Thanks to Mick Toms whose father Frederick Toms pictured above drove the coach in the film and on locations. Harry Baird the actor only sat in the driver seat when the coach was in the studio all location scenes where the coach is moving was driven by Frederick Toms no one else drove the coach.
Frederick William Robert John Toms was born 10th January 1939. He was born in Bramley nr Basingstoke Hampshire one of 11 children he also did Military Service at Aldershot and was sent to Easter Islands when they were testing the Atom Bomb.
Mr & Mrs Fred Toms Newly weds Fred Toms with wife Christine Wrighton 1970.
Coach registration
ALR 453 B
Frederick William Toms is sadly no longer with us but as with all support crew was very important to the job.
Frederick Toms is British and lived in Hampshire.
Hello film fans I am Christine Wrighton. I worked as secretary in the Production Office in Turin during the shooting of ‘The Italian Job’ with Kevin Kavagna from August to September 1968. Fred Toms was my boyfriend at the time, we married later on the 16th May 1970 but divorced 6th May 1975.
I was Secretary with Kevin Kavagna having worked at Pinewood Studios. I am now 76, (2021) a widow of 8 yrs no children and I live in Italy near Chiavari East of Genova, Liguria. I have been here for 42 years now my Italian husband passed away 22nd Sept 2012 aged 75. He was a Merchant Seaman born and buried in Portofino Liguria.
Christine was born in Blundellsands-and- Crosby, Liverpool on the 8th February 1945. Christine shares the same birthday with her Father.
'Frederick Toms son Mick placed a plaque at the cliff edge of the film ending, Fred Toms drove the caterpillar in the 'Frejus Tunnel' along with the Coach and the Land Rover.
Mathew Field kindly sent Christine a handwritten dedication of his 50th Self Preservation Society book in May 2021.
"It's a great page turner ... I was, 23 in 1968 and didn't know the half of what was going on! so the book has been a real eye opener.
Christine Wrighton
'We
are restoring a Harrington Legionnaire as pictured below which we hope to have finished by 2029'
Driver of film coach replica
Daryl Davies (Dazza)
'Alright, ourkid!'
Film Coach replica
Daryl Davies will be Team Stunt driver of the film coach recreating some of those amazing car chase scenes and more not forgetting the Minis driving back into the coach once completed.
Passengers - Coventry The Self Preservation Society
Daryl Davies is British born in Coventry.
"Progress
is slow but we're getting there" rumour has it there is another coach out there who have a stunt team but we cannot locate them, any pointers?