This one is for all the Harry Potter fans out there. Remember that light blue flying car from Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets? Well, people fell in love with it likely even more than J.K. Rowling had anticipated.
In case you forget its backstory in the film, let's give a quick refresher. Arthur Weasley, intrigued with how muggles live, enchanted the vehicle just before Harry and Ron Weasley come across it. Ron, Fred, and George use the flying Ford Anglia to help Harry make his big escape from the Dursley's household on Privet Drive and his troublesome house elf, Dobby. The crew makes it to The Burrow -- the home of the Weasley family -- where they're greeted by an angry Mrs. Weasley, but a thrilled Mr. Weasley. This was only the start of the help that the blue car gave in the film.
After Dobby closed the usual gateway, blocking their access with the Hogwarts Express, Harry and Ron had to use the car instead. Along the way, they encountered the Whomping Willow, which damaged the car beyond repair. Following this, the car retreated back into the Forbidden Forest by itself. While most thought this would be the last of the flying car, it made another appearance after they returned to the forest and encountered Aragog's family of giant spiders. They ended up having ill will towards the boys, and the Ford Anglia aided in their rescue and escape. After ejecting them from the car into safety, it retreated once more back into the forest.
While the flying Ford's appearances may have been brief in the Harry Potter series, they were certainly meaningful. Let's take a look at how this vehicle was produced in the real world, and see how it was made into the famous movie car.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6mFICxz_KI
The Ford Anglia From Harry Potter
So, the car that they actually used in the movie was a 1959 Ford Anglia 105E Deluxe. It was a very popular car around the United Kingdom, and you could pick yourself up one of these for the low price of 310 pounds (around 437 U.S. dollars) at this time. It featured a unique style, with tons of colors to choose from and all types of body configurations, including two-door, four-door, van, wagon, and, surprisingly, even a pickup truck. Needless to say, it was an extremely versatile vehicle.
It also sported an engine with 36 horsepower, so it had plenty of get-up for around town. These Anglias were pretty popular to use as patrol cars, panda cars, and neighborhood patrol vehicles during the 50's and 60's. As time went on, the Anglia eventually got discontinued after the Ford Escort was introduced to the market.
As far as how this vehicle was picked for the film, Rowling had a very good friend named Sean who drove a Ford Anglia. The two used to drive around in it when they had nothing to do, so she associated the vehicle as a symbol of freedom. Her idea to use the car in the movie passes on that freedom to Harry Potter, while also reminding her of the positive memories she had with her friend.
It should be great news to hear that two of the cars used in the movie are still around to this day. One of the cars resides in the loving home of Rupert Grint's father, Nigel Grint. As for the other car, it belongs to One Direction's Liam Payne, as he's been a huge fan of Harry Potter for as long as he can remember. It did, however, come with quite a massive six-figure price tag.
The car is pretty awesome, both on and off the big screen. This little blue flying car made quite an impact for many people, and it was a brilliant touch to the Harry Potter films. Who wouldn't want a magic flying vehicle?