Thursday 1 October 2015

Gerry Anderson's rather special Mini Moke

Let's have a little sneak peek at the content of Maximum Mini 3, which will include some intriguing Moke based cars, too. How about the film car commissioned for tv producer and director Gerry Anderson? He was the man of The Thunderbirds, UFO and Space: 1999, to name a few. You may know that Anderson also filmed the flick Doppelgänger in 1969 (see here) and had several Mini Moke based six-wheelers made for this movie. They were later adapted for the UFO series (see here)

Anyway: In order to film driving scenes Anderson had a special camera car built, which again was Mini Moke based, using and extra rear subframe and six wheels. The lengthened platform was necessary to locate camera and film crew and there was a camera mount on the bonnet, too. The car supposedly used hydrolastic suspension for a soft ride. Question is: does it survive? The DVLA recognizes it as a blue Austin Light Utility 4x4 with 2-axle rigid body weighing a whopping 3499 kilograms! That has to be a mistake? 'RYW 677F' - where are you?

UPDATE 15 July 2021: Grand update with lots more pictures and information here.


It's very fuzzy but this is the only picture that I found showing the Gerry Anderson Moke as a whole
Picture Jeroen Booij archive

This one is better known. It shows the car in use, filming UFO actress Wanda Ventham 
Picture Jeroen Booij archive

And again in full working conditions. I think that's Gerry Anderson himself giving instructions
Picture Jeroen Booij archive

And this is what they filmed. Note Straker's car on left, SHADO Jeep and a Siva Edwardian?
Picture Jeroen Booij archive

Who knows the location? Also note groovy Stingray and Interceptor in the parking lot
Picture Jeroen Booij archive

14 comments:

  1. Could the yellow Siva Edwardian be 'Bessie', Doctor Who's car, also known as "WHO 1"?

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  2. That's what I thought initially but it's not Bessie.

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  3. Neptune House, Elstree Studio, Borehamwood is location. Filmed as Movie Studio using a real studio to save on sets

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  4. The yellow car is a Ford Model T and was built in 1918. Saw the car up close at Andercon in 2014. The car was used in another of Gerry Anderson's series - The Secret Service - and was named 'Gabriel' in the show.

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  5. It would appear that the Anderson Camera-Moke (or a twin) made a quick on-camera cameo in the 1970 film "The Games". I was just going through the film, screen-capping vehicles for upload to IMCDb, and noticed it in a brief scene - the rear mudguards are unmistakable.

    Minor fly in the ointment - the plate number is different to that in the images above. Can barely be seen in the film, but the prefix appears to be "DWF"...

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    2. This one looks grey - I just uploaded the appearance (such as it is!) to YouTube:

      https://youtu.be/oJ2QxI7y2FM

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    3. That's brief! But thanks never the less.

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  6. I do believe you'll find they are indeed filming 'UFO' - currently showing on the UK's 'Forces TV' of a Friday/Saturday night at 10pm... the show was filmed circa 1969-71 and yes, at Elstree.

    However, the centre of attention here is the lovely Ayesha Brough - the ideal picture of head-turning dusky maidenhood to many a discerning young gentleman in the early 70s.

    Note also - and you'll never 'unsee this' that in the background is what modern British TV viewers will know as Holby City hospital.

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  7. For any readers curious about Gerry's enviably-placed camera, it's an Arri 2C. While too noisy for dialogue scenes (at least w/out its very heavy and somewhat cumbersome sound blimp), the 2C was the go-to shoot & run camera for much of the 1960's and 70's. A number of Hammer and Amicus productions utilized the lightweight cams. Owing to their exceptional design, many are still in use to this day. The diminutive German-engineered 2C famously earned its place as Stanley Kubrick's favorite camera!

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  8. The pink futuristic Ford Zephyr or Zodiac conversion was driven by Wanda. Ed Bishops Straker mobile was brown.

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  9. Great selection of pics....Just a heads up that they are filming Ayshea Brough and not Wanda Ventham (even though she was in the series too :)

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  10. That’s not Wanda Ventham, it’s Ayshea Brough.

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