The Classic Car Show - 2nd April 2015, Channel 5

Tonight's episode begins with Quentin Wilson's article about the Mercedes SL Convertible. The SL was made by Mercedes as a car to blast down the autobahn, it came with either a V8 or a straight six engine. Power outputs got bigger until the 560SL could reach 145mph. This was Mercedes longest running car. It was made for 18 years and  during that time, Mercedes made 240,000 of them. A 1986 420SL at the time cost £29,000. The example shown had just sold for £28,000. This car has been helped by its appearance in many US television shows. JR and Bobby Ewing drove them in Dallas and one also appeared in the open sequence of Hart to Hart and lots more. During its near two decades of production and in the following decades, the SL has been a desirable car and on many people's car lists. This car was also a tough car, it was one of the first Merc's to have a crumple zone and a safety cell. The windscreen was so hard that it doubled as s roll bar and you had to be strong to remove Tf hard top. The interior of the car was strong as well, the seats were made with a material called NB Tech, an imitation leather that is the upholstery equivalent of Kevlar. The carpet weave is so tight and dense to make sure it does not wear away. This then is a sensible classic that is tough, reliable, quick and does not depreciate. Is this the perfect classic?

Next up is Quentin Wilson and Jodie Kidd driving a 1968 Buick La Sabre on an American road trip. They will be travelling 400 miles from Downtown Los Angeles to San Francisco on the Pacific Coast Highway also known as Highway One over the course of three days. Before they take to the Highway, Jodie and Quentin meet with Chad McQueen, the son of Steve McQueen. They have a quick chat about Steve McQueen's car chase in Bullitt. Quentin remarks about it being the best car chase sequence ever and I agree. There are other car chase films out there but Bullitt set the benchmark that has never been bettered.

They depart from their meeting with Chad and head out on the Highway. After some driving and naming the Buick "Boris" the pair head to a hotel in Santa Barbara for the night. Day two begins with Quentin at the wheel of Boris, today will see Quentin and Jodie cover another 200 miles to Carmel. They turn off of the highway and head down the Palmer Road through the Santa Maria Wine Valley. Here you can stop off and do wine tasting and take in the local scenery. After deciding that Quentin really does like the Buick, the pair spot a collection of American Classics and pull over and chat to the owner. His name is Bob and amongst others he has a Dodge Dart Swinger, a 1956 Ford Thunderbird, a 1963 Valiant, a 1970 Dodge Charger, and a 1960 DeSoto. The pair then head onwards to Carmel and the scenery is amazing. Watching this makes you want to do this trip yourself. As this is a two part story the rest of this article will finish later.

Next we have Jennifer Saunders driving the Fiat Cinquecento around London. This is a small car that comes with a 479cc engine and it's quite noisy. While driving around in the Fiat, Jennifer comments that the brakes are not very good and that when she does brake, she is willing the car to stop. With the Fiat being small it's easy to park but a problem with it that most of the boot is taken up by the fuel tank. Any shopping will need to go on spare seats. It has to be said that the Fiat did look good around the streets of London and due to its size you will not upset anyone by using more than one parking bay.

Next up Bruno Senna is driving s classic car around the handling track. This week, it's the turn of the 1955 Mercedes Benz 300SL Gullwing. Launched at the 1954 New York Auto Show, the 300SL Gullwing this car is arguably the first supercar pin up. It came with a 3 litre fuel injected engine and aerodynamic shape meant that the Gullwing could reach a record breaking 160mph. On the track the car looks a bit of a handful as the car is not race prepared and Bruno looks like he is really having to work hard to keep the Gullwing on the concrete. At the half way split the Gullwing is over 3.5 seconds slower than the Lightweight E-Type. Going through the rest of the lap you can see how much body roll the Gullwing has. By the end of the lap, the Gullwing is over 8 seconds slower than the E-Type.

Next up, Quentin Wilson takes us through some future classics. First up is the Subaru Impreza Turbo. 0-60 in 5.5 seconds with a top speed of 150mph this is a quick saloon car. You can buy a good example at the moment for £4,000 prices have gone up around 10% in the last year and this trend is set to continue.  Next up is the Triumph Vitesse. These came with either a 1.6 or 2 litre straight six engines that could take the car to 100mph and 0-60 in 12-15 seconds but they also came with overdrive. Prices are not consistent at the moment as no one really knows what they are worth but the going rate for a good condition car is between £5,000 - £10,000. Lastly we have the Reliant GTE Coupe. This car was fibre glass bodied and came with a Ford 2.5 straight six or a 3 litre V6. Top speed of 120mph and 0-60 in around 11 seconds. A mint condition one will cost around £9,000. 

We now go back to the American road trip and we pick up with Jodie and Quentin on the morning of day three, driving 170 miles from Carmel to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. 

