The Story Of The Real FAB 1!

[@davidclegg3554]

As a long term Mellor Coachcraft employee I was there when Lady Penelope was rebuilt, she was in a sorry state when rolled into the shop. Everyone there had a great time working on her from the M.D Les Procter, Production Manager Geoff Hudson, all on the shopfloor and paintshop, wonderful and sometimes hilarious memories. The highly skilled panel beater Bill Freeman(a.k.a. Billy Whizz) remade the exterior panels and trims, a local aircraft repairer reproduced the perspex canopy. The paint was matched by our paint supplier and christened "Lady Penelope Pink". I am pleased to know that the car has a good home. The full story of her rebuild would be the subject of first class and often hilarious article in a car magazine. Mellor went on to do further work for Peter Nelson including, the James Bond Aston DB5, James Bond Toyota open top sports car, Batman's car(in which we found a pair of black silk underpants!), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and many other projects. All made life fun and memory packed.

[@JackStackhouse]

That's amazing!! Thankyou for sharing! 😁

[@ptonpc]

If you are able, could you share some more tales from your time?

[@Graham_Patch]

The "Toyota open top sports car". That shows how much you know about that classic. If you had a clue what you were working on then I doubt you would have butchered such a work of art by chopping the roof off.

[@haidenthomas6002]

Surely you didn't call FAB-1 "Lady Penelope"

[@robertmorris6529]

Batman's or Robin's ?

[@edwinsmith-jones6205]

I'm surprised that Rolls Royce has never made a "real" high-quality FAB 1 themselves. Just imagine publicity they'd garner for themselves.

[@frglee]

I agree, but I think the RR management of the time thought it was all rather beneath them, and embarrassed that they couldn't stop their name and image of a futuristic version of their cars being used on a childrens tv series (!). They sound like a very stuffy, snobby and boring bunch of suits - all they wanted to do was send FAB 1 to the crushing plant.

[@originalsusser]

There is the Rolls Royce Arcadia Droptail. I think it's as close as can be for a practical impractical car

[@Taladar2003]

@@frglee It sort of makes sense. Their core buyer demographic are arrogant, ignorant assholes who don't care about anything but money so obviously the company has to be like that too.

[@CATech1138]

RR..sees FAB....oh ugh, the commons are at it again...

[@monteceitomoocher]

​@@frgleeagree, RR really missed some great product placement and publicity with their stuffed shirt management attitude, much the same story with the 'Italian job' Austin Rover couldn't have been more unhelpful supplying vehicles and help for the film, any other manufacturer would've given their right arm for all that publicity.

[@cinemaipswich4636]

In 1965 I was a ten year old, and was blown away by the Thunderbirds on TV. My mother let me go all the way to the big city on my own. When I got there, there were lots of other kids with their toys and models. We all loved each other and the Thunderbirds, and it was the sweetest moment of my life. Some of the girls that were there, dressed up as Lady Penelope. A child's memory will last forever.

[@BHALT0S]

yeah, in 1979, my mother tried to kill me, and you're right, those memories last forever.

[@kbtube8125]

nice. . .

[@kbtube8125]

@@BHALT0S how could she be so upset, there was real disco to be enjoyed.

[@chrispenn715]

FAB 1; more tasteful than a current Rolls Royce 😂

[@robbiekop7]

Patsy & Edwina Monsoon falling out of the back seats with a Bottle of Bollinger and smoking a cigarette 🚬

[@somebloke5565]

Sadly true.

[@keithpovall9996]

Agreed

[@38dragoon38]

Your comment is true! Rolls Royces used to be owned by gentlemen. Nowadays, it's Premier League footballers, American "rappers," and international drug dealers! Hence, all the garish, attention grabbing, colours! 😲

[@MrWombatty]

That later Ford version was hideous!

[@kevinwilliams1602]

Very enjoyable, I cannot believe I was 14 when the show debuted, and, even more amazingly I'm still alive!!

[@bradwilliams1691]

You & me both. Cheers from Melbourne, Australia 🇦🇺

[@clivehaynes2183]

Are you sure? Check your pulse again.

