The Classic Car Show 9th April 2015 Channel 5

Tonight's show is a James Bond Special and begins with Quentin Wilson's article about the Aston Martin DB5. This car became the most famous car in the world after only a combined screen time of 13 minutes during Goldfinger and Thunderball. This was also the most successful example of product placement. When launched in 1963, it cost £4,000. This could have bought you two E-Type Jaguars. The E-Type was faster, more advanced and nicer to drive. The DB5 was a rebodied DB4 that weighed a tonne and a half that came with a 4 litre straight six engine that goes from 0-60 in 8 seconds and has a top speed of 143mph. The gearbox is said to be delicate with a heavy clutch. The interior of the DB5 is stunning. This reminds me a lot of the DB4 I drove. This car quite simply was made to be driven on the open road. 

So how did the DB5 become anicon? Aston Martin intitally refused to lend Eon Productions a car because in the past they came back damaged. Ken Adams, the production designer  and John Sears the special effects supervisor really wanted a DB5, so they went to the manager of Aston Martin and convinced him that a product placement deal would be a good idea and he relented. The car left the factory as a normal Aston Martin but once at Pinewood Studios, that all changed. In six weeks however that all changed. It was from red to birch silver, it was fitted with all of the gadgets such as the ejector seat, the revolving number plate, the Browning machine guns, the bullet proof screen to name a few. The bill for all of this was £45,000 and the producer Harry Saltzman said that this car was not to be used in high speed chases so another DB5 was bought from Aston Martin. This would be a quicker DB5 and used for the high speed sequences. Another two DB5's followed for the promotional US tour. The original Bond DB5 was sold to a private collector in Florida in 1969. In 1997 the car was stolen from a hangar an Boca Raton and it has never been found.

Next up is Will Best takes a look at the Bond in Motion exhibition at The London Film Museum. This is a 50th celebration of all things James Bond with a vast array of vehicles and props from the films. I have been to the one at Beauliea I will add the photos I took as Will has a wonder around and picks some choice vehicles to show us. We have:

Bond's DB5

Goldfinger's Rolls Royce

The Lotus from The Spy Who Loved Me

Some of the light aircraft used.

The trike used by James Bond

Some of the American cars used

And finally

If you do get a chance to see this exhibition it is well worth it as you can get up close to all of this and much more.

Next is Alex Riley driving a classic you can buy for under £5,000. As this episode is a James Bond special the car is a car that has been driven by the super spy. Today Alex is driving a Triumph Stag. Sean Conney drove this car in Diamonds Are Forever while on his way to Dover to meet Miss Moneypenny. The Triumph Stag's story begins in 1964 when designer Giovanni Michelotti persuaded Triumph's Harry Webster to give him a Triumph 2000 saloon on which he could do something special to show off his skills. Once Webster had seen what Michelotti was able to do he orderd full scald development of the car. This car was set to be a winner but in true British Leyland style things went wrong. The Stag had a new 3 litre V8 engine, it was modern, compact and powerful but they manufactured badly and used cost cutting methods, its reliability was dreadful. Timing chans broke, cylinder heads corroded and water pumps failed. Overheating soon became the bane of Stag owners lives. With a bad reputation, sales never took off, so in 1977, the Stag was withdrawn. 

Next we have Ben Collins driving the inspiration behind the Bond car the Aston Martin DB2/4. Ben Collins has been the stunt driver for the last two James Bond films. Turning to the car, the DB2/4, launched in 1953 as the worlds first Hatchback, this is the car that inspired Ian Fleming to swap Bond's allegiance from Bentley to Aston Martin in the Goldfinger novel. Looking at the DB2/4 you can see how Fleming was inspired to create the car for Bond's use as a spy. The reinforced bumpers are ideal for smashing other cars out of your way. On the inside there are also some familiarise. Mounted into the dashboard is a two way radio and a taco device used by rally drivers that would become a homing device. Between the seats there is a pull up panel and hidden beneath it you could put some gadget in. Pull the outer shell of this to reveal a place that a gun could be stored. All of this was standard with the DB2/4. This car is a classic GT car best on the open road, the engine in a Lagonda Straight Six it goes from 0-60 in 12 seconds and has a top speed of 120mph. Once up to speed, the Aston is luxurious and sedate, the handling is not good and the breaking is best taken slowly. There are no seat belts so trying to use this for a car chase is not a good idea. So how did Ian Fleming find this car? This car was owned by a man called Squdron Leader Phillip Ingram Cunliffe-Lister. It's this man that modified the Aston and put all of the gadgets in the car so that he could take it on international rallies. It's belived that this man was good friends with Ian Fleming's next door neighbour and that Fleming went to their house and saw the Aston with all of the modifications during the time he was planning Goldfinger. The reason Bond had a DB3 in Goldfinger is that Fleming wanted Bond to have the latest kit from his shoes to his car and his gun. Everything had to be accurate and cutting edge. The DB2/4 was at the end of it's time and was replaced by the MK3, three being in Roman numerals. Here is where Fleming made an uncharacteristic mistake because in Goldfinger he called the car a DB3 again in Roman numerals when it should have read MK3.