The pair stop in Santa Cruz for lunch taking in the local scenery. They spot one of the rides that was used in The Lost Boys. They then head off again towards San Francisco. More stunning scenery is driven past and then they find a traffic jam as they head towards the Golden Gate Bridge. They make it through the traffic and reach their destination. Although this would not have been my first choice of car both presenters enjoyed driving if and it did look good on the trip. You can rent cars like this for £200 per day. That is great value in my opinion.

This has been a superb episode. I really want to drive the Pacific Coast Highway and see it for myself. The only problem I had with this episode was the background music during the whole of the SL article, personally I would not have had as much so that the engine could be heard a little more. Well done on a great job

Interview with Jack Burnford - Director of The Classic Car Show and Fifth Gear

Jack, thank you for agreeing to be interviewed. 

My first question is what got you into cars?

JB: I think I’m really into cars because of my dad really. He’s always been a bit of a petrol head and it rubbed off on me at quite an early age. We used to go to the motorshow and car events together & then when i was 11 he bought a 1971 Porsche 914 for about £1100. I couldn't believe he actually owned a Porsche! It was a wreck but he did it up and I ‘helped'  - although looking back I probably didn't help at all, but that’s why I've got a 914 now and probably why i’m as into it as I am.

You have directed Fifth Gear and The Classic Car Show. How did you get into those jobs?

JB: Years and years of hard work! I started as work experience on Top Gear back in 2003 and made my way though the tv ranks a bit at the BBC and some independent companies. I left TV after a few years and did some corporate work then I managed to get on the 2006 Gumball Rally. Off the back of that I was given a shot at directing a test commercial for Addison Lee and that’s how i got into directing. I tried to do as much car stuff as possible but its super competitive - Then The Classic Car Show came along… the Series Producer was an ex colleague of mine from Top Gear, and someone I’d always kept in touch with. Working on that show you make a lot of good friends and it was him who gave me a break I might never have got otherwise. After finishing on TCCS my showreel was good enough to get me in front of the Series Producer of 5th Gear and they gave me a job there!

How were the cars, articles and locations chosen for The Classic Car Show as there are so many possibilities? Is this the same process as Fifth Gear?

JB: The good thing about making car shows is that your continually being given new things to make films about! But then obviously its hard having to think of new ways to show them…

On 5th Gear the majority of films are about high power cars so a track is the obvious place to test them.

On TCCS we wanted to try and keep a broad perspective - we wanted a cross section from £5k heroes to the Ferrari California and everything in between. We were aiming to make a show that would appeal to the Top Gear audience, petrol heads, classic enthusiasts and everyone in between. Obviously you cant please everyone but by having a very broad spectrum of classic cars and events we hoped we’d keep the appeal broad enough.

When you’ve decided on the car then a lot of time the location follows. The MGB for example was only ever going to be shot in the English Countryside. I struggled with what to do for the 911 however. I could have filmed that in an urban location at night (like Magnus Walker) or on a race track. It could go anywhere - so I decided to go for the Isle of Wight. Epic backgrounds- great roads. I remember being on the ferry home feeling a little guilty as we were a big crew and simply because I had made this one decision to film on the IoW then about 10 grown men had had to stay away from home for a couple of days, away from their families just because I thought it might look nice.  But then I saw the footage. And I thought it was worth it - I loved the 911 film.

Budget is also an issue - Top Gear can afford to do pretty much whatever they want. We can't - we can't afford to spend a morning at a track and then pay to go somewhere else or pay too much for location fees because we just don't have the budget. We also have to pay a lot of money for stock footage…

Have you had any problems with the cars during filming of The Classic Car Show?

JB: Unfortunately yes!! We had a couple of cars break down- the TR7 had engine trouble and the Lotus Esprit had brake problems, both of which could have being the end of the film.. However we use a tracking drive called Peter who is fantastic. He’s lso a trained mechanic so he has helped us out of trouble a load of times. Putting the 911 in place for the statics at The Needles on the IoW, behind a safety fence a few feet from a massive drop was very delicate work - but he managed it!

As an aside… an editor I worked with on 5th gear was on holiday on IoW and was riding the chair lift as QW was doing his piece to camera!!

Do you prefer classic cars or modern cars?

JB: Tough question - I love them both. I feel more self conscious driving a modern supercar. I drove the Lamborghini Huracan in South Africa and didn't feel that cool even though everyone looked at the car. It is extremely fast, and striking looking.. but I think i would have felt cooler in a classic Ferrari. There is also a friendliness that comes with classics. 9 out of 10 times when I fill up with petrol in my 914 someone will say something nice about the car, or come and have a chat about it. However - I also have Range Rover  and I love it. It is an incredible car, totally amazing. I don't think I would want to be a classic car daily driver.

How was it working with the presenters of 5th Gear and TCCS?