[@bradwilliams1691]

@@clivehaynes2183 I did as you suggested, either I'm dead or my watch has stopped.

[@hadibadashi]

The refurbishment of the roof perspex roof was carried out by an Oldham company called EDM,my father worked on it and I have the pictures showing it when it was completed.

[@tonybmw5785]

When I was a kid in the early 70's FAB1 was behind a car garage in Bedford covered by a tarp. Needless to say, every boy in my middle school went to have a look at it, including me. After that, the next time I saw her was in the 1990s when my wife and I had a couple of hours to waste in Keswick and the car was in the Cars of the Stars museum. Crying shame that FAB1 and the rest of the museum's collection went abroad when it closed in 2011.

[@notharry]

I was astonished at the age of 8 or 9, visiting a petrol station in Bournemouth to pump up my bike tyres using their air line, to find FAB1 at the pumps, no doubt taking on a large quantity of fuel at something like 3s6d a gallon!

[@georgeshelton6281]

There was no Mattel's Hot Wheels toy car version of the FAB 1. Not that I know of back in 1967.

[@LvanderM]

Jeremy Clarkson impersonator. That was funny as hell.

[@shadowmoth9158]

Surprised I’m the first to say this. Rest in peace to David Graham. Very coincidential that the voice actor for Parker who is known for driving fab 1 dies about half a week after this video is uploaded

[@georgeshelton6281]

There was not one 1965 Mattel's Hot Wheels toy car that I know of. These things were kept hidden from me. In other words, what's been kept secret from me in the early years. There wasn't even a 1/24th plastic or die cast metal scale model version of this pink car. Not at least made by any model company. 💗 ⚖️ 🔥 🥵 🥞 ♨️ ☕️ 🛀 🔥 🛞 😎 👌 ♥️ 😳 😍 🛞 📐 📏 ⚖️

[@markb5710]

I remember sitting in the original at a local fete in Gerrards Cross in the early 70s. The Outspan orange car was next to it.

[@robcherry6734]

Me too, but in Farnham Common

[@BHALT0S]

hey I have once seen that outspan car, in the early 80's.

[@darrenhearn1365]

I was a big thunderbirds fan as a kid and my dad knew Toby Baxter so asked to bring it to our workshop on a test run. I have a picture of the car with its original cpp 1f no plate. Bloody shame that the picture of me in it has been lost !

[@eekee6034]

I loved the Outspan Orange car when I was a kid. :D Saw it on TV, then I saw it at Beaulieu. Edd China has it now; it's on KZbin. But I think Jim Henson's series have a lot to do with my love for weird and wonderful vehicles. :)

[@Tim091]

"Debuted!!!!!" 🤣

[@norman-de-plume]

Indeed “daybyooed”, not “daybyooted”

[@BradiKal61]

On a side note, I've seen some Blue Peter shows on KZbin and the efforts they went to to make that show interesting are pretty amazing. That high tracking shot as FAB 1 entered the studio is a bit of high production value that you just dont see these days. The current generations are kind of science deficient, and what is really needed is a show that captures the imagination of kids (if you can wrest it away from handheld devices) and give the kind of relatable information that Blue Peter used to give back in the day.

[@philiptownsend4026]

Ref para 1. The BBC had plenty of money back then for extravagance as the British national broadcaster so government funded. Now under pressure they spend the money on their "talents" wages, particularly ex-footballers.

[@Sarah-JaneR32]

I sat in the FAB 1 in the 60's when it was part of the Carnival here in Bletchley, it was then on show in a local show room where I sat in it with my sister, the James Bond DB5 was at the Carnival at the same time, oh the memories

[@martinwright7972]

Ha, Ha, that's great and as a Bletchley lad did exactly the same, it sat in the Cowley & Wilsons showroom for a while near the old market if you recall.

[@Sarah-JaneR32]

@@martinwright7972 yes :)) I was going to mention Cowley and Wilson but didn’t think anyone would read my post :)) The carnival started in Sherwood drive and ended up in Manor fields. I still remember the cattle market as well :)

[@martinwright7972]

@@Sarah-JaneR32 That's great Sarah, I lived in Manor Road and knew Manor Fields very well, my old school Leon had a minibus in the parade and I still have pictures of that, FAB1 and the James Bond DB5, happy days !

