It’s so well-known that it barely counts as trivia. What car did The Saint drive? Roger Moore had a Volvo P1800, of course. Or, if you want to go next-level, then Ian Ogilvy had a Jaguar XJ-S in Return of the Saint. Or, you could say Marcos 1600GT. Hey?
First screened in October 1962 and based on the books by Leslie Charteris, the gloriously kitsch programme starring super-suave Roger Moore and his gleaming Volvo and slick halo gimmick was a massive hit, despite its rickety filming and preposterous plots. It was the ’60s and such things simply didn’t matter as much as style and oozing cool confidence, both of which The Saint had in spades. After six series, though, it was time to bow out and the final episode of the first incarnation aired in February 1969.
By then, thanks to success in the US boosting its budgets, it was in colour and that last episode was called , referring to a brilliant new sports car from father-and-son garagistes Mr (yes, that’s all) and George Hapgood. Simon Templar, aka The Saint – who just happens to be the world’s finest driver in his spare time – is to pilot the car in a 24-hour rally to secure backing from local engineering bigwig Mr Laker, played by the wonderful George A
