It was 21 years ago, in November 2002, that ‘Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets’ was released – the second film in the franchise.
The screen adaptation of the second story by author JK Rowling includes several scenes with an unforgettable drive for legions of fans of the Harry Potter series. What is the example and what story does it hide?
It is a Ford Anglia 105E, owned by the family of Ron Weasley, Harry Potter’s best friend. But it’s not just any car: it has the ability to be invisible, its fuel is endless, it can fly and it can carry many passengers.
Ford is the undisputed star of the film’s key moments: his arrival at Hogwarts and his bravery in the Forbidden Forest and the Whomping Willow.
Because they are action scenes, no less than 16 car models were used in the filming of the movie. Of those, 14 were destroyed.
The car used for the film was a late model Ford Anglia, from 1959 (produced until 1967). It’s a British car clearly influenced by American styling, with distinctive headlights and a sloping front end. It had a four-cylinder engine and reached 120 kilometers per hour (75 mph). Ford has managed to sell more than one and a half million units of this model.
JK Rowling and the Ford Anglia 105E
As is often the case in books and movies, many events and characters have double meanings, and things do not happen by chance. There are several theories about the turquoise car. Some say that this was the first car owned by JK Rowling. Others say it is a car owned by Sean Harris, a close friend who is said to have helped him through the tough times of his youth.
According to Wales Online, Rowling said, “That turquoise and white car meant freedom and no more having to ask my dad for a lift, which is the worst part of living in the countryside as a teenager. Some of the happiest memories of My teenage years are heading into the dark in Sean’s car.”
“Harry was saved by that car, just like the car saved me from my exhaustion,” she told the publication.
As if by magic, the car disappeared in 2005 from one of the filming studios (South West Film Studios, in St. Agnes). It was found months later, when the police received an anonymous call and whereabouts. It is said that it was stolen after it was towed from the area and that the thieves eventually got rid of the car because they could not sell it.
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