[@HALLish-jl5mo]

Rolls Royce had a real sense of humor failure about this and the Beast.

[@cedriclynch]

The Beast does have a Rolls-Royce engine although not one intended for use in a car. At the time of this case you could go to almost any motorcycle race meeting and there would be lots of bikes bearing the names of well-known motorcycle manufacturers, on which the engine was made by that manufacturer but hardly anything else was. None of these manufacturers complained about this.

[@HALLish-jl5mo]

@@cedriclynch At least at some point it had an engine from a tank, which is kind of a car.

[@InfiniteLoop]

truth, they couldn't accept Free publicity, and as I said in my post, they should be punished severely for wanting FAB 1 destroyed,

[@51WCDodge]

@@cedriclynch Dodd's Daughter has very firmly informed me. The Beast has a Rolls Royce Merlin, though from a Boulton Paul Defiant , not a Spitfire.

[@Djarra]

Although they were less upset about the Paris Dakar rally car in the 80s.

[@eredison8584]

In the early 70's,I was near the roundhouse Camden Town and when I stopped at the traffic lights,coming from the left was a truck with the full size pink Rolls Royce on the back of it.I presume that it would have been used in the human version.What a beautiful car that was and here we are fifty years later and I remember it.Fantastic memory.

[@oldfartinthenight9201]

Brilliant! I had the FAB 1 Dinky toy. Revolving number plates, that'll confuse 'em 🤣.

[@johngreen-sk4yk]

Great for beating the Ulez charge, although it probably not take them long to track down a big pink 6 wheel roller 😂😉👍

[@charlessmyth]

Like a local guy who crashed his Ferrari and hid behind a bush to elude the cops :-)

[@ChristianHuxtable]

I've still got mine,×2 pink tipped missiles but lost the 4 red harpoons from the back😊

[@Benjiesbeenbetter.]

​@@ChristianHuxtable I remember using matchsticks when I lost my harpoons.

[@TestTest-eb8jr]

I still have my Dinky Toys one too....

[@leaflee2066]

The manically laughter at the end was awesome and why I loved a lot of these 60's/70's acid fuelled gems!

[@SierraNovemberKilo]

It was why the comedy show that came off the Edinburgh Fringe called Thunderbirds F.A.B. was so funny. I've never laughed so hard in my life. Nearly died! The audience were all bent in half with laughter. Incredible experience!

[@BradiKal61]

Awesome video! As a kid during the 1960s the Thunderbirds were a regular topic of my schoolyard discussions out in California and hold some fond memories. I LOVE that to promote a PUPPET MOVIE all the effort was gone to build an actual FAB 1 for promotional purposes. The mechanical design for the car is AMAZING. I'm so glad that it has been restored and preserved and pompous Rolls Royce can go SCREW ITSELF!

[@zacmumblethunder7466]

Rolls Royce are seen as rather vulgar cars by the British upper classes. Driven by such undesireabkes as Bookmakers, members of popular beat combos and East End mobsters.

[@philiptownsend4026]

RR have also been belligerent about other projects which used their identity too. These days they're nothing special, just expensive cars.

[@edwardkellogg1284]

I loved these shows when i was a kid. They were so far advanced, in my opinion. I did watch reruns earlier this year. Brings back memories.

[@tooleyheadbang4239]

They were a bit too heavily aimed at the American market, though. Still, all good fun.

[@tommylerenard]

One of the best min docs I've seen in a while.

[@NotoRita]

I LOVE THUNDERBIRDS!!!!

[@cedriclynch]

The vertical slats of Rolls-Royce radiator grilles actually did rotate, under thermostatic control so that they blocked the flow of air through the radiator until the engine was fully warmed up.

[@adriaandeleeuw8339]

Early Rolls Royces' used a shutter system but they stopped using that just before WWII Radiators and grilles separated with the Phantom III I can be clear the Silver Shadow did not have shutters and neither did the Phantom VI......source Rolls Royce factory manuals.

[@steelman86]

@@adriaandeleeuw8339...correct! The Cloud Series and Shadows never had moving shutters! Old school for sure!!

