This version of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is completely road-worthy.

(Credit: Profiles in History)

The original flying, amphibious car, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, goes up for auction on May 15 in Los Angeles. It is expected to sell at between $1 million and $2 million.

Although the dashboard looks vintage, a Ford V-6 and automatic transmission drive the car.

(Credit: Profiles in History)

Like a movie star, the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang going on sale didn't do its own stunts in its eponymous film. While other cars and models for the film flew and floated, this car merely drove, although the sellers point out it was built tough enough to handle dirt roads, cobblestone streets, and even a drive down a set of stairs.

The car was built for the 1968 movie by Alan Mann Racing, which ran Ford's 1960s racing team in Europe. The car's engine is a Ford V-6, and the wooden passenger compartment was crafted by ship builders. Although it was also built with an automatic transmission, instruments and details were added to make it look like an original early 1900s touring car.

The 1968 movie was a musical starring Dick Van Dyke, and co-written by Roald Dahl and Ken Hughes. It was based on a children's story by "James Bond" creator Ian Fleming.


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