Can anybody tell me the make and model of the blue sports car that Harold Pelham's alter-ego drives in this film – the one his Rover morphs into on the M4 motorway at the beginning of the film?
BTW, have you noticed that during this sequence, and again at the end of the film, he manages to overtake the same bunch of cars several times in the same chase?
I reckon it's a Maserati Ghibli. Link attached:-
http://www.italiancar.net/site/cars/maserati/models/MasGhibli/MasGhibli.html
The model shown is even the same colour!
Yes, as a fan of Italian classic cars, I can tell you what it is.
I can see why someone might think it's a Maserati Ghibli. But the car is actually a Lamborghini Islero.
It's a 3929cc V12 2+2 coupe, made from 68-70. In style, it's rather like the earlier 350 and 400GT Lamborghinis but a bit more 'squared off'.
It has 320 bhp, or 350 if it's the later 'S' version.
Despite being able to do about 160 mph, they have always been a bit underrated, partly because of the more spectacular mid-engined Lamborghini Miura (the orange car at the start of 'The Italian Job') that was produced at the same time.
Apparently there were only 125 + 100 'S' Isleros made. Today they are worth between about 10,000 and 28,000 GBP depending on condition.
Hope that helps.
Mat
By the way, if you want to catch sight of a Maserati Ghibli on film (for comparison), there is one (very briefly) featured in the film Villain with Richard Burton. I haven't seen the film for about five years but I seem to remember that it's in the bit where Ian McShane and his girlfriend drive to a party in their Mk1 Capri. When they arrive, it's parked outside the country mansion, next to some sort of Alfa 'Bertone' GT/GTV.
Thanks for the clarification Mat.
Looking at pics of the Islero on the Internet it seems so obvious that this is the car. Although what led me to believe it was a Maserati was the way Roger Moore and Bryan Forbes referred to this car as a Maserati on the commentary track. I think they did that more than once.
Definately an Islero and very very rare. A rhd silver one was recently for sale in the UK for £45k.
Certainly the car's best visual asset (those twin pop up headlights) was used to great effect in the film....I can still remember the menace of them from watching the film in my early teens 30 yrs ago!
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I'd assumed it was a Maserati, simply because I had a Merak in the 80's that had exactly the same wheels. Perhaps Lambo used the same supplier.
The other similarity that sparked a bad memory was the headlamps; mine rarely went up together at the same time (accompanied by an odd hissing that cost, as I recall, £650 to fix), so I'm not surprised the film only showed one side going up. My car caught fire in the middle of the night, and the fire brigade couldn't put it out until they used foam (all the magnesium went up like a giant firework). I wasn't sorry - worst car I ever owned.
I am therefore amazed that they risked using an example of Italian exotica in the film during the 'heavy rain' sequence. This was also entirely unbelievable as a) the engine stops working in the rain after 30 yards, b) the windscreen wipers are purely for decoration c) all the lights will short if there's even a hint of drizzle.
I think 'Bad Pel' would have been better suited to an Aston, or a Jag....
I have been fortunate enough to several exotic Italian cars of that period (though never more than one at a time!) including an Islero GTS in excellent condition. These cars are VERY reliable if they are maintained properly!! People knew this back in the 70's and it is only when the cars fall into the hands of owners who don't want to put in the time (or can't afford) to maintain them correctly. Absolutely all cars of that era needed a sensible degree of preventative maintenance if you were going to use them in the rain a lot!
And as for what it costs to buy an Islero in great condition, well things have moved on a LOT since 2006! You won't find a half decent one for less than GBP 80,000 pounds now, and the best cars fetch a lot more than that. A 'fair' example sold at auction by Gooding & Co in California in August 2008 for $203,000 plus buyers premium. Also, early in 2009 a silver one that was once driven by Ferrucio Lamborghini himself was sold in the USA by a well known dealer for $250,000. It's well known that the car used by Roger Moore in The Man Who Haunted Himself was restored to a very high standard and has been appearing at various shows in the UK. It appeared at the Bristol Italian Auto Moto Festival this year for example and looked absolutely stunning. Interestingly, it now has it's original registration number "YLR 11G" and has been reunited with Sir Roger Moore who signed the sun visor and a special plaque in the car. I'd like to buy another Islero but I can't afford it any more. Islero values are continuing to rise as more an more people are getting interested in this under-appreciated model which has beautiful styling in my opinion but is very discrete and understated compared to any other Lamborghini. My guess is the value of that particular Islero movie car must be well in excess of $200,000 by now.
I fell in love with this car the first time I saw The Man Who Haunted Himself about 30 years ago, and became the only person I know who has even heard of an Islero, which I believe is the most beautiful car Lamborghini ever produced.
I have just discovered that this very car, YLR 11G, is for sale next week on 27th October 2010 at RM Auctions in London, with a guide price of £95,000 - £135,000.
It would be one of my all time greatest dreams to be able to buy this car, so I am just off to buy a couple of lottery tickets!!
So...... it sold then. £106,400 to some lucky person who unfortunately wasn't me!
I truly hope they enjoy it and drive it as often as possible. To just shut it away in some private collection really would be a waste.
Best wishes, and enjoy, whoever you are...
Well, it's for sale again at Bonhams on September 12th 2016.
www(dot)bonhams(dot)com/auctions/22725/lot/340/
It's gone up in value over the last 6 years.
The reserve is now $460,000.
CRIKEY.