[@cedriclynch]

@@steelman86 I knew about the radiator shutters from two Rolls-Royces that my late father owned in the 1960s, a 1935 model 20/25 and a 1938 model 25/30. They cost him £300 and £450 respectively, and he later sold them for more than he paid for them. He said that this made the old Rolls-Royce cheaper to run than a modern car bought new, which would at that time have cost about £700 and become worthless due to rust in a few years. Another interesting technical feature the Rolls-Royces had was a duplicated ignition system like on an aircraft engine, with a switch on the dashboard so you could switch off each system to check that the other was working. One of the ignition systems on the earlier model was a magneto, so the engine could run completely independent of the battery if you started it with the starting handle.

[@mipmipmipmipmip-v5x]

​@cedriclynch I can imagine, cars up to the 1980s broke down and rusted a lot. The 1990s to 2010s were very good in retrospect, despite every brand having their fair share of engines with chain & belt issues, most daily drivers easily keep up 30 years. I've been in a few cars from 2020s and we seem back at fundamental issues, like battery wear vs replacement cost and single point if failure in electronics

[@VHMMP]

In Christmas of 1967, my brothers and I were given enough money to buy some great all-metal toy cars from a very large toy shop in London. Of course, amongst those cars was FAB-1. This little car had missiles firing from the rear and the radiator folded down to shoot out a larger (plastic) missile from the front. One would push the missile into the receptacle behind the radiator grill and then press down firmly on the front wheels to shoot. I don't know what became of that model.

[@bobmcl2406]

I'm glad to say that I still have mine. It was made by Dinky Toys.

[@ChristianHuxtable]

I've still got mine, ×2 pink missiles for the front but lost the 4 red ones from the rear,also got UFO Interceptor with missile, UFO SHADO 2,& Space 1999 Eagle either magnet winch & danger waste material underneath, none of them are boxed all played with🤷‍♂️😊

[@jarniwoop]

I loved the Thunderbirds show, and the other Supermarionaton shows like Supercar, and Fireball XL5. Outstanding practical effects. We kids perfected our imitation of the loose, sliding foot Marionette walk.

[@Naedlus]

As a Canadian older millenial, I was surprised to find out that THIS was Thunderbirds, and that Thunderbirds 2086 was only borrowing the the name for international licensing.

[@mattevans4377]

I'm surprised no rich billionaire has ever tried to comission Rolls Royce to build their own Fab 1

[@mipmipmipmipmip-v5x]

They're too busy posting childish memes and compensating lack of character by building increasingly larger rod shaped rockets

[@geoffreypiltz271]

I'm glad you pointed out which was Gerry and which Sylvia.

[@pigknickers2975]

Sylvia is the bald one silly.

[@tonybubb4945]

In the very late sixties FAB 1 was on my friends very rusty E type and lived near Redbridge Station.

[@iansouch]

As a kid living near High Wycombe in Bucks, one Saturday morning on the way back from shopping, mum & dad pointed out Fab 1 parked outside what I think was the Vauxhall dealer in Wycombe Marsh. Unfortunately dad didn’t stop for us to go & look.

[@MrLucasTLucas]

When I lived in london in 1980 I was offered this car for two grand but it was in a bad state so I turned it down,wish I had bought it now.

[@asambrook76]

FAB1 is currently on a red Ferrari 488 registered on 09 June 2017 with it's MOT valid until 26 September 2025. When it passed it's MOT one week ago it had 94 miles on it, up from 88 on 08 January 2020. 6 miles in nearly five years - someone has more money than sense!

[@colinbartlett8335]

wasnt it owned by the DJ Chris Evans?? he used it on a pink wrapped RR for charity.

[@datprawn4850]

Rolls Royce really hated Fab 1 since day one, seeing it as a Ford Edsel if Fab 1 was ever built by Rolls Royce, or The Homer in The Simpsons that bankrupted Herb Powell's car company. How ironic that the 2004 Thunderbirds had Fab 1 made by Ford.

[@beejay7665]

Seeing FAB1 on the Blue Peter set with Valerie Singleton and Peter Purves brought back memories and made my day! Thanks!

