0:00:02 > 0:00:09Start your engines, sit back and enjoy the ride for a journey through British onscreen motoring.
0:00:22 > 0:00:28Cars are the ultimate consumerist item. They're shiny, big, fast, they make exciting, sexy noises.
0:00:28 > 0:00:35You hear a car, see a car, feel a car. That is what really gets some people going.
0:00:35 > 0:00:37Oh, ho ho ho!
0:00:37 > 0:00:44A good car show, in my book, will contain cars - aspirational cars -
0:00:44 > 0:00:47and just good, honest entertainment.
0:00:48 > 0:00:55- We're away!- People who are very enthusiastic about cars like to think if they invest enough
0:00:55 > 0:01:01in a model that is as sexy or classy or sophisticated as they aspire to be, it will reflect nicely on them.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04Listen to that!
0:01:04 > 0:01:09The car show is a road trip encompassing TV motor shows like Wheelbase of the '60s...
0:01:09 > 0:01:12Welcome to our 250th edition.
0:01:12 > 0:01:17..to the popular entertainment of Top Gear now,
0:01:17 > 0:01:23stopping to refuel at Fifth Gear, before going off-road with adventurous car show spin-offs
0:01:23 > 0:01:27- like Stars In Fast Cars. - It just works!
0:01:27 > 0:01:34- And don't forget popular drama, where the car is often the real hero.- Come on, please!
0:01:34 > 0:01:37The Trotters' Reliant Robin.
0:01:37 > 0:01:40Bergerac's classy Triumph Roadster.
0:01:44 > 0:01:50And James Bond's Aston martin. Each a symbol of their owner's class and aspirations.
0:01:53 > 0:01:58Every TV motor show tells us something of the hopes of our times.
0:01:58 > 0:02:04One show in particular, with three presenters and a weekly hour of high-jinks,
0:02:04 > 0:02:09has fully encompassed this. And it changed the very nature of the car show.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12It's such an interesting mix.
0:02:12 > 0:02:16You wouldn't naturally find those three people sharing space in life.
0:02:16 > 0:02:22Cars brought them together. Three very different characters and they're entertaining to watch.
0:02:22 > 0:02:26Sometimes I really don't want to laugh and I can't help myself.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30- Come on!- I was asleep! - Where's May?!
0:02:30 > 0:02:34Back here on the throne! Clarkson, it's not funny!
0:02:36 > 0:02:42Clarkson, you infantile pillock! You're tidying that up.
0:02:42 > 0:02:44Clarkson, May and Hammond.
0:02:44 > 0:02:49If they're not best friends, they fooled us every week. Hilarious.
0:02:49 > 0:02:54- I quite liked that. - You...- I like it! - The Ferrari is made by craftsmen.
0:02:54 > 0:02:59- This is made by two fat blokes in Kentucky.- Called Bud and Bob.
0:03:00 > 0:03:07- This plastic comes from the same plastic they use to make newsreaders over here.- Same colour as well.
0:03:07 > 0:03:11I think it's quite a macho programme,
0:03:11 > 0:03:14but so many women I know watch it.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17There's a fantastic appeal.
0:03:19 > 0:03:23The presenters of Top Gear give us the show to define our times -
0:03:23 > 0:03:27sleek, bold and built for speed.
0:03:29 > 0:03:32Showcasing the bold Jeremy Clarkson,
0:03:32 > 0:03:35the sedate James May
0:03:35 > 0:03:38and the charm of Richard Hammond,
0:03:38 > 0:03:41Top Gear is a boys' own adventure designed for thrills.
0:03:41 > 0:03:45It's a car show, but not as we once knew it.
0:03:45 > 0:03:52It's a grand feeling to get into your car, knowing that the country is yours and you can go where you like
0:03:52 > 0:03:56without using up too much personal energy. Only a car gives you this.
0:03:56 > 0:04:01Back in the early '60s, the TV motor show was in its infancy,
0:04:01 > 0:04:05but our love affair with the car was flourishing.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09The car industry was building British cars for British men,
0:04:09 > 0:04:12as in TV shows like Mainly For Men.
0:04:12 > 0:04:18Hello and welcome to Mainly For Men. This is a programme, fellas, just for you.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23Mainly For Men offered a very limited take on sexual equality.
0:04:23 > 0:04:28With hindsight, it may have misjudged the car-buying market.
0:04:32 > 0:04:36The presenter's motoring advice did not set the rubber burning.
0:04:36 > 0:04:41We've had a few ideas sent in. I'll bring them to your notice.
0:04:41 > 0:04:47The first one deals with that inconsiderate driver who comes up with his headlights at full beam,
0:04:47 > 0:04:49blinding you.
0:04:49 > 0:04:56Although Mainly For Men stalled, car manufacturing thrived. The boxy, functional pre-war cars gave way
0:04:56 > 0:05:02to an unparalleled surge in technological and design innovation in the '50s and '60s.
0:05:02 > 0:05:08Big cars for big aspirations, like the Ford Zephyr, made Middle England look like mid-town America.
0:05:08 > 0:05:14The successful advertising of the day proved there was a growing audience for the car show.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18Ford again sets the fashion with the three graces -
0:05:18 > 0:05:21the new Zodiac, the new Zephyr
0:05:24 > 0:05:28- and the new Consort. - Glamorised on film and TV,
0:05:28 > 0:05:35the car was increasingly seen as an object of desire. The advertising industry took full advantage.
0:05:35 > 0:05:39The three things that expanded advertising significantly
0:05:39 > 0:05:44from its humble origins in the '50s and '60s were the advent
0:05:44 > 0:05:49of commercial television, when suddenly in addition to press advertising
0:05:49 > 0:05:54and outdoor posters in radio and cinema, we suddenly had television.
0:05:54 > 0:05:58Expenditure on products increased massively.
0:05:58 > 0:06:05You don't believe it, do you? Wait until you step inside the Morris Mini Minor. There's room for four.
0:06:05 > 0:06:12And so much parcel space. Everything stows away neatly and easily. Four happy people in a big little car.
0:06:12 > 0:06:17ITV have never managed to establish a motoring programme of any note.
0:06:17 > 0:06:22During the 1960s, there were no car commercials on TV at all
0:06:22 > 0:06:26due to a very convenient arrangement between the manufacturers
0:06:26 > 0:06:32who got together over a gin and tonic at the Society of Motor Manufacturers annual shindig, no doubt,
0:06:32 > 0:06:39and said, "Commercial television. We should cut back on expenses by none of us advertising."
0:06:39 > 0:06:43So all through the '60s there was barely a car ad at all.
0:06:43 > 0:06:48I've already told you why 300,000 people have bought Datsuns.
0:06:48 > 0:06:53This time I want to show you their new economy cars.
0:06:53 > 0:06:57The Japanese came along. I think Datsun was the first brand on TV.
0:06:57 > 0:07:03The new Cherry. Not just one car, but a whole range of exciting models to suit all kinds of people.
0:07:03 > 0:07:10The housewife, the family man, sportsman, everybody. The young and not so young.
0:07:10 > 0:07:16So everybody else had to advertise on television and that dramatically increased the money being spent.
0:07:16 > 0:07:20Introducing...Capri.
0:07:20 > 0:07:23The car you always promised yourself.
