course the Sinclair C5 was from 1985, a full fifteen years after UFO so they're hardly from the same era any more than the UFO designs were in the same era as the Jaguar XK140 or the Triumph TR2.

[@davidhollingdale5408]

I would call it a motorised wheelchair, used by operatives recuperating from injuries sustained in the field.

[@cpuuk]

Designed to take out a shin.

[@michaelodonoghue7464]

The intention of including this personal mobility device was to show that a person with a disability could make a worthwhile contribution to a Military Formation. By way of example let me use Myself. In 1988 I, (a person with disabilities) was an Officer of the Crown, employed by the Parliament and the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia, attached to the ultra secretive Australian Department of Defence and embedded into the the Australian Military. So impressed was the Australian Army with My Military Planning Skills, they tried to recruit Me into their ranks as a Colonel in the Royal Australian Corps of Military Police, despite the knowledge that under normal circumstances My disabilities would ordinarily preclude Me from any form of Military Service. Regrettably I didn’t accept their Once in a Lifetime Offer.

[@aaronatherton7431]

It is there for people who have had an extended stay on the moon and are readjusting to earth gravity....not like our heros, who don't spend as much time in space and who have an exercise regime that keeps them from needing the little cart to get around.

[@chrisparkes2179]

"What was it?" Flipping dangerous, I'd say. "Nature of incident: Collision in corridor Injury: Two fractured shins What happened:. I was carrying a big box of string vests to be sent to the skydiver base when an idiot on a motorised trolley drove in front of me where I couldn't see him"

[@donm5354]

Reminded me of amusement park bumper cars. I could imagine the low cars crushing peoples shins as they rounded corners. OW!! If they were something like real world Segway standing transports they might have made more sense. But even then 25 years ago the Segway creators (called them IT) imagined the general public all on those things zipping around the world cities. They often tipped over injuring people where I was and were briefly seen being used by tourism companies - I once saw an older man go up a handicap curb ramp at an intersection -fell backwards and hit his head on the pavement. They vanished not long after - probably due to lawsuits! Now such things are seen mostly in large warehouses and used by rent-a-cop security people in shopping malls. Think a film like PAUL BLART - MALL COP. Even then teenagers would often make rude comments to them saying "Whats up... PAUL BLART !" Im still waiting for my BLADE RUNNER / FIFTH ELEMENT style Flying Car that I can fly in and out of my garage like GEORGE JETSON. What THEY call flying cars these days are like expensive Mini Helicopters/small planes with folding wings that must be flown in and out of airports or estates of the wealthy with private airports.

[@davidrosler5413]

Please add the word THESIS to the top of your post. 😉

[@markpaxton144]

This is the voice of the Mysterons, acting on behalf of Lou Hirsch, the Earthmen Known as Jamie and Richard, are for the high jump, if the take in vain the name of that most excellent actor Lou Hirsch

[@ivane5110]

Shame they couldnt have repurposed into something like a futuristic wheelchair or something.

[@eleanorburns8686]

Tesla Cyberchair

[@SteveMrW]

It was a Ford Torino and not a Granada. Please loose the sub titles.

[@mikerone49]

Perhaps it is a wheelchair of the future ?? SHADO is progressive in their hiring practices.

[@lvirag8401]

space precinct? simone bendix! sweet christ what a beauty.

[@biffmalibu5384]

Was a Ford "TORINO"

[@Jeffers1960]

Where are you two from? it's a SHADO walking chair for the disabled🧑‍🦼🧑‍🦼 Have a break you've been over working😘