[@grahamshakeshaft2373]

Mine too! And Patrick Troughton (aka the second Dr. Who) was in FAB1 as well!

[@bobmcl2406]

That was a great trip through history. Thank you. I had no idea that a real FAB1 had been built. I must try to see it if I ever find myself in Florida. Cheers from Canada.

[@reedfish99]

I visited the motor museum in Keswick in 1999, it was amazing, and totally unexpected as it was just in the car park I parked in, so I count myself lucky to have seen this machine

[@hadleymanmusic]

Needs to be played after school five days a week so twenty years from now our infrastructue will have been inspired better

[@kaybee5150]

I can just about remember 'Twizzle'. But I remember watching Torchy the battery boy, 4 Feather Falls, Super Car right up till, Captain Scarlet. Then, I guess I was getting a bit to old to watch the rest. I even watched the repeats of Thunderbirds some years ago. They were magic to watch.

[@weatherdevil9029]

twizzle, torchy, 4 feathers were a little before my time as a lad of 1963, but remember scarlet. I checked out the list you mentioned and they all seem to be on KZbin, some full episodes!

[@philiptownsend4026]

You and I must be about the same age as I have the same childhood memories. You brought them to the surface for me, thank you.

[@SILVERSNOWMAN72]

I grew up in Heathfield East Sussex, born in '72 we often visited Heathfield wildlife park for a day out and I remember FAB1 parked in a building at the entrance next to a 1930s vintage automobile. It was amazing for a boy of 6 to see. The park was awesome, happy days and great memories.

[@martspar9075]

I loved watching Thunderbirds back in the 60s sat with my dad, it was excellent for its times. I was at Gaydon last week with my son 34, we were very impressed with the quality of its up keep along with all the other fantastic exibits.

[@alfieswindell4598]

When you showed Joe 90, you just unlocked a memory I forgot I had. My Dad used to show it to me as a kid so I'm going down a rabbit hole now

[@stephenricketts7764]

You would think someone would have realised there was an original Fab 1? Perhaps it was more a case of ''lets bring it up to date' and spend a lot of money doing so. To me it would be like having a Rolls Royce in a period drama! I remember going to the museum long before it closed and seeing Fab 1. It looked so graceful just standing still never mind wafting around who knows where. 👍👍

[@StephenAllcroft]

Rolls-Royce were initially happy (under a couple of stipulations) for the model to be used as a Rolls-Royce in the TV series, one of those was that it always be referred to as "the Rolls-Royce". A full-size replica did put their nose out of joint and they have attempted to have it destroyed more than once. At the time the live action film was in production, Rolls-Royce were approached and refused to give permission, hence the FAB Ford which was based on the then current Thunderbird.

[@IM-yv1er]

​@@StephenAllcroftc

[@steveforbes7718]

I have to admit that I did watch those show when they hit the airwaves in America. I eventually wound up working in the body shop business and have a lot of respect for what went into creating and restoring that behemoth! It was unique to say the least.

[@davenelson8187]

As a TV and Movie car toy collector for over 30 years I need to visit that Museum in Orlando! I had not heard of it. ❤

[@Dlweta57]

Wow , fantastic exposé.. Was a big fan of the thunderbirds back in the 70s , thanks for bringing us this vid, and a very big thank you to the Anderson's for creating such an iconic series . F.A.B.

[@charlesblithfield6182]

I still have a Corgi Fab1 from when I was a kid. Thanks for making this.

[@bwilliams463]

I'm from the U.S. and I never heard of 'Thunderbirds' until the mid-90s when I was collecting toys.

[@womble321]

Interesting as I was told it was based on a London brick lorry known as a Chinese six. I might add by someone who worked there building the Shadow cars for UFO.

[@51WCDodge]

The Chinese Six were so named as they had four wheels were at the front. two at the rear.

[@zacmumblethunder7466]

I've always heard that it was a Bedford Coach chassis. I'm fairly certain that the plaque at Cars of the Stars said so too. Do you know if it's true that Ed Straker's UFO car built around a clapped out old banger that could barely make 20mph and relied on camera trickery to make it look fast?

