The Book and its Origins
Date Published: 1964
The Plot
Ever seen a car that can fly? Swim? Think for itself? Well, neither has Commander Caractacus Pott and his family - until the magical Chitty Chitty Bang Bang comes into their lives. But dangerous times lie ahead. And when the Pott family comes up against Joe the Monster and his hideous henchmen they desperately need help. That's where Chitty comes in!
Plot Summary from Puffin jacket copy
Date adapted into a film: 1968
Film starred: Dick Van Dyke
A new hardback edition of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, featuring the original illustrations by John Burningham, was published by Puffin in 2008
Origins
A friend gave Ian 'Squirrel Nutkin' to read, and suggested he write down his son Caspar's bedtime stories. Originally in three volumes, Ian's love of cars, villains and good-triumphing-over-evil is shown in the story of a car that looks after and recues the Pott family, and of course gets them out of trouble by being able to fly and float!
Ian wanted Trog the cartoonist to do the illustrations. He also asked his friend Amherst Villiers for ideas, 'something really snazzy looking to excite the imagination of children about 7-10'. Ian even drew some sketches himself but the final designs were by John Burningham who, although quite young at the time went on to write the award-winning Mr Grumpy's Outing and Canonball Simp.
The book was originally published in three parts, and was dedicated to the original Chitty Chitty Bang Bang built in 1920 by Count Zborowski. After a detailed description of the car Ian ends the dedication by saying that she won two prestigious races but then in 1922 was involved in an accident and the Count never raced her again...
In fact, CHITTY-CHITTY-BANG-BANG suddenly went mad with rage about something, and with the Count at the wheel, got out of control and charged through the timing-hut, very fast, backwards!
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