Spectrum Patrol Car

The Spectrum Patrol Car (SPC) or Spectrum Saloon Car (SSC) 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 Gerry Anderson's New Captain Scarlet (2005).

Spectrum Patrol Car
Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons vehicle
Spectrum Patrol Car toy by Dinky Toys
First appearance	"The Mysterons" (29 September 1967)
Created by	Gerry Anderson
Information
Affiliation	Spectrum Organisation
General characteristics
Maximum speed	200 or 250 miles per hour (320 or 400 km/h)[1][2]
Power	Gas turbine[2]
Mass	1.5 tons[2]
Length	18 feet (5.5 m)[1][2]
Width	8 feet (2.4 m)[2]

Appearances

Captain Scarlet

Accessible only to Spectrum personnel, the SPC is 18 feet (5.5 m) long[1][2] 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),[1][2] 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.

In the series, the SPC was realised as a scale model designed by Mike Trim.[3]

New Captain Scarlet

In the CGI series Gerry Anderson's 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.[4]

Toys

Since the 1960s the SPC has been released in toy form by various manufacturers. Products include a die-cast toy by Dinky and a newer model by Corgi.[5]

References

1. Bleathman, Graham (2000). Gerry Anderson's Supermarionation Cross-Sections. London, UK: Carlton Books. p. 38. ISBN 9781842224113.
2. 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.
3. Building the Spectrum Patrol Car from Gerry Anderson's Captain Scarlet, by David Sisson
4. Taylor, James (2 October 2015). "The Car Top 10: Gerry Anderson Vehicles". www.carmagazine.co.uk. Bauer Consumer Media. Archived from the original on 2 October 2017. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
5. Treadaway, John (2012). "Scarlet Thunder". salute.co.uk. South London Warlords. Archived from the original on 1 August 2019. Retrieved 24 May 2020.

External links

• Spectrum Headquarters: Spectrum Saloon Car