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ntl 809
slagging the british car industry
how the first daihatsu was laughed at
pushed home the pint by comparing an austin 1100 to a dat 120y
saying how they all break down the the dat didnt
first car shown with bonnet up - was an imp
doh
austin 1100's are cool tho
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2001 HONDA CT110 (NOT RCV)
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Modern car people have a habit of doing that, for some reason a number of journalists who spend their time around modern cars tend to enjoy taking the curse word out of any car that's even remotely old, and remark on how much better than new cars are, yet amazingly some of them were going round not so long ago praising the very same cars, funny isn't it? I mean I bet years ago when Clarkson was still aspiring to work in a big magazine or on the telly, he'd have been going round praising the very same cars he now calls sh*t! They also seem to forget that old cars are where all the good ideas they're praising now came from. The two box design of small car with front wheel drive? Look no further than the Mini! Small family saloons with opening rear windows (which evolved into hatchbacks later)? Ford and Volkswagen didn't come up with it out of the blue for their modern ranges, the idea has a long history and the Imp was one of the poineers 40 years ago. And it was motoring journos in the same position of Clarkson, in fact I bet he done a fair bit of it when he far less famous, probbaly working at a smaller paper or mag in the British Leyland era, who spread all the rumors that foreign cars were curse word, yet they act as if the ordinary punter was coming up with that misconception by themselves and they all knew better! Funny that!
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"He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy!"
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richy
Posted a lot
Flatheads forever....
Posts: 1,764
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Am I alone in thinking that Clarkson knows far less about 'our' cars than Q Willson?
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Clarkson dosent know that much about cars really. He just knows what he likes.
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BS Nymph Singer Chamois Coupe Series 3 Landy
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richy
Posted a lot
Flatheads forever....
Posts: 1,764
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Yes indeed. When you look at road tests in the 60s and 70s, written by people like Michael Bowler and Roger Bell, they knew what they were talking about, as invariably they had engineering backgrounds. That's no longer the case, which can be a pity.
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You're right, I mean I recently read Jack Brabham's (that's the same one who was a F1 World Champion driver and constructor on loads of occasions) orginal road test of the Hillman Imp when it was new, and he actually knew plenty about the cars mechanical layout and it's advantages, as well as living with the car for a few weeks and learning it's advantages and drawbacks, and thought it was a great little car, whearas Clarkson in the same situation would likely start off by tittering about it's rear engined layout (saying that it must be a 'no good commie car from Russia' or similar, repeating what he heard down the pub about head gaskets expiring and engines breaking down, then the drive would include him going round trying to look impressive by making the tyres smoke (whilst shouting "Whoooa, lots of oversteer there" and other catchphrases he loves to use to make him sound like he knows what he's on about) then handing it over to the Stig, a real expert (who is he again, I had an idea that he might be Damon Hill, but I'm not sure) to do the genuine fast driving.
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"He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy!"
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richy
Posted a lot
Flatheads forever....
Posts: 1,764
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Perry McCarthy is The Stig!
But you're rigt Revo. Clarkson was scribbling for a local paper and realised if he stared writing about cars he could blag press demonstrator ones! Not, as far as I know, 'cos he's always loved cars.
Unlike me, who's never missed a British Motor Show since '64, attending my first one at the age of two.
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Sorry to be abit thick here but who is Perry McCarthy?
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BS Nymph Singer Chamois Coupe Series 3 Landy
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richy
Posted a lot
Flatheads forever....
Posts: 1,764
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he was an F1 driver, or nearly made it as one, from my recollection.
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So the Stig is an ex F1 driver. Always wondered who it could be.
Theres no way it could be Damon Hill as the stig is quite a talented driver ;D
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BS Nymph Singer Chamois Coupe Series 3 Landy
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richy
Posted a lot
Flatheads forever....
Posts: 1,764
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Also, while we're on the subject of Clarkson, what about that massive Ferrari book he wrote? And was panned in the magazines as it cost £150?! And ended up remaindered at Chaters for 20 quid a pop....
