The Spectrum Patrol Car (SPC) or Spectrum Saloon Car (SSC) is a fictional vehicle that appears in Gerry Anderson's science-fiction television series Captain Scarlet and the Mysterons (1967) and in revamped form in the remake New Captain Scarlet (2005).

Depiction

Captain Scarlet

Accessible only to Spectrum personnel, the SPC is 18 ft long and equipped with four-wheel drive. It can seat up to four people, has a maximum speed of 200 or, and is powered by a gas turbine located under the rear roof. The car is specially equipped with quartz headlights that permit the driver to see long distances in the dark. The vehicle also features transverse gearing, independent suspension and magnetic drums that provide powerful control braking by means of electromagnetically generated opposing magnetic fields. The road-tyre friction heat at high speeds is countered by wing intakes, while a central housing and rear-mounted fin maintain the vehicle's stability at speed. The original script for the first episode provided little in terms of specification for the vehicle, merely describing it as a "modern American saloon car". It was one of several minor Spectrum vehicles whose design the series' special effects director, Derek Meddings, delegated to his assistant, Mike Trim because he assumed that they would not appear in any other episodes. In the end, however, Trim's concepts for the car and the other vehicles (the Spectrum Helicopter, Passenger Jet and Maximum Security Vehicle) were so well received that they became recurring elements of the series.

New Captain Scarlet

In the CGI series New Captain Scarlet (2005), the SPC's successor is known as the Spectrum Cheetah. While the updated vehicle strongly resembles the SPC, it has an added capability: it is equipped with extendable wings, a tail fin and booster rockets that, once deployed, allow the car to glide over obstructions that it encounters on the road.

Toys

Since the 1960s the SPC has been released in toy form by various manufacturers. Products include a plastic friction-drive toy by Century 21 Toys, a die-cast model by Dinky (which continued to be produced until 1974) and newer versions by Vivid Imaginations and Corgi.

Reception

In a 2014 article on the Mazda RX-500, Mick Walsh of Classic & Sports Car magazine compared the Mazda's Kammback to the shape of the SPC, commenting: "There's no doubting there's a strong hint of the Spectrum Patrol Car in the RX-500." In 2015, James Taylor of Car magazine ranked the SPC one of the top 10 vehicles from the Gerry Anderson productions, likening it to "a cross between a Plymouth Superbird and a hearse, topped by a D-type-shaming tail fin". However, he argued that the car's split windscreen would have made for poor forward visibility.