The Professionals 1980 Ford Capri S - as driven by Bodie on sale in the Iconic Auction, at the 2023 Silverstone Festival
First registered on 4th June 1980 to the Ford Motor Company, Essex as OWC 827V, it was loaned to Mark 1 Productions Ltd. for the filming of Series four. Ford stipulated that the car was to wear the false registration plate 'OWC 827W' on screen so that the vehicle appeared new on the first TV transmission date of Series four on 19th October 1980. So when the first episode 'Blackout' went out the W suffix had already been released by the DVLA on the 1st August 1980. Ford therefore received free advertising of a 'new' Ford Capri on a W plate. Production notes and filming schedules confirm the car’s original “V” registration as does the definitive book of the TV series, The Professionals by Bob Roca and Julian Vogt. Supplied in Stratos Silver and fitted with roll-top head rests as opposed to Recaro fish-nets, it was allocated to Lewis Collins who played William Bodie and the car went on to feature in 10 episodes of the series: Black Out, The Gun, Wild Justice, Blood Sports, Hijack, You'll be All Right, Kickback, Discovered in a Graveyard, The Ojuka Situation, and The Untouchables. OWC 827V has the distinction of appearing on screen more than all of the cars used in the five series of The Professionals between 1977 to 1981. Bought by our vendor on 1st October 2007, it was sympathetically restored in 2021 with meticulous attention to detail, retaining many original features, most notably the interior. The original engine and gearbox have been fully reconditioned and a stainless steel exhaust was fitted at the same time. The vehicle still features its original alloy wheels which are shod with period-correct Goodyear Grand Prix 185 x 70 x 13 tyres. The speedometer reading, at the time of cataloguing, was 53,939 miles and the car is presented to auction with a detailed history file, V5C, receipts and memorabilia.
Size: 4787px × 3744px
Location: Silverstone Circuit, Towcester, Northamptonshire, NN12 8TN
Photo credit: © John Gaffen / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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