There have been quite a few challenge shows now and I have to say this was by far the least entertaining and I don't say that as a fan of BL tin. They didn't really go very far or do anything particularly impressive with the cars bar racing around a bit. Anyone with a memory knows that the SD1 wasn't that fast in standard form, the Wedge was a cruiser not a bruiser and that a badly running Sprint won't do very well either. TG is now purely an entertainment show, made to look good for the cameras and has lost any kind of credibility as a factual show. It's all a fix, doors don't just fall off and bumpers are usually seized on, mirrors can fall off though. I don't mind someone putting a few dings in something here and there but why flood the car? It serves no purpose other than providing amusement to some people. Water will have wrecked the interiors and the electrics.
Having made the comments earlier in the show about Sprints being quite collectable it seems a shame to then effectively say all BL cars are rubbish and don't waste your time means the poor image will remain and prices will always remain low.
I would also like to know what happened to the cars after filming and would certainly be interested to know how rough they were, things always look better in pics and on tv than they really are.
Shame cos for once they could have made an entertaining episode concluding that BL did indeed make a few gems out of all the not so good cars they also made.
Top Gear BL special - next sunday
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SprintMWU773V
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triumphtoledo
- TDC Toledo Registrar
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re
sprint95m - we are terrible drivers!!!!!!
I did post the following on the Austin Rover forum, so apologies for not altering it for here as my comments remain the same:
Last night's TG was cheap. OK, peeps on this forum will refer to the incorrect facts and the "dressing up" of the BL cars to cause them to fall apart but let's remember, it is well publicised that the BBC is under financial pressure. Last night's show was a cheapy. Don't believe that a presenter forked out any of their own cash (and we are assuming that the amounts paid were genuine *cough*). Considering what past shows have contained, last night's effort was a "Tesco value" TG.
What irked me was something that has not been commented on in this forum. The Aston Martin, piloted round the wet test track, did not perform particularly well. Low and behold, Jezza announced that it was taken round again just prior to the show being broadcast and LOOK: it suddenly has done very well. Come on Aunty. You expect us to believe in that?
Mmmm. Something stinks here. In my humble opinion, the answer could well be found in something that links MIRA, AM, and TG together. I will say no more, other than I feel that motoring journalism (and TG) has hit a low. Pity.
I did post the following on the Austin Rover forum, so apologies for not altering it for here as my comments remain the same:
Last night's TG was cheap. OK, peeps on this forum will refer to the incorrect facts and the "dressing up" of the BL cars to cause them to fall apart but let's remember, it is well publicised that the BBC is under financial pressure. Last night's show was a cheapy. Don't believe that a presenter forked out any of their own cash (and we are assuming that the amounts paid were genuine *cough*). Considering what past shows have contained, last night's effort was a "Tesco value" TG.
What irked me was something that has not been commented on in this forum. The Aston Martin, piloted round the wet test track, did not perform particularly well. Low and behold, Jezza announced that it was taken round again just prior to the show being broadcast and LOOK: it suddenly has done very well. Come on Aunty. You expect us to believe in that?
Mmmm. Something stinks here. In my humble opinion, the answer could well be found in something that links MIRA, AM, and TG together. I will say no more, other than I feel that motoring journalism (and TG) has hit a low. Pity.
Well having seen how poor my Sprint will be at carrying water I guess it'll just have to go 
Seriously though, I reckon there were between 2 and 3 cubic metres of water in there so an extra 2 - 3 tonnes of weight. Bet the suspension mounts are fubar'd.
Well, I chuckled at the show, it wasn't the usual hatchet job on BL I was expecting. Sad to see one of 'ours' being trashed like that, especially such a rare colour combination (any other original Emerald Green cars with grey interior left ?). Also, I can only begin to imagine what the cobbled pave did to the shocks. I was up at MIRA a few years ago and was told they needed to drive the cars through a water trough to cool the shocks after a couple of runs on the cobbles.