JB: One of the best things about my job is working with a range of really talented and cool people. It can be tough working with someone new for the first time, whether thats the cameraman, the soundman or the presenter but with all of them, once you get a feel for how they like to work then life gets easier. Its also a trust thing- especially with the presenters. Once you’ve made a few films with them that they like, they begin to trust you more (hopefully!) which means they are more relaxed and confident on camera as they know you are doing a good job behind the lens.  I dont think Jodie will ever let me forget telling her she wasn’t going home until I’d got 25 up and by’s in the Ferrari California - she brings that up pretty much every time I see her…

Thanks again for taking the time to answer my questions. 

I now invite the presenters of The Classic Car Show to be interviewed for my blog.

The Classic Car Show 26th March 2015

Tonight's episode begins with Quentin Wilson's article about the Mini. The design by Alec Issigonis took two and half years to finish. The original prototypes were too fast being able to reach 95mph. The engine was then reduced to 850cc. Stirling Moss was the first person to crash a Mini but the Issigonis was happy as the transverse engine protected the passengers in the Mini. He also designed door pockets that could hold eight bottles of Gin and the Mini came with three ashtrays, one in the front and two in the back. The ones in the back were illuminated. When the Mini was launched in 1959, the motoring press took it for drives around a track in Surrey and could not believe how well it handled. It made everything else at the time seem dull and slow. In the first year of production the Mini bombed as the original Mini took just two hours to build, BMC penny pinched in the production process, and there was an endless list of glitches. One of the problems was a boy was impaled on a door handle as they were very sharp  so they had to be redesigned. Another was the the window catches only had one screw so they spun around and scratched the glass. The guttering on the roof would fill like a bath as nobody put any drain holes in so every new mini had a drain hole put in by the dealer before being sold to a customer. The biggest problem with the Mini though was the public did not like it. It was a happy looking car in a time when Britain was a gloomy place. Food rationing had ended in 1954 and the Mini looked silly and frivolous. Issigonis then had a plan. He lent a Mini to Princess Margaret's husband Lord Snowdon, the press ran photos of them and everything changed. Suddenly everything changed, sales figures rise quickly and the Mini became a hip car to own. By 1963 three quarters of a million Mini's had rolled off the production lines. So the car that nearly failed has become an icon simply because of its design and personality. It design was a revolution, four tiny ten inch wheels in each corner, thin flat sides, a big glass area and room for a family of four. It's personality, in 1959 if you pushed a car hard around a corner, it would fall over. If you drove a Mini around the same corner it would be able to manage it. You say nine inches above the road and you were pulled along by a shouty engine. This is why it did well at rallying. The Mini can claim that it won the Monte Carlo rally, was driven by royalty, rockstars and Hollywood icons and had the film The Italian Job based around it. The Mini is the longest selling car in British history. It also had over 50 special editions, there was the Mary Quant, the Piccadilly, the Red Hot and the Paul Smith. In the 1990's they had a revival with a modern Cooper version. The last Mini, a red Cooper Sport rolled out of the factory in October 2000 and ended an era of 5.5 million Mini's sold.

The irony of the Mini is that although this is Britains best selling car, it never made any money. Ford did an experiment, they bought a Mini for £350 before purchase tax and took it apart and looked over it with their accountants and calculated that for every car sold, BMC were losing £30 per car. This was denied by BMC so seven years later, Ford did the same experiment and came to the same conclusion. Using Ford calculations, the Mini lost BMC and British Leyland 165 million pounds. Today a 1959 Mini will cost around from £25,000 up to around £40,000. 

Next up is Chris Routledge with his barn finds article. This week Chris has gad a call about a car collector who has all kinds of cars in all kinds of conditions. Upon arriving, Chris finds a collection of mostly post war British cars that have seen better days. He spots a Rover 3500S,  a Humber and an Austin. Chris also finds an old speedometer and the bonnet of an E-Type Jaguar. Chris then finds a rare Crayford Capri Convertable. Only 30 of these cars were made and it is in a bad state with most of the car stripped out. Even the engine is missing. In this condition it is worth around £5,000. Restored it would be worth around the £50,000 mark.

Jodie Kidd now presents us some more classic car adverts. First up is the AMC Pacer, dubbed as the widest small car. The smallest engine for this car was a 3.6 litre straight six, so it packed some power.

Next up is the Austin Princess. This really is an amusing advert and it probably helped sell them. Last up is an advert about the Volkswagen Passat.

Next up, Alex Riley presents his article on £5,000 classic. Today Alex is driving a BMW 635CSi. This car would have cost £80,000 in today's money, it had a luxury interior with leather upholstery and carpets. Launched in 1976, it was a replacement for the 3 litre CSi and CSL, the 6 series was bigger and heavier and a bit of a disappointment. In the early 80's however, it got a new dash board, new suspension from the 5 series, ABS brakes and a lower weight. This helped the car become a big success and with that BMW put the price up. In 1982 the BMW cost more than a Ferrari 308. In 1984, it took the first four places in Germany's racing event, the DTM and a CSi went on to win the championship.