0:07:23 > 0:07:31Once again, Ford leads the way with a car that is totally new, exciting, different from anything else.
0:07:31 > 0:07:37In the '70s, car advertising was targeted directly at men.
0:07:37 > 0:07:43- The idea of selling cars to women had barely progressed from this... - A sun visor and vanity mirror.
0:07:43 > 0:07:48So handy for powdering your nose or keeping it from getting sunburnt.
0:07:48 > 0:07:53No need to disturb your handbag or exasperate your husband.
0:07:53 > 0:07:58It was assumed by advertisers, perhaps rightly in the '60s and '70s,
0:07:58 > 0:08:00that women generally didn't buy cars.
0:08:00 > 0:08:07It was probably a social attitude amongst a lot of men that fillies shouldn't be allowed in a car!
0:08:07 > 0:08:12Stick them in the back. Or let them ride tandem on a bicycle at weekends.
0:08:12 > 0:08:18That "mainly for men" attitude may have been alive, but it didn't go unchallenged.
0:08:18 > 0:08:22..to take the children to school or to drive round to the shops.
0:08:22 > 0:08:28The car helps her to get through her daily routine quicker, leaving more time for enjoyment.
0:08:28 > 0:08:32It puts the country swimming pool within her reach...
0:08:32 > 0:08:39In the '60s and '70s, Wheelbase, the BBC's flagship motor series, delivered motoring news
0:08:39 > 0:08:44and glamorous locations to an ever-growing audience.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47# Here she comes, make way
0:08:47 > 0:08:50# It's the lady from Lamborghini... #
0:08:50 > 0:08:54Wheelbase was the first TV programme committed to motoring.
0:08:54 > 0:09:00Its popularity was a significant sign of British productivity and creativity in the motoring world
0:09:00 > 0:09:06- and became a benchmark in the evolution of the car show. - We ought to model our cars
0:09:06 > 0:09:09on those of the Americans? God forbid!
0:09:09 > 0:09:15Although revolutionary in its day, Wheelbase did not set cars racing against jet fighters,
0:09:15 > 0:09:21but it did show them being thrown off buildings - all in the interest of public safety.
0:09:21 > 0:09:28If you drive at 60mph and hit something, it's exactly the same as driving off a 10-storey building.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32And it will get you to exactly the same place.
0:09:35 > 0:09:39Wheelbase, as a magazine show, was very much a journal of record.
0:09:39 > 0:09:44Somebody described it in the Guardian as "dry and dutiful"
0:09:44 > 0:09:51and it could be relied upon every single week to deliver that week's chunk of motoring news
0:09:51 > 0:09:53in a very straight way.
0:09:53 > 0:09:59They were clearly relying on the fact that all the interest would come from the cars on screen.
0:09:59 > 0:10:03This is the Citroen SM with a Maserati engine
0:10:03 > 0:10:08ready for production only two years after they signed their agreement...
0:10:08 > 0:10:15Despite its magazine format and reviews of the industry's rapidly developing fleet of vehicles,
0:10:15 > 0:10:21Wheelbase failed to cater for the British desire for the quirky and unusual.
0:10:21 > 0:10:26If an Englishman's home is his castle, his car is like his shed,
0:10:26 > 0:10:31but a very well-appointed shed, a little place to escape into his own manly world,
0:10:31 > 0:10:36think his own manly thoughts and pick his nose in privacy.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39Ha ha! Poop poop!
0:10:42 > 0:10:48Eccentric drivers and odd motoring challenges have a pedigree in British television.
0:10:48 > 0:10:49Ohhh!
0:10:53 > 0:10:59I think the quintessential British driving experience has to be, in some way,
0:10:59 > 0:11:05eccentrically charming and unusual. I think the template was set by Toad of Toad Hall,
0:11:05 > 0:11:12in country lanes with his goggles and his driving hat, honking on his horn.
0:11:12 > 0:11:19It was continued by the likes of Inspector Morse in his Mark II Jag or Bergerac in his Triumph Roadster.
0:11:24 > 0:11:30There has to be an elegance, a grace, and something slightly different about the English driving experience.
0:11:35 > 0:11:36Poop poop!
0:11:38 > 0:11:44Audiences brought up on motor shows like Wheelbase began to see the car dominate television.
0:11:44 > 0:11:50No self-respecting British cop show would be without a distinctive set of wheels.
0:11:50 > 0:11:53Z Cars in the '60s showcased the Ford Zephyr.
0:11:54 > 0:12:00A decade later, The Sweeney was the British car maker's dream,
0:12:00 > 0:12:05highlighting the macho appeal of the villain's choice of transport - the Jaguar Mark II.
0:12:05 > 0:12:12The Sweeney, they have their cars, and again Ford are happy to supply those,
0:12:12 > 0:12:19but that was very much part of the posit of the show. The detectives don't drive.
0:12:19 > 0:12:23They have a specially-trained driver and he does all the driving.
0:12:23 > 0:12:30People say, "Regan drives a Granada." He doesn't at all. He's driven in those cars.
0:12:30 > 0:12:35And they're very representative of the kinds of cars the police had.
0:12:35 > 0:12:41Routine saloons that the police force could buy in bulk and issue to people.
0:12:41 > 0:12:47A slightly faster one for the more senior guy. A slower Cortina for the lesser detective.
0:12:47 > 0:12:52Very representative of the cars they had at the time.
0:12:54 > 0:13:01Ashes To Ashes is the latest in a long line of cop shows to showcase iconic cars. Flashy and fast,
0:13:01 > 0:13:07they eye-catching Audi Quattro is the driving force in this popular drama.
0:13:10 > 0:13:14In Ashes To Ashes, the car has got a bit more preposterous
0:13:14 > 0:13:19because in 1981 an Audi Quattro would have been something...
0:13:19 > 0:13:23a sort of "broker with a bonus" type car.
0:13:23 > 0:13:28I don't think it was attainable by any kind of detective.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33Right. Let's fire up the Quattro.
0:13:34 > 0:13:38So, you know, they're making it up, really.
0:13:38 > 0:13:44They've looked at 1981 and said, "What was the key car of 1981?" It was undoubtedly the Audi Quattro.
0:13:44 > 0:13:50It was the first car with a turbo-charged engine and four-wheel drive in a sporty package.
0:13:50 > 0:13:55It won rallies and was the kind of pin-up of its day.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59This is a full sensory hallucination.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01My God!
0:14:01 > 0:14:07When I was growing up, the world of rallying was set alight by the Audi Quattro,
0:14:07 > 0:14:12so I love anything to do with the '80s and the Quattro is iconic,
0:14:12 > 0:14:19so I was thrilled to bits, so excited, on the edge of my sofa, waiting for the show to start.
0:14:19 > 0:14:24- 'It was fantastic.'- We'll go the long way. I'm not scratching this baby.
0:14:24 > 0:14:29To understand the ingredients of the car show,
0:14:29 > 0:14:33we need to understand the passion for cars on the silver screen.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36I'm a massive Bond fan.
0:14:36 > 0:14:42I have the full Bond collection on DVD in the silver attache case.
