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Top Gear (original format)
Encyclopedia
Top Gear was a car-based BBC
television series produced by BBC Birmingham
, and broadcast on BBC2 from 1977 to 2001. It consisted of 30-minute magazine format programmes presented by a number of people, including William Woollard
, Angela Rippon
, Noel Edmonds
, and Jeremy Clarkson
.
A Top Gear special, with Jason Barlow
being the only remaining presenter, with Vicki Butler-Henderson
, Tiff Needell
and Adrian Simpson
having moved to Fifth Gear
, was broadcast in 2002 with coverage of the Birmingham Motorshow.
In 2002, the show was relaunched in a new one-hour-long, studio-based format made by the BBC in London.
Top Gear started in 1977 as a local programme made by BBC Birmingham (Pebble Mill
) who offered it to BBC2. Presenters included Noel Edmonds, William Woollard, Sue Baker, Frank Page and Chris Goffey
. The show's theme music was "Jessica" by the Allman Brothers Band, although remixed versions were used after 1999. For much of the original series' lifespan, Elton John
's instrumental "Out Of The Blue" (from the Blue Moves
album) played over the closing credits. According to its original producer, David Lancaster, the idea for the name came from the unrelated radio series Top Gear
.
Originally, Top Gear was a magazine show reviewing new car models and other car-related issues such as road safety. Other features included classic car
events and motorsport
, the latter covering rallying
as Top Gear Rally Report with Tony Mason and Sue Baker. In 1987, Jon Bentley
(now a presenter on Five's Gadget Show
) became one of the show's producers. In this period new presenters were added including former Formula One
driver Tiff Needell
and Performance Car Magazine journalist Jeremy Clarkson
in late 1988 and the programme saw a massive boost in its audience as it became a more humorous, controversial, and unashamedly more critical show. Between 1988 and 1991, the programme organised a competition each year to find a new rally driver with the prize being entry into that year's RAC Rally. In 1991, William Woollard left the show. Around the same time, Quentin Willson
, a former used car salesman, joined. The 1990s also saw the addition of a new female presenter, Michele Newman
, who still appears on ITV
's Pulling Power
. Other presenters included Steve Berry
, whose speciality was motorbikes, and racing driver Vicki Butler-Henderson
, who joined in 1997.
Among the show's producers were Phil Franklin and Brian Strachan till 1986: with Jon Bentley and Ken Pollock latterly. Executive producers were Derek Smith, and Dennis Adams on two occasions. Tom Ross was the Editor of the programme from 1986 till 1991.
Despite enduring criticism that the show was overly macho, encouraged irresponsible driving behaviour and ignored the environment, the show pulled in huge audiences becoming BBC2's Top viewed programme with audiences over 5 million from 1988. It became hugely influential with motor manufacturers, since a critical word from the Top Gear team could have a severe negative effect on sales One such example is the original Vauxhall Vectra, of which Clarkson said, "I know it's the replacement for the Cavalier
. I know. But I'm telling you it's just a box on wheels." However, even more critical statements have not affected sales of the Toyota Corolla
and extreme praise did not help the Renault Alpine GTA/A610
.
took over Clarkson's spot, presenting reviews of the Rover 75
and Lexus IS200, for example. Following Clarkson's departure, the programme was jointly presented by Quentin Willson
and Kate Humble
, who ran an ongoing test throughout the programme between reports. Brendan Coogan
(who had joined in 1998), left the show a year later after being convicted of drunk driving. In 2000, Jason Barlow
joined from Channel 4
's driven, and joined the existing line-up for the final 53 episodes. The programme ran almost continuously between September 2000 and October 2001, and despite regularly being the most watched show on BBC Two, the channel decided the format needed to be dramatically refreshed. However a Top Gear special—with Jason Barlow being the only remaining presenter with Vicki Butler-Henderson, Tiff Needell and Adrian Simpson having moved to Fifth Gear—was broadcast in 2002 with coverage of the 2002 Birmingham Motorshow at the NEC.
In 2002, Channel 5 launched Fifth Gear
, a car show featuring many of the former Top Gear presenters including Tiff Needell, Quentin Willson and Vicki Butler-Henderson. The show was produced by former Top Gear producer, Jon Bentley. While most of the production team moved from the BBC to Five to create Fifth Gear, Jason Barlow was still under contract to the BBC and went on to front the new programme "Wrong Car, Right Car", which ran for two series and 23 episodes. The name change to "Fifth Gear" was required as the BBC would not relinquish the rights to the Top Gear name (the corporation was—and still is—publishing Top Gear magazine).
