Regan - The Cars

[Gene Hunt]

To accompany the two films Sweeney! & Sweeney 2 threads on the cars used in each, here is Regan - The Cars to complete the set.

Not quite as many cars featured in Regan as in the two films, but none the less, the cars that do appear are interesting and I've included some interesting info along the way.

We start of with a view of Arthur Dale's car, seen in the mirror of Cowley's motor.


Registration: RGT 650L (1973)
Mercedes Benz W116 350SE – Silver
Records incomplete. Genuine London issued plate between March & July 1973

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Registration: AOR283C (1965)
Vauxhall Victor 101 (FC) – Grey
No Records

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Registration: HDX 384 (1958)
Vauxhall Velox
Registered mid 1958

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Registration SGX 574L (1973)
Rover P6 2000 SC – Red
First Registered: 11th May 1973
Tax Expired: 1st April 1986

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Registration: FYT 331J (1971)
Ford Escort Estate 1100 – White
First Registered: 8th February 1971
Tax Expired: 1st February 1987

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Registration: RHM 248L (1973)
Ford Escort – Re
No Records.

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Registration: GJD 488J (1971)
Ford Zodiac Executive MkIV – Grey/Blue
No Records. The car was owned by Stunt Co Ordinator Paul Weston who was working on Regan at the time. It also appeared later in the episode, parked in a street as Jack drives by in his Blue Granada (I will point this out later). It was also used in the Sweeney Series 2 episode “I Want The Man”

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Registration: TGO 614M (1973)
Mini Clubman – White
First Registered: 8th August 197
Tax Expired: 26th September 1988

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Registration: HGF 859K (1972)
Ford Granada 2500 – Blue
No Records. Genuine London registration issued March 1972 making this one of the first Granadas on the road (The Granada was launched in April 1972).
Trivia: NOTE IN THE ABOVE GRAB WE CAN SEE THE FORD ZODIAC SQUAD CAR THAT JACK WAS IN EARLIER IN THE EPISODE (Owned by stunt co Ordinator Paul Weston). We will see this car yet again later in the film.

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Registration: EYH 301J (1971)
Hillman Avenger 1500 Deluxe (rare model) – Blue
First Registered: 1st April 1971
Tax Expired: 14th May 1986

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Registration: KMJ 393K (1971)
Volvo 144 Deluxe – Blue
No Records

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Seen in the mirror of Jack car as he drives back from the farm is the same Ford Zodiac yet again we see twice earlier in the film.

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Registration: WPP 699M (1973)
Triumph Stag 3000 Mk1 – Yellow
First Registered: 31st August 1973
Tax Expired: 1st December 2000

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Registration: CJD 168H (1969)
BMC J4 Van – Black
No Records

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Registration: SGJ 940L
Rover P6 2000 TC – Almond Yellow
First Registered: 9th March 1973
Tax Expired 1st August 1992. This car is rumoured to be the same car that was destroyed in The Sweeney episode Drag Act. Clearly not though as the car survived until at least 1992.

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Registration: YOO 300L (1973)
Ford Consul – Police Livery
First Registered: 21st June 1973
Tax Expired: 1st June 1987. This car was also seen in 1974 Special Branch episode “Stand & Deliver” and also 1975 Play For Today episode “Gangsters”.

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Registration JGJ 271K (1971)
Austin FX4 – Black
First Registered: August 1971
No further records.

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[The Saint]

Very interesting information Gene, especially about the Ford Zodiac.

I note the only one to make it past the 1980s was the Stag, I wonder if it is sitting in a garage somewhere awaiting restoration.

Thanks for compiling the information Gene

The Saint 

[Steve Austin]

I hoped you might complete the set and you didn't disappoint.  Rose tinted specs on maybe but the cars back then had character and didn't all have the same "face" like nowadays, on small, medium and large versions of the marque.

You can argue that older cars were not as economical or aerodynamic but they certainly had something, & I don't mean rust!

