Saturday, May 25, 2013

A car named Bessie

Bessie

Fans who saw "The Name of The Doctor", which is the finale of the seventh season of Doctor Who, sharply noticed a mysterious yellow vintage car slip past Clara Oswald while being piloted by the Third Doctor (who was Jon Pertwee, by the way). If they can slow down the trailer for just 13 seconds, chances are that there's only one thing about that strange locomotion as seen on the Season 7 finale...yes, that's Bessie!

Bessie's the best car fit for a Time Lord himself and the reason why Bessie's the best car a Whovian would love to see it back in the modern series remains a mystery for now. So what is it then this...Bessie?

Bessie's started out in life as a Siva Edwardian Tourer which was based on the Ford Popular 103E and it's powered by a 1.0L engine which produces 10bhp of power. Not quite powerful by modern standards but there's more to tell about Bessie.

Since The Doctor lost his time travel memories and exiled to Earth, it takes time for the Time Lord to face reality. The first thing he recognized was a red roadster he stole from the hospital, which Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart was very firm to have it back. As a reward for saving Earth from alien threats, Brigadier bought a car for The Doctor and that's how Bessie was born. Bessie is the price The Doctor asks for fighting alongside with UNIT.

At first glance, Bessie is just a car but she's a bit more than that. The brakes work via the absorption of inertia, it can go as fast as it leave trails of fire in her tread marks, and it's got an anti-theft system that involves gluing people to her sides with the use of force fields. Oh, and it can also drive by itself or at the touch of a remote in his pocket.

Despite being an Earth car, Bessie can get through Gallifrey and Omega's anti-matter universe as seen in the 10th and 20th anniversary of Doctor Who. Since it has a very long life, Bessie seen a few things. Bessie played the Game of Rassilon in the Death Zone on Gallifrey, Bessie witnessed the Fourth Doctor's beginnings, and when the Seventh Doctor ran out to face Morgaine.  Bessie can see things no one believed and lost things that no one really understand and that's what makes this car unique to every Whovian.

Bessie, the car, has made a lot of contributions during the Classic Who years and to you, Mr. Steven Moffat,, I presume, to bring Bessie back for the show's 50th anniversary special. Imagine if the Tenth Doctor, the Eleventh Doctor, Rose Tyler, and Clara Oswald are joyriding with Bessie in the streets of London, that would be so dadgum awesome. It should be fun!

Or, what if Doctor Who's Bessie is going to be on Top Gear for a test run soon? I wonder what will the Power Lap Time for Bessie be? Possibly better than the pedal powered Porsche Paw Au Chocolat but slower than the Brutus, I think. Anyway, Bessie is the vintage car that holds a very special place in Doctor Who history. Let's just pray that Bessie will be back. Since the Tenth Doctor and the Eleventh Doctor were better drivers, especially at the Top Gear Test Track, they deserve the credit to drive Bessie.

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