Top Gear 'hooligans' damage classic car

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By Colin Adamson, Evening Standard

17 June 2003

A classic racing car that once won the Le Mans 24 Hours race was left with a burned-out clutch, damaged drive shafts and bald tyres after an "idiotic" test drive for BBC2's Top Gear.

Presenter Jeremy Clarkson's mystery test driver, professional racer Perry McCarthy, performed wheel spins and getaways with the £1 million C-type Jaguar - one of only three such cars in the world.

Owner Adrian Hamilton, a classic motor dealer, said: "They behaved like hooligans joy-riding in a supermarket car park. The idiot who drove it showed no respect for a unique piece of racing history.

"We were kept away from the end of the runway where the driving was being done so it was only when I saw it on TV that I realised how dreadfully they had treated the car. "

"It was a very shabby thing for them to do and left the car needing a lot of expensive work which I am expecting the BBC to pay for."

Mr Hamilton, of Hook, Hants, offered the Jaguar for Top Gear to test to mark the 50th anniversary of his father Duncan's win in the Le Mans 24 Hours race in France in 1953.

Test driver Mr McCarthy failed to finish in an Audi at Le Mans at the weekend.

A spokesman for Top Gear said: "The production team asked if it was OK for them to 'drive the car hard'. Mr Hamilton said it was, but unfortunately both parties have differing opinions of what hard driving is."

He added: "Top Gear has no intention of upsetting Mr Hamilton. The car is being repaired and both parties are in discussion about the cost

http://www.eveningstandard.co.uk/news/articles/5355984?source=Evening Standard
 
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Originally posted by SaBBz
I guess it helps with this thread then.

But what a thing to do to such a nice car :mad:

Cars a car, its there for one reason, to be driven.

You want to stare at something, buy a Van gough.

I cant be doing with ppl who 'only take the car out in the dry, at weekends, on leap years, and only then with a car bra on'

:|

just me :)
 
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you obviously don't have an expensive car ;)

j/k

I agree, it can be repaired, he let them drive it, true I'd be a bit annoyed at the cost but if he can afford it I'm sure he spent more on other things than what the cost of repairs will be.

On the other hand though :p
 
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Originally posted by EyeDot
Cars a car, its there for one reason, to be driven.

You want to stare at something, buy a Van gough.

I cant be doing with ppl who 'only take the car out in the dry, at weekends, on leap years, and only then with a car bra on'

:|

just me :)
Exactly
 
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Originally posted by EyeDot
Cars a car, its there for one reason, to be driven.

You want to stare at something, buy a Van gough.

I cant be doing with ppl who 'only take the car out in the dry, at weekends, on leap years, and only then with a car bra on'

:|

just me :)

i disagree, this car should be a musuem piece, its full of history and worth a lot in both sentimentle value and mahoola. the car was on loan and if you loan something out you expect it to be treated with respect and to be returned in the condition you sent it in.

if you think cars are meant to be driven and not looked at why have a flash car in your sig like the TVR, is it yours? you can match its performance for the price.
 

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v0n

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I'd like to see how one you fellas let some TV sponsored dope burning clutch on a £1 mln car you keep in memory of your father. Driving it hard - at full speed is one thing, but doing auto rodeo spins for cameras on your, nota bene, priceless inheritage is another...
 
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Originally posted by v0n
I'd like to see how one you fellas let some TV sponsored dope burning clutch on a £1 mln car you keep in memory of your father. Driving it hard - at full speed is one thing, but doing auto rodeo spins for cameras on your, nota bene, priceless inheritage is another...

I do see your point, as long as the BBC pay for it I think thats only fair.
 
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Originally posted by Lee404notfound

if you think cars are meant to be driven and not looked at why have a flash car in your sig like the TVR, is it yours? you can match its performance for the price.


cars are meant to be driven primarily, but thats not to say you cant appreciate the beauty of the car also.

Thats why I have my tvr in my sig.. it is a beautiful piece of design work.

BUT that doesnt mean it only comes out at weekends after i have swept the stones of the road!


It means it gets driven!