Next up is Bruno Senna driving a classic around the handling track. Today Bruno is driving the Aston Martin DB3. Introduced in 1951, the DB3 was built purely for racing. It was powered by a 2.9 litre Lagonda Straight 6 engine giving the car 163BHP. This car took on C-Type Jaguars and Ferrari 340 Americas at Le Mans and Sebring. It's finest moment was winning the Goodwood 9 hours in August 1952 driven by Peter Collins and Pat Griffith. On track the DB3 looks and sounds great. At the halfway point the DB3 is just over a second behind the E-Type. By the end of the lap the DB3 2.7 seconds down completing the lap in 51:026 seconds. That's s great time for a car of this age. That puts the DB3 3rd fastest behind the E-Type and the Healey

Next up, Jodie Kidd looks at some classic car adverts. We havePeugeot 205. The 205 is made to look like the it should be in James Bond. It gets shot out of its parachute mid air and survives the attempt to try to blow it up.

Lastly Jodie Kidd drives the James Bond Lotus Esprit. Ths car was in production for over 28 years. This is the longest production car that Lotus have made. In 1970, Colin Chapman realised he needed a car that looked like a Ferrari or Lamborghini. So he called Giorgetto Guigiaro, the man responsible for the DeLorean, the Maseratti's Ghibli and the BMW M1. Guigiaro's design and Chapmans engineering skills made a sports car dream team. The way the world heard about the Esprit was brilliant too. PR guru Don McLauchlan parked a pre production Esprit outside of James Bond Producer Cubby Broccoli's office and the rest was history. A generation of car lovers had a new car to fall in love with. It's not just this cars looks that are good, this cars handling is legendary, Chapman engineered a super lightweight body with a two litre four cylinder engine giving it a 0-60 time of 8.4 seconds and a top speed of 133mph. During the 28 years of production, the Esprit changed, in came posher interiors, spoilers and turbochargers diluting Chapmans vision. 

This has been an insightful episode, being a fan of the James Bond series, I have learned a lot about the cars and Ian Fleming. Alex Riley States the good points about the Triumph Stag but should also give more reasons as to why these cars are £5,000. 

The Classic Car Show - Channel 5 19th February 2015

Tonight's episode begins with Quentin Wilson is first up with an article about the E-Type Jaguar. This is a car that Enzo Ferrari described as the most beautiful car ever made. In the last five years The 1961 E-Type has quadrupled in value and is now worth around £300,000. Originally. Jaguar were only going to make 250, but the success at the Geneva Motor Show in 1961 meant that over 1000 were made. Having driven an E-Type, I can relate to what Quentin Wilson has to say about it. The interior us beautiful, the view over the bonnet is amazing and if you drive it to its full, it is capable of 150mph. The steering on the car is also light and despite being over 50 years old it still feels modern and has a smooth ride. The E-Type was to cars what The Beatles were to music.

We then see the new F-Type Jaguar as the modern homage to the E-Type. With a five litre V8 and a 185mph top speed it is beauty mixed with speed.

Next up is Will Best and an article about Crystal Palace race track. First opened in 1927 it became known as London's own race track. The 3 kilometre track with six corners hosted many events. Lined with railway sleepers for safety barriers it left no room for error. Eventually saftey concerns and noise complaints meant that the track hosted its last event in August of 1972. In five days from the film, Will Best will make his Motorsport debut at a sprint run at the restored Crystal Palace track. Will enlists the help of Gordon Spice, the man that held the lap record at the old track and was the British Saloon Car champion in 1969. Gordon then describes what it was like to drive the track 45 years ago. Will then goes to his uncle to get a car do the sprint in. Will's uncle prepares classic cars for racing and has an 1972 MG Midget ready for Will to use at the event.

With two days to go, Will then heads to Mercedes Benz World to learn about car control and driving on a track. Having done an experience at Mercedes Benz World, I can relate to what Will goes through while driving around the track. Once finished there, he goes around the wet circle to learn about wet control. This is a two part report that finishes later on.

Next we have some classic car adverts, one about a Range Rover and one about a Ford Escort.

Alex Riley's article this week is about one mans car collection. Chris Tallents has spent his life collecting some unusual vehicles. He has a Ford Jeep, an Austin Ant, a crane, a 1941 Army Fire Service Truck and a Shortland Armoured Personell Carrier to list a few. This truly is a most amazing collection of vehicles.

Next up, Bruno Senna drives a Mercedes Benz M90E, the car that Ayrton Senna drove in the 1984. Bruno really put this car through its paces at the Brooklands Test Track and even managed to go sideways as he posts a time of 53.838 seconds. This will be the benchmark for all of his future laps for The Classic Car Show.

Quentin Wilson then takes us through some investment cars. First we have a Mercedes 190E. Five years ago you could pick one up for £5,000, now they are around £12,000.

We then have a Peugeot 205 GTI. These used to be around the £4000 price mark. They are now going for £15,000. Lastly we have the Bentley Arnage T. This started life in 2002 at £122,000 new and went down to £25,000 a few years ago. Now they are around £30,000.

Lastly we find out how Will Best gets on with his Motorsport debut. After a saftey briefing, all cars go for scrutineering. Once the car has passed. It's time for some warm laps. This is a point to point sprint. On Will's first practice lap he manages a 58.44. Once these laps are over. It's time for the real lap. On wills first lap he spins but does not crash the car. His second lap is much better at 45 seconds. Will then has his last lap and completes the sprint in 45.22 seconds. With 5 days of training Will Best was able to knock over 13seconds off his original time. This I would consider a big achievement.

This to me has been the best episode yet as I have been able to relate to what the presenters are saying and doing. Please keep up the brilliant work.

Below is a link to the episode

http://www.channel5.com/shows/the-classic-car-show

The Classic Car Show - Channel 5 12th February 2015

This episode starts with Quenten Wilson talking about and driving the Rolls Royce Corniche convertible. This car was the ultimate luxury car in the 1970's and it's easy to see why. The outside is easy on the eye, the interior is stunning. This car was owned by the super rich and famous. The Corniche has a 6.75 litre V8 engine. It is 17ft long and around 6ft wide. It has cruise control, electric seats and windows. The Corniche saved Rolls Royce as it's jet engines forced the company into administration. When this car was released it doubled Rolls Royce sales and saved the company.

Will Best visits The Classic Car Club in London to find out if a classic car gets a better reaction from people than a modern car. Will Best first drives an Audi R8 V10 Spider around London to see what reaction it gets. To be fair, it's underwhelming. He starts at a junction to see if anyone would let him out, no one did and in general he did not get a good reaction. Will then makes a good point, if you are going to hire a car for a day you want it to feel special. He then hands the Audi over and then gets into a 1967 Corvette Stingray. The reaction is amazing, people are waving at him and at the same junction where he was made to wait, a van lets him out. People do seem to love classic cars.

The next article is about Concours D Elegance. This is where people display rare cars and they are kept in beyond  pristine condition.

Alex Riley then introduces his under £5000 classic. In this episode it is a Jaguar XJ-S. This car was the replacement for the E-Type Jaguar and was designed to take customers away from Mercedes. The XJ-S came equipped with a low driving position and an 5.3 Litre V12 that could take it beyond 150mph. In 1979 a fuel crisis struck and with the XJ-S only capable of 14mpg, something had to be done. Enter Swiss engineer Michael Mays who created the High Efficiency version of the XJ-S and saved the car. The car was a success and stayed in production until 1996.

The next article is by Chris Routledge Introducing his barn finds. This week he has been given a tip about an Amilcar that is in a garage. Amilcar were bespoke racing car makers based in France. They were only made for 3 years. Chris arrives at a garage with a car parked in front of it not convinced about how much of the original car will be left. He scrambles in to find an all original Amilcar. Some of the paint is peeling but all in all the car has remained untouched. The dials are all in place and in good condition. The last time the car was belived to be on the road was 1957. The car outside moves away and the garage can be opened. Chris then moves the car into the drive and takes a proper look. The car is complete but what if the future for the car. This question remains unanswered.