Anyway, another great thread 

[Sam Tyler]

Fantastic work once again Gene, a lot of research, a lot of time, and a lot of detail all gone into this post, thanks for posting. 

Apr 30, 2020 12:19:49 GMT Gene Hunt said:

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Registration: GJD 488J (1971)
Ford Zodiac Executive MkIV – Grey/Blue
No Records. The car was owned by Stunt Co Ordinator Paul Weston who was working on Regan at the time. It also appeared later in the episode, parked in a street as Jack drives by in his Blue Granada (I will point this out later). It was also used in the Sweeney Series 2 episode “I Want The Man”

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If I recall correctly I think that this Zodiac was the same one in which Haskins arrives at Colet Court in "Big Brother".

Sam.

[D.C. Burtonshaw]

Many thanks Gene for the work again, I suppose the cars who's numbers are not on the records now, may have had their numbers removed from the national records due to lack of activity since about 1980 or earlier, or had scrapping notifications sent (not so rigidly enforced then). I agree with Steve Austin though, the roads looking back were much more of a pleasure to watch and car spot then, even though it may not have seemed like it at the time! Weather conditions and Jack and George's coats obviously denote late winter in early '74 filming. Interesting about the blue MK4 Zody being the stunt co-ordinators car too - car popped up in other regular episodes too, like Poppy getting in the way in the traffic, of the Triumph 2000 squad car when they were tailing Sally Labbett.

Roads were clearer too! Also going by 70's road test articles I've read, I'm sure Arthur Dale's W116 S class Merc, is one of several Mercedes UK Ltd press cars with RGT???L registrations loaned out to magazines and TV programmes, the W116 shape was also a newcomer from 1972, a few months after the MK1 Granada.

Jack's car has a London reg no although the Consul police car (also seen in an episode of 70's Science Fiction fantasy series "Star Maidens") was a direct Ford supplied car i'm sure.

Cool!

[Vienna]

I know moggies like me can't really drive motors, but it is still interesting to see this. The research, time and effort you put into these threads is amazing 

Many thanks Gene for posting and sharing this information 

Vi

[Three Litre]

Good info Gene.

That square Zodiac was a bit of an oddity, the previous model was stylish as were the Granadas and Consuls which followed it.

It looked a right lump. Wonder what it was like to drive?

[Brown Granada]

I'm surprised that the Stag didn't last longer as even then the were a bit collectable and kept their value. I restored one in the late 80s for someone and they spent quite a bit on it at the time because it was worth the investment. 

[Three Litre]

Apr 30, 2020 20:24:50 GMT Brown Granada said:

I'm surprised that the Stag didn't last longer as even then the were a bit collectable and kept their value. I restored one in the late 80s for someone and they spent quite a bit on it at the time because it was worth the investment. 

Original 3.0L engine or 3.5L V8 conversion?

[Dirty Epic]

Great work once again on these motors Gene. Interesting stuff on the Zodiac which turns up throughout Regan too. I think Sam is right and it does turn up in Big Brother with Haskins, I think it may appear in one or more 1973-74 Special Branch episodes too not really able to check but the Zodiac seems familiar and being made around the same time would figure.

What’s interesting is that the Avenger (1986), Escort estate (1987) and Mini (1988) lasted near enough 12-14 years or so a decent innings for those sort cars of that period although you could still see plenty of those cars up until the late ‘80s and then they for me they just suddenly seemed to vanish in a sea of Fiestas, newer Escorts, Sierras, Metros, Astras, Cavalier, Japanese stuff etc.

Hopefully the Rover seen at Hogarth roundabout and the Stag are SORN too and might be surviving somewhere too.

It’d be nice if a channel like Talking Pictures gave Regan a showing, I know it was on ITV4 a fair while back but was cut to hell and hasn’t really been on there (or any other channel) I think for over/at least a good decade now.

Nice one again Gene.