The 635 was powered by BMW's straight six M30 engine. This produced 218 horsepower and could get to 60mph in under 8 seconds. In 1983 BMW put the same engine that powered the M1 creating the M635CSi. This gave the car 286 horsepower. The 6 series stayed in production for 13 years, ending in 1989.

Next up is Bruno Senna driving s classic car around the Brooklands handling track. Today he is driving a 1965 Mini Cooper S. This Mini is a touring car legend. In the hands of John Rhodes it won 4 saloon car class titles between 1965 and 1968 and claimed 3 overall victories beating Ford Falcon's, Mustang's and Lotus Cortina's. When Bruno takes the Mini to the track it looks very quick, hardly slowing down for the corners. At the halfway split he is .698 of a second slower than the Jaguar. By theend of the lap, the Mini is 3.146 seconds slower.

Quentin Wilson then gives us 3 classic cars that are rising in value. First up is the  BMW 850. Top speed is 160mph and will get to 60mph in 6 seconds. In 1989 it cost £52,000 they now cost sound £10,000. Prices are set to rise. Next up is  the Renault 5 Gordini Turbo. This was the pioneer of the hot hatch. It's thought that only 200 of these cars survive. Top speed is 116mph, 0-60 in 9 seconds. It cost £4,000 when it came out, a mint one now will cost around £4,000 but due to so few remaing, prices will go up. Lastly is the Rover P5B saloon. It has a Buick 3.5 litre V8 that will get to 60mph in 12 seconds and a top speed of 115mph. In 1967 they cost £2,700 prices are now at £7,000 but this will rise.

Last up, Jodie Kidd goes rallying in a Mini Cooper S with Paddy Hopkirk. In the 1960's Paddy Hopkirk led the charge with Mini, winning the Monte Carlo rally against bigger and more powerful cars from America and Germany. At a rally test stage in Bradford, Paddy will teach Jodie the art of rallying in his Mini. With Paddy taking the wheel you can see his skill in the way he drives, he really quick but without going over the top. It's easy to see why the Mini was a great rally car.

It's Jodie's turn at the wheel. Jodie excels at driving on this rally stage getting to grips with how to control the Mini and how to flick into the corners. Jodie really enjoyed the experience but who wouldn't?

This has been a brilliant episode. All of the presenters are clearly loving their work and the banter between Jodie and Quentin is amusing.

The Classic Car Show 19th March 2015

Tonight's episode begins with Quentin Wilson's article about the Porsche 911. Launched in 1963, the 911 is still being produced today. A 1972 model these days is selling for around £150,000 or $250,000. The reason for this is because it's an early 911 and people are really wanting them, the 70's colours were vibrant and lastly because of the way it drives. The 911 carried on from the success of the 550, and the 356. It won rallies and races worldwide and had Steve McQueen driving one in the beginning of the film Le Mans. The 911S of 1972 was the most powerful Porsche of its day and on the track and the road, it sorted out the men from the boys. The controls are simple, a huge steering wheel and black and white gauges that are easy to read. Much of the modern 911's derive from the older models however one thing that is missing from the modern 911's is the sound of the air cooled engine. The best thing about the old 911's is the communication it has with the driver. Every bump and rise and fall can be felt through the steering wheel, pedals and seat keeping you in touch with the Tarmac beneath you. If driven wrongly in a corner or under braking, this car will kill you in a heartbeat.

Fast forward to 1984 and the release of the 3.2 Carrera. This was made until 1989 and had all of the apeal of a vintage 911 and none of the downsides. It has a galvanised body so that it does not rust,  it's fast it comes equipped with Fuchs wheels and can be used as a daily driver. These are currently selling for around £20,000 but prices are going up and will continue to rise.

Next up is Chris Routelege with his Barn Finds article. Chris has had a call about a Reliant Scimitar GTE. It's in a yard, next to a derelict building that is being torn down within the next few days. Launched  at the 1968 London Motor Show the Scimitar took the exhibition by storm.  But it wasn't until Princess Anne was given one for her 20th birthday that its popularity soared. Arriving at an old abandoned dairy in the middle of London, Chris finds the car. It's either a 1975 or 76 model, one of the last made. It has a 3 litre Ford V6 engine. Opening the door to look inside, the interior is completly intact and in great condition.

This is the best specification Reliant Scimitar you can get. Today the car sells for around £5,500 but it's not about the money. This car was one of the best GT cars Britain produced. This car is now being restored. 

Next we have Jodie Kidd looks at some cars that weren't as successful as they could have been. First up is the Unipower Cube Car from the 60's. This car as its title suggests is a cube shape with some very big windows that makes it easy to see in every direction almost removing blind spots. Next up is an experiment from the 1930's. This is an advert about safety glass in car windows. Bear in mind that this advert was made before the health and safety rules we have today. Lastly we have an advert showing us the benefits of having a car made of Steele over those made of fabric and wood. The car in question is a Chrysler Airflow. They push the car off a cliff. A driver gets in and drives off as if nothing had happened. 

Next Quentin Wilson drives around Hollywood in a Ford Thunderbird. In Hollywood 1955, there was only car. The Ford Thunderbird. If movie stars had sat round a table to design a car, this is it. It's low, pretty, a two seater car with plenty of attitude. It made Chevrolet's Corvette that was released two years earlier look ugly. $3,000 bought a V8, engine, a removable fibreglass hard top and rocket ship styling. Options included electric seats and a radio that turned itself up the faster you went. In it's first year, the Thunderbird outsold the Corvette by a ratio of 32-1. 16,500 Thunderbirds to 677 Corvettes. The reason for this is because Ford had publicity shots taken of Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley and Maralyn Munroe driving the Thunderbird around Hollywood. Everyone wanted one and Ford could not build them fast enough. The Thunderbird is not a sports car and Ford never said it was. If you take a corner quickly, you get a tremendous amount of tyre squeal and body roll. The car was made to make you feel good about driving. Today you can pay around £25,000 for one of these iconic cars but values will go up.

Next we have Bruno Senna driving a classic around the Brooklands test track. Today Bruno is driving a 1969 Mercedes 280 SL Convertible also known as the Pagoda. Made between 1963 - 1971 this was the range topping sports car. This has 170BHP, 0-60 in 9 seconds and a top speed of 125mph. Driving around the track, the Mercedes has plenty of body roll and tyre squeal. At the halfway point it is 3.670 seconds slower than last weeks E-Type Jaguar. Finishing the lap the Mercedes is 8.728 seconds slower. Bruno said that the gearbox made the car hard work. 

Quentin Wilson then goes through some underrated classics. First up is the BMW M5. 160mph, 0-60 in 5.5 seconds. Three years ago they were £5,000 now they are selling for £10,000 and thrill value is going up. Next up is the Porsche 944 Turbo. 150mph and a 0-60 in 6 seconds, this car is quick. Currently you can expect to pay £5,000 for one but prices are expected to rise. Lastly we have the Mini 1275 GT. 100mph 0-60 in around 14 seconds. A good one will cost around £10,000 but you can still buy them for £5,000. If you can buy one now and restore it, prices will at some point soon go up to around £20,000

Lastly Jodie Kidd flies to LA to meet a man about a Porsche. Magnus Walker got into the classic car scene in 2012 with his film Urban Outlaw detailing his 20 year love affair and his collection of Porsche 911's. Magnus started in fashion with rock and roll clothing. With the success, he bought 911's and has a lot of them. He likes the 911 as they are driveable and cheap in comparison to a Ferrari or a Lamborghini. Magnus has also raced 911's with success. His favourite is his 277, a 1971 911T. A street legal racer.  Magnus takes Jodie out in it to demonstrate its noise, handling and drivability. The car looks amazing and Magnus clearly loves driving it. Jodie Kidd is not a big Porsche fan but after this, she might reconsider. Off camera, Jodie had a go and loved it. 

If I ever get the chance to drive a vintage 911 I will take it with both hands and let you know how good it is.

Below is a link to the episode.

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

The Classic Car Show 12th March 2015

Tonight's episode begins with Quentin Wilson's article about the MGB. In 1962 this car was a massive hit and cost £950, today a good one will cost £10,000. It came equipped with a 1.8 litre engine and it is a great looking car. America took 50% of every years production. So during the early 60's this was a cool car. The MGB came with leather seats, a big steering wheel and a dash full of gauges. The body was also one of the stiffest ever  so body roll is very minimal. During this time, the top bosses were traditionalists who did not like risk, it took them three years to add the Pinninfarina styled MGBGT to the line up in 1965. If they had launched it in 1962, they would have taken customers from Jaguar Who had the E-Type Coupe and would have beaten the Ford Capri release by seven years. In 1967, the MGC was released. This had a 3 litre engine, however, the engine was made of iron so this added weight in the wrong place and it handled badly. During the press launch someone  got the front tyre pressures wrong and the handling was even worse. In 1973 British Leyland released the MGB V8. This had a 3.5 litre V8. This gave the car a top speed of 125mph and 0-60 in 8 seconds. This was released during an oil crisis, no convertible was made and they did not sell it to the Americans. This was the car that could have saved British Leyland. In 1976, British Leyland updated the MGB for the final time and in 1980 the car was withdrawn. 