The owners do not want to sell but this is an important car.

Quenten Wilson introduces the future classics. First we have the Renault Clio Williams. Only 390 of these were made and they are gaining in value. Next is the Datsun 240z. Prices are around £25,000 and rising. Finally we have the Jeep CJ.

Jodie Kidd then introduces the final article on the show. Jodie travels to The Champagne Region of France to visit the Reims circuit. Reims has a legendary relationship with Grand Prix racing. In 1926 the winner of the first Reims Grand Prix was presented with a bottle of local produce. The rest as they say is history. Jodie is driving a stunning Ford GT40 replica, the last car to win at Reims, around the French countryside, Jodie then spies what looks like a grandstand and finds the start/finish straight. Jodie then walks around the abandoned buildings and grandstands its quite haunting. It's also easy to imagine it back in its heyday full of people. No visit would be complete without a lap of the track. The Ford GT40 replica looks and sounds the part while the start/finish straight is closed to the public, the other parts of the track are on public roads and motorways.

The Classic Car Show has again given us a wide mix of classic cars and another brilliant episode. Below is a link to the programme.

http://www.channel5.com/shows/the-classic-car-show

The Classic Car Show - Channel 5 first aired 5th February 2015

The Classic Car Show is a new series being broadcast on Channel 5 in the UK.

It is hosted by Quentin Wilson and Jodie Kidd with contributions from Will Best, Chris Routledge and Alex Riley. Their studio is set underneath the legendary Brooklands Circuit.

The show begins with Quentin Wilson and Jodie Kidd showing us what to expect in the series and the trailer looks mouthwatering.

The first item in the show is a celebration of the Ford Mustangs 50 years. Quentin Wilson travels to Willow Springs Raceway in California to find out what it's all about. He drives a 1964 Mustang and a GT350. During this he explains that this car was not only a design icon, but the options you could add were what made it great. We are then introduced to the new 2015 Mustang and it looks good. This car will be introduced in the UK and will come in right hand drive. 

Next we have a comparison between a the Mercedes 300SL and an SLS AMG Black to find out which is more desirable. Will Best introduces the article and enlists Male Supermodel David Gandy to drive the 300SL and rapper Tinie Tempah to drive the SLS AMG Black, the backdrop for this is London Fashion Week. The result is interesting. Most people questioned about which they would rather have chose the 300SL. Even Tinie Tempah who had been driving the only AMG SLS Black in the country.

We then go back to the studio where we are shown some classic car adverts. These have to be seen to be believed. 

Alex Riley then introduces us to an affordable classic that is the Triumph TR7. My uncle Peter used to own one of these so seeing one on a TV show has brought back memories of him taking me out in it as a child and driving really quickly.

I know that Quentin Wilson is not a fan but the TR7 holds a special place in my heart.

Chris Routledge then introduces the barn finds section of the show. In this episode we are introduced to a 1959 Studebaker Silver Hawk. This was shipped to the UK and has spent most of it's life in a hedge. Unfortunately due to this it will be a very expensive to restore but I think it would be worth it. At the time of airing, the car was still not restored but the family that own it are looking to restore it.

Quentin Wilson then goes into a piece about cars that are future classics. The cars he speaks about are the Bentley Turbo R,  the Ferrari 456 GT and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo.

In the final report of the show, Jodie Kidd drives a Ferrari 250 California Spider. This is one of the most beautiful cars ever made and it's easy to see why they fetch a high price tag. Jodie Kidd does an excellent job of describing what it's like to drive and how it feels to drive it.

Both Quentin Wilson and Jodie Kidd look like they are having the time of their lives hosting this show, and as far as car shows go it is a breath of fresh air. A programme like this is long overdue. Looking at the lineup of cars in the first episode, I'm looking forward to next week.

Below is a trailer for the series

http://youtu.be/cciOawC_Q3k

Below is a link to the show, please copy and paste into the internet address bar. Just to make you aware, using the Channel 5 player I had issues with the programme freezing and you can't skip the adverts. Having said that it is worth watching

http://www.channel5.com/shows/the-classic-car-show