'The Professionals' preference for Ford over BL cars

Hello,
I've been sharing a conversation recently with a work colleague who is both a keen Professionals viewer and Ford enthusiast who recounted a story about why The Professional's production team preferred Ford over BL cars (the Rover P6 was a notable feature in the early series). I thought it may be of interest shared here.

We were talking about the use of British Leyland cars in TV / films made in the era of the Ford Capris (circa 69-79).

Product placement started really with Z Cars – they supplied new yellow cars to the BBC for the series (yellow apparently looks better than white on black & white film).

They didn’t have the Professionals “job” but BL screwed up. They took back the cars after every episode was filmed and didn’t necessarily loan out the identical cars for the next episode – indeed not all models were always available. The film producers were annoyed by the lack of continuity and that annoyance reached the ears of the Ford PR men. They “gave” the producers as many cars as they wanted. In reality the gold and silver Mk3 Capris were more than one of each vehicle (because they got “damaged” in some of the stunts). I believe in the case of the silver one, there were six “identical” examples. Somehow they got around the DVLA in terms of carrying the same registration number (they were largely filmed on public roads). BLs loss was Fords gain.

This may have had an influence on the use of BL cars in other TV dramas made in this era (eg Sweeney), but can't add anything to that.

Regards,
Simon
 
Hi, The cars that BL loaned them were press/publicity fleet cars and as you say kept taking them back and on occasions they weren't available for filming because they were on loan to the press. Ford were more astute and made them permanently available and it shows in later episodes where there was more car action use. TBF, BL were hampered a bit because they were a nationalised company and had more oversight of penny pinching bureaucracy.

Colin
 
Hi, The cars that BL loaned them were press/publicity fleet cars and as you say kept taking them back and on occasions they weren't available for filming because they were on loan to the press. Ford were more astute and made them permanently available and it shows in later episodes where there was more car action use. TBF, BL were hampered a bit because they were a nationalised company and had more oversight of penny pinching bureaucracy.

Colin
 
Ford had already got the right idea with The Sweeney when they agreed with the producers that the good guy characters should be seen in Fords , whereas the " baddies" would always drive alternative makes, usually old Jags. Ford followed through each series Ford Consul Gt, then Granada Ghia and S. Finally mk2 Granada 2.8i. In the Professionals , when supplies from BL wavered Ford cemented their agreement again. Initially Escort rs2000 and Capri's followed by the 2 Capri's gold and silver. Both original cars are still in existence today BTW. When they made The New Avengers , BL took up the reigns to market their own cars which coincided with much use of Union Jacks which looked similar to their adverts at the time.
 
Hi, You raise an interesting point of trivia with the mention of The New Avengers. The Professionals was made after The New Avengers and in one of the later episodes of TNA the two protagonists are played by Lewis Collins and Martin Shaw and they are driving a white Vauxhall Victor FD, which was the same car used in first incarnation of Randall and Hopkirk.

Regarding the Capri's still being in existence there's speculation that they are suspect reshells.

Colin
 
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