Fifty Years of The Persuaders!

Tony Curtis! Roger Moore! Aston Martins! Dinos! John Barry’s music! Terrible clothes! Worse dancing! Here are 20 facts about ITC’s grooviest TV series:

• The show first aired on Granada and Anglia TV at 2000hrs on Thursday the 16^th of September 1971

• The Ex-King of Diamonds episode of the last series episode of The Saint was a virtual pilot for The Persuaders!.

• The budget for the series was £2.5 million: a record for British television at that time.

• Alternative casting choices for Danny Wilde included Rock Hudson and Glenn Ford.

• Roger Moore suggested that Lord Brett Sinclair should drive an Aston Martin.

• Aston Martin could not provide the production a V8 at that time, so Brett drives a Bahama Yellow six-cylinder DBS fitted with different badges and GKN alloy wheels. Chassis no. DBS/5636/, was registered PPP 6 H on the 15th of May 1970.

• The onscreen ‘BS1’ plates were loaned by the circus owner Billy Smart. However, its genuine registration may be seen in The Gold Napoleon.

• The factory assigned an Aston Martin engineer named Carl Seager to look after the DBS on location.

• The DBS covered 5,000 miles by the end of the series. It was then refurbished at Newport Pagnell and sold via R. Owen of London.

• The Aston Martin now lives in retirement somewhere in the UK.

• Danny Wilde’s Dino 246GT was loaned to the programme by its owner Giovanni Cavedoni.

• Chassis No. 00810 was the 405^th Dino built, and left the factory on the 27^th of May It cost 3,750,000 lire.

• The Dino is believed to reside in Italy.

• A Range Rover press vehicle makes a very memorable cameo appearance in The Morning After.

• Unlike previous ITC adventures, much of The Persuaders! was filmed abroad instead of a black Peugeot 403 driving on the wrong side of the road in Hertfordshire.

• ITC made some 24 episodes between May 1970 and July 1971, but the show was not popular in the USA. However, it was a vast success in other overseas markets.

• After Moore was cast as 007 in Live and Let Die, there were plans for a second series with Noel Harrison, but Curtis did not wish to continue without his original screen partner.

• Curtis was prone to adlibbing his dialogue.

• Lionel Blair appears in

• Sir Roger really was responsible for his character’s ‘interesting’ wardrobe. Only the great man could wear such a cravat with aplomb:

Why choose Lancaster Insurance?

Here at Lancaster, we love classic cars as much as you do and we understand what it takes to protect them for future generations.

We have links with some of the top classic car clubs around the country and some of our policies even offer discounts of up to 25% for club members.

Other benefits of classic car insurance through Lancaster can include:

• Historic rally cover
• Static show cover
• Limited mileage discounts
• Choice of repairer
• 24-hour claims helpline

Give your classic the protection it deserves and get a quote for your classic today.