THE original 1938 Austin car which featured in a James Herriot film has been hoisted into position at the centre dedicated to the author.
The Austin Big Seven, registration JK7443, used in the 1976 film It Shouldn’t Happen to a Vet now has pride of place at the World of James Herriot in Thirsk.
Hoists were used to lift it over the attraction’s back wall into the garden.
Centre manager, Kate Pawlett said: “We are so glad to have the car home from the great film staring John Alderton, Colin Blakey, Lisa Harrow and Bill Maynard. It arrived in style, if the car could talk it certainly could tell a few stories – who remembers it getting stuck in the river?”
The vehicle was first registered in Eastbourne on March 29, 1938. It cost £139 new and road tax was £6. It does 40 miles per gallon, with a top speed of 60mph.
World of James Herriot managing director, Ian Ashton said: “The car has been something we have wanted to find and when we spotted it on an online auction just had to buy it to accompany the Austin Seven already on display at the centre from the All Creatures Great and Small TV series.”
It Shouldn’t Happen to a Vet is a 1976 sequel to the 1975 film All Creatures Great and Small. Although having the same title as James Herriot’s second novel, the film is based on his third and fourth books. Mr Ashton added: “It’s great to have the car ‘home’ and visitors will remember its most famous moment on film and TV as ‘the water splash’ scene where James Herriot traversed the Yorkshire Dales and drives through the ford between Arkengarthdale and Low Row in Swaledale.”
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