0:14:42 > 0:14:47I think, though, just one car really stands out for me
0:14:47 > 0:14:53and that's the Aston Martin DB5, which has now starred in quite a few shows.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57- Where's my Bentley?- It's had its day.- It's never let me down.
0:14:57 > 0:15:03M's orders, 007. You'll be using this Aston Martin DB5, with modifications.
0:15:03 > 0:15:10James Bond - why can't he just stick to the classic Aston Martin that we all love and remember?
0:15:10 > 0:15:15It's only appeared in a couple of films, but the classic one
0:15:15 > 0:15:19is the silver one with the special little shield that flipped out,
0:15:19 > 0:15:22which I thought was next to useless.
0:15:22 > 0:15:27Q had invented that shield as if it was going to save his life,
0:15:27 > 0:15:33but to be honest it was a joke. If a team of skiers with machine guns are chasing after you,
0:15:33 > 0:15:39that poxy little shield won't offer much protection. I think Q was losing it even back then,
0:15:39 > 0:15:42but it's the ultimate James Bond car.
0:15:43 > 0:15:48But it isn't always about big engines and ejector seats.
0:15:48 > 0:15:54British cars have frequently been curiosities. The Trotters' Reliant Robin humorously captured
0:15:54 > 0:15:59the entrepreneurial flavour of the '80s.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02Aaaaaaaah!
0:16:02 > 0:16:08Only Fools And Horses was a show where the downbeatness of it was absolutely crucial
0:16:08 > 0:16:15to everything that the stories hung off. And in terms of the independent British tradesman,
0:16:15 > 0:16:19you don't get much more downbeat than a plastic, three-wheeled van.
0:16:19 > 0:16:27It's got an 850cc engine, you only have to pay motorcycle rates of taxation on it,
0:16:27 > 0:16:31it's made of glass-reinforced plastic
0:16:31 > 0:16:34and therefore isn't going to rust.
0:16:34 > 0:16:40If you're running a business on a shoestring, everything is about minimum fixed costs
0:16:40 > 0:16:44and maximum profit. A Reliant makes a lot of sense.
0:16:44 > 0:16:48- Be careful where you dump that. - Ha ha ha. Funny(!) I'm laughing.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55'Once we got into the '90s,'
0:16:55 > 0:17:00you still had iconic cars, but they were always there not to be part of the action,
0:17:00 > 0:17:05but to say something charming about the protagonist,
0:17:05 > 0:17:11the classic example being Morse in his Jag. You never saw Morse in many high-speed chases.
0:17:11 > 0:17:15He never leapt behind the car to fire bullets at a suspect.
0:17:15 > 0:17:20It was just trying to say something - he was quirky, he was eccentric, interesting.
0:17:20 > 0:17:24Which is ironic, really, because most police are the biggest dullards!
0:17:24 > 0:17:32The same could not be said for the motor car. It injected speed, drama and thrills into our lives,
0:17:32 > 0:17:38all courtesy of the small screen, but it also allowed us to fondly remember quieter times.
0:17:38 > 0:17:42Now here is a splendid creature - Fanny.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45So much like a person it's quite uncanny.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48No ride in Fanny could ever be tame.
0:17:48 > 0:17:55But what the motor show has captured throughout the decades is our fascination and affection for cars.
0:17:55 > 0:18:00I think the Brits have the most extraordinary love affair with cars.
0:18:00 > 0:18:05I mean, there's 33 million cars on the road. We're a little island.
0:18:05 > 0:18:12There isn't space. You can't park the damn things, you can't go over a few miles an hour cos there's cameras...
0:18:12 > 0:18:19Yet we spend the most extraordinary amount of money on something that we can't really utilise.
0:18:19 > 0:18:24# There is nothing unorthodox about a little tin box
0:18:24 > 0:18:28# About a little tin box... #
0:18:28 > 0:18:34What I particularly love about driving is making a car go out of control,
0:18:34 > 0:18:42but being fully in control behind the wheel myself. So I love sliding the back end of a car out
0:18:42 > 0:18:46and doing doughnuts and burning rubber. I loved doing that stuff.
0:18:49 > 0:18:56In the early days of motoring, you were happy just to be on the move and things were pretty basic.
0:18:56 > 0:19:03Modern technology has satisfied our desire for speed with cars with impressive horse power and handling.
0:19:03 > 0:19:11But what we really want to achieve with our cars can only truly be experienced by television presenters
0:19:11 > 0:19:16- in car shows.- I've done it! - This insatiable need for speed
0:19:16 > 0:19:20was something TV was quick to recognise in the early days
0:19:20 > 0:19:24in the motor show and the public information films of the day.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28You get a nice, orderly queue of traffic...
0:19:28 > 0:19:33and then always some road hog tries to jump it.
0:19:34 > 0:19:37It's enough to give you blood pressure.
0:19:38 > 0:19:43Take D-E-A-T-H
0:19:43 > 0:19:45off the roads.
0:19:45 > 0:19:49And make our...roads...safe.
0:20:00 > 0:20:07By the 1970s, we were hooked on cars. The BBC were keen to find a motor show to capture this spirit.
0:20:07 > 0:20:13After over 10 years' faithful service, Wheelbase was sent to the scrap yard.
0:20:13 > 0:20:18In 1978, a sleeker model was unveiled - Top Gear.
0:20:23 > 0:20:30Noel Edmonds and Angela Rippon were the first hosts, presiding over a worthy mix of items
0:20:30 > 0:20:36and features packed with essential information...on wing mirrors.
0:20:36 > 0:20:42There's a mirror on the left wing, the central mirror and again a mirror here on the right wing,
0:20:42 > 0:20:47which means that I really do have 365 degrees vision.
0:20:47 > 0:20:52Most of it was filmed outside. They certainly didn't have a studio.
0:20:52 > 0:20:59They would have an introductory bit and then, within the 30-minute format of the show,
0:20:59 > 0:21:05the extent of the show, they would probably divide that into four, maybe five items.
0:21:05 > 0:21:10And it would have been horribly well-balanced.
0:21:10 > 0:21:16If there was a thing on a performance car, then there would be something on road safety.
0:21:16 > 0:21:22This is the Datsun one-hand system, but I'm just not sure which hand you use.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26You really can't do it with one hand and it's a very tight pull.
0:21:26 > 0:21:33I hope that wouldn't put anybody off actually putting that seatbelt on. I'm very much for seatbelts.
0:21:33 > 0:21:37What I liked about the older Top Gear, first and foremost,
0:21:37 > 0:21:43was we were in the GTi period I'm talking about, in the '80s, lots of hatchbacks...
0:21:43 > 0:21:49How about this for a sporty looking car? The Renault Gordini. It's known in France as the Alpine,
0:21:49 > 0:21:56but Chrysler have already got that name in the UK. Gordini is a very famous name in French sport.
0:21:56 > 0:22:00This car, in Group 2 form, won this year's Monte Carlo rally.
0:22:00 > 0:22:07No boy racer type could buy a brand-new hatchback. You were buying second-hand cars.
0:22:07 > 0:22:13And it was just thrilling to see something you were going to buy in four years' time
0:22:13 > 0:22:20for the first time. That was my theory. They were going to show us the new GTi,
0:22:20 > 0:22:24which I'll be able to buy second-hand in 4-5 years' time.
