Clearly impressed by this was oil millionaire Nubar Gulbenkian, who was said to have bought himself a London taxi having been told that a black cab could "turn on a sixpence."

Other celebrities known to revere black cabs for their manoeuvrability, anonymity and reliable ruggedness include Prince Philip and Stephen Fry. Indeed, what better advocates of the undisputed king of the road could there be than a member of the royal family and a quintessentially English gent?

Always nattily suited and booted, tidy of quiff, ever so eloquent, notoriously witty and to coin a favourite word from the man himself ‘frightfully’ clever, Stephen Fry is arguably the epitome of English eccentricity and panache. He is perfectly described as a "modern day Oscar Wilde" and something of a “renaissance man” in his biog for the BBC’s Living Icons 2006 poll (in which he ranked sixth most popular British living icon). And in his own words: "My vocal cords are made of tweed. I give off an air of Oxford donnishness and old BBC wirelesses."

A familiar sight on the capital’s streets behind the wheel of his very own former London taxi for a number of years, Fry has since taken his 1988 model (complete with left-hand drive and “FRY” proudly emblazoned atop the roof of the car) across America for a six-part travel series entitled Stephen Fry In America.

It seems Stephen Fry is not alone in choosing a London taxi as his preferred mode of on (and off) screen transport. The black cab’s classic iconic design, long-lasting worldwide appeal and inextricable link to London has made it a firm favourite with directors wanting to convey a sense of British class and quality.  No wonder it seems as if the black beetle-like mobile is rarely off our screens or absent from billboards and magazines.

Matthew Cheyne, Sales and Marketing Director for Coventry-based LTI Vehicles, said their taxis were popular choices because they immediately convey a sense of classic style while being quintessentially British.

"The London taxi is a shape everyone is a familiar with, everyone has been in one and they immediately convey a sense of being in England," he said. "It says quality and it says Great Britain. The black cab has been a popular choice in advertising, on television and in films for as long as I can remember."

And Gary Zylberszac, of The London Cab Company Limited, which supplies taxis for television, film and advertising work, added:

"The London taxi has always been popular because it is such an icon. If you are shooting something that says England or London, you want Tower Bridge, a bobby and a London cab. We are as busy now as we have ever been with requests for black cabs."