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For those near Derbyshire, there's a new motoring museum opening this year - and you can drive many of shit-boxes we used to ride around in! 🙂
https://www.drivedadscar.com/
https://www.greatbritishcarjourney.com/
That’s what make me sad about reducing emissions. We have an electric car – my Son isn’t going to have great memories about being shuttled around in a milk float! I am an engineer – I get that it has to be done etc but that nostalgia about engines is something that will be missed!
I read today that Tesla want the government to increase taxation on IC cars to encourage people to go electric. There wouldn’t be a vested interest in there somewhere...?
We have an electric car – my Son isn’t going to have great memories about being shuttled around in a milk float
My kids love the idea our car is electric, the grandkids of our neighbours over the road stared at it the other week in awe at the noise it makes when reversing. Kids will talk in fondness of seeing or their parents owning an electric car for the first time. I recall driving around in the stinking shit boxes leaking fumes everywhere due to no emission standards and poor MOT regulations we once had.
I don't have good or bad memories of being driven around as a child or the car I was driven around in, I was just driven around.
The memories I have are driving my own cars around, that were the same largely shit cars mentioned in this thread (late 80's driving 60s and 70s cars)
That was a great episode and very poignant for me, having lost my dad recently, but I held it together until they played Uriah Heep during the top speed challenge. His favourite band and a track I picked for his funeral. I had to take a moment and I think I need another now.
He always drove big Volvo estates, apart from a posting to Cyprus in the early 80's where he had a 1.6 Passat for tax purposes. He never got over the fact that a bottle of whiskey on the passenger seat at import would have avoided the import tax on his beloved Volvos. He was actually happy that my Mum wrote off the Passat so he had an excuse to buy another Volvo.
Sorry to bring the mood down, but sadly...
https://twitter.com/harrismonkey/status/1372099666360348672?s=19
RIP you smiling, fast, awesome lady!
R.I.P Sabine
Awww shit. 🙁
RIP
Was all set to get excited about the car museum up the road in Ambergatw and scrolled down to that sad news.
But what a life lived.
Legend, RIP
It’s maturing into a neat team.
Dads/Mums cars was a great start and took me back to a wonderfully simple time of Super Mouse, racist TV and the three day week.
RIP Sabine - she definitely put Clarkson in his place good and proper.
Didn't really get the dad car thing but then we were pretty independent & can only really remember being driven anywhere for holidays & visiting relatives. Mum dad 5 kids a dog and camping gear packed like sardines into a Bedford dormobile.
I want a jet pack.
I don't want that Ferrari though as it didn't look particularly special.
I don’t want that Ferrari though as it didn’t look particularly specia
I agree entirely.
The Alfa on the other hand..... marvellous if a tad expensive. If I had quite a bit more money than I do it would be on my wish list.
Quite close to the top
Perfectly entertaining episode when they’ve been so limited to what they can do this series. I liked the look of the Ferrari, didn’t mind the Alpha but I don’t get the let’s take a model from 60 years ago and rebuild it.
Now I quite liked the Ferrari as Ferraris go, but that Alfa was just....."adorable" doesn't seem appropriate but somehow fits. Cute and mental at the same time.
That 3.3 million quid DB5 with the LED machine guns was particularly naff. I'll just take a DB5 without all the nonsense I can drive on the road thanks.
Actually I'd have the Alfa over anything else on last night, even though I've always had a soft spot for the Lotus Esprit.
I want a jet pack
I met Richard a couple of years ago when he was building a team of pilots to display at events and races; he lives a few miles away and I wanted to join the team.
It was going well until he asked my weight: 80kgs. At that weight (at that time) I would have been too heavy to make a useful pilot for him 😔
Richard is pretty svelte!
I understand there are more powerful engines now, however.
The only downside is that if an engine fails and you're not over water, you are going to get to know the local hospital for quite some time....!!
I do love his approach to the whole project; he's a clever and pleasant chap.
Anyone watching tonight’s? Nice to see it all going on in my neighbourhood! Chris isn’t wrong when he described Quarry Corner as the most crashed, it’s the one that most spectators try to get on, and they were pretty brave pushing those cars that hard in damp conditions. Great seeing the kids in the Saxo’s all over the other two, though.
At least they didn’t have to worry about someone plonking a C-130 down on them while they’re messing about at Lyneham. 😁
Another decent episode tonight, a good solid series of thought
What bikes were they?
I thought one was GT Grade and was Flintoff riding a Topstone Lefty?
I was wondering what Flintoff’s bike was, with a single-leg fork I wondered if it was a Cannondale. I wanna jetski though. And of the three cars, I’ll take the Monaro, thanks.
I used to work under the control tower in Ground Radio at Lyneham. It was funny seeing it on telly. They aren't the only ones to have raced around the airfield (allegedly).
nice Tribute from topgear
https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p09cgpdj
Top family entertainment there was a lot of laughter in our household. Wouldn't choose one of their mid life cars though I want a GR Yaris.
Tremendous series all 4 were spot on.
Great series, the current gang have clicked nicely IMO. I've got renewed desire for a Saxo VTS now
Good episode. Followed it up with the Sabine Schmitz tribute which was great!
Followed it up with the Sabine Schmitz tribute which was great!
+1. It's a very dusty program though.
I watched the Sabine tribute which was very well done and good to see all of the previous presenters bar Chris Evans participate. I haven’t watched any of the Amazon programs with Clarkson et al and I was shocked to see how ill Clarkson looked. Overweight, very grey skin etc. He had Covid quite badly I think?
The best Top Gear has been for a long time, the chemistry is good and they seem to have realised that the constant ribbing (bullying) is just tiresome.
I have watched the Amazon ones and they are, as you’d imagine, all a bit samey, but they do have their moments. I would say though this is the first series that TG has pulled out a clear lead. Maybe the inability to travel to exotic destinations has forced them to be more creative...
As for Clarkson yes he looks truly dreadful - he is 8 years older than me and I pray I don’t look like that in 8 years! I thought May also looked ancient though not ill. Hammond looked same as usual 😀
May also looked ancient though not ill
May looked like Mr Stink!
I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s a “tremendous series” but it is better, not helped by my personal dislike of Paddy McGuiness grating personality.
I’ve got renewed desire for a Saxo VTS now
I had one of those, a white one with a little boot spoiler, fun car and it brought back memories, not helped by the mid life crisis bit which had me thinking of The Artist (not the purple one) and his Audi.
Where can I view the Sabine tribute?
It’s not broadcast until later in the week but is available on iplayer now - spotted it by chance.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s a “tremendous series” but it is better, not helped by my personal dislike of Paddy McGuiness grating personality.
Good to know its not just me then. He seems to have no discernible talent other than being excessively Northern. Mind you Flintoff isn't far behind him but at least he could play a bit of cricket back in the day.
The only good thing about the end of the series is that it's a chance to get rid of PmcG 🤞
Used to think he was OK but now he's just grating.
FF has "mellowed" nicely.
Freddie Flintoff seems to be transitioning from national knob head to national treasure after his public confessional.
Never hear anything negative about Harris, he was the best of the old bunch but works even better with these two. Agree McGuiness is like a cheese grater down the face but look the part, be the part as they say and he plays the role of a t**t to perfection.
Looked like they were having a lot of fun in lockdown. The lockdown has made it difficult for a lot of programme makers but TG has nailed it this season, watching that there was no filler and I didnt even notice the lack of studio segments that usually add variety to the programme so I reckon they'll all be feeling pretty pleased with themselves because it definitely left the audience wanting more.
The best lockdown telly along with Rogesh Ranganation.
Never hear anything negative about Harris, he was the best of the old bunch but works even better with these two.
He was awful too wooden, took himself too serious. He’s a very talented driver, very knowledgeable too and a genuine passion for a variety of cars. He’s got better especially this series where he seems to finally realised it’s not a serious show. If you don’t like Paddy then you’re really not going to like the show that much. His act is very much part of what Top Gear is, blokes messing around in cars enjoying themselves and ribbing each other. Flinoff is just a guy who knows he’s been fortunate in life, he admits that and that he’s never had a proper job. He makes the most of what Top Gear lets him do and he’s competitive nature helps with the challenges by actually making it a little more genuine, a little.
Never hear anything negative about Harris, he was the best of the old bunch but works even better with these two.
He's by far the most improved.
When he started on Top Gear, he was unwatchable.
His act is very much part of what Top Gear is
I don’t disagree with that, but PG is very over the top in a northern laddish turned up to 11 kind of way. As you can see here hes a bit marmite in that respect. Harris has settled to be the perfect foil to interrupt his energy in a complete different and methodical way on the intermediate real car review segments. It’s given the show a “lol look at the ****” with in intermediate “now that’s just ****ing cool” end with a “ah that was fun” element before being sat with a serious face and slight frown with Line of Duty before your final cup of tea before Sunday bedtime.
Sums it up nicely Kryton57, except the cup of tea and an early night.
Watched 1/2 the series last night and have to say I'm loving the Harris bits and will put up with the filler and the McGuiness sections for that.
