Beaulieu: Doctor Who vehicles on show for 60th anniversary

An exhibition of Doctor Who vehicles and Daleks is opening later, on the day of the show's 60th anniversary.

The yellow roadster, Bessie, first appeared in 1970 with the Third Doctor, played by Jon Pertwee.

The winged Whomobile - with its space-age design - was owned by the actor and was written into the series in 1974.

Lord Montagu, who is hosting the display at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu, Hampshire, said he was an "avid" Doctor Who fan.

He said: "I never missed an episode. The idea of space travel appeals to me and exploring other planets.

"It was Jon Pertwee and that era that had cars in the storylines. He definitely liked fast cars, in the context of being a bit of an action man himself."

Bessie - a kit Siva body fitted to a 1954 Ford chassis - has been on loan to the museum from the BBC since 2017.

In the series, the Doctor acquired the car when he was exiled on Earth without his Tardis - the flying police box which was his usual means of transport.

The silver Whomobile was commissioned by Pertwee from car designer Peter Farries.

Purportedly a hovercraft capable of flight, it was actually a three-wheeler with a claimed top speed of 105mph (169km/h).

Pertwee insisted in a BBC Blue Peter interview it was stable and "sticks to the ground like a limpet".

Presenter Peter Purves told viewers: "The BBC liked the look of it so much that they decided to give it a part in the new series."

The car, now owned by Paul Buckland, boasts an array of real-life gadgets including a flashing mock-computer, jet simulators and a dashboard TV.

The motorised memorabilia are on display at Lord Montagu's Beaulieu Estate until the end of February.

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