I've had a bit of stick at work today but in reality everyone can see the programme for what it was. I don't think the cars reputation/image has been harmed, quite the reverse in fact. Let's face it, if someone were to form a negative impression of the car based on that, then they are probably the sort of plonker who shouldn't be buying one anyway
Seriously though, I reckon there were between 2 and 3 cubic metres of water in there so an extra 2 - 3 tonnes of weight. Bet the suspension mounts are fubar'd.
Well, I chuckled at the show, it wasn't the usual hatchet job on BL I was expecting. Sad to see one of 'ours' being trashed like that, especially such a rare colour combination (any other original Emerald Green cars with grey interior left ?). Also, I can only begin to imagine what the cobbled pave did to the shocks. I was up at MIRA a few years ago and was told they needed to drive the cars through a water trough to cool the shocks after a couple of runs on the cobbles.
I've had a bit of stick at work today but in reality everyone can see the programme for what it was. I don't think the cars reputation/image has been harmed, quite the reverse in fact. Let's face it, if someone were to form a negative impression of the car based on that, then they are probably the sort of plonker who shouldn't be buying one anyway
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MalcGE
I was spot on with the SD1 Gaff but a bit out on the Princess Gaff....Cheese, should have seen that one coming.MalcGE wrote:the SD1 thinks it is a Ferrari Daytona and the Princess was designed by a guy who produced door stops
Loved Clarkson words at the services....."he's got a Dolly Sprint" said with some enthusiasm and depth. The poor old Sprint seems to have aged quite a bit since I last saw it at Himley Hall in 2005? mind you, sort of aged even more now, bet they wiff inside now, a tad damp. I grew up on cars from the BMC/BL Austin Rover stable, so shame to see them all trashed, Princess looked quite straight, 2200HLS Mk1.5 as well, quite rare.
Load of B******s really of course but heh, a lot od stuff on the box these days is a load of tosh so Top Gear aren't going to go back down the "its got xx cubic feet of boot space so you'll get suitcases for a family of four into the boot quite comfortably"...the egg cap rating made me smile
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VYO 372M
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bifold
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Charles S. Bravo
To me that's a better story that getting three old cars and making out that they are cr*p.
I work in the media, and yeah top gear is great, and the feature was useful for all the reasons we've talked about here, but the flip side is trying to keep the old cars on the road. It's all about balance?!
There should also be a place for some coverage of the people who spend time and money keeping the cars on the road, the cars that people forget about (or are too young to know about), highlight the dedication that people have, the folk that preserve the history of the cars they keep, the expertise that floats aroud forums like this, the stories behind the cars and the people that care for them now.?
If BBC Four can make Motorways and Service Stations entertaining (and they have recently) then the BBC can do something positive about running classic cars.
Rant over (bad day at work
)
I work in the media, and yeah top gear is great, and the feature was useful for all the reasons we've talked about here, but the flip side is trying to keep the old cars on the road. It's all about balance?!
There should also be a place for some coverage of the people who spend time and money keeping the cars on the road, the cars that people forget about (or are too young to know about), highlight the dedication that people have, the folk that preserve the history of the cars they keep, the expertise that floats aroud forums like this, the stories behind the cars and the people that care for them now.?
If BBC Four can make Motorways and Service Stations entertaining (and they have recently) then the BBC can do something positive about running classic cars.
Rant over (bad day at work
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Charles S. Bravo
This is the kind of moment when a press officer could have come in handy for the club, with a good press release out to the classic car monthlies (or to regional daily/weekly newspapers for our regions with a lot of members) for some awareness raising for the club on the back of the Top Gear feature, or even a formal approach from the club to the Top Gear production team with some well thought out proposals and ideas for a more positive follow-up along the lines of my rant above in the next series.
Or we would go to 5th Gear on CH5 as they are filming their new series now for a January start.
Or we would go to 5th Gear on CH5 as they are filming their new series now for a January start.
