The Heeler family’s licence plate was spotted out in the wild, and in Queensland no less. But what’s the actual car used in the popular TV series?
It’s official – aside from ugg boots and Margot Robbie, Bluey might be Australia’s greatest export.
RELATED: The car in Barbie isn’t quite what it seems
The ABC children’s television series has taken the world by storm and educated overseas audiences about certain Australianisms
For example, how we pronounce ‘airport’ as ‘eh-pawt’ and view buying a sausage in bread at a hardware store as a national pastime.
From the catchy theme song to the adorable squeaky voice of its protagonist, the show features plenty of instantly recognisable references, but only true fans will be able to recite the Heeler family’s licence plate from memory.
The family of four drives a bold orange SUV of unknown origin wearing Queensland plates that read ‘419HLR’.
As it turns out, this licence plate isn’t a work of pure fiction. One lucky viewer took to a Facebook group for Bluey fans to share a snap of the same licence plate on a Mitsubishi Pajero Sport – in Queensland no less.
Some quick investigative journalism from Drive journalist Jordan Mulach revealed this particular licence plate is actually pretty hard to come by in Australia, with only three cars able to claim the honour of bearing the Heeler family’s digits.
The Mitsubishi Pajero Sport in Queensland is the closest to the real thing, plus there’s a Ford Ranger in New South Wales and a Toyota LandCruiser in the Northern Territory also sporting the plates.
While the licence plate is spot-on, the Titanium Grey Pajero Sport is, visually, a far cry from the Heeler family’s funky orange 4WD.
What’s the car in Bluey?
There’s plenty of online discussion about the exact make and model that inspired the cartoon car in Bluey.
To the Drive team, it bears a striking resemblance to the 2023 GWM Tank 300 in Dusk Orange – but the show predates the Tank’s arrival in Australia.
Other popular suggestions include a Jeep Wrangler, Suzuki Jimny, Toyota FJ Cruiser and Land Rover Defender.
RELATED: If I ran Toyota, I’d bring back the FJ Cruiser
The new Ford Bronco also bears a striking resemblance to the Bluey-mobile, particularly in Race Red.
Meanwhile, Drive‘s Production Editor, Kez Casey, reckons the grille is a dead ringer for the one that features on old Nissan Patrol GQ models.
One Bluey car that’s a little less ambiguous is the green ute that features in the season three episode ‘Tradies’ – which looks to be a mash-up of a Ford Falcon ute and a Holden Commodore ute.
This was semi-confirmed on Twitter by Costa Kassab, lead animator on the series. When asked what model of ute the animators used as inspiration, Mr Kassab replied:
“All I can say is that we are very inspired by everyday Aussie life, but to represent one thing in exact entirety is a bit of a legal nightmare. Art direction lives and dies by mash-ups.”
What model do you think the Heeler family’s SUV is based on? Let us know by voting in the poll below.
The post Someone spotted the car from ‘Bluey’ in real life appeared first on Drive.
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar