Fire up the Ford Focus: Ray Winstone and Plan B trade in the Ford Consul for a newer model in The Sweeney remake


By Emily Sheridan




Fans of the original TV show will remember detectives Jack Regan and George Carter whizzing around London in a Ford Consul GT or Granada.
But with the police drama updated in the upcoming film adaptation, producers have decided to upgrade to the new Ford Focus ST, which isn't even on sale until next year.
Ray Winstone and Ben Drew, aka Plan B, started filming started this month on the gritty remake.

On the hunt: Ray Winstone and Ben Drew (Plan B) filming scenes for The Sweeney last week


Hot out of the factory: The new Ford Focus ST - which isn't on sale until next year - will be Regan and Carter's car of choice

And as these photographs show, the pair will be using the black hatchback to help them chase criminals.
While the Ford Focus isn't quite as iconic as the old Consul at the moment, perhaps we will look back on the vehicle just as fondly decades ahead in the future.
The new film, directed by Nick Love, sees Winstone take over the late John Thaw's role as Regan, with newcomer Drew playing Dennis Waterman's character Carter.

Keeping the legacy going: The stars of The Sweeney have always driven Ford cars

Love said he wanted to keep using Fords because 'their legacy with the original TV show is so strong'.

The show, which ran on ITV in the mid to late 70s, followed Regan and Carter, two members of the Metropolitan Police's Flying Squad, tracking down criminals in London.

Drew, who won a Brit Award in February, has already acted in Adulthood, Harry Brown and 4.3.2.1.
He admitted he was slightly worried about playing a policeman in the film.

An old model: John Thaw driving a Ford Granada MK1 in the original Sweeney TV show

He told Digital Spy: 'I was a bit worried. When it was offered to me I was like, "Wow, I've always wanted to be in a film with Ray Winstone as a supporting role next to him."
'But I was worried about the fact I would look too young. So I said, "Look if I'm going to do that role, we're going have to reinvent that character."
'I've never had a great relationship with the police. I always found them a nuisance really. I never felt the police were there to protect me when I was growing up.'
The Sweeney film is due for release in September 2012.

Cult classic: The late Thaw and Dennis Waterman as Regan and Carter in The Sweeney

 

john thaw was top dog but I have some serious time for ray winstone

 

Looking forward to seeing this when it comes out. Hope it doesn't turn out to be a flop.

 

they could have used the focus rs at least, should be great viewing either way

 

i would of thought a mondeo titanium x would have better as in the sweeney they had a granada ghia v6 with a driver, so regan and carter could just jump in or out of the car when needed

 

should be ok with ray winstone but a modern ford focus sounds shit right off the bat sweeney was a classic hope they dont fuck it up making it to modern they need old fords not new ones

 

I am looking forward to its release big time, wonder if dennis waterman has a cameo appearance

 

I hear he's gonna write the theme tooon, sing the theme tooon...

 

Yer it should have been a rs but the st could have been 2 door. Are they making a 2 door?

 

Why cant they create some new stuff, instead of remaking and ruining the old stuff ?

Be original ffs !

 

In the picture Regan isnt driving the granada, the still is reversed.

 

+1 .....

 

Yeah, none of the remakes ever capture the original spirit and character of the originals.


It's a long time since I saw the Sweeney Consul GT in the metal though, the owner Steve is doing the world's longest restoration - not helped by the company doing the work going bump.

Hopefully it'll make it back on the road one day.

 

I'm fairly sure that there won't be a 3 door ST. It's a 'world wide' model, and I guess America doesn't want them or there's some silly regulation or something.

Either way, it can't beat the Consul GT in terms of cool.

 

need to have RWD cars or it will just be gay

 

I do like Plan B though he does hard as nails quite well and Winstone.. well.. he's winstone.

 

as i said it'll be wank as a remake should of just made a new film leave the sweeney as it was

 

Ray Winston is just a West Ham CAAAANT!

 

who cares at least hes a real londoner unlike some of the d1cks that pretend to be in the movie world, still remember him in quadrophenia with phil daniels

 

Yeah I know mate just fucking around...... Still hate the West Ham cunt tho.

 

west ham aint my fav either, although my own team chelsea are pants at moment anyway so I might start liking girls hockey instead

 

i cant wait being a big fan of the original and who ever cast Ray Winston is on a roll,but he should have cast Jason Statham as carter.....would have been outstanding and i would have preferred an rs too,but the original was so gritty and had a feel with the old haunts which are probably gone now that it might be hard to get back the rawness,still one to go see ....

 

Will look forward to it. Don't have very high hopes though. '70s programmes will always be missing something if they're remade today set in the present.

 

Chelsea will come good.... When they drop the donkeys & play the likes of Sturrage every week!