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JonyPI
i have to say while im stuck at hom alot at the mo, i watch alot of the older episodes on Dave, and they are sooooooo much better! yes they are having a laff but it seems alot more meaningful and better to watch, they never did any of this smashing into other peoples cars before they went to america. the older shows seem to be more crammed with stuff going on and fairer, like previous tests on the track the stig would drive all the cars, what was sunda all about with them driving their cars? just shows how sh*t they are at driving compared o the stig not the car? all the above prolly sounds like crap but watch an old episode from a few seasons back and im sure youd agree.
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Stewart Moss
Sprint On Top Gear - The TRUTH
This is the truth about the Sprint on Top Gear; which was my car for many years until I sold it this Spring.
For the ignorant forum users who have posted on this thread about it being a crap example of a Sprint, just stop and think for a second until you know both sides of the story.
Unfortunately Top Gear have used so much artistic licence it beggars belief. Essentially they were gonna portray the Sprint as a tatty BL car no matter what & fixed almost everything that went wrong, in my opinion.
My Sprint was in very good all round condition, bar one thing, very very faded paintwork. It was mechanically excellent, with a very good & quick engine. Over the past 10 years I had replaced almost everything mechanically - eg it had recon sub frame, 4 new Spax adjustables, new springs etc etc.
Almost all the failiures were invented! For example, I personally refitted the rear bumper approx 4 years ago with new bolts - its impossible for it to have fallen off and be held on by the rear wing side fixing!
The car had no wing mirrors fitted, but I gave the buyer a pair to be fitted - so they obviously did it so ridiculously so they would fall off.
The same with the radio; I did not have one fitted but gave the buyer a basic radio cos he asked for one!
I had some decent grey replacement seats fitted cos the originals were so tatty they were near unuseable - and they obviously re-fitted them to make the car look tattier!
I used the car on the road weekends and to work sometimes for the best part of 3 years and it never once broke down, and yes the Overdrive worked. Strange how they had about 3 breakdowns in a few hours.
It had a very sound, reliable engine - standard spec except for Sports Stainless exhaust. It would have absolutely flown round that track, I don't know what they had done to make the gears crunch all the time. I guess they doctored the accelerator cable so Hammond could not rev it - eg it revved freely to the redline cos I did it a few times!!
The car passed its MOT about 2 weeks before I sold it, first time! Plainly the handbrake was working fine then, for it to career down that hill at that speed the cables would have to have been cut or disconnected.
Watching the show I was to be honest nothing short of incensed by the pointless abuse of 3 classics in the name of light entertainment.
I had only sold the car because I wasn't using it enough, and it desperately needed a respray I could not afford. I had hoped it would go to somebody who would cherish the car as I had. What really irks me is that several club members were very interested, but this lad turned up who said he lived local, paid the asking price on the spot in cash and assured me it would be his everyday transport and had always wanted a Sprint - what a deception!
The thing that puzzled me at the time was his total lack of interest in the car itself or history - plainly he was just a buyer for TG and was told to buy a Dolomite Sprint in any condition as long as it ran, cos they were gonna portray it as falling apart anyway!
Lesson learned the hard way - sell your club cars to club members only!
My son is just under 4 years old and loved that car; I haven't dared let him watch the show's recording cos it would break his heart to see his favourite old car semi-destroyed.
Top Gear has massively gone down in my estimation after this. I think what used to be a pretty decent motoring show is now just a cheap comedy, with 3 egotistical presenters who would be better served on a slapstick sketchshow.
Sour grapes? Maybe, but destroying classic cars for laughs isn't cool, it certainly isn't funny either - there are lots of people who would love to own and drive a Sprint / Rover even a Princess.
I still think Dolomites and Sprints are great cars, and wish u all well with keeping them on the road.
For the ignorant forum users who have posted on this thread about it being a crap example of a Sprint, just stop and think for a second until you know both sides of the story.