0:22:24 > 0:22:28A really fun little car. You get 110mph out of it if you want.
0:22:28 > 0:22:35If you're around the urban area, they reckon 26 to the gallon. That would be the low.
0:22:35 > 0:22:39Their constant speed figure, a constant speed of 56mph,
0:22:39 > 0:22:43will give you somewhere in the region of 50mpg.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47So you seem to get the best of both worlds.
0:22:47 > 0:22:53Car shows have definitely improved for the better. I have seen some olden time Top Gear ones
0:22:53 > 0:22:59where they took a full five minutes to show you how to pull the bonnet release lever, get out,
0:22:59 > 0:23:04walk round, lift up the bonnet, have a look inside,
0:23:04 > 0:23:10talk about the engine in detail... Now we just point to the bonnet and go, "Under there you've got..."
0:23:10 > 0:23:12Engine.
0:23:12 > 0:23:15Oh, brilliant! It's got one.
0:23:16 > 0:23:21It was definitely more about the cars and giving information about the cars
0:23:21 > 0:23:28rather than going on a "crazy" road trip where cars were incidental to the story.
0:23:28 > 0:23:34If we just roll back that carpet, there's a small handle here that we can pull up,
0:23:34 > 0:23:38give it a good old push, pull that back
0:23:38 > 0:23:43and we've converted that into a child seat for two kids.
0:23:43 > 0:23:48It was motoring in its broadest and, I think, blandest sense.
0:23:48 > 0:23:55Again, there was nothing else, so if you didn't like that it was read a car magazine.
0:23:59 > 0:24:02After regular services and upgrades,
0:24:02 > 0:24:08the transformation of the BBC's luxury motor show Top Gear began, in earnest, in the mid '80s,
0:24:08 > 0:24:14introducing a new crop of presenters - Tiff Needell, Quentin Willson and Jeremy Clarkson.
0:24:14 > 0:24:20- A number of directions there, Tiff! - Their new style of presenting emphasised the excitement
0:24:20 > 0:24:27- and vicarious thrill of watching grown men driving fast cars at death-defying speeds...- Sensational!
0:24:27 > 0:24:32..capturing the mood and satisfying the expectations of the time.
0:24:32 > 0:24:37Although Top Gear was top gun among motoring programmes in the late '90s,
0:24:37 > 0:24:43a new show was snapping at their heels. Shiny and new, Driven rolled off the production line
0:24:43 > 0:24:45and into our homes in 1998.
0:24:47 > 0:24:50Driven broke new ground completely.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54Driven was three presenters - Mike, Jason and me.
0:24:54 > 0:24:56Jason was replaced with Jason.
0:24:56 > 0:25:02And what we did was we took three cars and did a group test and put them up against each other,
0:25:02 > 0:25:07putting them through different tests. Nobody else did this at the time.
0:25:07 > 0:25:09A bit like What Car? magazine on TV.
0:25:14 > 0:25:20- Hello and welcome to a new series of Driven.- We're going to be testing our applicants on driveability...
0:25:20 > 0:25:25- Practicality.- Cost of ownership. - And desirability.- Very important.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29The team just before I joined was Mike Brewer, Penny Mallory
0:25:29 > 0:25:35and Jason Barlow. Jason Barlow was looking like, and subsequently did, he would go over to Top Gear.
0:25:35 > 0:25:38So there was a hole there.
0:25:38 > 0:25:42- Name?- Jason Plato. - Occupation?- Racing driver.- CV?
0:25:42 > 0:25:47'96 British Spider Champion, '97 third in the British Touring Cars...
0:25:47 > 0:25:49Whoa, whoa, whoa!
0:25:49 > 0:25:52- Should we give him a go?- Yes.- Good.
0:25:52 > 0:25:57We instantly, as a little unit, had the best time of our lives.
0:25:57 > 0:26:02Instantly clicked. That cliched word of chemistry. It all worked.
0:26:02 > 0:26:06- Can you present?- Yeah. This is Driven.
0:26:06 > 0:26:10With presenters like Brewer, Penny Mallory and Jason Plato,
0:26:10 > 0:26:15Driven's style and humour posed a serious threat to Top Gear's popularity.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19Tonight, the first TV drive of the sensational Lotus Exige.
0:26:19 > 0:26:26Items like the car comparisons made Driven a hit. It had its sights set on a young and trendy audience.
0:26:26 > 0:26:30Lifestyle is an important marketing buzz word these days.
0:26:30 > 0:26:36In Alfa Romeo's case, they hope discerning car buyers will buy a sport wagon.
0:26:36 > 0:26:43The kind of people that place much less importance on loading ability and more emphasis on looks.
0:26:43 > 0:26:47Driven, it seemed was fast closing in on Top Gear.
0:26:49 > 0:26:56The one thing that really made Driven resonate with the viewers - we just had fun.
0:26:56 > 0:27:01It was genuine laughter in the cars, genuine banter.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03You can see a lot with those!
0:27:05 > 0:27:11None of it was scripted. We knew what the tests were and how we needed to conduct them,
0:27:11 > 0:27:13but everything was off the cuff.
0:27:13 > 0:27:18- Here we go. Hold on, boys! - I'm going to be late for school!
0:27:18 > 0:27:23- Come on, little girl!- Come on! - Absolutely bags and bags of space!
0:27:23 > 0:27:29We broke the rules and we produced something that people would stop me and say,
0:27:29 > 0:27:35"I hate car programmes, but I always watch Driven." They constantly said that.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39As people say about Top Gear now. It became an entertainment show.
0:27:39 > 0:27:44It didn't matter if you weren't interested about cars.
0:27:44 > 0:27:48You didn't mind watching because it would make you laugh.
0:27:48 > 0:27:52Yeah, baby! There's something for you for being such a good girl.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55And here's something for you.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59Now go and get yourself something nice to wear tonight.
0:27:59 > 0:28:05I bet you cats want to know the secret of my success. I'll show you how to cut fuel bills in half!
0:28:05 > 0:28:13We'd do real-life tests and these would change if we were testing a Ferrari or a hatchback.
0:28:13 > 0:28:18If it was a Ferrari, it would score on desirability and driveability,
0:28:18 > 0:28:22but would score down on its practicality.
0:28:22 > 0:28:28Now it's decision time - marks out of 25 for driveability, desirability, practicality
0:28:28 > 0:28:31and cost of ownership.
0:28:31 > 0:28:37Throughout the series, we had a running total and the winner was awarded a prize.
0:28:37 > 0:28:41So who takes the Driven 100 title this week?
0:28:41 > 0:28:47Given the choice between three cars that do pretty much the same thing, we'll go for one that looks good
0:28:47 > 0:28:53rather than one that costs half as much. The very desirable Audi A2 may be this week's winner,
0:28:53 > 0:28:56but we were very surprised and impressed by the little Agila.
0:28:56 > 0:28:59We rewrote the car show book.
0:28:59 > 0:29:03And, ever since, people have been tearing pages out of that manual,
0:29:03 > 0:29:06which we can only take as flattery.
0:29:06 > 0:29:10If you want to copy it, that's because it was so good.
