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The Saint's Blog devoted to news and rumors about The Saint and Leslie Charteris. Simon Templar, alias The Saint, was played by Roger Moore in the 1960's TV show featuring the Volvo 1800.
Please e-mail any current news and rumors about The Saint to: 
 One of the most famous television cars is The Saint's Volvo P1800, and Val Kilmer drove a Volvo C70 in the 1993 movie of The Saint. Well, we now hear that Val Kilmer will be the new voice of K.I.T.T. on Knight Rider -- another famous television car to rival the Volvo!
Keeping it in the family, the new K.I.T.T. is a Ford Mustang, and as you know, Ford owns Volvo.
From SlashFilm:Oooh, K.I.T.T. voice draaama! Friend of the world’s beaches and former Batman and Real Genius, Val Kilmer, has signed on to voice the smooth-computin’ automobile in the latest TV-reboot of Knight Rider for NBC and Universal. Will Kilmer’s K.I.T.T. (Knight Industries Three Thousand) do a passable Elvis impersonation and fire a laser that pops a billion golden kernals? I don’t know wise guy, but I do know that actor Will Arnett (Arrested Development) is right bummed right now. Arnett had already finished recording all of his voice work for the rebooted show, which premieres in just two weeks, see? And before you swipe Kilmer’s jolly hand away as it attempts to steal Arnett’s gooey, delicious voice of K.I.T.T., know this: it isn’t Kilmer’s fault, see?
In one of the silliest signs of a world run amok in corporate Brawndo tie-ins, Arnett has done commercial voice work in the past for General Motors, and K.I.T.T., see, is a Ford Mustang. Kablowski! That invisible line in the industrial sandbox? Well, Arnett just crossed it. But he still had time to jump back over said line, cover his tracks and allow Kilmer to swing in using a vine made from his absolutely batshit resume to save the day and grab a nice payday (PayDay?). The new two-hour made-for-TV movie will be shown on NBC on Sunday, Feb 17, 2008. For more information, you can visit the Knight Rider Movie, the official NBC site, or the web's longest-running Knight Rider site.
From NBC:This two-hour movie event, based on the iconic 1980's hit television series, stars Justin Bruening ("All My Children"), Deanna Russo ("The Young and the Restless"), Sydney Tamiia Poitier ("Veronica Mars," "Grindhouse") and Bruce Davison ("Breach," "Close To Home"). In addition, David Hasselhoff (NBC's "America's Got Talent") -- who starred in the popular lead role as Michael Knight for four seasons during the original series' run -- returns as the same character during a special guest-star appearance.
As the original story resumes, the new KITT (Knight Industries Three Thousand) is absolutely the coolest car ever created: its supercomputer capable of hacking almost any system; its weapons systems efficient; and its body -- thanks to its creator's work and nanotechnology -- is capable of actually shifting shape and color. Plus, its artificial intelligence makes it the ideal good cop partner: logical, precise and possessing infinite knowledge. It is the ultimate car -- and someone will be willing to do anything to obtain it.
The three cars featured in the series include the KITT Hero -- a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR that is playing the part of the everyday Hero car with 540 horsepower; the KITT Attack -- a super high-speed version of the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR Hero car that transforms into Attack mode with the help of air-ride technology and specialized body parts -- and a KITT Remote, which is a driverless Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR version of the Hero vehicle.
Sarah Graiman is a 24-year old Ph.D candidate at Stanford University, following in her genius father Charles' (Davison) footsteps. But when men attempt to abduct her, Sarah receives a mysterious call from KITT warning her that he's a creation of Charles, who also invented the first KITT 25 years ago -- and that her father is in serious danger.
Sarah and KITT track down her best friend from childhood, Mike Tracer (Bruening), a 23-year-old ex-Army Ranger, whom Sarah hasn't seen since he left home at 18. Having served in Iraq, Mike is now jaded and lost and initially resistant. Eventually he agrees to help Sarah and the two set out to discover who's behind the attempt to procure KITT and find Charles. Along the way, Carrie Rivai (Poitier) plays the agile yet tough FBI agent who has a long-standing friendship with Charles and Sarah. Due to those ties, she is brought into the mix to help in the search.