Unfortunately Top Gear have used so much artistic licence it beggars belief. Essentially they were gonna portray the Sprint as a tatty BL car no matter what & fixed almost everything that went wrong, in my opinion.
My Sprint was in very good all round condition, bar one thing, very very faded paintwork. It was mechanically excellent, with a very good & quick engine. Over the past 10 years I had replaced almost everything mechanically - eg it had recon sub frame, 4 new Spax adjustables, new springs etc etc.
Almost all the failiures were invented! For example, I personally refitted the rear bumper approx 4 years ago with new bolts - its impossible for it to have fallen off and be held on by the rear wing side fixing!
The car had no wing mirrors fitted, but I gave the buyer a pair to be fitted - so they obviously did it so ridiculously so they would fall off.
The same with the radio; I did not have one fitted but gave the buyer a basic radio cos he asked for one!
I had some decent grey replacement seats fitted cos the originals were so tatty they were near unuseable - and they obviously re-fitted them to make the car look tattier!
I used the car on the road weekends and to work sometimes for the best part of 3 years and it never once broke down, and yes the Overdrive worked. Strange how they had about 3 breakdowns in a few hours.
It had a very sound, reliable engine - standard spec except for Sports Stainless exhaust. It would have absolutely flown round that track, I don't know what they had done to make the gears crunch all the time. I guess they doctored the accelerator cable so Hammond could not rev it - eg it revved freely to the redline cos I did it a few times!!
The car passed its MOT about 2 weeks before I sold it, first time! Plainly the handbrake was working fine then, for it to career down that hill at that speed the cables would have to have been cut or disconnected.
Watching the show I was to be honest nothing short of incensed by the pointless abuse of 3 classics in the name of light entertainment.
I had only sold the car because I wasn't using it enough, and it desperately needed a respray I could not afford. I had hoped it would go to somebody who would cherish the car as I had. What really irks me is that several club members were very interested, but this lad turned up who said he lived local, paid the asking price on the spot in cash and assured me it would be his everyday transport and had always wanted a Sprint - what a deception!
The thing that puzzled me at the time was his total lack of interest in the car itself or history - plainly he was just a buyer for TG and was told to buy a Dolomite Sprint in any condition as long as it ran, cos they were gonna portray it as falling apart anyway!
Lesson learned the hard way - sell your club cars to club members only!
My son is just under 4 years old and loved that car; I haven't dared let him watch the show's recording cos it would break his heart to see his favourite old car semi-destroyed.
Top Gear has massively gone down in my estimation after this. I think what used to be a pretty decent motoring show is now just a cheap comedy, with 3 egotistical presenters who would be better served on a slapstick sketchshow.
Sour grapes? Maybe, but destroying classic cars for laughs isn't cool, it certainly isn't funny either - there are lots of people who would love to own and drive a Sprint / Rover even a Princess.
I still think Dolomites and Sprints are great cars, and wish u all well with keeping them on the road.
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2F45T4U
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Karlos
To be honest, I thought the programme was a bit funny and what they did was expected. They are getting short on ideas so it's not the first or the last we will see of them wrecking a few motors - heck they did it to some fine italian mid-engined supercars that were more deserving of being saved than a poxxy Princess!
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xvivalve
- TDC West Mids Area Organiser
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Sad confirmation there Stu.
Personally I think Clarkson wanted to make more of the Sprint...:
"Its a Dolly Sprint"
"People still want these"
"That sound is legendary"
etc etc
I'm going to ask Ted if I can borrow the footage from the 1990 show of his Sapphire '73 and get it on Youtube as a bit of a top gear counter
Personally I think Clarkson wanted to make more of the Sprint...:
"Its a Dolly Sprint"
"People still want these"
"That sound is legendary"
etc etc
I'm going to ask Ted if I can borrow the footage from the 1990 show of his Sapphire '73 and get it on Youtube as a bit of a top gear counter