Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is the magical, flying car from the famous 1968 movie and book. The story was written by Ian Fleming, the creator of James Bond, who based the name on real 1920s racing cars. Filmmakers built six different versions for the movie!

Have you ever dreamed of a car that doesn't just drive on the road, but can also fly through the clouds and sail on the sea? What if it could do ALL THREE?

That's the amazing magic behind Chitty Chitty Bang Bang! Even though we know her best from the super fun 1968 movie, this famous car actually started as a story written by a very famous author. The book, *Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang: The Magical Car*, was first published in 1964, just two months after the author passed away. Ian Fleming, the person who dreamed up the car, is best known for creating another secret agent hero—you might know him as James Bond, agent 007! But this story was extra special because Fleming wrote it as a bedtime tale for his own son, Caspar.

Finn

Finn says:

"Wow, Finn! Did you know the real cars that inspired the story were so loud, the town of Canterbury made a special rule just to keep them out of the city walls? That's some serious *bang*!"

What is Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Really Based On?

The magical car in the story isn't *totally* made up! Ian Fleming got the idea for the name and the idea of a super-powerful car from some real, super-fast racing machines from the 1920s.

These real cars were built and raced by a Polish-born Count named Louis Zborowski. He and his engineer called their noisy creations *Chitty Bang Bang*!

Mind-Blowing Fact!

The name 'Chitty Chitty Bang Bang' is thought to have come from the loud, popping sounds the giant engines made when they started up—like a series of loud bangs!

How Many Amazing Chittys Were Built for the Movie?

When it came time to film the 1968 movie, you can't just have one car that can drive, fly, and float! You need special cars for special jobs. That’s why the filmmakers actually built six different versions of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang!

18 ft Length of the main road car
(That's taller than 3 kids stacked on top of each other!)
Ford Essex V6 Engine in the main driving car
(Not a Zeppelin engine like the original inspiration!)
1967 Year the main film car was built
by Alan Mann Racing
6 Total original cars built for the film
(For driving, flying, and floating!)

How Did They Make Chitty Fly on Screen?

Making a car fly is tricky business, even with a magical engine! For scenes where Chitty was supposed to take off or fly high, the crew used some super clever tricks.

One of the cars was made mostly of lightweight aluminum so it was easier to move around for special effects.

For the night flying scenes, the actors flew in the car while people dressed in black walked on stage holding white lights on their heads to look like twinkling stars! What a clever idea for kids watching!

The Car That Couldn't Turn

Even though Chitty was magical, she was still a *very* big machine! Dick Van Dyke, the actor who played Caractacus Potts and drove Chitty most of the time, once said the car had the turning radius of a battleship. That means it took a huge amount of space to make a U-turn!

💡 Did You Know?

The movie was produced by Albert R. Broccoli, who was also the producer for many of the James Bond movies! It seems like Ian Fleming’s amazing ideas kept showing up in film, even when he wasn't around to see it.

🎯 Quick Quiz!

Who was the famous author that first wrote the story of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang?

A) Roald Dahl
B) J.K. Rowling
C) Ian Fleming
D) Walt Disney

Who Else Helped Make the Magic Happen?

While Ian Fleming wrote the book, when it became a movie, some other brilliant people jumped aboard the adventure!

The screenplay—that’s the movie version of the story—was written by the famous children's author Roald Dahl!

  • The Designer: Ken Adam helped design the look of the film car.
  • The Builder: Alan Mann Racing built the amazing road-going car in Hertfordshire, UK, in 1967.
  • The Stars: The movie starred Dick Van Dyke as Caractacus Potts, and it even had a cameo by the comedian Benny Hill!

The original racing cars that inspired Chitty were so loud that in Canterbury, England, the city council reportedly passed a by-law—a special local rule—that *forbade* the cars from driving inside the city walls! That’s a fun, noisy piece of history for all you kids who love big engines!

Questions Kids Ask About Famous People

Was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang a real car?
Sort of! Ian Fleming was inspired by a real, very loud, aero-engined racing car called 'Chitty Bang Bang' built in the 1920s by Count Louis Zborowski.
Who wrote the book Chitty Chitty Bang Bang?
The book was written by Ian Fleming, the same person who created the famous spy, James Bond! He wrote it as a fun bedtime story for his son.
How many Chitty cars were in the movie?
The movie used six different, specially-built cars to do all the different things Chitty could do—like driving, flying, and floating on water!

Keep Saying 'Yes' to Adventure!

From real-life roaring race cars to a magical vehicle that sweeps a whole family into an adventure, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is an amazing story! Remember what Caractacus Pott taught his kids: 'Never say 'no' to adventure. Always say 'yes,' otherwise you'll lead a very dull life.' Keep exploring history and finding the fun in every story!