THEY broke open the Bolly to celebrate one of the must-see films of the year.

Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley walked the red carpet at the European premiere of Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie in London’s Leicester Square on Wednesday.

But another star of the eagerly-anticipated film was absent – after being parked up in Hampshire.

A getaway car that plays a leading role in the big-screen version of the much-loved TV sitcom has gone on show at the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu.

The Piaggio Ape has joined other vehicles from the world of entertainment at the award-winning attraction.

Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie, starring Jennifer Saunders as Eddy and Joanna Lumley as Patsy finally lurches into UK cinemas tomorrow.

At the film’s start Eddy and Patsy are doing what they do best – shopping, drinking and clubbing their way around London’s trendiest nightclubs.

But when they accidentally push Kate Moss into the River Thames they find themselves at the centre of a media storm surrounding the model’s apparent demise.

They flee to the glamorous playground of the super-rich, the French Riviera, and hatch a plan to continue living the high life.

The Piaggio Ape, which has gone straight from the film set to Beaulieu, is featured in a key scene as Eddy and Patsy try to stay one step ahead of the police.

It has joined other film and TV greats including Elvis Presley’s Cadillac, Del Boy’s Reliant Regal from Only Fools and Horses, the flying Ford Anglia from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Wallace and Gromit’s Anti-Pesto Van.

Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie also stars Julia Sawalha, Jane Horrocks and June Whitfield. Other cast members include Kathy Burke as Magda, Helen Lederer as Catriona, Harriet Thorpe as Fleur, Celia Imrie as Claudia Bing, Mo Gaffney as Bo and Chris Ryan as Marshall.

In true Ab Fab style, the regular cast is also joined by stars from the acting, music and fashion worlds.

Mad Men’s Jon Hamm, Pitch Perfect’s Rebel Wilson and Spice Girl Emma Bunton are among 60 celebrities with cameo roles.

Earlier this week Joanna Lumley revealed that Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch had declined to appear in the film.

She said: “Benedict Cumberbatch, it turns out, is busy for the next five and a half years. What is it with actors?

“We are offering tiny, tiny, tiny roles that will take up minuscule amounts of time and it’s, ‘Oh no, sorry, I’m busy doing films,’ or, ‘So sorry, I am going round the world with all my actor friends for the next two years,’ or a simple, ‘I’m dead’.”