Next up, Alex Riley goes to Le Mans to meet Derek Bell who will be driving the Porsche 962 for the last time. Porsche are returning to Le Mans after a 16 year absence. The day before the race, the drivers parade through the town in classic cars. Alex catches up with Derek at a hotel where they briefly play with a Scalextric and then they chat about why Le Mans is Derek Bell's favourite track and why the Porsche 962 is his favourite car. Derek says that the Porsche 962 made him famous due to the amount of wins it gave him, 5 of these were at Le Mans. As the chat ends, Derek invites Alex to be his pit board holder. During qualifying however, Derek pits the 962 with a problem. The water pump has broken and the 962 can't be raced. Alex has a quick chat with the mechanics before finding Derek to find out how he is. Derek is philosophical about not being able to race and puts it down to this. "That's racing".

Next up, Jodie Kidd drives a Jaguar in the Mille Miglia. In 1927, the first Mille Miglia took place. 1000 miles of racing around open roads through towns and villages that every year would guarantee celebrity like status to the winner. It was so dangerous that after 30 years and with almost twice as many deaths, the Mille Miglia was cancelled. They have now revived the Mille Miglia and turned it into a four day grand tour. The car that Jodie will be driving us a 1953 Jaguar XK120. This car has a straight six engine that produces 160bhp. Jodie is at Goodwood to test drive and get used to the car. Jodie struggled to get into the car. Taking around Goodwood it looked fantastic but some alterations will be needed if Jodie is going to drive the car for 1000 miles. The car goes to JD Classics where the car is altered. The seat is moved back by three inches and a slightly smaller steering wheel is installed. The Jaguar is then shipped to Italy in preparation for the Mille Miglia. The second part follows later.

Bruno Senna is next up for a flying lap. Today Bruno is driving a Lightweight E-Type Jaguar. In 1963, Jaguar made 12 Lightweight E-Types. Made from an aluminium alloy, this E-Type had a 3.8 litre engine, that produced 370bhp, a top speed of 160mph and 0-60 in seven seconds. Bruno flies around the track, by the half way point, he is 1.5 seconds faster than the Austin Healey. By the end of the lap the E-Type is 2.7 seconds clear of the Austin Healey finishing the lap in 48.284 seconds.

Lastly we have the second part of Jodie Kidd's Mille Miglia drive. Jodie  and her co driver David Blakeley arrive in Italy and collects the XK120 and gets ready for the Mille Miglia. Day 1 begins with 432 cars leaving Brescia at around 7:30pm for the first leg of the Millie Miglia driving to Albano Montegrotto. They arrive at the end of the first leg at 1:30 am. A party was waiting but with only three hours sleep until day 2, the party is skipped to get some sleep. Day 2 begins and a day of street racing lay ahead. This stage is a 710 kilometers race to Rome. During day 2, Jodie is navigating and plotting the time trials while David takes the wheel. Fatigue is beginning to creep in as instructions are misunderstood. 17 hours after the start, Jodie and David pull into Rome. With two and a half hours sleep, day 3 begins. Fatigue is really setting in now when Jodie and David get completely lost. They return to the hotel and start again. Today's leg is 552 Kilometers and could take up to 18 hours to complete. Leaving Rome the pair head to Bologna. They make up lost time by eating while driving. Some of the scenery is breathtaking. The longer the day goes on and tempers start to rise when some time trials go badly. As the sun sets on day three, Jodie and David kiss and make up. Day 4, and it's the final leg. Due to an admin error, all of the time they made up was lost and you can see that Jodie is angry. 218 kilometres will see them at the finish line in Brescia. The XK120 was also suffering with braking problems. This did not stop the car and it's safe to say, that Jodie and David were happy to finish the course. 

This has been a great episode and I am really enjoying the show. I look forward to next weeks episode. Last week on the blog I invited the hosts to be interviewed, as of yet I have not had a response. I extend that invite again.

Below is a link to the episode

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

The Classic Car Show Channel 5 5th March 2015

Tonight's episode starts with Quentin Wilson's article, set in Monaco about the Ferrari Dino. This Dino was owned by Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones. In 1974, Richards paid £7,500 for the Dino in Beverly Hills, California. He kept it for 14 years and then had it shipped to his house in Chelsea. He has taken far better care of the car than he has of himself and currently the Dino in increasing in value by around £50,000 per year. The Dino was launched in 1968 and was named after Enzo Ferrari's son Alfredo Dino who died of Kidney Disease. This car was designed to compete with the Porsche 911 and to open Ferrari to younger clientele, die hard Ferrari purists  were not convinced about the small size of the car or the six cylinder engine. The 2.5 litre  V6 was a great engine and helped the car handle well. The Dino was the forerunner to all the mid engined supercars we have now. The car is light and has pin point response. The Dino was the best selling Ferrari of its era selling 2,700 cars.

Next up is Chris Routledge on his barn finds article. Today Chris has had an email from a man about a Morris Eight. These cars are very rare and hard to find.

The Morris Eight is a prewar car that helped Morris become the biggest manufacturer in the country. During World War 2, the Morris was a work horse for the brittish war effort. It's popularity continued in 1945 after its production was restarted. It was replaced in 1948 by the Morris Minor. Turning up at the garage where the Morris has been kept, it is burried under a fair amount of clutter.

