Previous owners of cars featured in TG?

[SD1992]

I stumbled upon this today, and it is the original ad for the Volvo 940 that was featured in the "ideal cars for 17 year olds" episode!

http://www.volvoforums.org.uk/showthread.php?t=708...

It makes a very interesting read, and it is nice to hear what the original owner has to say about it.

I was wondering if anyone here knows of / or is the previous owner of a car featured in one of the Top Gear challenges?

Bit random, I know, but very interesting none the less!

[MarJay]

The Stratos replica caused all sorts of consternation on the Stratos Replica owners forum as I recall. The head of the owners club insisted they use his car which wasn't quite ready for the road, when many other members had prepared and ready cars which they volunteered to allow the BBC to use. Of course, TG Made a big thing of how the car was unreliable and the brakes had seized etc, but it wasn't really ready for the road...

I think the head of the Stratos Replica owners club quit over THAT little fiasco!

</some nerdy voiced sarcasm>

[StottyZr]

Just read the story, I've often thought about this. They go through quite a lot of cars and I wondered who they bought them from!

The guy seemed happy enough to let his pride and joy go out with a bang at least

[SD1992]

MarJay said:

The Stratos replica caused all sorts of consternation on the Stratos Replica owners forum as I recall. The head of the owners club insisted they use his car which wasn't quite ready for the road, when many other members had prepared and ready cars which they volunteered to allow the BBC to use. Of course, TG Made a big thing of how the car was unreliable and the brakes had seized etc, but it wasn't really ready for the road...

I think the head of the Stratos Replica owners club quit over THAT little fiasco!

</some nerdy voiced sarcasm>

Really? I did not know that! Bit of a shame really, some of the Stratos replicas are really nice.

In fact, lets just make this thread about owners of cars featured in Top Gear

[Jonathan Legard]

MarJay said:

The Stratos replica caused all sorts of consternation on the Stratos Replica owners forum as I recall. The head of the owners club insisted they use his car which wasn't quite ready for the road, when many other members had prepared and ready cars which they volunteered to allow the BBC to use. Of course, TG Made a big thing of how the car was unreliable and the brakes had seized etc, but it wasn't really ready for the road...

I think the head of the Stratos Replica owners club quit over THAT little fiasco!

</some nerdy voiced sarcasm>

I thought TG did the Stratos thing quite sympathetically. Summed up the fact that many kit cars are a bit rubbish but if they make you feel good, more power to you.

They could have really gone to town on it.

[Big Rod]

The new project manager here had his Noble on TG.

JC blew the turbo up.

They fixed it.

That's all I know from a short conversation with him yesterday.

[sleep envy]

the Marina OC loved the cold war episode

[Daston]

The Mitsi Starion from the grass track episode is owned by someone local to me, see it most mornings.

[J4CKO]

The Turquoise "Polizia" Alfa has turned up on Retro Rides and is being de-ruined.

[MarJay]

It would be interesting to speak to the previous owner of the Maserati Merak in the £10,000 supercars episode...

[MarJay]

J4CKO said:

The Turquoise "Polizia" Alfa has turned up on Retro Rides and is being de-ruined.

Was that not a Fiat Coupe?

[steviegunn]

MarJay said:

It would be interesting to speak to the previous owner of the Maserati Merak in the £10,000 supercars episode...

Absolutely would be great to hear from the previous owner of the 'SS'

[Gizmo!]

MarJay said:

J4CKO said:

The Turquoise "Polizia" Alfa has turned up on Retro Rides and is being de-ruined.

Was that not a Fiat Coupe?

The "Polizia" car was a Fiat Coupé.
In the episode where they had to buy cheap Alfas, May bought a GTV, Hammond a Spider, and Clarkson an Alfa 75 which he painted with "the leftover paint" from painting the Fiat Coupé (after rolling the 75 at Rockingham).

I've seen too much TG

[flattotheboards]

J4CKO said:

The Turquoise "Polizia" Alfa has turned up on Retro Rides and is being de-ruined.

Didnt it end up on its side though after JC 'crashed' it.

[mat205125]

Gizmo! said:

MarJay said:

J4CKO said:

The Turquoise "Polizia" Alfa has turned up on Retro Rides and is being de-ruined.

Was that not a Fiat Coupe?

The "Polizia" car was a Fiat Coupé.
In the episode where they had to buy cheap Alfas, May bought a GTV, Hammond a Spider, and Clarkson an Alfa 75 which he painted with "the leftover paint" from painting the Fiat Coupé (after rolling the 75 at Rockingham).

I've seen too much TG

That 75 was a lovely car. I'd love a good similar spec car.

[J4CKO]

J4CKO said:

The Turquoise "Polizia" Alfa has turned up on Retro Rides and is being de-ruined.

I reckon someone off TG will read this, after all this is the UK's biggest and best motoring forum and they are a motoring programme, so please TG can you stop breaking decent cars for giggles, destroy old, MOT failure rubbish but not Alfa's, 300 ZX's, Fiat Coupes etc, please dont destroy any more old BL tat.

Why not give one of these cars to an impoverished Petrolhead and see what happens, or improve it ?

[Viper]

my old viper was used not in a challenge, but in one of the tests

another PH'er owned it at the time and took it along

[Grey Ghost]

steviegunn said:

Absolutely would be great to hear from the previous owner of the 'SS'

Ah yes, badge engineering in it's purest form

[Cledus Snow]

Grey Ghost said:

steviegunn said:

Absolutely would be great to hear from the previous owner of the 'SS'

Ah yes, badge engineering in it's purest form

What's to say it wasn't a real 'SS'. The part listed above it on the invoice was a Merak badge. Maybe it was a real SS that had pitted/broken/missing badges.


But that would have spoilt their joke though.

[SD1992]

Just bumping this thread, there are some very interesting stories on here!