Another BBC Life on Mars UK + Ashes to Ashes crossover, this time set in 2015 and when Sam Tyler inherits Gene's 1980-1984 blue Ford Cortina Mk5 Ghia. Top Gear interview (Gene Hunt - Life On Mars) about his old Ford Cortina MkIII. DCI Gene Hunt, the irascible detective in Life on Mars, was suddenly earning enough to buy a decent car. His mistake was to stay in character during this interview.
Sam's car was a blue Ford Cortina, bought after Gene had needed to put the old bronze one to rest. It really was for the best, the old thing was in a miserable state of repair – too much fast driving, and one too many close calls, had signalled the beginning of the end for what had once been Gene's most treasured possession. Actually, he'd let go of it a lot easier than Sam would have thought would be possible – but even Gene must have known there was nothing to be done for it, though Gene had tried, and tried, and tried. But it was a case of a chronically bad transmission, and an engine that had weathered one storm too many – all thanks to Gene's driving. What it needed now was to be taken out back and put out of its misery.
The bigger surprise was Gene's new ride from the early nineties. A red Audi Quattro! Gene, of course, thought his was the better car, and was not half the speed demon with it as he'd been with the old Cortina. He washed it by hand and sometimes Ruthie would help him, or Sam would, and it would end up with the lot of them soaking wet, but at least the car was clean and dry.
And yes, it was a very nice car, and yes, also, Gene would probably never get tired of trying to get a rise out of Sam over nothing, no matter what. Sam thought his own vehicle was still more pleasing to the eye – because it was just as fun to try and get a rise out of Gene.
In 1980, a second hand Ford Cortina Mark III GXL was owned by Gene Hunt who was just seventeen until 1985 when Gene had a brand new Ford Sierra MkI XR3i in silver, which he regularly used to travel around Manchester. In the early 1990s, his Cortina and Sierra were replaced by the Audi Quattro when he and his team transferred to the Fenchurch East division of the Metropolitan Police. 1998 had a second hand Ford Granada MkII Ghia X of 1982-1987 as he was undercover struggling taxi mini cable driver who also dreamt of being a rock star.
The cars had a certain emotional value to Hunt, as emphasised by his threat to a group of youngsters to "come round your house and break all your toys" if anything happened to them while he was away. Whatever his own state of health, he was not inclined to let anyone else drive the car.
The 33-year-old electrician turned classic car restorer said he even found some memorabilia in the glove box. He said: 'There was a screwed-up script with DI Sam Tyler's part on it from the last ever case in Greater Manchester Police CID. It's a nice little extra to get with the car and adds a bit of value to it.'
There's a good reason why DCI Gene Hunt drives the cars he does in Life on Mars and Ashes to Ashes. Few things scream seventies louder than a golden-brown Mark III Ford Cortina, or eighties and early nineties louder than a red Audi Quattro.
Mr Shedden said: 'The car has got a few dints and battle scars on it from filming where Sam Tyler and Gene Hunt have rolled over the bonnet.'
The Mark III with its powerful 2000GT engine had a top speed of 120mph. So it was more than speedy enough to catch the tossers who were probably driving far less powerful vehicles. Gene Hunt had a good first car and he knew it.
Standard push button car radio with Ford logo on it. Comes with Longwave and Medium Wave (this was pre FM band). Of course the right music can be really conducive to putting a person in the right mood.
Attached to it is the Pye Radiotelephone with speaker (pictured at left) and handset located directly below it in the centre console in front of the clock. The handset rests across the console behind the speaker.
"My interest in motors came from watching classic Seventies shows. I would save up pocket money to buy Dinky or Corgi toys of the Batman car, James Bond's Aston Martin DB5, and the Volvo P1800 from The Saint."
"I loved the Cortina but my first XR3i felt like a proper car. It was quite posh compared to the 70s Cortina and loads more comfortable for long journeys."
1980 Ford Cortina MkIII GXL or 2000 E
1985 Ford Sierra MkI 3 door XR3i
1991 Audi Quattro UR
1998 Ford Granada MkII Ghia X
2005 Ford Mondeo MkIII Sport Tourer + '94 Ford Granada MkIII GLX
2008 Audi A6 3.0 quattro
2011 Ford Mondeo Titanium X
XXXXXXX
My dream car 1970 Aston Martin DBS from TV series The Persuaders.
His favourite toy arrived on his memorable seventh birthday in 1970. "My parents bought me an SPV truck from Captain Scarlet, plus a copy of Daydream Believer, by the Monkees. I thought I was the coolest kid in the street." said DCI Gene Hunt who was being interviewed by Top Gear's Jeremy Clarkson.
Later, he passed his driving test at the second attempt in a Datsun Sunny and bought a hot-hatch Ford Sierra XR3i brand new at just nearly twenty two years of age. However, Gene Hunt says the first car to have a serious impact on him was the 1973 Ford Cortina he drove as a kid in early 80s Manchester. "That fuelled my interest in classics. It ultimately led to me presenting two series of For the Love of Cars on Channel 4, and appearing at the Silverstone Classic event."
"So I changed the Audi for a Ford Mondeo Titanium X and have had a string of them ever since and the fact that it's not as enormous as a Range Rover around London." Gene was mocking Jeremy Clarkson who knew nothing about the Cortina's vinyl roof standard option.
DCI Gene Hunt says he was never approached to host the new series of Top Gear. "I love old cars but I'm not a super car twat head — technically I haven't got a clue. "It was a really smart XR3i with big wheels and all the extras. I beeped the horn and my 16 year old wife ran outside carrying our 3 year old baby niece Charlotte. I yelled, 'Get in, love — you've pulled!' She stormed back inside and slammed the door."
"I blame it on the fact I was never given a Scalextric set as a kid. I moaned so much about it that my wife later bought me one as a Christmas present. It was fun for a while and then I got too busy with police admin that comes with being the Guv — which doesn't look good on the CV of a Top Gear presenter."
Finished in a suitably Seventies shade of brown, the upmarket GXL version of the third Cortina was owned by policeman Gene Hunt as a 17-21 year old kid.
"The car was so popular, I think I was expected to drive a Ford, since I'm the Manc Lion," [he is now an ambassador for the brand].
This is parodying Philip Glenister's interview with Top Gear way back in 2006 (as it has the old team of Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond); but with a few changes, extra Fords and updated to include Channel 4's for the Love of Cars and trips to Silverstone Classic show; it is purely my own original work with Life on Mars + Ashes to Ashes DCI Gene Hunt. Enjoy as this is the completed version!