0:29:13 > 0:29:19While Driven briefly flourished, Top Gear, after 21 years in pole position,
0:29:19 > 0:29:25found its place on the starting grid less assured. Jeremy Clarkson left the show in 1999
0:29:25 > 0:29:29to pursue solo projects. In a bid to broaden its appeal,
0:29:29 > 0:29:33racing driver Vicki Butler Henderson was introduced.
0:29:33 > 0:29:39'Ever since I was a tiny tomboy, I've loved to play with my toys in the mud.
0:29:39 > 0:29:44'Well, most of them anyway. See you later, Ted.'
0:29:44 > 0:29:50Top Gear were looking for a girl who could drive. They asked me to go for a screen test,
0:29:50 > 0:29:54which I did. I had no idea about TV!
0:29:54 > 0:29:58I knew how to write and race cars.
0:29:58 > 0:30:00That's all I did.
0:30:00 > 0:30:07I got given the job, so the first item I did for Top Gear was
0:30:07 > 0:30:14to go and race at Brands Hatch, which was great. It was something I'd been doing since I was 12.
0:30:14 > 0:30:19I'm as nervous as I am excited, which I think can't be too bad.
0:30:19 > 0:30:26The one thing that I found quite odd was having to talk whilst racing in the car,
0:30:26 > 0:30:28because I had onboard cameras.
0:30:29 > 0:30:32Come on, Vic! Go! Go! We've done it.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34Come on!
0:30:34 > 0:30:37OK. Time to go, go, go!
0:30:37 > 0:30:42No motor show in history had ever done this.
0:30:42 > 0:30:47- Pulling away!- Oh, no! He's getting away from me! No!
0:30:47 > 0:30:49120.
0:30:50 > 0:30:57But despite the team's best efforts, in 2001 the BBC announced that Top Gear would come off air
0:30:57 > 0:31:02- for a full service and overhaul. - Eat my jet fumes!
0:31:02 > 0:31:08While Top Gear was being remodelled, Channel Five were hard at work on their car show.
0:31:08 > 0:31:11Fifth Gear was launched in April, 2002.
0:31:11 > 0:31:17Well, when the presenters got their phone call saying there was to be no more Top Gear,
0:31:17 > 0:31:23within about three or four days a lovely man called Dan Chambers at Channel Five rang us all up
0:31:23 > 0:31:28and said, "I love what you do. Will you come over to Five
0:31:28 > 0:31:33"and make a car show and we'll call it Fifth Gear?" We said, "Lovely."
0:31:37 > 0:31:41Tonight we're looking at life from the other side...
0:31:41 > 0:31:46The new show featured Tiff Needell and Vicki Butler Henderson,
0:31:46 > 0:31:50later joined by Driven presenter and racing driver Jason Plato.
0:31:50 > 0:31:56Tiff Needell was on Fifth Gear. I like Tiff. I've always liked Tiff.
0:31:56 > 0:31:59He's a very likeable guy.
0:31:59 > 0:32:05And he's a great driver. He has ultimate respect and what he says is almost gospel.
0:32:05 > 0:32:10They have rebuilt the five-litre V8s to produce 520 horse power
0:32:10 > 0:32:16and with loads of torque way down low, you've got a really wide road band to work with.
0:32:16 > 0:32:20He's like Jools Holland of the car game.
0:32:20 > 0:32:24Well, Fifth Gear prides itself on being slightly more...
0:32:24 > 0:32:27in tune with real car enthusiasts.
0:32:27 > 0:32:33They give proper reviews and talk more about the serious experience of driving a car.
0:32:33 > 0:32:35More of a useful buyer's guide.
0:32:35 > 0:32:41I can get Labradors in the back, wellies, coats, everything. A nice little feature, this.
0:32:41 > 0:32:47- If you haven't got a full load of shopping, just secure it in here. - It's MDF!
0:32:47 > 0:32:53The thing with Fifth Gear is that we do give a lot more information to people trying to buy a car.
0:32:53 > 0:32:57So we're a bit more... A bit more user friendly.
0:32:57 > 0:33:01Ah, but they had some fun, too.
0:33:05 > 0:33:11Perhaps one of my favourite Fifth Gear moments was teaching my mum how to drive.
0:33:11 > 0:33:15Now my mum will only do about 40mph.
0:33:15 > 0:33:19How fast do you usually go in the Range Rover, Mum?
0:33:19 > 0:33:2160.
0:33:21 > 0:33:25- Ah...! Ah!- Do you like it when it goes sideways?
0:33:26 > 0:33:32I tried to teach her to drive on a racing circuit in a Lamborghini.
0:33:32 > 0:33:36- That's it, baby, go on. Go on. - Is that it?- Yeah.
0:33:36 > 0:33:39Ah! My mum's driving a Lamborghini!
0:33:39 > 0:33:41It was hilarious.
0:33:41 > 0:33:48But the most amazing thing was lap after lap of me going on about how she should steer better
0:33:48 > 0:33:51or change gear here, throttle there.
0:33:51 > 0:33:55She got quicker each lap and I'm really proud of her.
0:33:55 > 0:33:57125!
0:33:57 > 0:34:01- I'm so proud of you!- Fifth Gear may have thought it was cruising,
0:34:01 > 0:34:09but Top Gear wasn't off road for long. Jeremy Clarkson was soon back on the revamped show.
0:34:12 > 0:34:15Thank you! Hello!
0:34:15 > 0:34:19James May, too, joined the leading line-up
0:34:19 > 0:34:26and Richard Hammond was introduced as the third member. The pressure was all on Fifth Gear.
0:34:26 > 0:34:32It was pretty hard actually to make a car show alongside Top Gear
0:34:32 > 0:34:38because no matter what we try to create, they'd always got cars before us or...
0:34:38 > 0:34:44A bigger bang. It was very successful, but it was difficult to keep everyone motivated.
0:34:44 > 0:34:50"Come on. We're making a good show." Yes, we don't have their budget or nowhere like it.
0:34:50 > 0:34:56No, we don't have the clout of being able to get a car like that like maybe perhaps Jeremy can.
0:34:56 > 0:35:03No, we don't have Jeremy's wit and style on a script
0:35:03 > 0:35:07or the populace hanging on every word he says.
0:35:07 > 0:35:13- You are being so obnoxious! - You're calling me obnoxious?! - Yes! Yes!
0:35:13 > 0:35:21Truly capturing the zeitgeist, the new-look Top Gear added elements of entertainment and chat.
0:35:21 > 0:35:26Alongside A Star In a Reasonably-Priced Car...
0:35:27 > 0:35:31..they added a mysterious driving force.
0:35:31 > 0:35:34He's called The Stig.
0:35:34 > 0:35:37And he's off! A little bit of wheelspin there.
0:35:37 > 0:35:40He's heading to the first corner.
0:35:40 > 0:35:46There should be just enough down force to get him round. Look at the speed he's going.
0:35:46 > 0:35:53It offered the type of road challenge you could only ever see on a car show.
0:35:53 > 0:35:57I won! I beat a man on roller skates!
0:35:57 > 0:36:02In time, the presenters would become more famous than the cars they reviewed.
0:36:02 > 0:36:08When the current format of Top Gear - I watched that first programme -
0:36:08 > 0:36:11it was so shaky, it was embarrassing.
0:36:11 > 0:36:16I was holding the cushion thinking, "Oh, man. Please make this stop."
