I scooped a century-old car as a ‘whisky buy’ – I never imagined it would land me roles in films alongside Bond stars
A PETROLHEAD who scooped an antique car as a “whisky buy” has revealed how it landed him roles in films alongside screen legends – including a duo of James Bond stars.
Jem Bowkett picked up the 1909 Ford Model T for just £7,000 in 1979 – equivalent to £36,000 today.
The model is beloved among classic car enthusiasts thanks to its status as the first mass-produced, assembly-line car.
Indeed, Henry Ford’s invention is largely credited with making motoring accessible to the general public and setting the platform for the modern automotive industry.
Jem first found the vehicle over in Virginia and snapped it up in a “whisky-motivated purchase” before having it shipped back to the UK.
The now century-old motor had been restored in the ’50s but Jem repainted it in its original colour – Brewster Green – and did away with the “hideous” white wheels to return it to stock.
He was discovered by Hollywood bosses in 1980, when he was spotted out and about in the Model T and asked if he would rent it out for a film.
The now 75-year-old, from Lincolnshire, agreed but only if he could accompany it to the set to “make sure it didn’t get ill-treated”.
That was the starting point that kicked off a multi-decade career in the movie industry.
Jem told Forever Cars: “It was good fun – you get to dress up and drive old cars and get paid for it.”
Over the years, he has had cameo appearances along with his car in films starring a variety of cinema titans, including Julie Andrews, James Cagney and two Bond actors – Sir Sean Connery and Sir Roger Moore.
In fact, he claims that he was “the last person to work with Richard Burton” while appearing in the 1984 film Ellis Island.
The legendary Welsh actor, famed for his award-winning performances and headline-grabbing romance with Elizabeth Taylor, would die of a stroke just days later aged 58.
These days, Jem and his wife Linda mainly use the Model T to enjoy vintage car shows.
He joked: “We go to classic car shows these days, where the guideline is 15 years old or more, and I look around and think I’m in Tesco car park.”
And while he has been “glued” to its seat for the past 40 years, he accepts that he will have to give the car up eventually, saying: “I don’t want to hang on to it while I go gaga in a care home and have it become a neglected barn find estate sale again.”
It comes after that very thing happened to one driving fanatic’s 170-strong car collection as they all ended up in a warehouse, with £1 million worth of classics gathering dust.
