Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is 20 years old, yet the fans have done an injustice to one character from the film: the Ford Anglia. The flying car is the standout addition to the second Harry Potter movie but gets little recognition. Due to its non-human nature, people tend to overlook the significant contributions the Ford Anglia made to the events of the film. It participated in the Weasley Twins' (Oliver and James Phelps) antics, got Harry (Daniel Radcliffe) and Ron (Rupert Grint) to Hogwarts, and saved Harry and Ron in the Forbidden Forest. Without the existence of this heroic car, the story does not happen. So everyone should thank the car, and, to a lesser extent Arthur Weasley (Mark Williams), for allowing The Chamber of Secrets to exist.
Originally, Arthur got the Ford Anglia to take apart as a study of Muggle things, or at least, that's what he told his wife. He enchanted the car to fly, installed an "invisibility booster," and modified it to expand the interior space capacity. While no one says how long the Weasleys had the car, it is basically a part of the family. Arthur's enchanting of it was not really legal due to a law from the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office about the ownership of charmed objects. However, Arthur wrote in a loophole that allowed it if the owner never intended to use the object. Whatever experiments Arthur did on the Ford Anglia gave it some sentience. It doesn't speak but does react to the environment and recognize old friends. It displays pet-like behavior, earning its place as a character. The Weasleys' car remains loyal to the family and helps them when needed.
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What the Ford Anglia Did in the Movie
The Ford Anglia is introduced early in the film when Fred, George, and Ron show up to rescue Harry from his aunt and uncle. They snuck out, borrowed the car, and showed up at Harry's window. The boys pull the bars off Harry's window, get in the car, and fly away, leaving Uncle Vernon (Richard Griffiths) to fall out the window. The Ford Anglia shows no sentience during this excursion, but much of the actual flying isn't seen.
The most remembered role of the Ford Anglia is getting Ron and Harry to Hogwarts. The two of them cannot get through the barrier to Platform 9 3/4, so they make the ever-logical decision to steal the Weasley car and get there themselves. This ride is more interesting than the last because Ron has no idea how to fly the car. It jostles and flips, nearly throwing Harry out. Yes, this could be incompetence on Ron's part, but it could be the Ford Anglia waking up. They follow the train all the way to Hogwarts, but rather than getting out at the train station with the other kids, flying onto the grounds. Ron loses control of the gears, almost as if the car takes over. He tries to cast a spell to stop them but breaks his wand. The car crashes into a tree, but not just any tree. They land in the branches of the Whomping Willow. The Ford Anglia takes a beating from the tree but gets to safety before throwing the boys and their school trunks out. It even makes sure to throw the pet cages where the boys can catch them rather than hurting the animals. Then the beat-up car drives off to live under the protection of the Forbidden Forrest.
Ron and Harry expect that to be the last they see of the car, but when they need it most, the Ford Anglia returns. It is this scene where the car shows the most sentience. As the Acromantulas surround Harry and Ron, their loyal friend, the Ford Anglia, rides in to save the day. Shoving the Acromantulas out of the way, the car provides the boys a means of escape. It raced out of the forest with the spider creatures on its tail. Even though the car is falling apart, it takes flight, delivering Ron and Harry to Hagrid's (Robbie Coltrane) hut before disappearing back into the Forbidden Forest.
What Would the Story Be Without the Car?
Had Arthur never enchanted the car Harry still would have left the Dursleys' house. Either Fred, George, and Ron would have found another means of rescuing him, or some adult would eventually check in. Harry and Ron would have made it to Hogwarts. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley would find them after leaving platform 9 3/4 and arrange a normal mode of transportation to Hogsmeade. The Ford Anglia's rescue allows Harry and Ron to survive long enough to figure out the Chamber of Secrets and save Hogwarts. It also gives them the chance to clear Hagrid's name, as they could never have survived their talk with Aragog (Julian Glover) without its help. Though they, and Hermione (Emma Watson), are praised, the Ford Anglia is unjustly forgotten.
What Did the Ford Anglia Do Next?
What happened to our hero is, unfortunately, a mystery. It plays a significant role in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, but that's the last confirmed sighting. The car doesn’t interact with the other characters again throughout the series, which makes it hard not to feel cheated out of the magical car’s future adventures. Maybe future Hogwarts students tell stories of the car monster living in the Forbidden Forest, while the Ford Anglia lives out its life doing whatever cars do for fun. But there is a hint of a more tragic future. In Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II, during the battle of Hogwarts, Harry, Ron, and Hermione find themselves in the Room of Requirement. As they escape the fiendfyre spell cast by Gregory Goyle (Josh Herdman), an upside-down car can be seen in the room. If this is the same car, it would imply that someone (likely Hogwarts staff) found and decommissioned the Ford Anglia at some point in between Chamber of Secrets and Deathly Hallows. The fiendfyre destroyed everything in the Room of Requirement, so if this is the case, then the Ford Anglia is gone for good.
But whatever happened to it, the Ford Anglia deserves praise, both in-universe and from the fans. The Ford Anglia is severely under-appreciated for the vital role it played, and for the anniversary, it’s time to correct the long-standing oversight. So raise a wand for the forgotten hero, without whom, the Boy Who Lived, would certainly have died.