0:36:16 > 0:36:24Because it was a real shaky programme. It's safe to say the first three or four were pretty rubbish.
0:36:24 > 0:36:25But...
0:36:25 > 0:36:32..the presenters and the production crew, who I know have worked together for an awfully long time,
0:36:32 > 0:36:39they had a vision of how emotive motoring and cars are to people
0:36:39 > 0:36:45and they knew that's what they were trying to tap into. And now it is just superb.
0:36:46 > 0:36:54This, though, is a Boxster S, which has a 3.2-litre engine. This is much more like it.
0:36:58 > 0:37:03You're not saying, "It's got four doors and an engine!"
0:37:03 > 0:37:08We're not being treated like complete dunces. We're being entertained
0:37:08 > 0:37:14and they're tapping into that whole... Racing their cars up and down a track.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17My God! God Almighty!
0:37:18 > 0:37:26- You can forget Enzo's! This is in a different league! - They've got the right idea
0:37:26 > 0:37:31without being dull, so the current Top Gear now is just fantastic.
0:37:31 > 0:37:36- This is excellent! - Why don't all cars have no doors?
0:37:36 > 0:37:43Just as Top Gear had evolved, the advertising of cars had undergone radical transformation.
0:37:43 > 0:37:50The 1970s and early '80s had been about selling speed, power, prestige and notions of freedom.
0:37:56 > 0:38:02Up until about 10 years ago, all car advertising was aimed squarely
0:38:02 > 0:38:06at a very traditional blokey, macho driver,
0:38:06 > 0:38:09obsessed with speed and power.
0:38:09 > 0:38:15The kind of driver you could imagine whizzing down the M1 in a pair of tight jeans,
0:38:15 > 0:38:22steering with his knees while he changed to another Status Quo album, drenched in Brut aftershave.
0:38:22 > 0:38:27For many, the antithesis of the Brut-drenched petrol head ad
0:38:27 > 0:38:31was the iconic and, for some, liberating Volkswagen commercial.
0:38:31 > 0:38:40In the late '80s, I think, there was the advert for the brand-new Mark II Volkswagen Golf GTi
0:38:40 > 0:38:44and it starred a model, I think Paula Hamilton...
0:38:44 > 0:38:48# Everyone is going through changes No one knows... #
0:38:48 > 0:38:54She came out of a flat in this big, furry coat holding the keys to her car.
0:38:54 > 0:39:00She had stilletos on, she dropped the coat, held onto the keys to her car...
0:39:02 > 0:39:07# Love must always change to sorrow... #
0:39:07 > 0:39:12A sassy, sexy, independent lady in a super hot car.
0:39:12 > 0:39:14I wanted to be her.
0:39:14 > 0:39:20But for advertising executives like Rory Sutherland, commercials like this are a good example
0:39:20 > 0:39:26of how a clever play on basic instincts sells cars.
0:39:26 > 0:39:32Most small cars are actually bought, new at least, by people in their 50s, 60s and 70s.
0:39:32 > 0:39:36User imagery almost invariably depicts girls of about 25.
0:39:36 > 0:39:43There's a good reason for that. You can more easily sell cars to 70-year-olds using 25-year-old girls
0:39:43 > 0:39:48than to 25-year-old girls using the imagery of 70-year-olds.
0:39:48 > 0:39:50Papa?
0:39:53 > 0:39:57You may be looking for a car that's small and practical.
0:39:59 > 0:40:03I loved those Nicole/Papa ads. I loved the story.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09But you still want a car that feels luxurious.
0:40:11 > 0:40:17I got a phone call saying would I, as an emergency, fly to Provence
0:40:17 > 0:40:22because Renault were filming a new set of ads for the new Clio
0:40:22 > 0:40:27and Nicole and Papa, who by this time were fairly established on TV,
0:40:27 > 0:40:34Nicole had smashed up a car and they needed somebody to step in and do the driving for her.
0:40:34 > 0:40:38I thought, "How fantastic!" It was eight days in Provence
0:40:38 > 0:40:41and I did Nicole and Papa.
0:40:41 > 0:40:44I have this legacy now - that's me.
0:40:45 > 0:40:48- Nicole?- Papa?
0:40:48 > 0:40:55Now rumour has it that the creative team who devised the Papa/Nicole Renault Clio campaign
0:40:55 > 0:41:01were stuck for ideas until one evening they found themselves, for some reason,
0:41:01 > 0:41:08watching a pornographic movie in which a young woman was making love to a gentleman
0:41:08 > 0:41:10whose face was obscured
0:41:10 > 0:41:16and when it was finally revealed, she exclaimed, "Papa!" And he responded, "Nicole!"
0:41:16 > 0:41:23The creative team concerned found this so hilarious, they worked that into their ad campaign for Renault.
0:41:23 > 0:41:30They didn't think it would take off. Renault loved it. They never knew the porno connotations
0:41:30 > 0:41:33and it became an iconic campaign.
0:41:33 > 0:41:40The lurid rumour mill aside, the series of Renault Clio television commercials proved so successful
0:41:40 > 0:41:46it was a top British seller of the '90s. Motor shows and stylish advertising have kept the car
0:41:46 > 0:41:52in the public imagination. In the '80s and '90s, successful advertisers like Lord Tim Bell
0:41:52 > 0:41:59knew that to sell the dream they had to live that dream. Bell had a thing for Ferraris.
0:42:00 > 0:42:06The thing you have to remember about this period of time is that
0:42:06 > 0:42:11we wanted to have an impact. We wanted people to talk about us.
0:42:11 > 0:42:18We wanted people to talk about the agency, whether it was me running Saatchi's or others.
0:42:18 > 0:42:24We wanted to be the talk of the town so we did things that drew attention to ourselves.
0:42:24 > 0:42:29I was famous for the fact that I used to go by car from 80 Charlotte Street
0:42:29 > 0:42:34to L'Etoile restaurant which was about 150 yards away.
0:42:34 > 0:42:39There was a perfectly good reason. I normally went on somewhere after lunch
0:42:39 > 0:42:43and I couldn't go having drunk a couple of bottle of wines,
0:42:43 > 0:42:49but the industry got a reputation for being about lushing and lascivious lifestyles.
0:42:49 > 0:42:54I think it was massively exaggerated and it was eminently preferable
0:42:54 > 0:42:59to the unutterably boring existence that it's become now.
0:42:59 > 0:43:06Since the invention of the wheel, the desire has been to build bigger, sleeker, faster vehicles.
0:43:06 > 0:43:12Somehow it's difficult to imagine people looking at this kind of thing in the year 2000
0:43:12 > 0:43:20- and saying, "Do look at that marvellous old car."- Film, television and advertising have conspired
0:43:20 > 0:43:26to make the car an object of desire. Throughout the decades, the Motor Show has been there
0:43:26 > 0:43:29to mark the annual shifts.
0:43:29 > 0:43:34New this year at the Motor Show is the Morris Mini Minor with its engine across the frame.
0:43:34 > 0:43:38The new Austin Seven is its twin sister.
0:43:38 > 0:43:43When I worked on car magazines, before I was on telly,
0:43:43 > 0:43:47any motor show - Geneva, Frankfurt, London, Birmingham -
0:43:47 > 0:43:50was a very special, exciting time
0:43:50 > 0:43:56because it was the real glitzy, showbiz side to motoring.
