Author Topic: Vintage microcars on top gear  (Read 4559 times)

Bob Purton

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Vintage microcars on top gear
« on: December 03, 2007, 11:26:11 AM »
Who saw Top gear this week? Its a program I was not in the habit of watching but since the Peel prog I have been curious to see what else turns up. Last night I was not disappionted. In the quest to find the first car with conventional pedal/gearlever  lay out they drove several vintage cars from the National Motor museum . Some of the cars I think may have qualified as microcars, the Benz was a three wheeler and the second one tested was as Clarkson said more akin to a quadbike. Honestly though, if you were the curator of the museum, would you have let those clowns anywhere near the cars? I know the Benz was a replica but the others im pretty sure were the real thing and the de dion that they nearly crashed was worth a shed load of money! What gets me is that the guys just cant help themselves, when James may was driving the Benz he switches into roadtest mode and says "it doesnt handle very well and the performance isnt very good". Its the first car for goodness sake, what do you expect!!!!!! The only thing you could do a road test comparison with at its launch would have been a pony and trap or a boneshaker velocepead! Still, it was a whole lot more interesting than the usual, seeing them remove tread from tyres.

Smart51

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Re: Vintage microcars on top gear
« Reply #1 on: December 03, 2007, 12:02:20 PM »
Don't take top gear too seriously.  They wouldn't ahve crashed the car, it was most likey staged to make them look like bafoons and the cars look complicated.  Both easy tasks.  You'll notice that there was no traffic at the junction and they pulled up quickly enough.

Dan Rodd

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Re: Vintage microcars on top gear
« Reply #2 on: December 03, 2007, 12:44:18 PM »
its not real!they will have been fully briefed and will have learnt how to operate all of those cars.health and safety wouldnt have let them use them otherwise!

Trident

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Re: Vintage microcars on top gear
« Reply #3 on: December 03, 2007, 12:47:27 PM »
I thought it was great to see some of the oldest cars being used. What some of you do not realize is that one minute of a car on Top Gear is better than a thousand years of it in a Museum. How many millions  saw the Peel p50 shown last month? And what if a car does get scratched, it can easily be repaired.
Don't forget that cars were designed to be driven.

Bob Purton

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Re: Vintage microcars on top gear
« Reply #4 on: December 03, 2007, 04:29:27 PM »
I know it was all staged but if they were my cars they still wouldnt have got within a mile of them. I would much rather have seen them driven by Lord Monty or someone who could have said something sensible and informative instead of something moronic like "It doesnt handle very well" They just have no respect for anything or anyone and the younger generation of petrol heads will grow up with the same attitude.

Dan Rodd

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Re: Vintage microcars on top gear
« Reply #5 on: December 03, 2007, 05:02:17 PM »
the younger generation of petrol heads already wouldnt touch anything old with a bargepole,and certainly not a micro.
and in any case,they are NOT your cars,therefore what the owners do with them is their buisness,incidently i wouldnt be suprised if Beaulieu get much more visitors from people who had'nt heard of it before,likewise all the money winging its way into the already full swiss bank account ;D of Andy Carter following the Peel episode,and the appearances of p50 and trident at the MPH show.

Bob Purton

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Re: Vintage microcars on top gear
« Reply #6 on: December 03, 2007, 05:15:40 PM »
That was an aggresive reply Dan, lighten up, I thought we were friends! The thing is the younger generation do touch things with a barge pole, earlier this year a friend of mine had his Bond 875 lifted out of his drive and rolled over in the road by young folk having a laugh,they had proberbly just watched an episode of top gear! another example , did you see the way the young topgear staff rocked the P50 from side to side with no respect for its age what so ever.
« Last Edit: December 03, 2007, 05:31:42 PM by bobbybubble »

Dan Rodd

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Re: Vintage microcars on top gear
« Reply #7 on: December 03, 2007, 05:25:13 PM »
im 19 myself and stopped driving Reliants because of the abuse and worry you get with them.i would say at least half or the members of the r3w forum have had their Reliant tipped over in their driving career,the lack of respect for the peel etc is just an example of modern Britain,the average yoof has no respect for anything,especially anything thats different so three wheelers are an obvious target.

Bob Purton

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Re: Vintage microcars on top gear
« Reply #8 on: December 03, 2007, 05:30:26 PM »
Yeh I have heard a few reliant owners have the same experience. Dont get me wrong Dan, I thoroughly enjoyed the TG episode, its just that the three stooges give me the pip. I see you have a B31., Is she up and running?

Dan Rodd

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Re: Vintage microcars on top gear
« Reply #9 on: December 03, 2007, 05:38:23 PM »
oh yes ;)just need to get a new mot on it

Bob Purton

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Re: Vintage microcars on top gear
« Reply #10 on: December 03, 2007, 05:45:03 PM »
Great! I love em! My dad rode one for years. My passion is for Italian lightweights, I will post some pics when I get the time.

marcus

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Re: Vintage microcars on top gear
« Reply #11 on: December 04, 2007, 07:53:22 PM »
My girlfriend's Grandad had Reliants, one is still moulding in a shed. He regularly came out in the morning to find them on their sides. Ithink modern Yoof has 2 phasese of behaviour. If i meet them and chat with them while in my Trojan they are always amused and interested. But I tihnk that many of them, if they had seen it parked alone in a quiet road at night....
I keep mine locked and covered at night!
Just remember: as one door closes behind you, another slams in your face