After the first series of Fifth Gear was completed, the BBC decided to relaunch Top Gear
, but in a new studio-based format as opposed to the magazine format used until the cancellation. The idea came from producer Andy Wilman
and Jeremy Clarkson
, who presented the relaunched show with Richard Hammond
and Jason Dawe. James May
replaced Jason Dawe from the second series onwards of the current format. The pre-cancellation show is referred to as "Old Top Gear" when mentioned on the new show due to the differences in style.
"Winter Series", the 1990 and 1991 Historic Rally Championships and the 1992 and 1993 British Rally Championship
s.
Due to the success of the main show, other motoring shows on the BBC also carried the Top Gear name including coverage of the British Motor Show, a show dedicated to motorsport, presented by Tiff Needell, Top Gear Motorsport
and the Lombard RAC Rally highlights show, presented by William Woollard, Sue Baker and Tony Mason, Top Gear Rally Report
. In September 1993, a spin-off magazine, Top Gear Magazine
, was launched, featuring articles and columns from the presenters and additional contributors. The magazine has become the UK's best selling car magazine (as of August 2006).
During the 1990s, Top Gear had a radio spin off, the Top Gear Radio Show, presented by Steve Berry
, and available on BBC Radio Five Live
.
In 1991, when joyriding among British youths was at its peak, Top Gear featured a Joy Riding special. It included an interview with Tyneside
woman Joan McVittie, who was actively involved in campaigns against joyriding after her 16-year-old son Mark Wren was killed when the stolen car in which he was passenger crashed in October 1990. The driver was Ian Carr, 15 at the time, who was subsequently sentenced to a year in youth custody for causing death by reckless driving. Mrs McVittie continued her campaign against joyriding until her death from cancer in 2002. The killer driver, Ian Carr, was involved in a widely reported crime just months after Mrs McVittie died; on 31 December 2002, he was at the wheel of a stolen car which crashed into another car when jumping a red traffic light, fatally injuring a six-year-old girl and injuring her father and younger sister. By this stage, Carr (still only 27) had amassed a total of 89 convictions, many of them from motoring offences, was subject to two lifelong driving bans (issued in Scotland
) and had only been released on licence from a prison sentence two months before the crash. He was subsequently jailed for nine-and-a-half years - one of the heaviest prison sentences ever imposed in England and Wales
for causing death by dangerous driving.
Since the early 1990s, the annual Top Gear J. D. Power Top 100 survey has consulted thousands of UK residents on their car-ownership satisfaction. For legal reasons concerning the non-commercial nature of the BBC, the actual consultation is now restricted to the magazine format, although the results are still used on the show. The survey is now conducted by Experian
.
The Top Gear video game
, developed for the Super NES
, was not associated with the BBC TV series and the BBC won a court case blocking its creators from obtaining a trademark for it.
After Top Gears success in the late 1980s and early 1990s, a number of competing programmes were introduced, including Channel 4
's driven, ITV
's Pulling Power
, Granada
's Vroom Vroom
and BBC World
's India's Wheels. Some of the presenters on Driven would go on to present Top Gear.
Note: The BMW Z3 M Coupé
was voted "Driver's Car Of The Year", and the Mercedes-Benz S500 was voted "Executive Car Of The Year" for 2000.
The Toyota Corolla was winner of the first four surveys, with the Subaru Impreza
winning the survey in 1998 and 1999, and the Subaru Legacy
in 2000 and 2001.
The lowest-ranking cars in the surveys were the Vauxhall Frontera in 1994, Ford Escort in 1995, Lada Samara
in both 1996 and 1997, Vauxhall Vectra in 1998, Ford Galaxy
in 1999 and the Vauxhall Sintra in 2000 and 2001.
In 1998, Škoda
was rated as the most satisfying brand of car in the survey and these findings made the headlines—just a few years earlier, the brand had been the butt of many jokes about the sub-standard design and quality of earlier cars. The Japanese manufacturers—particularly Subaru
, Toyota, Honda
and Mazda
—also received high ratings in Top Gear surveys. Similar praise went to BMW
, Hyundai
, Kia
, Mitsubishi
, Nissan and Volvo
. In contrast, many marques received heavy criticism in the surveys—particularly Lada
, Fiat
, Vauxhall
, Peugeot
, Ford and Alfa Romeo
.
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
television series produced by BBC Birmingham
BBC Birmingham
BBC Birmingham is one of the oldest regional arms of the BBC, located in Birmingham, West Midlands. It was the first region outside of London to start broadcasting both the corporation's radio and television transmissions, the latter from the Sutton Coldfield television transmitter...
, and broadcast on BBC2 from 1977 to 2001. It consisted of 30-minute magazine format programmes presented by a number of people, including William Woollard
William Woollard
William Woollard is a British television producer and presenter.-Biography:Educated at a state grammar school in London and at the University of Oxford, he trained as a fighter pilot with the RAF. He worked with an oil company in Borneo and Oman...
