Metro
25 Oct 2007
Funky old Cortina: Life on Mars fan Paul Shedden with his shiny Ford Cortina which starred in the BBC police series
Paul Shedden snapped up the famous orange Ford Cortina when it went on sale on eBay.
Starring John Simm and Philip Glenister, the time-travelling series was a huge hit for the BBC, with more than 7 million viewers tuning in for the final episode in April.
Mr Shedden watched every episode of the show, which saw coppers DCI Sam Tyler and DCI Gene Hunt screeching around the streets of Manchester in the 1970s.
So when he saw the Cortina 2000E up for sale he knew he just had to have it.
Known as Tina to fans, the car has covered less than 67,000 miles but has a few holes in the vinyl roof where cameras were attached during filming.
Mr Shedden said: ‘The car has got a few dints and battle scars on it from filming where Sam Tyler and Gene Hunt have rolled over the bonnet.’
The 33-year-old said he even found some memorabilia in the glove box.
He said: ‘There was a screwed-up script with John Simm’s part on it from the last ever episode. It’s a nice little extra to get with the car and adds a bit of value to it.’
Mr Shedden, from Darlaston in the West Midlands, said he bought the car in memory of his wife Gill, who died of cancer early this year.
‘Some people might buy a bench with a memorial plaque. I have done something else in memory of her.’
The Sun
Gary O’Shea
26 Oct 2007
Cortina suprema … gasman Paul loves his famous new motor
Gasman Paul Shedden feels out of this world when he drives to work – after buying the iconic car from hit BBC series Life On Mars.
Fan Paul, 33, bought the gold Ford Cortina 2000E – used by DCIs Gene Hunt and Sam Tyler – for £10,000 on eBay.
The 1970s car, known as Tina, has holes in the vinyl roof where cameras were attached and dents in the bonnet where DCI Tyler, played by John Simm, landed after a particularly lively stunt.
Paul, of Darlaston, West Midlands, even found torn-up bits of scripts from the last ever episode in the glovebox.
The car was auctioned online to raise money for Comic Relief when the show ended, and Paul snapped it up when he saw it back on eBay.
He said: “It’s an honour to own it.”
John Simm Society Blog 
This car isn’t a GXL of 1970 vintage as if it was there would be full chrome trims around front and rear windows also it would have an angled black dash with ammeter, temperature, fuel and oil pressure gauges in the centre console. Also the colour bronze (copper brown metallic) wasn’t used until July 1972 (L reg onwards) it would have been tawny brown in 1971/2 K reg. Clearly someone has changed both the headlights and front grille as well as the registration. For me this is what spoiled the great “Life on Mars” series.