Granted, the Jag was a piece of history, but what point is history, if all we do is LOOK at it, and not EXPERIENCE it, was the car so fragile it couldnt take it ? Is the car, winning arguably the toughest tarmac event ever (only behind the Dakar for overall event) suddenly going to fall apart now ? after a few doughnuts ?

I think not.


Obviously it needs to be treated with respect, BUT, the respect it was made for, to be driven ... HARD.


Had JC dropped it from a Crane, or pyro;d it, then sure, be angry, What DID the stig do ??


He DROVE IT!


SHOCK HORROR!!
 

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That's a thing tho - you can not pay for it with just money - this car survived 50 or whatever years of english weather, road tax and MOT bangholes kicking its wheels, it didn't survive one BBC sponsored school party.

If some BBC4 dude painted pink mustache on Mona Lisa's face it could probably be removed anbd restored, but it would still be a clear attack on art item, right?
 
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Originally posted by v0n
I'd like to see how one you fellas let some TV sponsored dope burning clutch on a £1 mln car you keep in memory of your father. Driving it hard - at full speed is one thing, but doing auto rodeo spins for cameras on your, nota bene, priceless inheritage is another...
I keep going to post responses but EyeDot types faster than me....
 
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We will have to agree to disagree mate, ive been to many track days and never wrecked my car "driving" it, ive pushed my cars to the limits and then some, but never done that kind of damage, maybe needed new tyes and brake discs afterwards and a service but never anything like that.
 
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Originally posted by v0n

If some BBC4 dude painted pink mustache on Mona Lisa's face it could probably be removed anbd restored, but it would still be a clear attack on art item, right?

Sure, but your missing the cars Raison D'etre here


to put it into perspective...

'The Royal Gallery has decided to remove the mona lisa from its displays, its reasons, its being looked at too much, and this is causing the paint to fade, so to preserve the painting for generations to come, it will be placed in a locked dark vault, to ensure no further fading to occur!!'


how silly would that be!


As silly as 'we are angry that someone had the audacity to DRIVE this car!!'

:)
 
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Originally posted by EyeDot
cars are meant to be driven primarily, but thats not to say you cant appreciate the beauty of the car also.

Thats why I have my tvr in my sig.. it is a beautiful piece of design work.

BUT that doesnt mean it only comes out at weekends after i have swept the stones of the road!


It means it gets driven!


Granted, the Jag was a piece of history, but what point is history, if all we do is LOOK at it, and not EXPERIENCE it, was the car so fragile it couldnt take it ? Is the car, winning arguably the toughest tarmac event ever (only behind the Dakar for overall event) suddenly going to fall apart now ? after a few doughnuts ?

I think not.


Obviously it needs to be treated with respect, BUT, the respect it was made for, to be driven ... HARD.


Had JC dropped it from a Crane, or pyro;d it, then sure, be angry, What DID the stig do ??


He DROVE IT!


SHOCK HORROR!!

I remember when you drove you barge through those flooded roads :) was cool, a real driver :D
 
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Cars are made to be driven, it's a racing car for gods sake! He should have stipulated what the programme could and couldn't do with the car before hand. Many manufacturers specifically state whether or not magazines can drop the clutch, do full on standing starts, etc... on particular vehicles. He should have done the same. I feel he's kicking up a fuss in order to ensure repairs are paid for to his liking.
 
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Cars were and are made to be driven, hey thats why they put wheels in each corner and the petrol/diesel monster in the front/back

my car is 23 years old worth twice what is was sold for in 1980, I drive it hard everyday, if I break something i'll go a fix it as long as you look after and treat the rust worm :mad: the rest can be fixed by someone or made by someone if needs be :D ;)
 

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We are obviously not discussing regular track driving here
So just because it was classified as racing car 50 ago it means it can be reused as one off drive-me-to-death racing gokarts any time BBC wants? Come on - you don't burn clutches and return cars with bold tires after a test ride on the track. In fact you have to be just efing mean and try hard to waste a car to this level for one show.
 
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Originally posted by Trebor95
I remember when you drove you barge through those flooded roads :) was cool, a real driver :D

hehehe

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