Games finale salutes car culture

PistonHeads unwraps the story behind the closing ceremony's four-wheeled stars

Good to see the ‘public-transport games’ finally acknowledge Britain’s motor industry in last night’s Olympic closing ceremony. Around 65 cars took part in the first two elements of the ceremony, giving PHers a much needed diversion in the form of car-spotting while teen band One Direction assaulted the ears.

Car spotting livened up the closing ceremony

Cars in the ‘M25’ traffic jam and the following street party included an Austin Healey 3000, a Frogeye Sprite, a handful of MGs, TVR Tuscan (!), and a Lotus Elise, as well as plenty of new metal from BMW, as befits its £24 million sponsorship of the games.

One of the stars in terms of airtime was the Ford Corsair convertible belonging to Rob Shand, spotted near Madness’s lorry bed stage. He has an explanation for all coverage – a Corsair nut, he had THREE of the rare Crayford conversions in the stadium last night.

Needless to say, Shand, director of a specialist plastering firm, had a blast driving around the stadium. “80,000 people, all clapping cheering - phenomenal. It was a lot of effort for the few minutes we were in there, but it was great.”

He reckons it took 100 hours of rehearsal in a disused part of the Ford factory in Dagenham to get it right.

Rolls got a special dispensation...

So did anyone break down last night? “No, no one,” he says. “But if someone had, the AA had a van and two motorbikes on standby. They were wrapped in newspaper, of course, so you couldn’t see the logo – it was going to be part of the show. I was tempted to stage a breakdown to see what would happen!”

So strict were the advertising rules that all cars had to have their badges masked, even the Corsair. Patently ridiculous, given that car’s silhouette is the biggest giveaway, but the brand mix meant that there was a consolation prize for British athletics sponsor Alfa Romeo, whose MiTo was spotted running about.

Rolls Royce got around the no-badge rule in elegant, extravagant fashion. It supplied three Phantom Drophead Coupes, from which singers Jessie J, Tinie Tempah and Taio Cruz emerged, but in place of the standard RR badge at the front, a special London 2012 version was created. Rolls says this the first ever time one of its cars has sported a different badge.

Sponsorship? What sponsorship?

Understandably, BMW has been pushing the limits of the Rule 50 no advertising agreement at the games, most brazenly when it supplied remote controlled Minis to ferry javelins, discuses and hammers in the stadium. Hilariously, Timo Lumme, the IOC's director of TV and marketing services, told Reuters "There is no commercial reason (behind choosing Minis).”

Aside from the BMW Group models in the closing ceremony, the cars were privately owned with drivers mostly joining in via word of mouth. The Corsairs were different – the owners’ club was contacted directly earlier this year. Even the club’s website editor Paul Watts was bemused. “I first thought it was a scam, it was so bizarre. I mean, I love Corsairs, but they’re not widely known.” He was told it was because of the Ford Dagenham connection but, as he says, the Mk1 Cortina based cars were mostly made in Halewood, Merseyside.

Confusion aside, last night’s celebration of Britain’s love of cars, even the random ones, was another triumph for this Olympics. Even worth enduring a new George Michael song for.

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