Credits: Dave Bartis ("Heist") and Doug Liman ("Mr. & Mrs. Smith") serve as executive producers. David Andron is supervising producer and writer. Steve Shill ("Dexter" "The Tudors"), also a co-producer, directs the two-hour movie from Universal Media Studios and Dutch Oven Productions. Labels: 2008, Knight Rider, Val Kilmer, Volvo
 Retired Long Island Science Teacher Sets Sights on 3 Million Miles In His Record-Breaking 1966 Volvo P1800
IRVINE, Calif., Oct. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- With 2.6 million miles on his record-breaking, shiny red 1966 Volvo P1800, 67-year-old Irv Gordon is now aiming to achieve a near impossible milestone -- driving three million miles in the same car.
Gordon, a retired science teacher from East Patchogue, N.Y., purchased his sporty Volvo in June 1966, and immediately fell in love, driving 1,500 miles in the first 48 hours. With a 125-mile round-trip daily commute, a dedication to vehicle maintenance and a passion for driving, Gordon logged 500,000 miles in 10 years. In 1998 with 1.69 million miles, he made the Guinness Book of World Records for most miles driven by a single owner in a non-commercial vehicle.
Today, Gordon breaks his own record every time he drives, whether it's to Cincinnati for coffee, Rolla, Mo. for lunch or Green River, Wyo. for dinner. And now, as the treasured Volvo P1800 continues to roll through the ages despite the wear of road and time, Gordon -- like any mighty record-holder at the top of his game -- has begun to think about his legacy.
"My goal is to reach three million miles in the next five years," Gordon said. "But, whether I reach that mark is more up to me than it is the car. The car's parts may be able to take it, but I'm not so sure about my own.
"I turn 72 on July 15, 2012," he added. "That seems like a nice day to clock three million and park the car once and for all. It will be a fantastic testament to the engineering genius of Volvo as well as to the resiliency of folks my age.
"I'll also feel comfortable that three million miles is a record that no one will ever be able to reach in the same car," Gordon continued. "That is, unless Barry Bonds decides to start driving his car more after he retires from baseball."
Slowing the Pace in Recent Years
Through the late '90s and early part of this decade, Gordon had been driving at a near fanatical pace of well over 100,000 miles per year, peaking in March 2002 when he gained worldwide attention for turning two million miles while driving down Broadway in Times Square. Today, to reach his next milestone, he is allowing a more conservative pace of 80,000 miles per year, thanks in large part to doctor's orders.
"You tire a little easier when you reach my age," Gordon said. "Gone are the nights when I'd be driving through Nebraska at 3 a.m. on I-80 West, jacked up on two pots of delicious Waffle House coffee.
"Last year, when my doctor told me I could no longer drive 24 hours at a time, 1,000 miles a day, I thought he was out of his mind, but I now realize he's right," Gordon said. "Today, I get a full night's sleep, eat healthy and take eight days to drive cross country, rather than six. The car gets plenty of exercise no matter how I plan each trip."
Gordon Seeking New Places to Drive
Gordon drives for the pure pleasure of driving but, these days, what motivates him most is an invitation to drive to an event to show off his car and visit friends. As he drives toward three million miles, he's looking for new places to go.
"I've traveled pretty much every Interstate in the U.S. many times over, so these days I'm looking for fresh, alternative routes and sights," Gordon said. "I'm hoping for some invitations to some faraway places like Europe, Australia or Hawaii.
"I can hold my own with almost any trucker at any truck stop in any country -- discussing roads, construction, or the best nearby, small-town diner with a good cup of decaf and piece of raisin toast."
What to Do After 3 Million
Gordon is unsure what to do with his Volvo after three million miles, though he has considered selling it for no less than one dollar per each mile he's driven.