[@modeltraingeek6544]

Your last sentence was hilarious 😂 wonderful research thank you for a cool look at TB 🤟🏻

[@robgraham9947]

I went to school in Heathfield in the 80s and Heathfield wild park backed on to the school. One day sitting on a wall waiting for the bus I glanced over into the grounds and house of Heathfield park I saw a large car with double front wheels peeking out from under a tarpaulin. I knew instantly what it was as I had seen it on display at the park in the 70s. It wasn't long after that it was "discovered ".

[@ChristianHuxtable]

I went to see in the late 70s in the barn when I was 10 with my parents on the day out, I still have the toy with a missiles what come out the front grill but I've lost the rear ones, it's not boxed it's been played with😊

[@TheKira699]

I remember getting up at in the wee small hours (6am) to watch Thunderbirds. Mum wasn't overly impressed but I developed a habit of getting up early, especially at 4am when I heard the Milkman's horse clip clopping up the street towing the Milk Cart. Sadly that ended when I was in High School and we got milk from the Supermarket.

[@fishman501]

That laughing clip at the end XD

[@kbtube8125]

that could be played at the end of a kamala rally as the buses drive off.

[@fishman501]

@@kbtube8125 I don't get it

[@fishman501]

@@kbtube8125 I don't get it

[@kbtube8125]

@@fishman501 she has her audience bused in and pays them to be there. to me the laughing seems fitting.

[@fishman501]

@@kbtube8125 I've not heard about that, where did you hear it?

[@mikeyb4610]

Great historical presentation…thanks for sharing…always loved Thunderbirds 5 4 3 2 1 🚀👏

[@chuckselvage3157]

I used to watch this as a kid. 6am. Loved it.

[@neilgodwin6531]

I saw the full size Fab 1 at the opening of a car showroom in my home town of Bromsgrove. I was in touching distance, but couldn't actually touch it. Pat Phoenix, one of the original stars of Corrie, actually did the opening and allowed me, a young boy, to photograph her. Equivalent of a selfie today, but without me in the photo. The then newly built showroom was demolished a few years ago and is now a block of flats!

[@AndyP85]

I sat in that during the late 60's at the ABC cinema in Hove when I was around 9 years old during that tour ;)

[@timbounds7190]

Great vid - what a thought, the 'real' FAB 1 being based on a Bedford VAL coach chassis!!

[@TheSeafordian]

There were several FAB 1's in the late 60's. The version I worked on was a Vauxhall. It broke half-shafts on a weekly basis.

[@av_oid]

11:41 Loved that jab.

[@hughwalker5628]

I saw the original full size FAB1 at Chalkwell Park, Southend, in the summer of 1969. It was an amazing machine! At the same travelling show was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and a Gemini space capsule.

[@brianhepke7182]

I remember seeing this car on (I think) BBC's "Pebblemill at One" back in the 70s. Since Thunderbirds hit the screen in 1965, I have always been a keen fan of the show and thought the fullsize replica was disappointing. There were a few variants of the car in Thunderbirds used in long shots, close ups etc; the one I particularly liked was the model used in the scene, in this video, driving by the mansion gates. It looks lower and "meaner" with the dome being proportionally balanced with the body work. It has a sense of urgency about it which appeals. I think the same model is used on the cover of the TV 21 EP vinyl record. Great story, thanks for posting.

[@RcNBeyond]

My mum worked for Tom Mellor Ford in Rochdale.. I got to see this car being restored and even had a few test drives in it before it was handed over.

[@dizwell]

1:00 "Aloy-sis" is actually pronounced "Al-oh-ish-us". Fun video, though!

[@Gambit771]

And it is 'prem-e-air', not 'prem-ear'.

[@dazzab111]

I thought he said "Oasis", due to Parker looking like Noel G.

[@g8ktx]

And the "t" in debuted is silent.

[@anthonyprice5596]

I can't remember exactly what year it was as I was young but the original FAB1 made an appearance at a large car dealership in Brighton, I actually got to sit in the drivers seat, it was one of those memories with my late grandfather, he had a pink and white PA cresta so we had our own FAB1. I'm glad Rolls Royce never bought it to destroy as it was an iconic car in its day, its a shame its so far away it would have been nice to see it at Beaulieu. Great memories from a decent time.

