TENTH BIRTHDAY SPECIAL GUEST EXCLUSIVE: CHARLES BUSSEY'S SECRET SERVICE GABRIEL CAR

In 2012 I asked the question Where is the Gabriel Car?

Steve Zodiac mentioned a possible location but I didn't chase it up in 2012.

In 2014 Scoop photographed the real Gabriel at Andercon 2014.

Still I didn't follow this up.

Well,for the tenth birthday I did!

I tracked down the owner from an old car showroom photograph and .... got a reply and a clutch of excellent new photographs from a very kind Charles Bussey, who explained how he came to own Gabriel:

Evening Woodsy

You asked for a few details regarding Gabriel.

The few I have which my not already be known are listed below.

I purchased it from Heath Garage in Newmarket.

It was being sold on behalf of Mrs Grade who's husband was the boss of the TV company that produced Thunderbirds and Secret Service for the BBC.

That was in 1968 or thereabouts.

I have used it on a few Model T owners Club rallies but it has not been out for several years.

My wife and I took it to Coventry some years ago for a Gerry Anderson revival meeting where I drove it around the area.

The car was suspended in our old premises in Palace Street Norwich for several years and created a lot of interest from many areas of the public.

That is where someone from The Gerry Anderson organisation spotted it and got in touch.

Her last outing was to an exhibition in London a few years ago but it has not been used since.

I intend to have a drive in it before it is returned to storage. That will however have to wait until new Tubes arrive as three of them are perished and will not hold any air.

I hope this is of use to you and I hope the reunion goes of OK.

I do actually have a video of the car being used in Secret Service.

Best Regards

Charles Bussey

PS. The one thing that I know has gone missing was a one third scale prop model of Gabriel. It was searched for in the '90s but as I understand it was never found. Do you have any info on that.