Actors aren't just driven by ambition. PAUL WELSH discovers what happened to some of their famous motors

Have you ever wondered what happened to some of the famous cars that have featured in television series? Well, most of them are still around.

Remember that beat up 1959 Peugeot 403 car that Peter Falk drove for a number of years as Columbo? It was first used in the series in 1968 and was sold by Universal Studios when the show ended in 1981. Then it decided to make extra episodes from 1989 and, as it was a rare model, had to locate the private owner in Ohio and buy it back.

The Lotus Elan that Diana Rigg drove in The Avengers at Elstree was sold to the actress, but it is now owned by the Cars of The Stars Museum in Keswick.

Inspector Morse's Jaguar was given away as a competition prize in 2001, and one year later the lucky winner auctioned it and received £53,000.

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.

As you may recall, in the show his character, Simon Templar, drove a white Volvo. Originally the producer had asked Jaguar if they could use an E Type Jaguar, which would have been free world wide publicity, but it declined.

I was recently contacted by an American named Bill who is a maths teacher. Bill has bought one of the original cars used in the series and the log book actually has Roger registered as the owner.

He has spent over £50,000 renovating the car, which was badly rusted, making it quite an expensive hobby. The car was repaired over here then transported to his home in Virginia.

The famous ST1 number plate was never owned by the producers, who simply altered the plates when the cars were at the studio. I am told that plate in real life adorns a Mini in London, and has been offered for sale at £150,000.

Incidentally, I would be interested to hear from anyone who was a crew member at Elstree on The Saint series. We hope to have some of Roger's former colleagues at the unveiling so it will almost become the first - and who knows perhaps the last - Saint reunion at the studio.

I understand Roger is looking forward to the town council tribute and was keen that the plaque wording concentrated on his work here, which was The Saint series and the feature films The Man Who Haunted Himself and Crossplot, rather than the James Bond movies made elsewhere.

I have received a number of recollections from guest stars on the series and the common thread is how much fun it was to work with him and the relaxed atmosphere he created. Roger is obviously much liked by his fellow actors. Although he came to ATV to guest star on The Muppets in the late 1970s, it is 35 years since Sir Roger has been back home to Elstree Studios. Nowadays he lives in Switzerland but spends much of his time travelling the world as an ambassador for UNICEF.

Finally, it is time to say goodbye to veteran actor Glenn Ford, who rides into the sunset for the last time at the grand age of 90. Sadly the four-times married Glenn was in poor health for a number of years.

Glenn worked at MGM in Borehamwood in the 1950s but is best remembered as a cowboy, although he also starred in the famous 1955 movie Blackboard Jungle as a teacher in a tough inner city school. The movie introduced Rock Around The Clock which became a big hit record. Were you one of those teddy boys who went wild in the aisles when the film was shown?