"I also think it should go in a nice, cozy museum where people will get to enjoy seeing the car that beat the odds -- all with the same engine, same radio, same axles, same transmission and of course the same driver," Gordon said.
"So, maybe I'll sell it. Maybe I'll donate it to a museum," he concluded. "Who knows? Maybe I'll keep driving it."
SOURCE: Volvo Cars of North AmericaLabels: 2007, Guinness Book of World Records, Irv Gordon, P1800, Volvo
Please Link to www.saint.org
For all of you Saint fans out there with website or blogs of your own. Please link to this site at http://www.saint.org/ to promote the latest news about The Saint and Leslie Charteris. It's important for all those interested in Roger Moore as Simon Templar, the Volvo connection, or the Val Kilmer movie to find the latest news in a quick and timely manner!
Many thanks for your support, and remember to link today!
<a href="http://www.saint.org/">The Saint and Leslie Charteris News</a>Labels: 2006, Leslie Charteris, Roger Moore, Val Kilmer, Volvo
 Due to the popularity of the information on The Saint's Volvo, I have created another page all about The Saint's Jaguar. If anyone has more pictures or information they would like to contribute to this work in progress, please e-mail 'saint' at this domain (saint.org).
The Jaguar Model Club also has a great list of all the appearances of a Jaguar in movies and TV and has the following additional information about the Jaguar XJS' role in the Return of The Saint TV series starring Ian Ogilvy:
This early prototype 1975 four-speed manual, V12 XJS was driven by Ian Ogilvy in 20 out of the 24 episodes filmed. Replaced by a second White XJS for the last four episodes after Ogilvy, burned the clutch out doing one of those famous get away starts on gravel! The original car was registered PWK 530R but had false 'ST 1' plates fitted. The car survives today and is one of the 352 rare manual versions of the Jaguar XJS. Labels: 2006, Ian Ogilvy, Jaguar, Return of The Saint, TV, Val Kilmer, Volvo
There is some updated Saint news on www.lesliecharteris.com regarding Roger Moore and his work on The Saint TV series.
On October 31st Sir Roger Moore unveiled a plaque at Elstree Studios to commemorate his time working there on The Saint and subsequent feature films. Keeping him company at the presentation were a number of his former colleagues who worked with him on the show such as producer Robert S. Baker, Johnny Goodman, Malcolm Christopher, Dave Prowse, June Randall, Burt Kwok and many others. Visit the official website of Leslie Charteris to see more pictures from the event, including a few good ones of Roger signing the hood of the Saint's Volvo 1800.Labels: 2006, Elstree Studios, Leslie Charteris, Roger Moore, TV, Val Kilmer, Volvo
 Bill Cawthon has written a great article about the history of The Saint's Volvo that features a couple of nice pictures of early models.
One of the interesting things that is discussed in the article is that after Leslie Charteris sold the television rights to Producer Robert Baker and Lew Grade of ITC their first visualization of Simon Templar on TV was of Patrick McGoohan driving a Jaguar E-Type. When the producers went to Jaguar they were turned down as Jaguar felt they had enough exposure and could not keep up with the demand as it was. Therefore they ended up with the other hot car introduced at the Geneva Auto Show in March 1961 by buying one at full price from a London Volvo dealer. Luckily, as the show took off , Volvo kept the show well stocked with fresh 1800's as the years went buy. Older cars were cut apart for interior shots, crashed, and otherwise used by Roger Moore as his personal vehicle of choice.
YouTube also have an interesting five-minute video about The Saint' Volvo 1800.Labels: 2006, Jaguar, Leslie Charteris, Roger Moore, TV, Volvo, YouTube
With thanks to FeedBlitz you can now subscribe to The Saint and Leslie Charteris blog to get updates e-mailed directly to you as they happen. You are then free to visit this site to see what Simon Templar and his trusty Volvo are up to!