On closer inspection the car could be very rare as the Morris has a body of a tourer but the front end should not look like it does. Either the car has been modified or it was built in Australia. The only way to tell us to get into the car and find the Chassis number. This will answer lots of questions. Chris unpacks the garage to get to the car and opens the bonnet. The car is a prewar car but the front has been modified post war to give it a fresh look. The car is painted in a distinct RAF blue so it is likely that the car would have seen service during World War 2. In its current state the car would be worth £2,000 - £3,000, fully restored the car would be worth around £25,000.

Jodie Kidd is up next with some classic car adverts, first up is an advert for the Austin Allegro, this is followed up by an advert for the Austin Cambridge. 

Alex Riley is next with his £5,000 classic. Today, the subject is the 1958 MGA. Today Alex will be a co driver in The Rally of The Malts, starting on the Isle of Skye. The MGA is a small car that comes equipped with an 1800 MGB engine. This rally is a regularity rally. This is a combination of driving and maths. The idea is to maintain an average speed along the course. Penalty points are awarded if you go too fast or two slow. It is Alex's job to tell the driver if he is going to fast or to slow and also to keep the car pointing the right way. First up is a short speed test. Once finished they leave the Isle of Skye on a 150 mile adventure. The next trial is the Pass of the Cattle, 11 miles of hairpin bend that rises over 600 meters above sea level. On the final leg, Alex once again has to work out the average timings so he can tell the driver the speed needed. As the leg goes on, Alex's sums start to work and they complete the course successfully.

Bruno Senna is next with a lap around the Brooklands test track in a classic car. Today Bruno is driving as Austin Healey 3000. This car was produced between 1959 - 1967 and has raced at Sebring and Le Mans. This Healey has a 2.9 litre engine that produces 250 BHP, 0-60 in eight seconds with a top speed to 140 mph, so the car will be quick and nimble. The car to beat at the moment is the Mustang. At the half way point the Healey is slightly quicker. With the lap ending the Healey's lap time in 51:002. This is .175 of a second quicker than the Mustang. 

Next up Quentin Wilson takes us through some future classics. Firstly we have the Honda NSX. The car is capable of 165 mph and a 0-60 in 5.7 seconds. In the early 90's you could buy one for £15,000, now you will be paying around £25,000 upwards. Next is the Volkswagen Golf GTI 16V Mk2. 1.8 litre engine, top speed of around 135 mph and s 0-60 of 7 seconds. You can buy a good one for around £5,000 but prices are expected to go up. Last is the Jeep Wagoneer V8. This has a top speed of around 100 mph and a 0-60 in 15 seconds. 

Last up is Jodie Kidd who pays a visit to the banked track at Montlhery in France. Montlhery was built by Alexandre Lamblin to be the fastest circuit in the world. The seven mile course featued a 1,6 mile banked oval track. The first event for cars and motorbikes took place in October 1924. Less than a year later it would host the inaugural French Grand Prix. The banking on the track is at a 51 degree angle. For those of you that have been to Brooklands, the banking there is 30 degrees. I have climbed the banking at Brooklands and it was not easy. In the first Grand Prix in 1925, Antonio Ascari was killed in his Alfa Romeo P2 and in 1935, this was the track that the Nazi sponsored Silver Arrows made their foreign debut. 

The car that Jodie Kidd is driving a Type 35 Bugatti driven by French driver Helene Delangle. This Bugatti set land speed records and is worth around 1.5 million pounds. During Montlhery's Era, Delangle mixed with the best drivers of her time, won several races and set Land Speed Records. More information of Helene Delangle's story can be found in a book called The Bugatti Queen by Miranda Seymour. If you can track it down, I highly recommend it. 

During it's time, the Type 35 Bugatti was a successful racing car clocking up over 1800 victories during its production. 

The cars owner shows Jodie the basics about the car. First you have to pump the fuel pressure to 50 and press the ignition. The fuel pressure has to be maintained while driving or the car will stall. Once away, Jodie gets used to the gearbox and stalks the car as the fuel pressure goes low. Once happy with how everything works, it's time to drive on the oval banked track. The car on the track looks as it should but driving the car on this kind of track looks terrifying. The  angle of the track, it's bumpiness,  the speed, the drum brakes which don't slow you down make this a challenge. Jodie looks like she has really enjoyed driving the Bugatti.

This has been another great episode with lots of information. After the series has concluded on Channel 5, I would love to interview Quentin Wilson, Jodie Kidd, Alex Riley, Will Best, Chris Routledge and Bruno Senna about their experiences on the show. The question is would they be willing to be interviewed for the blog?

