The Avengers Elan S2

[Steve C]

Good afternoon all.

I am hoping that someone on here will be able to help us, we are seeking the White Lotus Elan S2 as driven by Emma Peel in the first five episodes of The Avengers t.v. series in the 1960's.

The car was registered in the UK as HNK 999C, though of course if it is now in the United States that is possibly now irrelevant.

We are hoping to trace the history of the car, and there are rumours that after being replaced it might have been exported to the US, with or without a LHD conversion.

I would really appreciate any information, and we are offering a reward to anyone that supplies information that leads to the recovery of the car itself.

We believe that someone somewhere must know something, but after a couple of years have not had any success yet,

Can anyone help?

[Mazzini]

Years ago I saw an entry in the Elan day book (the ledger with chassis and engine numbers etc..) for S2 production, which had 'Avengers' written next to it and no I can't remember the chassis number, but I'm sure the page still exists.

I heard that after the Avengers film crew had finished with the car it was used by a Lotus director and then it dropped out of sight.

[trw99]

Emma Peel was one of the central characters in the iconic 1960s ?Avenger?s television series. Diana Rigg, who played Mrs Peel, apparently hates being asked about the cars!

Two Elans were used in filming. The first was a white S2 DHC registered HNK 999C; the second was a blue S3 DHC registered DHC SJH 499D. The white S2 was used by a Lotus director after the series finished and subsequently dropped out of sight. The blue S3 was an exhibit at the Cars of the Stars Museum in Keswick, Cumbria, which closed in 2011; its current whereabouts is not known.

Why is that you are so interested, Steve?

Tim

[nebogipfel]

Emma Peel was one of the central characters in the iconic 1960s ?Avenger?s television series. Diana Rigg, who played Mrs Peel, apparently hates being asked about the cars!
Tim

I have formed the impression (perhaps unjustified?) that Dame Diana isn't so keen to talk about The Avengers at all.

In contrast I heard Honor Blackman in a recent interview and she clearly had a great time in her early career both as Cathy Gale and of course as characters such as Pussy Galore and loves talking about it. She also appeared on "Celebrity Antiques Road Trip" recently and is still a lovely woman now in her late 80's.

[Geoffers71]

I believe I'm right in saying that they used more than one S2 Elan in making the Avengers. Back in 1969, I was on my honeymoon touring the West Country in our 1965 S2. We met another chap in Tintagel, Cornwall, in a white S2 that he maintained had been used in the series. We drove together down the North Cornwall Atlantic Road, a very memorable drive IIRC His car was used in a scene where it went over a cliff into the sea and was supposed to sink, except that the Elan wouldn't sink, it floated So, they cut large holes in the floor to ensure that it DID sink and he showed me the repairs that had been made before the car was sold on. He told me that there were others too, that were substituted for various reasons. wonder what happened to those?

[Mazzini]

Many of the cars from the Car's of the Stars museum went to the US, but the S3 is still in the UK or does Steve already know that? Does Steve perchance own SJH 499D?

[S2Jay]

[Irrelevant comment deleted by poster. Just move on, nothing to see here.]

[Emma-Knight]

on my S2, large floor cut outs have been made. The whole horizontal driver and passenger floor section forward from the front seat clamp recess have been removed and roughly refitted, so from inside, the car seems to have a flat floor. As all body return flanges (sill, tunnel and bulkhead faces) are intact and original, there seems to be no explanation for an accident. A simple jacking damage to the (original) ribbed floor would probably not have been cut out so largely to have such a rough repair afterwards. The car was registered as "green" by Lotus, but shows a white overspray over the original green in colour history. There is no filler between factory green and white.
There must have been one car (-section?) to do the "The house that Jack build" studio shots.
The camera angle is through floor / maybe engine bulhead upwards. Ms. Peel has her feet close to the seat, the steering wheel seems to have no propper location. (spokes and column in strange angle).
Braking sceenes show correct pedals and floor.

Anna

[Mazzini]

Dear Anna,

Nice to see you back on the forum. Do you have a photocopy of the Lotus build/day book for your car? Does your can have the original dash and if so are there any additional holes in it? In the episode The House that Jack built didn't Mrs. Peel's Elan have a compass attached to the dash?

Best regards,

Rob

[billwill]

See also:

lotus-elan-f19/emma-peel-gates-t21326.html

[Geoffers71]

on my S2, large floor cut outs have been made. The whole horizontal driver and passenger floor section forward from the front seat clamp recess have been removed and roughly refitted, so from inside, the car seems to have a flat floor. As all body return flanges (sill, tunnel and bulkhead faces) are intact and original, there seems to be no explanation for an accident.

Anna

Ooooh, I wonder if yours is the S2 that that I described that had holes cut in the floor 'cos it wouldn't sink. Can't be many cars of that era with holes apparently cut in the floor for no reason. What a co-incidence if it was

[Mazzini]

I believe I'm right in saying that they used more than one S2 Elan in making the Avengers. Back in 1969, I was on my honeymoon touring the West Country in our 1965 S2. We met another chap in Tintagel, Cornwall, in a white S2 that he maintained had been used in the series. We drove together down the North Cornwall Atlantic Road, a very memorable drive IIRC His car was used in a scene where it went over a cliff into the sea and was supposed to sink, except that the Elan wouldn't sink, it floated So, they cut large holes in the floor to ensure that it DID sink and he showed me the repairs that had been made before the car was sold on. He told me that there were others too, that were substituted for various reasons. wonder what happened to those?

Hello Geoffers, I've seen most of the two Avenger series that featured Mrs. Peel and her Elans. I can't recall seeing an episode when an Elan was sunk, but I do recall the film A Shot in the Dark when an Elan went down with all hands..

[Emma-Knight]

Hello Rob,
there should also be an additional starter switch hole on the passenger side near the glove box - needed for the large key (for the Jack House gadgets). On my car, there is an ordinary dash - no additional holes to match the film.
But a dash with nasty surplus holes would probably have been replaced.
There were nice shots of "The Saints" Volvo 1800 studio car mock up. This was a cut away on a wooden board which could not have been rebuilt to something like a car.
If only Emma would tell...

Anna

[Steve C]

Good afternoon all,

Thank you for your useful information. We do understand that several vehicles were used as stunt doubles, but there was one specific car that was the main vehicle in the series, prior to replacement.

I am afraid I am not the owner of the later car, and in all sincerity I am not in a position to become the owner of this one when we find it either.

I am trying to help a family member get in touch with the vehicle, and as for the specifics, we do have a guide to the chassis number, and will know the car when we find it.

It does seem that the car has indeed dropped off the radar so to speak, I have heard a few times that after filming a director took possession of the vehicle but have not been able to verify further or what happened to it after.

We understand that it might be in the US, the UK, or sadly have been destroyed, but we would really like to find out one way or the other as this has been a labour of love so far!!

[mbell]

If you have an idea of the chassis number presume you have checked:
http://elanregistry.org/