Spectrum Patrol Car

The Spectrum Patrol Car (SPC) or Spectrum Saloon Car (SSC)[6] is a fictional vehicle that appears in Gerry Anderson's science-fiction television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons (1967) and in revamped form in the remake New Captain Scarlet (2005).

Spectrum Patrol Car
Captain Scarlet vehicle
The photograph depicts a scale toy replica of an unarmoured, futuristic car that is deep red in colour and incorporates an angular bonnet and roof.
Spectrum Patrol Car toy by Dinky Toys
First appearance"The Mysterons"
(29 September 1967)
Created byMike Trim[1]
Information
AffiliationSpectrum Organisation
General characteristics
DefensesStrengthened nose for ramming
Bulletproof windscreen and tyres[2][3]
Maximum speed200 or 250 miles per hour (320 or 400 km/h)[2][4][5]
ChassisFleetonium alloy[2]
PowerGas turbine[2][4]
Mass1.5 tons[4]
Length18 feet (5.5 m)[2][4][5]
Width8 feet (2.4 m)[4]

Depiction

Captain Scarlet

Accessible only to Spectrum personnel, the SPC is 18 feet (5.5 m) long[4][5] and equipped with four-wheel drive. It can seat up to four people, has a maximum speed of 200 or 250 miles per hour (320 or 400 km/h),[4][5] and is powered by a gas turbine located under the rear roof. The car is specially equipped with quartz headlights that permit the driver to see long distances in the dark. The vehicle also features transverse gearing, independent suspension and magnetic drums that provide powerful control braking by means of electromagnetically-generated opposing magnetic fields. The road-tyre friction heat at high speeds is countered by wing intakes, while a central housing and rear-mounted fin maintain the vehicle's stability at speed.

The original script for the first episode provided little in terms of specification for the vehicle, merely describing it as a "modern American saloon car".[7] It was one of several minor Spectrum vehicles whose design the series' special effects director, Derek Meddings, delegated to his assistant, Mike Trim because he assumed that they would not appear in any other episodes. In the end, however, Trim's concepts for the car and the other vehicles (the Spectrum Helicopter, Passenger Jet and Maximum Security Vehicle) were so well received that they became recurring elements of the series.[8][9]

New Captain Scarlet

In the CGI series New Captain Scarlet (2005), the SPC's successor is known as the Spectrum Cheetah. While the updated vehicle strongly resembles the SPC, it has an added capability: it is equipped with extendable wings, a tail fin and booster rockets that, once deployed, allow the car to glide over obstructions that it encounters on the road.

Reception

In 2015, James Taylor of Car magazine ranked the SPC one of the top 10 vehicles from the Gerry Anderson productions, likening it to "a cross between a Plymouth Superbird and a hearse, topped by a D-type-shaming tail fin". However, he argued that the car's split windscreen would have made for poor forward visibility.[10]

Toys

Since the 1960s the SPC has been released in toy form by various manufacturers. Products include a plastic friction-drive toy by Century 21 Toys, a die-cast model by Dinky (which continued to be produced until 1974) and newer versions by Vivid Imaginations and Corgi.[11][12][13]

References
  1. Building the Spectrum Patrol Car from Gerry Anderson's Captain Scarlet, by David Sisson
  2. Bentley, Chris (2001). The Complete Book of Captain Scarlet. London, UK: Carlton Books. p. 53. ISBN 978-1-84222-405-2.
  3. Drake, Chris; Bassett, Graeme (1993). Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons. London, UK: Boxtree. pp. 34–35. ISBN 978-1-852834-03-6.
  4. Denham, Sam (2017). Gerry Anderson's Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons Spectrum Agents' Manual. Yeovil, Somerset: Haynes Publishing. pp. 40–41. ISBN 978-1-78521-143-0.
  5. Bleathman, Graham (2000). Gerry Anderson's Supermarionation Cross-Sections. London, UK: Carlton Books. p. 38. ISBN 9781842224113.
  6. Bentley 2017, pp. 82, 162.
  7. Bentley, Chris, ed. (1995). "Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons: 'The Mysterons'". The Century 21 Script Book. Bradford, UK: Fanderson. pp. 7, 12.
  8. Bentley 2017, p. 83.
  9. Spectrum Patrol Car (Captain Scarlet): Century 21 Tech Talk. October 9, 2021 – via YouTube.
  10. Taylor, James (2 October 2015). "The Car Top 10: Gerry Anderson Vehicles". carmagazine.co.uk. Bauer Consumer Media. Archived from the original on 2 October 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  11. Bentley 2017, pp. 162, 165, 196.
  12. Arron, Simon (17 February 2007). "The Gear Box: The Grand Prix Saboteurs, Sat-Nav and Captain Scarlet Twin Packs". telegraph.co.uk. Telegraph Media Group. Archived from the original on 16 May 2011. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  13. Treadaway, John (2012). "Scarlet Thunder". salute.co.uk. South London Warlords. Archived from the original on 1 August 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2020.

Works cited
  • Bentley, Chris (2017). Hearn, Marcus (ed.). Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons: The Vault. Cambridge, UK: Signum Books. ISBN 978-0-995519-12-1.
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