Below is a link to the episode

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

The Classic Car Show - Channel 5 7pm 26th February 2015

Tonight's episode starts with Quentin Wilson's article about the Range Rover. Known as the best 4x4 by far it gave the driver the ability to drive off road in comfort and luxury that had not been put together before. The Range Rover evolved from the 1948 Tickford Land Rover. Flat sides, a tall roof, big glass windows and a tailgate that can drop down. Land Rover played with the design for 10 years but then they acquired the rights to a V8 from Buick that the project took off. Originally the Range Rover was not meant to be a pretty car, the interior was plastic so it could be hosed down, there were no electric windows or automatic gearbox. You were able to cruise on the motorway at 100mph, you could cross fields and deserts and climb hols with a 1:1 Gradient. The Range Rover has won several awards. Sales really picked up when Prince Phillip wax photographed standing on the split tailgate of a Range Rover. Land Rover then went up market offering a 4 door version with a leather and wood interior, electric windows, automatic gearbox and air conditioning. In the 1980's sales figures rocketed passed 100,000 and it soon had several imitators from Mercedes, Ford, BMW and Volvo. Quentin then puts the Range Rover up against the Lexus RX 450 in an off road test. Quentin drives the Range Rover and the Lexus IS driven by a trained 4x4 driver. Over the course of bumps and hills the Range Rover is better than the Lexus. In the 1990's BMW bought Land Rover and really took it upmarket giving it chrome a stunning interior and a 5 litre supercharged engine. The biggest irony for Range Rover is that most of them never go off road, people preferring to use it for the school run. They soon became a symbol for class hatred earning nicknames, one being the Chelsea Tractor. In 2012, Range Rover came out with its 4th generation Range Rover and it has good reviews. Currently selling 6000 a month with a year waiting list. The Range Rover also inspired every SUV on the market so it has an important place in history as an innovator.
Next up Jodie Kidd and Quentin Wilson travel to Monaco to visit the Historic Grand Prix. This event happens every two years. They travel to Monaco in a Citroen DS Decapotable, this car now makes around £150,000. They take the Citroen around the Monaco track but as racing is due to begin, they are soon ushered off the track. Quentin then goes to the COYS Auction room while Jodie takes a boat to the paddock. Walking around the paddock, Jodie walks past some old Ferrari's Jaguars and many others before meeting up with John Romano, a surgeon from Boston with a passion for classic cars. John will be racing a 1964 Brabham BT11 Climax. They have a chat about how he got into cars.Qualifying day and Jodie has a quick chat with John about how he's feeling and then leaves him to it. We find out ho he got on later in the show.
Alex Riley then does article about classic cars you can buy for £5,000. Today's subject is a Porsche 928. This was the car that was supposed to replace the Porsche 911. The 928 came equipped with a front mounted water cooled 4.5 litre V8. For die hard Porsche fans, this was a hard car to get to grips with although it was voted car of the year in 1978 , a year after its release. The 928 did not fit into a mold as it was too big to be a sports car and too small to be a GT car. Porsche made a lot of refinements to the car over it's 18 year life span to improvements. Alex is driving an S4, one of the later 928's. This comes with a 5 litre engine that produced 320 horse power that would take the car from 0-60 in under 6 seconds and a top speed of 168mph. The aluminium engine was in the front of the car and the gearbox in the back gave the car optimum weight distribution and balance. As for looks, the 928 is a pretty car, there are plenty of windows to light the cabin and a decent sized boot.
Bruno Senna is next with another lap in a classic car. Today Bruno will be driving a 1965 Mustang. This Mark 1 Mustang has been race prepared, with 350 Horse power, a 0-60 of just 5 seconds and a top speed of 145mph. Driving the car around the track, Bruno has to keep the rear end in line as the car has so much power. Power-sliding around corners looks great but it's not the fastest way around the track. At the halfway point the mustang is almost a second quicker than the Mercedes was last week. Bruno is able to keep the car in line without loosing the back end of the car. by the end of the lap he is over 2.5 seconds quicker that the Mercedes was.
We then have part 2 of the Monaco Historic Grand Prix. We return to the qualifying where Jodie is acting as his timekeeper and sign holder. Red flags are then shown which means a big crash has happened. Jodie returns to the paddock to find John. He is OK. Qualifying then resumes as John posts a lap time of 2.06 the session ends. John is happy to have qualified for the race. It's race day and Jodie has a surprise for John. She takes him to a seated area where Sir Stirling Moss is waiting to chat to him about driving around Monaco. They talk for a while and then once finished, John thanks Stirling for taking the time to talk to him. On the Grid, John is in the car and Jodie has goosebumps. Once the race has started, we learn that John  is in 22nd place. as each lap passes, Johns confidence grows, lap times get quicker and he starts to make his way through the field. The winner of the race is Andy Middlehusrt driving Jim Clark's Lotus 25. John finishes in 17th place.
This has been another good episode of the show. I would like to have seen more of the cars at the auction but i understand that they only have an hour show to broadcast.

Below is a link to the episode

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