How many Ford Anglias were destroyed?
Two Ford Anglia 105E cars were used for the flying-car sequences in the film Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and at least one was destroyed during filming. The rest of this article explains what is known about the cars and their outcomes.
Context: The flying Anglia in Chamber of Secrets
In the 2002 film adaptation, Harry Potter and Ron Weasley steal a bright blue Ford Anglia to escape to Hogwarts after Dumbledore’s Army is threatened. The vehicle is customized for flight and features prominently in the early parts of the movie. Behind the magic, production teams relied on real cars altered for stunts and special effects, with multiple units handling the flying sequences.
Production facts about the Anglias
Details about the number of Anglias and their fate come from production notes and interviews with the film’s crew. The information below summarizes what is broadly reported in official sources and reputable fan compilations.
- The primary flying-car vehicle was a blue Ford Anglia 105E used for the in-flight and stunt shots.
- One of the Anglia cars involved in the Whomping Willow crash was wrecked beyond reliable repair during filming.
- The fate of the second Anglia is less clearly documented in public sources; it was reportedly used for additional stunt work or ground scenes and may have been scrapped or stored after production.
Before listing, note that the production used at least two Ford Anglia 105E cars for the flying-car sequences.
In summary, production records indicate that at least one Ford Anglia was destroyed during filming, while the status of the other Anglia used for the film’s flying sequences remains less clearly documented in widely available materials.
What happened to the destroyed Anglia and the surviving one
During the Whomping Willow sequence, the flying Anglia involved in the stunt sustained significant damage, effectively ending its role in the film’s action. The surviving Anglia, used for other close-ups and ground sequences, did not have the same dramatic end shown on-screen, and its post-production handling varied by source. Collectively, these facts explain why fans sometimes hear rival accounts about how many Anglias were destroyed.
Notes on accuracy and sources
Details about production vehicles can vary between official records, interviews, and fan-maintained databases. The most consistent takeaway across these sources is that multiple Anglias were used for the film, with at least one sustained irreparable damage during filming. Exact counts beyond that can differ slightly depending on which behind-the-scenes account is cited.
Summary
In short, the commonly cited answer is that two Ford Anglia 105E cars were employed for the flying-car sequences in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, and at least one of them was destroyed during filming. The fate of the second Anglia is less clearly documented in public records, but it did not undergo the same dramatic destruction on-screen. The episode remains a notable example of how real-world vehicles were adapted for magical cinema.
