In Pursuit of the SPV

Captain Scarlets 'Spectrum Pursuit Vehicle' is easily one of the most recognisable vehicle designs in the Anderson fold, not least for its distinctive blue finish, lack of windows and far too many wheels. It was testament to Derek Meddings brilliance that the design challenged many preconceptions about road vehicles - why does a vehicle need windows when the road can be viewed electronically ?  Why does the driver need to face forward ? and why should it be restricted to four wheels - or just wheels alone ?

Dinky version (left) Vivid Images die cast (right)

 Meddings original sketch appears in his book '21st Century Visions' and shows a vehicle which we instantly recognise, hardly changed from drawing board to screen, a chunky, well armoured vehicle with massive tyres and a set of tracks at the rear. Just as Thunderbird 2's forward facing wings challenged convention and confused me as a child as I insisted on putting them on my Rosenthal toy backward, the rear facing drive position and tracks at the back raised questions. The 1969 TV21 annual has an article called 'Battle Breakdown' which looks at the SPV in comparision with other vehicles and suggested that the tracks were for a 'unique climbing position' which sat the SPV on its tail to climb steep gradients! Almost every child of the sixties probably had a Dinky version of the SPV and a lot of the luckier ones would have had the large Rosenthal version. Its a wonderfully robust design for a toy, but how well do we know the SPV toy range ? With help from Captain Scarlet officianado and expert Terry, we will be looking at some of the toys other appearances, besides the carpets of British bedrooms in the sixties. Here are just a few of the more recognisable and recent incarnations..

Kelloggs 1960s Cereal Premium

Vivid Image Die Cast

Robert Harrops Diorama

Pizza Hut Cup Top Premium

Chara Wheels / Hot Wheels