He was the pinnacle of English elegance, who just happened to repeatedly save the world and hold impressive killing skills into the bargain. The graveyard is filled with baddies holding dodgy Russian accents that made the error of underestimating Steed, alongside generations of us who have spent more time than they should have thinking about his sidekicks Emma Peel, Purdy, Cathy Gale and Tara King…
Besides being a connoisseur of fine wines, sophisticated styles, magnificent abodes and a rather lethal bowler hat, John Steed could also spot a quality vehicle when he clapped eyes on one. From his first appearance in an AC Greyhound through his fleeting ownership of a Triumph Herald before settling on the sportiest of the gentleman Bentleys, if you want the finest in British car panache then you need look no further than Steeds garage.
Patrick Macnee sadly passed away earlier this year, so to pay homage to the great actor and the timeless character he created, we run down the top 5 vehicles Steed graced with ownership, some of them picked by Macnee himself.
5. Rover SD1
During the 1970s, The Avengers were back – this time with Joanna Lumley and Gareth Hunt as colleagues. While Purdey drove an MGB and Gambit darted around with his V12 XJS, Steed still led the pack with his sublime Rover SD1. Fast, elegant and tasteful enough for TV’s ultimate grandee, it pretty much destroyed whatever those nasty henchmen would send his way.
Did it go sideways? It sure as hell did, proving enough space in the back for his deadly umbrella into the bargain. You can catch an example of his driving skills below:
You can find Rover SD1 examples for sale here
4. Land Rover Series I
Whenever Steed had to venture into areas that would surely beat his beloved Bentley to death, he switched keys for his Series I Land Rover. Battling dense mud or pursuing villains’ cross-country, Steed and his Land Rover were unstoppable. He would usually have the sides rolled up despite the great British weather, proving that just like the Land Rover itself, Steed was utterly weatherproof.
Loads of Series I Land Rover for sale here
3. 1923 Rolls-Royce Silver Ghost 40/50
It was inevitable that the most British man in the world would end up with the most British car in the world. Oozing style, if this passed you at speed you certainly wouldn’t stand in the way – as that long bonnet would make utter mincemeat of you. Not exactly famous for being chuckable or particularly great at evading henchmen in a car chase, this would never stop John Steed from undertaking a handbrake turn or out running those trying to kill him in twisted ways.
Fancy a Silver Ghost like John Steed? Plenty of them here on Classic Cars For Sale!
2. 1926 Speed Six Bentley
This is the machine everyone remembers Steed driving. These two were made for one another, offering power and grace alongside an imposing presence, with the bank balance of a secret agent on expenses needed to run the darn thing. In fact, when a foe destroys his beloved garaged Bentley during a long-standing battle, Steed goes through the entire range of emotions. First is mourning, second is anger and third is hunting down the offender and watching him die. The fact he kidnapped Joanna Lumley probably didn’t help.
Do you want to be like John Steed with a Bentley Speed Six? Here’s an almost identical example…except for the colour…
1. 1976 Jaguar XJ12 C Broadspeed
This is the daddy. Apart from the fact that Macnee didn’t particularly enjoy driving the XJ12 due to heavy steering and an utterly tail happy rear end, it looks bloody marvellous on screen. From J-turning the beast in a car park to driving at breakneck speed around a race course in pursuit of a driver with a tampered formula racer, this pretty much outran everything. Even a helicopter in one episode…
It’s recently been put up for sale, and despite being in a rather poor condition, it still looks mighty fine.
You might not be able to find an XJ12 Broadspeed for sale, but Steed seemed to love his Jaguars – he had an XJS, too – here's a rather fine example of something he would be proud of.