Chitty to 'fly' at air show

Children can take a flight of imagination in Sir Peter Jackson's million-dollar Chitty Chitty Bang Bang flying car on Saturday.

The movie maker this year bought the classic vehicle - made famous in the 1968 movie of the same name - and has lent it for use in a charity drive at the Remembrance Day World War I airshow this weekend.

The roadworthy car sold at a British auction in May for almost $1million, but for a gold coin donation young passengers can buy a "flight" - scooting across the grass - at Hood Aerodrome.

Gene de Marco, production manager and test pilot for airshow organisers Vintage Aviator, said any funds made would be donated to the Wairarapa Women's Refuge.

Sir Peter, who owns a property on the outskirts of Masterton and vintage military planes at Hood Aerodrome, had a passion for vintage aircraft and preserving props from classic films, Mr de Marco said.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was a British musical film based on the only children's book written by James Bond creator Ian Fleming. The car was built on a custom ladder-frame chassis for principal shooting in the film and has also competed in charity races throughout Britain.

"The Ford racing team headed by Alan Mann originally helped to construct the car and it has to be the most well-known cinema vehicle worldwide," Mr de Marco said.

The car boasts a bonnet of polished aluminum, a boat-deck cab of red and white cedar, brass fittings from Edwardian cars and an alloy dashboard plate from a British World War I fighter plane. It is powered by a 3-litre V-6 Ford engine.

"Of course, we could make anything at Vintage Aviator and we could reproduce Chitty, but we wouldn't have her history and her magic that's entertained children all over the world for decades," Mr de Marco said.