Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang

This article is about the children's story. For the film, see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. For other uses, see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (disambiguation).

Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang: The Magical Car
The cover of Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang, showing author and title, and a cartoon of the car with the Pott family
The hardcover three volumes (first editions)
AuthorIan Fleming
IllustratorJohn Burningham
GenreChildren's literature
PublisherJonathan Cape
Publication date
22 October 1964
Publication placeUnited Kingdom
Media typePrint (hardcover)
Pages46 (Volume 1)
Followed byChitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again (2011) 

Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang: The Magical Car is a children's story written by Ian Fleming and illustrated by John Burningham. It was initially published in three volumes, the first of which was released on 22 October 1964 by Jonathan Cape, before being published as one book. The story concerns the exploits of Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang—a car with hidden powers and abilities—and its owners, the Pott family.

Fleming, better known as the creator of James Bond, took his inspiration for the subject from a series of aero-engined racing cars called "Chitty Bang Bang", built by Louis Zborowski in the early 1920s. Fleming wrote the book while convalescing after having had a major heart attack; he had created the story as a bedtime story for his son, Caspar. Although Fleming wanted The Daily Mail cartoonist Trog—the pseudonym of Wally Fawkes—as the book's illustrator, the newspaper did not allow him to work on the project, so Burningham was commissioned. Fleming did not live to see Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang published; he died of a heart attack on 11 August 1964 and the book was published two months later.

Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang was serialised in the Daily Express and adapted as a comic strip. The book was loosely adapted as a 1968 film of the same name with a screenplay by Roald Dahl and Ken Hughes; a subsequent novelisation was also published. The film was produced by Albert R. Broccoli, the co-producer of the James Bond film series. The story was also adapted as a stage musical under the same name. In April 2011 a BBC Radio 4 Extra adaptation was broadcast with Imogen Stubbs as the voice of Chitty. Three sequels to Fleming's book have been published, all written by Frank Cottrell-Boyce.