Tallington firm helps film Spectre car chase

Pinewood Studios approached 158 Performance about buying one of their Scarab boats for use in Spectre after seeing their display at a show.

The studio wanted to use the boat to film a high-speed chase scene along the banks of the Tiber river in Rome. And the performance sports firm was happy to oblige.

Business partner Matt Bullock said: “Unfortunately the boat didn’t feature in the film but it’s a bit of kudos that we have been a part of the movie.

“We are the UK distributor for Scarab and we are their preferred supplier. But it was quite a surprise to get the call.

“We exhibit at a lot of boat shows. The studio was obviously researching what was available and found us to be the one that ticked the box.”

The scene, filmed in March, features a Jaguar and 007’s Aston Martin DB10, made especially for 007 to drive, in a night-time car chase around the streets of Rome. It is one of many big-budget action scenes in the latest James Bond series, which was released in the UK on October 26. It has smashed UK box office takings with £40m in its first week.

Matt, a big Bond fan, has already been to see Spectre. He said: “The chase scene comes across ever so well. Knowing that the boat was supplied by us meant we were watching out for that bit. It was great to be involved with something as big as that.

“I thought it was a brilliant film, one of the best yet.”

The Scarab brand on sale at 158 Performance’s showroom in Tallington has only recently been revived. It’s use in Spectre is the brand’s biggest brush with the silver screen, but it’s heritage is closely linked with the small screen.

“The yellow boat that David Hasselhoff and the girls used in Baywatch was a Scarab,” said Matt. And it was also used in Miami Vice.

“It’s an eighties brand that has recently been revived.

“They are all jet boats so they’re ideal for shallow water like in the river in Rome. They don’t get stuck like propeller boats.”