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Ah, cool, that was bothering me, I've had about five different suspicions about who Stig is! ;D ;D You're right though, he might be a little bit funny, but he's never been dedicated to motors. Same here really, I'm just a lowly student who wants to get into journalism (although not neccesarily motoring journalism, always been sort of good at political stuff as well) but I've been going to motor shows and races since I knew what a car was, grew up around long distance lorries and used to travel the UK with the ol' man as a kid, so had diesel and petrol in my veins, and was messing around under car bonnets since I had to stand on the bumper just to be able to reach the engine bay for a look! Clarkson on the other hand doesn't appear to have the same passion for the engineering and the driving of motors in general, which is why he likes a select few expensive and exclusive cars, and takes the curse word out of everything else ever built, but driving experience or engineering cleverness don't come into it at all.
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"He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy!"
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richy
Posted a lot
Flatheads forever....
Posts: 1,764
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I think the best motoring writer is LJK Setright.... He could teach JC a few things....
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richy
Posted a lot
Flatheads forever....
Posts: 1,764
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...especially when it comes to understanding engineering. Expensive cars aren't always the best engineered, as we all know.
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Perry McCarthy is The Stig! Not any more He was the original Stig but got fired after penning a book entitled 'I am The Stig'. The current one is Ben Collins as far as I am aware. *n
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Top grammar tips! Bought = purchased. Brought = relocated Lose = misplace/opposite of win. Loose = your mum
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clarksons car yearsBenzBoy
@benzboy
Club Retro Rides Member 7
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I think Clarkson is amusing, but you're right - he doesn't have much of a clue about cars. This is the gy that tried to get all four wheels to spin on a 4wd Lambo . Clutches for them things are expensive.... I haven't seen the program but I have to say, the British car industry did turn to $hit in the '70s. We're great innovators, have fantastic engineers, superb designers, but most of the industry in that time was headed up by bean counters afraid to stick their necks out. Add to that trade unions which seemed determined to f*ck over British industry and it's little wonder that we're now re-badging cars made in India. I remember Clarkson commenting on the modern British car industry and saying: The Germans produce good quality affordable cars, why can't we? We have similar economies, labour rates are in the same ballpark... so how come Germany have a thriving automotive industry and we're reduced to flogging third-world crates on wheels? I'll go and lie down now! ;D
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richy
Posted a lot
Flatheads forever....
Posts: 1,764
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well.... having seen how poorly built today's new German cars are, I think they've cottoned-on to Red Robbo's merry men of the '70s!
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Seems to be a bit of anti-clarkson going on.... If you lookat it from another angle though.... Firstly, top gear really lost it's way after he left. You can't doubt that it's back to top form and knocks all other car shows into a cocked hat.... OK, so he might talk out of his on occasion, but at least he holds his hands up to admit that he isn't a particularly talented driver. I'm not either, so there's a bit of empathy right there.... Also some of the non-car stuff he's done has been pretty cool. Like all the stuff about I-K Brunel (an absolute deity in my book!), which I'm sure has made engineering history accessible to a whole new audience. OK, so he's sycophantic towards Ferrari's in the extreme, and he's marginally irritating with his belittling of british car heritage, but I reckon a world without clarkson would be a much poorer place....
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I've dealt with him a couple of times in a professional aspect and he seems a top bloke. Not got fantastic taste in cars but a pretty sound guy. Richard '5 year old' Hammond is more of a Retro Rides kind of guy, I think.. *n
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Top grammar tips! Bought = purchased. Brought = relocated Lose = misplace/opposite of win. Loose = your mum
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richy
Posted a lot
Flatheads forever....
Posts: 1,764
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I think Nick's right about JC opening up the value of IK Brubel's contributons to the UK. And I admire the fcat he's a stand-alone beacon against the BBC's politically correct agenda. Just wish he'd stay away from Ferraris!
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