Chitty Bang Bang was the informal name of a number of celebrated English racing cars, built and raced by Count Louis Zborowski and his engineer Clive Gallop in the 1920s, which inspired the book, film and stage musical Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang.
The Chittys were built and stored at Higham Park, Zborowski's country house at Bridge near Canterbury, Kent. The cars were so loud that Canterbury reportedly passed a by-law prohibiting them from entering within the city walls. The origin of the name "Chitty Bang Bang" is disputed, but is believed to have come from the sound of an idling airplane engine or from a salacious World War I song.
Read more about Chitty Bang Bang: Chitty 1, Chitty 2, Chitty 3, Chitty 4
Famous quotes containing the word bang:
“Don different from those regal Dons!
With hearts of gold and lungs of bronze,
Who shout and bang and roar and brawl
The Absolute across the hall,”
—Hilaire Belloc (1870–1953)