Even though there was a lot of criticism for the casting at the latest makeover I think it's come together pretty well. Ok I still can't actually stand the McGuiness most of the time and he doesn't actually seem to care about the cars at all unless they're red & blingy but they all obviously like each other and get on and that camaraderie is great to watch. Especially now they've stopped editing it so it looks like the 2 big big bullying the little fella.
I love the Harris bits, his knowledge and passion really shines through. He is the real deal.
I think Flintoff is great, he doesn't claim to be anything he isn't, seems a top lad.
Paddy is shouty and doesn't really add that much but it seems to work with the other two.
I don't think the show is missing anything from a lack of being in the studio or foreign travel, its really good tele.
When he started on Top Gear, he was unwatchable.
There's a really interesting interview with him on Jonny Smith's Late Brake Show:
Top Gear bit starts around 12:30m, gets most interesting from 15:15m onwards (mental health issues from the abuse, struggling with presenting style, etc.)
One of the Saxo drivers was streets ahead of the others, looked like they were all about a 1/4 lap behind the Monaro except him. Nice to see them acknowledging each other at the end of the laps.
Cheers Kit I’ll give that a watch and probably explains some of the reason why, he sometimes did look uncomfortable almost afraid.
I'm going to say it I liked this of Top Gear season more than last couple of Grand Tours. Will be happy to see more of both though.
In other telly James May did quite a good lockdown cooking show, and I like Richard Hammond’s Big, but 'Clarkson on TV' for me is unwatchable. He’s like a rude Uncle who spouts rubbish but you tolerate because he's family and occasionally says something funny, but it was too much of him, like an episode of Father Ted just featuring Father Jack. The rude clueless act works better on Millionaire though perhaps because he occasionally he has to listen.
Just watched the Sabine tribute.
Gone too soon 🙁
Dad's cars with their stand out features in cronological order, as far as I can recall:
Cortina Mk1 - Rear lights divided into 3 - so brilliant to my tiny young mind.
Humber Scepter mk 3 - Dual headlights!
Landrover S2 short WB - longitudinal wooden bench seats - very slippery! in ex-RAF blue.
Maxi - No redeeming features
Another Maxi - I crashed it into a wall.
That ^ Chris Harris interview is great, and Pt2 is worth a watch as well, thanks for posting.
It serves to remind you these people are often just normal people which in Chris' case due to his job also being his interest has a few more cars than the rest of us albeit is as grounded and accepting of them as we are. Love the fact he carts his kids around/turns up for work in an old N plate 325i touring and his Porsche is full of crap with the dog having chewed the handbrake.
I’m in total agreement with what everyone has said about this latest series, it really has clicked together really well, I enjoyed the whole of each of them, but in particular last night’s, helped on no small part by having Castle Combe circuit and MOD (formerly RAF) Lyneham on, both of which have literally been part of my life since I was little, I used to help crew a breakdown truck, a Landrover with a crane on the back, with a family friend when I was at school, and I lived under the Lyneham flightpath, so there was always something interesting going over.
I’ll watch the tribute to Sabine later.
Oh, and one of the drivers who saw Flintoff off is a 17yo girl as well! 🤣
The third bike was a Giant. Probably a Revolt
Oh, and one of the drivers who saw Flintoff off is a 17yo girl as well! 🤣
Not quite sure what the point of this statement is - motor racing not a suitable past time for girls?
Absolutely, women need to know their place.
Not quite sure what the point of this statement is
Maybe there was no sub-text other than one of the very fast youngsters is a talented young woman. I don't follow grass-roots motorsport but I expect that talented women are reasonably rare on a grid even in these enlightened times.
The series was mostly still a miss for me, some good bits but a lot of chuff to but I'll give them a pass this time due to the lockdown constraints. Since JC and crew departed it's always been something that I have to record then watch so I can fast-forward through a lot of it (The Gadget Show is the same).
One of the Saxo drivers was streets ahead of the others, looked like they were all about a 1/4 lap behind the Monaro except him
Yeah, I noticed that. Bit weird.
Do FF and PMG do their own driving on the track / rally stages?
Harris,I can believe, but when they were ragging those Escorts through Grizedale and FF was racing the jet pack man there were some serious driving skilz on display.
Watched last week's show and seriously wondered whether that was really them being towed behind their cars? Seemed like a lot of potential for injury!
Maybe there was no sub-text other than one of the very fast youngsters is a talented young woman.
Crying with laughter emoji was an odd choice if that was the intent.
Watched last week’s show and seriously wondered whether that was really them being towed behind their cars? Seemed like a lot of potential for injury!
Thought the same. Letting go, catching foot etc,. at 90MPH is not going to end well.
The third bike was a Giant. Probably a Revolt
It was a Revolt 0.