[@Alway213]

Cracking video, thank you for putting the story straight..it’s still an amazing car!

[@BarefootBoyUK]

I loved the original Thunderbirds.

[@stevehill4615]

I remember seeing Fab 1 as a small child outside the cinema in South Norwood (near the railway station) as part of the promotional tour for the Thunderbirds movie, seeing the pictures brought the memories back (I would have been 4 or 5 years old at the time).

[@fdcox]

I remember when the promotional FAB1 visited Barnet Odeon in 1968, when ‘Thunderbird 6’ was released. ‘Lady Penelope’ signed copies of a newspaper to promote the film and other United Artists productions.

[@IfInDoubt..]

I saw FAB 1 at Cars of the Stars in Keswick before it closed. I miss that place.

[@stephenmcavoy9925]

Parents took me to Keswick to see FAB1 in the early 90’s. It was on tour! Had a nice conversation with KITT from Knight Rider instead.

[@KevStevens-Music-Drums-Art]

I remember seeing FAB 1 at The Cars of the Stars museum in Keswick along with many other iconic screen cars such as KITT, three different Batmobiles, lots of Bond cars, the A-Team van, Chitty, Herbie, Mr. Bean's Mini and loads of others. What a thrill it was to see them all so beautifully presented but no photography was allowed and this was before camera phones. Such a shame that he chose to close it. It was also a trill to see the two FAB 1s, old and new together in the Thunderbirds Are Go episode where Parker's teaching Alan to drive it and chase bungling thieves of the new one.

[@hanhenderikse]

Somewhere around 1970's I visited Herstmonceux Castle and Obversatory and on the grounds I saw a FAB-1 or a downscaled replica of it. It was in a bad state. I took some pictures of it and if I'm very lucky someday I will find the negatives of it in my archive.

[@bkrgls]

Damn I miss those old shows like that.

[@Shagnasty1956]

Happier times......Never to return

[@UpTheAnte1987]

When I was a kid I heard that there were a load of TV and film cars, including the Batmobile, parked in the car park of a local hotel. Being a massive Batman fan I was beyond excited. I remember there was much confusion over whether it was the 60s TV Batmobile or the 89 film Batmobile. It became a moot point anyway, as neither of them were there when we got there to have a look. We did see the Trotters Reliant Robin, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and FAB 1 on the back of trailers. Going by what you said in your video this must have been part of the Great British Rally in 1990, before they went back to the Cars of the stars museum in Cumbria.

[@alastairmurray3153]

Memories! Only saw it once back in 1968 - we lived in Upton Road in Slough and it came past our home on a low-loader presumably on its way to Century 21 on the Slough Trading Estate (My Dad worked for Mars Limited). It is quite unbelievable that it wasn't immaculately preserved from its creation, wonderful it has been restored but sad it is not in the UK, its rightful home. One more reason the Americans are making a huge comback and we (in the UK and Australia) are going "down the gurgler" fast. no regard for our own (self) preservation, never mind preservation of our history......

[@aaronpalmer4622]

When this was rescued in 1989 I was at Heathfield skool opposite Heathfield park. I often heard stories that FAB1 was there. This story now confirms the rumours!

[@phaasch]

I've got a really naff memory from childhood about FAB1. My mum had seen in the local paper, that the car was going to be on display down at Hove Lagoon. This was during the school holidays. When I got there, it was pissing with rain, and apart from a load of scruffy kids, there was nobody around, except for some bitpart player dressed up as lady Penelope who had locked herself in the car. Us urchins were left standing there in the rain, looking at this thing and, occasionally going "where's Nosey Parker?", until we all got fed up, and drifted off home, dripping wet and cheesed off.

[@phaasch]

Edit- Penny Snow. So that's who she was. Still doesn't answer our kiddy question from 1968, though. Where WAS Nosey Parker that day?

[@scotteakins7203]

Absolutely enjoyed this show growing up. One of my favorites other than Johnny Quest & Looney Tunes.

