So where was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang set? Nowhere and Everywhere. The movie’s fictional country of Vulgaria is a mashup of German architecture, English studio work, and a dash of Bavarian mountain air. The filmmakers bounced between Germany, England, and the back of their imagination like a car on a pogo stick.
And here’s the final surprise: the book by Ian Fleming was set in England, with no flying, no child-catcher, and no vulgar barons. The movie added all that nonsense because the producers said, “Bond wrote it, so let’s make it weirder.” And thank goodness they did. Because without the German castles and the fake British beach, we wouldn’t have a film that defies geography—and logic—as beautifully as a flying car. So next time you watch it, give a little nod to Bavaria. And maybe a frown at Pinewood’s fake ocean. Chitty chitty, indeed.