Thought the same. Letting go, catching foot etc,. at 90MPH is not going to end well.
The view from the rear facing camera on the cars seemed to capture their faces, and the sparks.
90mph along smooth tarmac isn’t that dissimilar to what a crashing moto GP rider might experience, before walking off.
Thought the same. Letting go, catching foot etc,. at 90MPH is not going to end well.
Not sure how many remember him, but there was a lunatic Finn used to ride a Kawasaki Z1300, would pull massive wheelies past vertical and smash the taillight, then push the front wheel back down again, and also wind the bike up, jump off the back wearing wooden clogs, grab the pillion grab-handle, and get pulled along by the now riderless bike, with the clogs smoking and catching fire, before hauling himself back aboard!
Finns, eh?
Oh, discovered something about Top Gear Grand Tour today, apparently (I’ve never actually watched it) they do car testing, and where their track is set up is also fairly local to me, sort of; it’s at Wroughton airfield, south of Swindon, where the Science Museum stores all the big stuff it can’t get into the London building.
The reason I’ve found this out is because it’s now become another off-site storage place for all the cars that have been cluttering up our place not selling for the last year or so, making life difficult for us, so a couple of of our logistics team have been up there organising things, until we can get new land procured and developed. Don’t know if I’ll get a chance to wangle a trip up, I’m usually too busy with all my despatch checks on the cars already on the bit I’m in charge of!
I like Chris Harris, but miss the set pieces between Harris and Leblanc. Matt had just enough driving chips to be a decent match for Harris in some situations.
I personally, and speaking as a northerner, don’t like the current line-up. The other two just aren’t car guys like the old TG crew were and Leblanc was.
Still, better than Chris Evans and Eddie Jordan.
I enjoyed the midlife crisis cars, especially seeing them driving around my local roads and right past my house.
Maybe there was no sub-text other than one of the very fast youngsters is a talented young woman. I don’t follow grass-roots motorsport but I expect that talented women are reasonably rare on a grid even in these enlightened times.
I couldn’t find the news report about the young lady in question, sadly, but it was making exactly that point, there just aren’t enough women in any form of motorsport, the Saxo challenge I think has two, but there just aren’t enough in motorsport generally.
On the odd occasions when I’ve been to Castle Combe I doubt if there were more than five or six out of the entire meeting! Rallying? Drag Racing? I can remember one all-female rally team, and one, maybe two female top dragster drivers, and very few in lower classes like Street, Sylvia Hauser is the only British driver I can remember, driving a Dodge Challenger.
Olivia Martin is her name, and unfortunately the only item I can find is the Daily Wail Online one I read. It does makes the point that in British motorsport only 5% of racers are female. Olivia certainly has talent, and looks like she’s already moving into higher profile forms of the sport. No bad thing, either, hopefully she might encourage more youngsters to take part.
https://www.****/sport/othersports/article-9434599/Meet-remarkable-17-year-old-Gear-star-heading-throttle-career-motor-sports.html
Just watched the Sabine tribute.
..and their can be no argument that that is the best episode of Top Gear ever.
...and there can be no argument that that is the best episode of Top Gear ever.
No argument from me. What a personality, and what a wonderful person.
One of the Saxo drivers was streets ahead of the others, looked like they were all about a 1/4 lap behind the Monaro except him
Its almost as if it was edited to make it more entertaining for the viewers.
[strong]thepodge[/strong] wrote:
Its almost as if it was edited to make it more entertaining for the viewers.
Oh you great big cynic you! (I thought exactly the same 🙂 )
When I used to be a stage builder at festivals if it rained we'd hang onto the back of a flat bed lorry and rag around about 50mph with out feet skimming along on the grass. If a cable or bit of tarmac was coming up we'd jump up and rest our feet on the bumper on then fist horn blast then jump onto the grass on the second horn blast. Tarmac and steel plates easy peasy.
harris on e
That explains the E-Tron in the background a few weeks back.
Sorry for the Daily Mail link - but more info on the motor museum opening in Derbyshire. Quite exited to visit this as I can see it from my back garden! 🙂
I'm going to the museum just to see into Muffin Mans garden....
Some lovely cars there but some shockers too. Allegro and Maestro in particular should be consigned to the scrapheap of history where they belong!
Allegro and Maestro in particular should be consigned to the scrapheap of history where they belong!
Au contraire, if we don't learn from the mistakes of history, we are doomed to repeat them.
Both feature in my list of childhood family cars 🤦♂️
My old mans Maestro had the key stuck in the ignition. It had broken off in such a way it couldn’t be removed. I remember it was nicked from outside the pub one night. He started walking home to find it abandoned 2 streets later 😀 tells you all you need to know really!