The voice of L J K Setright

[Truckosaurus]

Dr Jekyll said:

I've just read the relevant chapters, .

I too have bought the book, I'd assumed the gossip on Bishop was going to be just that he had done something objectionable after a few cold drinks, but the actual 'incident of 1987' was not what I was expecting at all, and as Dron says it is surprising that he got work into the '90s.

Just shows that in the days before the internet you could keep such things quiet from the public and just have it as an open secret within the industry.

[coppice]

I have to say I didn't warm very much to Peter Dron on the evidence of this book . The main purpose in writing it almost seemed to be score settling and whilst there are great anecdotes, I think he has a better book in him .There's a bitter subtext here I don;'t like. I think needed to exorcise his demons - which mainly seem to revolve around not being Jeremy Clarkson .

[Halmyre]

Dr Jekyll said:

coppice said:

Goodtime George was always a hoot but I'm not sure he'd thrive well in a specialist press obsessed with trick diffs , 'rotation ' , TCS (etc ) and (yaaawn ) connectivity.

My warmth towards George was chiiled somewhat by some really toxic prose about him by Peter Dron in his recent book. I wonder what the truth of it all was - was GB really so awful ?

I've just read the relevant chapters, .

Me too! And this was just after I was reminiscing on another thread about Roy Lanchester from Sniff Petrol...

[Dr Jekyll]

coppice said:

I have to say I didn't warm very much to Peter Dron on the evidence of this book . The main purpose in writing it almost seemed to be score settling and whilst there are great anecdotes, I think he has a better book in him .There's a bitter subtext here I don;'t like. I think needed to exorcise his demons - which mainly seem to revolve around not being Jeremy Clarkson .

+1
There seem to be very few people he actually likes.

I did like the crack about the concept car which PD considered more sophisticated than it's predecessor because it no longer had the capacity to carry a set of golf clubs. I can imagine JC reading that and wishing he'd written it.

[barchetta_boy]

Does seem very bitter. What was the GB scandal?

[Dr Jekyll]

barchetta_boy said:

Does seem very bitter. What was the GB scandal?

GB was asked to keep an eye on a neighbour and Motor magazine colleague Tony Kyd's house while Tony was on holiday. Despite being a neighbour and colleague Tony was one of the few people who actually got on with GB and entrusted him with the keys to house and garage.
When Tony returned he found that his wife's Metro was missing from the garage. GB denied all knowledge insisting it was there when he checked. The car was eventually found at a dealer who had bought it at Blackbushe auction, seller George Bishop.

George got off with a fine and suspended sentence and was apparently sacked from Motor but not Car.

I'm still intrigued by the 'gross incompetence' that got him sacked from 'Small car and mini owner'.

Edited by Dr Jekyll on Wednesday 18th March 08:40

[SpudLink]

Ive been enjoying the tread about great motoring journalists from when I first started reading car magazines.
I’ve not read Peter Dron’s book, and knew nothing about the personalities beyond what was written the the monthly publications. Bit shocked by the George Bishop incident.
Downright villain? Or bon viveur and bit of a cad?

[skwdenyer]

Dr Jekyll said:

barchetta_boy said:

Does seem very bitter. What was the GB scandal?

GB was asked to keep an eye on a neighbour and Motor magazine colleague Tony Kyd's house while Tony was on holiday. Despite being a neighbour and colleague Tony was one of the few people who actually got on with GB and entrusted him with the keys to house and garage.
When Tony returned he found that his wife's Metro was missing from the garage. GB denied all knowledge insisting it was there when he checked. The car was eventually found at a dealer who had bought it at Blackbushe auction, seller George Bishop.

George got off with a fine and suspended sentence and was apparently sacked from Motor but not Car.

I'm still intrigued by the 'gross incompetence' that got him sacked from 'Small car and mini owner'.

Edited by Dr Jekyll on Wednesday 18th March 08:40

Around that time ISTR GB bemoaning in the pages of Car how much it was costing to try to keep a Lancia Gamma on the road, with a subtext of penury...

[12TS]

I remember the Gamma! I remember a mate bought one of these the car was maybe 5 or 6 years old, but it was forever throwing cambelts, so it has a ring of truth about it.

I was thinking about the Dron book, but I’m sure I want to read something so vain. But that story about GB. Wow!

[skwdenyer]

12TS said:

I remember the Gamma! I remember a mate bought one of these the car was maybe 5 or 6 years old, but it was forever throwing cambelts, so it has a ring of truth about it.

I was thinking about the Dron book, but I’m sure I want to read something so vain. But that story about GB. Wow!

Re the Gamma, something about cardboard seals IIRC - it is ah-hem 33 years ago since I read it...