0:43:59 > 0:44:06Welcome to the NEC. If you think the Lionel Blair Dancers have nothing to do with motor cars,
0:44:06 > 0:44:11you're completely wrong. Motor Show '80 is about solid entertainment.
0:44:11 > 0:44:15Car companies then spent millions of pounds on their stand.
0:44:15 > 0:44:21They had all the most beautiful models on it and it was just a really...
0:44:21 > 0:44:26A bit of escapism in a way from the usual side of motoring that I saw.
0:44:27 > 0:44:34The thrill of the open road and a hearty rock ballad was once enough to sell cars.
0:44:34 > 0:44:40As consumers became more sophisticated, advertisers needed a more subtle approach.
0:44:40 > 0:44:46Greater emphasis was placed on the ethereal qualities of the car and less on engine size and speed.
0:44:46 > 0:44:50Advertisements, like the car show, had to keep in step with the times.
0:44:52 > 0:44:57I think car advertising has completely changed.
0:44:57 > 0:45:03Long gone are the days of the windy road through Tuscany, the rock track,
0:45:03 > 0:45:07which is basically a moving brochure. People have already seen that.
0:45:07 > 0:45:11Capri gives you what you want.
0:45:11 > 0:45:15What does the brand stand for? What is the brand about?
0:45:15 > 0:45:22That really is brands... The brands that understand that and are successful.
0:45:22 > 0:45:26Here's a little song for anyone who's ever hated.
0:45:26 > 0:45:28In the key of grrrr.
0:45:28 > 0:45:32Now the new trend in a lot of car marketing
0:45:32 > 0:45:37is to emphasise the environmental credentials of cars.
0:45:37 > 0:45:45Who knows? In 10 years' time we might all be driving cars that are electronically powered
0:45:45 > 0:45:49or powered by water or our own sense of smug self-satisfaction.
0:45:49 > 0:45:52# We'd like to know why it is so... #
0:45:54 > 0:46:01In the pursuit of green credentials, car manufacturers and advertisers have gone to exceptional lengths
0:46:01 > 0:46:05to create iconic imagery to sell their vehicles.
0:46:05 > 0:46:11Finally, the car advertisers realised they were selling dreams to all drivers,
0:46:11 > 0:46:13not just the alpha male.
0:46:13 > 0:46:16When you actually consider that
0:46:16 > 0:46:21something like 80-85% of every car purchased in this country
0:46:21 > 0:46:25has the decision-making influenced from a woman,
0:46:25 > 0:46:32what does she care about power to weight ratio? She doesn't understand it. And that's not in a sexist way.
0:46:32 > 0:46:34I'm part of the crowd.
0:46:34 > 0:46:41It's not relevant. What's relevant is does it look good, does it sound good, how practical is it?
0:46:41 > 0:46:46There should just be great, fantastic cars that look good, sound good
0:46:46 > 0:46:48and drive brilliantly
0:46:48 > 0:46:51that women love and men love.
0:46:56 > 0:47:03While car advertisements were showing less attitude, that can't be said for presenters of car shows.
0:47:03 > 0:47:08In the last decade, the opinions and personalities of the onscreen talent
0:47:08 > 0:47:14- began to outshine the cars. - Why do you need a sun roof in a car that's got air conditioning?
0:47:14 > 0:47:18Answer me that, preferably before my skull cracks open.
0:47:18 > 0:47:22Ow! Ooh! Ow! Ow! Ah!
0:47:22 > 0:47:24Oh, that's better.
0:47:26 > 0:47:30There is a very large constituency of people in this country
0:47:30 > 0:47:34who feel that Clarkson embodies something more
0:47:34 > 0:47:36than just a car show.
0:47:36 > 0:47:39It's a kind of an attitude.
0:47:39 > 0:47:46Look at the amount of books he manages to sell. It's a grumpy attitude towards modern Britain.
0:47:46 > 0:47:52How many more opportunities are there for you to get a lot of money from phone lines...
0:47:52 > 0:47:55where people vote on things?
0:47:55 > 0:48:00We only do the phone lines so that the audience can vote.
0:48:00 > 0:48:09- You can do an illegal immigrant one. - A what?!- People compete for a British passport.- Are you serious?
0:48:09 > 0:48:13- No, I might do it. - It's fantastic. It's yours.
0:48:13 > 0:48:21His acolytes would rather it was still the 1970s where you could be casually racist and homophobic.
0:48:21 > 0:48:25His style of presenting is very opinionated, very outspoken...
0:48:25 > 0:48:31Buying this car for its dynamic ability is like buying a porn film for its plot.
0:48:32 > 0:48:39Designed to make you go, "Wrong. Don't agree. Hate you." Or, "Love you." There's extremes.
0:48:42 > 0:48:48The mainstream car show is ever evolving to reflect the tastes of the time.
0:48:48 > 0:48:55Jeremy Clarkson set the trend for a new type of show based on gimmicks and fast chat.
0:48:55 > 0:48:58You are what you drive.
0:48:59 > 0:49:04But the BBC had always been keen to road test new shows.
0:49:05 > 0:49:09I'm Trevor Nelson. You're watching Panic Mechanics.
0:49:09 > 0:49:18Panic Mechanics mixed the reality TV format with the more traditional elements of the car show.
0:49:18 > 0:49:22Two teams, grease monkeys, who, em...
0:49:22 > 0:49:25..start with £2,000.
0:49:25 > 0:49:29Two grand and two days to redesign your cars.
0:49:29 > 0:49:34I come out...and I give these two teams a challenge.
0:49:34 > 0:49:38Time for me to break up the party with the challenge.
0:49:38 > 0:49:41Team A...and Team B...
0:49:41 > 0:49:47I need you to build me an MPV of some sort. In the next two days.
0:49:47 > 0:49:51I wonder what car you need to convert.
0:49:51 > 0:49:54Your car is an Austin Mini.
0:49:54 > 0:49:59"Oh, my God!" And then, basically, they go through certain tasks,
0:50:00 > 0:50:06'get an alternator or a clutch or extra money!'
0:50:06 > 0:50:11Each barrel hit means a five-second penalty. The fastest time wins.
0:50:11 > 0:50:20The prize is a supercharger which could seriously increase the pulling power of their Mini.
0:50:20 > 0:50:24It was a crazy show. Very cold. Done in Pebble Mill, Birmingham.
0:50:24 > 0:50:27But it was fascinating to watch.
0:50:27 > 0:50:35A lot of axle grinding going on. I had a leather coat and pretended I knew what was going on.
0:50:35 > 0:50:41- Where are these from? - A Japanese double decker bus. - What?!- A double decker bus.
0:50:41 > 0:50:44'I'd be like, "So what are you doing?"'
0:50:44 > 0:50:49And he'd go into some spiel and I'd go, "Right, right."
0:50:49 > 0:50:55Thinking, "It stinks in here! Get me out of here!" I just wanted to see the finished product!
0:50:55 > 0:51:00'But it was fun.' Three, two, one, go!
0:51:01 > 0:51:06But in the race for popularity, it was the ever-impressive Top Gear
0:51:06 > 0:51:09that kept the car show in the fast lane.