[@BarklyMitford]

As a Creighton by birth, I thank you for pronouncing it correctly. Thanks my guy

[@PaulDouglas-i5m]

Real Person not AI Voice..........

[@Gambit771]

Shame he couldn't say 'premiere' correctly.

[@vulcanvoyager]

Or Aloysius (/ˌæloʊˈɪʃəs/ AL-oh-ISH-əs) ​@@Gambit771

[@williamjamesdeering-webb1656]

As a lifelong Thunderbird’s fan I didn’t know any of this, but I did once see the original FAB 1. It would have been about 1970, it was used to transport the bride to the church for her wedding & take away the couple after the service. This happened a St Paul’s church in Warwick. I was a young lad in the choir at the time.

[@marksaunderson3042]

Nice that it still exists.

[@AlexanderR-mz6my]

10:55 i think i can spot little old Brum on that truck! bottom right of the trailer. would love to see you talk about Brum!

[@prudencepineapple9448]

I was a child of the late 1960s, and this was the one program I always watched at 6am. Santa bought me a Thunderbird 2 and a lady Penelope Rolls-Royce car from 1969. I still have both. I suppose they might be worth something at over 50+ years.

[@pprc5363]

Silky smooth and whisper quiet Door mechanism

[@kbtube8125]

sounded like a garbage truck mechanism.

[@Ravedaze.]

What a fabulous story thank you 🙏

[@leokimvideo]

This was amazing, maybe you can now cover the Rolls Royce Hudson from Terra Hawks

[@TheDefpom]

I remember seeing the car as a child parked up in a field somewhere on display, would have been the late 70’s I think, the canopy wasn’t there it was open to the elements, and was looking pretty tired, just in front of it was some kind of vertically standing bomb or rocket or something, I don’t remember where that was, maybe someone else reading this knows where that was.

[@JohnRadford-iy7db]

I had a thunder bird 2 loved it

[@pigknickers2975]

You didn't have just a TB2, you had a TB4 too for bath missions🤣🤣

[@Aye-McHunt]

There was another 6 wheeled Rolls Royce, built in the 70's. I remember reading an article about it in Speed and Power magazine. It had a V12 Rolls Royce Merlin engine in it. It was painted in Cherry Red, but I don't know what became of it.

[@tonyworrall7379]

I saw FAB 1 on its promotional tour when it was at a car show room in Leamington Spa in 1968.

[@Aussiemachinist07]

wow this video had great timing. I saw this car at the Deezer museum in orlando 2 weeks ago

[@derin111]

Thunderbird 6 looks like a good laugh! 🤣

[@martinharris5017]

I remember seeing the car at Heathfield in the mid 70s. It was kept outside and was starting to look a bit shabby. I recall it being displayed next to a batmobile replica.

[@nairbvel]

Having seen all 3 "Thunderbirds" films, I have no problems stating my preference for "Thunderbird 6" over the more recent live-action/CGI "reboot" film. Most people seem to have forgotten that for many of us, the fact that we were watching meticulously designed & built miniatures were a large part of the attraction to the Century 21 Supermarionation shows. Oh, well... Hopefully some fans somewhere will be able to make something without being sued off the surface of the planet...

[@monkey-man1]

At the end those puppets laughing with open mouths and teeth just about freaked me out!

[@ianflint4610]

I vividly remember my uncle took me to Nottingham on the bus to see the original FAB1 car. I suspect I pestered him into doing that.

[@Benjiesbeenbetter.]

There was another real life FAB 1 built by Melvin Jarvis. It was a right hand drive, 4 door version built on a Jaguar chassis. It was slightly more angular in appearance but was an impressive facsimile. It put in an appearance at Gerry Anderson's funeral. The last I read was that it had been badly damaged in an arson attack.

[@Emppu_T.]

Fabulous, thank you

[@philsmith214]

My dad took me to see the fab rolls when i was a boy in nottingham. I was in awe of the car and my dad in lady penelope i had the post card they handed out signed by the model...

[@jettscream]

a really well stocked video good and easy narration thank you iv subscribed ,

[@philb2085]

I remember seeing this parked outside Chiesman's department store in Lewisham, South London. If it was 1968, I'd have been around 5 years old.