Number Plates News

Morse Code

13 January 2012

Inspector Morse's original Jaguar Mk II made a guest appearance in a new 2-hour prequel to the popular detective series.

Shaun Evans plays the young Morse as a rookie constable in the ITV1 drama 'Endeavour', entitled after his role's little known first name. In one scene, he is tempted by a beautiful red Jaguar for sale on a garage forecourt but reluctantly passes it by since his character's pay would never stretch to such a luxury.

The clever touch is that the car bears the famous 248 RPA registration which implies it is the car he will eventually acquire in the series. And, amazingly, it is the very same vehicle, which the producers of the programme managed to track down for a special cameo part.

The 'Morse Jaguar' is currently available for display at special events and from its current owner, Mr Berg, who has a website dedicated to the car and its history at www.morsejaguar.co.uk

The numbers and initials of the 248 RPA plate bear no particular significance to the plot or characters in the production but, nevertheless, the registration has naturally become instantly recognisable to devotees of the show.

Here are some more famous TV plates you might recall:

KAR 120C Lotus in The Prisoner
NHK 295M Ford Granada in The Sweeney
SLE 71R Terry McCann's Capri in Minder
PNO 641T Doyle's 1976 Ford Escort Mark II RS2000 in Bodie and Doyle
UOO 303T Bodie's 1979 Ford Capri Mark III 3.0S in the same show [Also used in their previous show, The Professionals.
CNH 320 The General Lee's plate from The Dukes of Hazzard
537 ONN Ford Torino from Starskey& Hutch
WLG 142E Basil Fawlty's much-abused Austin 1100 Estate Car in Fawlty Towers