[tali1]

Always found it odd that LJK had very little to say on vtec Hondas .Sure NSX was a fave , but his Prelude was non -vtec.He loved a Suzuki Whizzkid - and yet had very little to say about a CRX or the Accord Type-R as far i can recall
I have heard his daughter worked as a PR for Honda

[biggbn]

tali1 said:

Always found it odd that LJK had very little to say on vtec Hondas .Sure NSX was a fave , but his Prelude was non -vtec.He loved a Suzuki Whizzkid - and yet had very little to say about a CRX or the Accord Type-R as far i can recall
I have heard his daughter worked as a PR for Honda

Pretty sure he was full of praise for crx. He liked well engineered cars, champion of both the Ventura and the alpine Renault as I recall

[skwdenyer]

biggbn said:

tali1 said:

Always found it odd that LJK had very little to say on vtec Hondas .Sure NSX was a fave , but his Prelude was non -vtec.He loved a Suzuki Whizzkid - and yet had very little to say about a CRX or the Accord Type-R as far i can recall
I have heard his daughter worked as a PR for Honda

Pretty sure he was full of praise for crx. He liked well engineered cars, champion of both the Ventura and the alpine Renault as I recall

He could be quite keen on "gentlemanly" Ferraris - have a read of his 1984 article about the 400i for instance: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ekwdmo6hyksx6ei/UK_1984_...

[carinaman]

skwdenyer said:

12TS said:

I remember the Gamma! I remember a mate bought one of these the car was maybe 5 or 6 years old, but it was forever throwing cambelts, so it has a ring of truth about it.

I was thinking about the Dron book, but I’m sure I want to read something so vain. But that story about GB. Wow!

Re the Gamma, something about cardboard seals IIRC - it is ah-hem 33 years ago since I read it...

Didn't they throw belts when the steering was used? Something to do with them chucking an auxiliary belt when the PAS pump was loaded taking the cambelt with it?

Sorry if I've repeated duff gen.

Didn't GB suffer an injury in a crash when an engine mount failed in a Giulietta falling the engine to drop onto the steering gear and jamming it?

[skwdenyer]

carinaman said:

Didn't they throw belts when the steering was used? Something to do with them chucking an auxiliary belt when the PAS pump was loaded taking the cambelt with it?

Sorry if I've repeated duff gen.

Didn't GB suffer an injury in a crash when an engine mount failed in a Giulietta falling the engine to drop onto the steering gear and jamming it?

That sounds familiar. In the 70s of course it was Lancia Betas whose subframes could become so rusted-through as to allow the engine to fall out causing as Rolls Royce might say a “failure to proceed.”

[Touring442]

I'm enjoying Dron's book, and know exactly where he is coming from regarding the absolute turds in the publishing industry.

[12TS]

carinaman said:

Didn't they throw belts when the steering was used? Something to do with them chucking an auxiliary belt when the PAS pump was loaded taking the cambelt with it?

Sorry if I've repeated duff gen.

Didn't GB suffer an injury in a crash when an engine mount failed in a Giulietta falling the engine to drop onto the steering gear and jamming it?

That what happened with my mates. He gave up with it in the end.

[Riley Blue]

biggbn said:

tali1 said:

Always found it odd that LJK had very little to say on vtec Hondas .Sure NSX was a fave , but his Prelude was non -vtec.He loved a Suzuki Whizzkid - and yet had very little to say about a CRX or the Accord Type-R as far i can recall
I have heard his daughter worked as a PR for Honda

Pretty sure he was full of praise for crx. He liked well engineered cars, champion of both the Ventura and the alpine Renault as I recall

He also had a soft spot for the Mk1 Scirroco.

[TR4man]

That story of GB was a bit of an eye opener!

I remember one of GB’s articles about when he was claiming unemployment benefit at the time he was using an old, ropey Ferrari as a daily driver and the looks he received each time he went to “sign on”. This must have been a good 35 years ago or more and I’ve not been able to find the article again despite much trying.

[carinaman]

Riley Blue said:

biggbn said:

tali1 said:

Always found it odd that LJK had very little to say on vtec Hondas .Sure NSX was a fave , but his Prelude was non -vtec.He loved a Suzuki Whizzkid - and yet had very little to say about a CRX or the Accord Type-R as far i can recall
I have heard his daughter worked as a PR for Honda

Pretty sure he was full of praise for crx. He liked well engineered cars, champion of both the Ventura and the alpine Renault as I recall

He also had a soft spot for the Mk1 Scirroco.

His '93 Prelude, K486RLR, was a VTEC.

I think LJKS previously had a Mk1 Scirocco Storm.