0:51:09 > 0:51:14In its slipstream, there was space for Stars In Fast Cars.
0:51:16 > 0:51:18Stars In Fast Cars came directly
0:51:18 > 0:51:23from Top Gear because Top Gear did a show
0:51:23 > 0:51:29for Sports Relief. They do their Stars In Reasonably-Priced Cars.
0:51:29 > 0:51:35They did an offshoot called Stars In Fast Cars and it was made into a series.
0:51:35 > 0:51:40I was asked to do it, present it, and I quite happily said yes.
0:51:40 > 0:51:45Hello and welcome to half an hour of uncensored, unadulterated fun.
0:51:45 > 0:51:48Sometimes a car wasn't used.
0:51:48 > 0:51:54Sometimes it would be an armchair with a motor in it going round a car track,
0:51:54 > 0:51:59which is tenuous, but a lot of popular entertainment is these days.
0:52:00 > 0:52:05Yeah, I got a phone call. "We know you like cars." Yeah!
0:52:05 > 0:52:11"We've got a show called Stars In Fast Cars." Brilliant! Racing round a track?
0:52:11 > 0:52:17"Well, every show's slightly different." Do I get to drive a fast car?
0:52:17 > 0:52:23Like a Ferrari? "You might." I'm like, "I'm in! I'm in! Where do I sign?"
0:52:23 > 0:52:29I did get to drive a Ferrari. The problem was that it was attached to a bath
0:52:29 > 0:52:32full of water with ducks in it.
0:52:33 > 0:52:38I'm like, "I want to floor this Ferrari. What are you doing?
0:52:38 > 0:52:42"I can't be on TV driving a Ferrari with...
0:52:42 > 0:52:49"a solid roll-top bath full of water and rubber ducks. That's not cool at all."
0:52:49 > 0:52:54I took it seriously for a while, then I just...floored it!
0:52:54 > 0:53:01He's going for a land speed record for a bath! Fantastically childish behaviour! Just what we like.
0:53:03 > 0:53:07Right, OK... I didn't mean to do that.
0:53:07 > 0:53:11'I got knocked out.' Is there water left in it?
0:53:11 > 0:53:16So it was used in a comical fashion, definitely in a self-effacing fashion.
0:53:16 > 0:53:21It was taking motoring, taking cars and just having a bit of a laugh.
0:53:21 > 0:53:24There we go! There we go!
0:53:24 > 0:53:32The winner is Goldie! He's sold records, appeared in Bond films and is dousing us with plonk!
0:53:32 > 0:53:39To see Goldie firing, catapulting a car into a massive, moving coconut shy...
0:53:39 > 0:53:41Fire!
0:53:45 > 0:53:49For one, you think, "My goodness. I'm getting paid for this."
0:53:49 > 0:53:54Two, "Did that just happen?" Three, "This will appear on TV!"
0:53:54 > 0:54:01Stars in Fast Cars played on celebrity and took car shows from the sublime to the ridiculous.
0:54:01 > 0:54:07Here we go. It's Will Mellor. He wanted speed and excitement, but how's he going to cope?
0:54:07 > 0:54:10Come on, Will!
0:54:10 > 0:54:16Having experimented with the design of the basic car show,
0:54:16 > 0:54:22the BBC's Top Model, with a regular audience of close to eight million, remains Top Gear.
0:54:22 > 0:54:27It's just a very, very polished entertainment show.
0:54:27 > 0:54:30It's not really a car show any more.
0:54:30 > 0:54:32But I don't think that matters.
0:54:34 > 0:54:39Fifth Gear does information-based real car stuff,
0:54:39 > 0:54:43with a little bit of humour and some entertainment.
0:54:43 > 0:54:50Top Gear is just a show you can watch if you have no interest in cars. That's pretty cool, I think.
0:54:50 > 0:54:56And so, at precisely 11 minutes past 8 in the morning, the race began.
0:54:59 > 0:55:03- Thank you(!) - They look like ramblers.
0:55:05 > 0:55:11'We now had 25 minutes to get into town, find the station and catch our first train.'
0:55:11 > 0:55:16Motoring shows used to be about the cars themselves.
0:55:16 > 0:55:22Graham Hill cut his racing teeth on a car like this. The new version has been tidied up a great deal.
0:55:22 > 0:55:27Inside, by this pressed plastic moulding of a fascia panel...
0:55:27 > 0:55:32Brilliantly, Top Gear have discovered a way of opening up the appeal
0:55:32 > 0:55:39beyond just nerdish car enthusiasts to just people who appreciate the sense of humour of Clarkson
0:55:39 > 0:55:47and his cohorts. It's obviously more of a magazine show for people with a certain sense of humour
0:55:47 > 0:55:49and attitude to life.
0:55:49 > 0:55:56Someone told me that actually the majority of viewers are now female, viewers of Top Gear.
0:55:56 > 0:56:01Stand up. Let's have a look at your backside.
0:56:01 > 0:56:06- It's got a thing on it. - What do we think? Facing this way.
0:56:06 > 0:56:11- Needs a bit of work!- Smacked! It's like being Max Mosley!
0:56:14 > 0:56:21I've been hearing from The Stig. He says you are one of the most talented people we've ever had.
0:56:21 > 0:56:25- Are you looking at me?- Yes, you. And you're one of the most stubborn.
0:56:25 > 0:56:32- I don't like being told what to do. - He said left. You went right and said, "It's the same thing."
0:56:32 > 0:56:35- Yes...- It sort of isn't.
0:56:35 > 0:56:40- He kept bossing me around. I hate that!- I liked it!
0:56:40 > 0:56:46Maybe it just does a bit of everything. It has comedy and entertainment, it has travel -
0:56:46 > 0:56:49beautiful cinematography.
0:56:54 > 0:56:59As the sun set, we headed for the campsite.
0:57:02 > 0:57:07So it's got all those elements and it's got sexy cars.
0:57:07 > 0:57:11It's kind of got everything, hasn't it?
0:57:13 > 0:57:17Price-wise or, firstly, power-wise, I should say...
0:57:17 > 0:57:23In the early '60s, Wheelbase gave the British public a good grounding on what to buy and what not to buy.
0:57:23 > 0:57:30Old Top Gear played its part in updating for the audience a glittering array of new vehicles
0:57:30 > 0:57:33with helpful tips.
0:57:41 > 0:57:47With Panic Mechanics, the car show ventured into the arena of reality TV.
0:57:47 > 0:57:51While shows like Driven and Fifth Gear set a challenge,
0:57:51 > 0:57:53Top Gear responded...
0:57:55 > 0:57:58..and still leads the way.
0:57:58 > 0:58:04Cars bring out the most extraordinary things in people. The car is a representation of a person.
0:58:04 > 0:58:10You might drive an old banger and that represents you. Your mind's on other stuff.
0:58:10 > 0:58:17But you might have something fast and flashy, an ostentatious status symbol, and that's who you are.
0:58:17 > 0:58:23So the car can represent you without you even having to say or do anything.
0:58:35 > 0:58:39Subtitles by Subtext for Red Bee Media Ltd - 2009
0:58:40 > 0:58:43Email subtitling@bbc.co.uk