Here's the number of current subscribers:  Labels: 2006, Leslie Charteris, Volvo
You can now visit Volvo's site and give a Volvo to The Saint! As noted in Seth Godin's Blog Simon Templar won't actually get a Volvo from your deeds. The idea is just to get you thinking about who in your life deserves a Saintly Volvo. I wonder where the link to the Volvo 1800 is? How about a nice white C70 for the new TV series starring Geoffrey Moore?Labels: 2006, Geoffrey Moore, TV, Volvo
What happened to the Saint's car? An article posted from The Times entitled, "The Cars Are The Stars," tells an interesting story about the Volvo as well as a few other famous autos of television.
The article goes on to note that, "Sir Roger Moore is due to visit Elstree Studios in October to be the recipient of one of the town council's commemorative plaques recognising the six years he spent at the studio in the 1960s starring in the hugely successful television series The Saint."Labels: 2006, Elstree Studios, Roger Moore, TV, Volvo
 I was watching Deadlier Than The Male today and it struck me that this very well could have been a Saint movie in the 1960's with Roger Moore. It was filmed at Pinewood studios during the same time period, and has that distinct feel. It also features a Volvo 1800 hiding in the background of two different scenes.
Bulldog Drummond was written by Sapper around the same time that Charteris started up The Saint. He is very much in the same genre, and is part of my suggested reading list for fans of The Saint.
Amazon USA and Amazon UK both carry extensive collections of Bulldog Drummond books, tapes, posters, and DVDs.Labels: 2006, Amazon.com, Leslie Charteris, Roger Moore, Volvo
Bill Krzastek is the proud owner of a 1967 Volvo 1800S that was used in The Saint TV series with Roger Moore. He has posted a number of pictures of it, and it is beautiful. Fully restored, it does indeed look like a giant-size Corgi Saint Volvo -- he just needs to build a giant Corgi box to put next to it! The story and pictures he has posted are great to see.Labels: 2006, Bill Krzastek, Roger Moore, TV, Volvo
 Bill Krzastek, the owner of one of the Volvo 1800s used in the Roger Moore TV series, The Saint, writes:
Hello and Happy New Year to all of you. It has been a busy end of the year for "ST1". It arrived in Virginia in late September then shipped out to California for a few weeks of fun in the sun! While there, it was displayed on the Volvo stand at the Anaheim Auto Show for the unveiling of Volvo's new C70 Coupe/Convertible.
While in California, Matt Stone, executive editor of Motor Trend Classic, a new high-quality classic car magazine, borrowed "ST1" for an article and photo shoot. I just received an advance copy of the issue (January/February 2006) and it is just superb. The article is seven (7) pages with lots of photographs taken while under power through a tunnel (reminds me of the tunnel at Monaco) and still photos taken in the same warehouse where Clint Eastwood's film "Million Dollar Baby" was filmed. Please pick up a copy as you won't be disappointed. Matt also included a few period shots of "ST1" with Sir Roger Moore in the article as well as a brief history of "The Saint". Labels: 2006, Bill Krzastek, Roger Moore, TV, Volvo
 A&E has released the first season of black and white Roger Moore episodes on DVD. In 1962, Roger Moore arrived in a big way with the instant classic The Saint, which he played Simon Templar, an ex-con Robin Hood-type thief who steals from the rich... and keeps it for himself. Usually mistaken for a James Bond-like secret agent, Templar was more compassionate than Moore's unflappable alter ego and was less likely to use a gun or gadget to get out of a sticky situation. More often than not, Templar relied upon wits and his trusty white Volvo to escape a dilemma, and for six seasons he weaved effortlessly through caper after caper while heavily influencing later series The Avengers, The Man From U.N.C.L.E and Mission Impossible, not to mention loaning a riff or two to 007 himself.
Includes all 12 first-season episodes. 3 DVDs. 1962/b&w/10 hrs/NR.
Buy The Early Episodes Set 1 from A&ELabels: 2004, DVD, James Bond, Roger Moore, Volvo
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