I'm sure most of us watch and enjoy Top Gear.. and get an extra kick out of it when they do a classic review. However we know they love to ham it up and will always make fun of reliability, handling etc of old cars. That said.. i'd love them to do a small bit on Sunbeams.. they havent done classic reviews for a few years.. they uised to in series 3-5.. i can think of:
Jag C type
Merc 300SL
Merc 230 SL
Lambo Muira
Dodge charger
TR6
Austin Healy Bug eye
Aston V8 vantage
e-type v DB5
Groser v Rolls Corniche
Lancia special
that said.. who would loan their car to them.. going through my mind..
they trashed the C-type badly enough to have legal action
they ttoled around in the DB5 quite direspectfully
the stratos (hawk) from the last series was thrashed to death despite the fact it was loaned for stills hots (they actually blew the engine!)
Any thoughts?.. who is brave enough to lend a nice tiger and alpine?
Sunbeams and Top Gear
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michael-king
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Sunbeams and Top Gear
Michael King
63 Alpine SII - 65 Alpine SIVGT
65 Tiger MKI - 66 Tiger MKIA
63 Alpine SII - 65 Alpine SIVGT
65 Tiger MKI - 66 Tiger MKIA
Indeed as you say, Top Gear is very entertaining and my young kids love the banter between the three presenters. 
However, I would no way on this planet ever lend them any car for a road test session, a static photo shoot yes but wouldn't trust the show with my car on a race circuit.
Funnily enough, I watched an old episode this afternoon where they took a Ferrari Daytona across the med from Portofina, Italy to St Tropez, France and it looked a civilised affair so perhaps knowing that the car would stay on public roads may tempt me.
When I loaned my Tiger to the BBC the last week for the afternoon, they wanted to know market values so that they could cover it with their insurance should anything be damaged/destroyed whilst in their possession
Lots of camera gear/crew moving around so there is always a high chance of damage.
However, I would no way on this planet ever lend them any car for a road test session, a static photo shoot yes but wouldn't trust the show with my car on a race circuit.Funnily enough, I watched an old episode this afternoon where they took a Ferrari Daytona across the med from Portofina, Italy to St Tropez, France and it looked a civilised affair so perhaps knowing that the car would stay on public roads may tempt me.
When I loaned my Tiger to the BBC the last week for the afternoon, they wanted to know market values so that they could cover it with their insurance should anything be damaged/destroyed whilst in their possession
Lots of camera gear/crew moving around so there is always a high chance of damage.
Sunbeams and Top Gear
I remember when James may visited the STOC stand at the Cranleigh Show back in 2005 we picked him up about why he felt the TR6 "may be the ultimate automotive totem of British masculinity". The answer was simply that the TR6 was the apple of his eye!
We pulled his leg about - "The TR6 is really hairy. The engine is hairy and the gearchange is hairy. The handling is hairy, the roadholding is hairy and the overall sensation is very hairy. And I feel much more hairy driving it" saying by that measure a Tiger would surely make him into a cave man! I seem to recall the old Tiger nick-name 'widow maker' was raised by James at this point!!
I couldn't possible comment on TG's trashing of classics though save that....
Having tested the very best of every type of machinery I guess TG's credo nowadays won't allow the boys to treat a classic for what it is. Instead it somehow has to be something retro looking but with 21st century engineering under the skin. Hence the temptation to look for contemporary performance and so pushing the real thing to destruction.
I am a riveted viewer of TG.
Graham
STOC Editor
We pulled his leg about - "The TR6 is really hairy. The engine is hairy and the gearchange is hairy. The handling is hairy, the roadholding is hairy and the overall sensation is very hairy. And I feel much more hairy driving it" saying by that measure a Tiger would surely make him into a cave man! I seem to recall the old Tiger nick-name 'widow maker' was raised by James at this point!!
I couldn't possible comment on TG's trashing of classics though save that....
Having tested the very best of every type of machinery I guess TG's credo nowadays won't allow the boys to treat a classic for what it is. Instead it somehow has to be something retro looking but with 21st century engineering under the skin. Hence the temptation to look for contemporary performance and so pushing the real thing to destruction.
I am a riveted viewer of TG.
Graham
STOC Editor
Seems Top Gear have very much set the standard and their "challenges" are very entertaining for all the family. But what about this for a challenge, racing a famous Jaguar works Long Nose D-type against the Orient Express.
http://www.classicandperformancecar.com ... ewsletters
The Jag was originally raced by Mike Hawthorn and subsequently owned by Ecurie Ecosse, so it's gotta be worth a few bob and they are racing the car on public roads
then heading off to take part in the Mille Miglia (as you do!)
Good to see it being used though, rather then languishing and gathering dust in a private collection/museum Puts it all into perspective 
http://www.classicandperformancecar.com ... ewsletters
The Jag was originally raced by Mike Hawthorn and subsequently owned by Ecurie Ecosse, so it's gotta be worth a few bob and they are racing the car on public roads
then heading off to take part in the Mille Miglia (as you do!)Good to see it being used though, rather then languishing and gathering dust in a private collection/museum
Puts it all into perspective