, Angela Rippon
Angela Rippon
Angela M. Rippon, OBE, born 12 October 1944, Plymouth, Devon, England, is an English television journalist, newsreader, writer and presenter. Rippon presented radio and television news programmes in South West England before moving to BBC One's Nine O'Clock News, becoming a regular presenter in 1975...
, Noel Edmonds
Noel Edmonds
Noel Ernest Edmonds, is an English broadcaster and executive, who made his name as a DJ on BBC Radio 1 in the UK. He has presented many light entertainment television programmes, including Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, Top of the Pops, The Late, Late Breakfast Show, Telly Addicts, Noel's Saturday...
, and Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson is an English broadcaster, journalist and writer who specialises in motoring. He is best known for his role on the BBC TV show Top Gear along with co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May...
.
A Top Gear special, with Jason Barlow
Jason Barlow
Jason Barlow is a motoring journalist and broadcaster from Northern Ireland.He began his television career in 1998, when he was approached to present Channel Four's new car programme Driven, with co-presenters Mike Brewer and James May...
being the only remaining presenter, with Vicki Butler-Henderson
Vicki Butler-Henderson
Victoria "Vicki" Butler-Henderson is a racing driver and television presenter.-Biography:Butler-Henderson was born into a racing family. Her grandfather used to race a Frazer Nash at Brooklands, her father was in the British karting team and her brother Charlie is a racing driver. She has an older...
, Tiff Needell
Tiff Needell
Timothy "Tiff" Needell isa British racing driver and television presenter. He is best known as a former co-presenter of Top Gear and current co-presenter of Fifth Gear.-Biography:...
and Adrian Simpson
Adrian Simpson
Adrian Simpson is a British television presenter, currently presenting on Sky News on the overnight programme. Simpson has won numerous accolades for his presenting style, which has been likened to that of Trevor McDonald in his early years....
having moved to Fifth Gear
Fifth Gear
Fifth Gear is a motoring television magazine show from the United Kingdom. Originally shown on Channel 5, the show is currently presented by Tiff Needell, Vicki Butler-Henderson, Jason Plato, Jonny Smith and Ben Collins...
, was broadcast in 2002 with coverage of the Birmingham Motorshow.
In 2002, the show was relaunched in a new one-hour-long, studio-based format made by the BBC in London.
History
Pebble Mill Studios
The BBC 's Pebble Mill Studios were located in Edgbaston, a suburb of Birmingham, England. The views from the roof overlooked Cannon Hill Park, a nature centre, as well as Birmingham's city centre...
) who offered it to BBC2. Presenters included Noel Edmonds, William Woollard, Sue Baker, Frank Page and Chris Goffey
Chris Goffey
Chris Goffey is a British journalist, best known as a presenter of the BBC motoring television series Top Gear. Goffey crossed over to Channel 4 in the mid 1980s and worked with two motoring programmes before returning to Top Gear...
. The show's theme music was "Jessica" by the Allman Brothers Band, although remixed versions were used after 1999. For much of the original series' lifespan, Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
's instrumental "Out Of The Blue" (from the Blue Moves
Blue Moves
Blue Moves is the eleventh studio album by British singer/songwriter Elton John, released in 1976. It was also his second double album , and his first album released by his own Rocket Records Ltd...
album) played over the closing credits. According to its original producer, David Lancaster, the idea for the name came from the unrelated radio series Top Gear
Top Gear (radio show)
Top Gear was originally a short-lived pop music show on the BBC Light Programme in the mid-1960s.- Origin and format :It was one of the Corporation's few attempts to compete with the pirate radio stations and Radio Luxembourg, who had attracted large audiences of young British pop music listeners...
.
Originally, Top Gear was a magazine show reviewing new car models and other car-related issues such as road safety. Other features included classic car
Classic car
A classic car is an older car; the exact meaning is variable. The Classic Car Club of America maintains that a car must be between 20 and 40 years old to be a classic, while cars over 45 years fall into the Antique Class.- Classic Car Club of America :...
events and motorsport
Motorsport
Motorsport or motorsports is the group of sports which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles, whether for racing or non-racing competition...
, the latter covering rallying
Rallying
Rallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars...
as Top Gear Rally Report with Tony Mason and Sue Baker. In 1987, Jon Bentley
Jon Bentley (TV presenter)
Jon Bentley is an English journalist and television presenter, educated at Oriel College, Oxford.He has specialised in television production and journalism in the field of motoring. Between 1987 and 1999, he was producer and editor of BBC Two's Top Gear and was series producer of Fifth Gear from...
(now a presenter on Five's Gadget Show
The Gadget Show
The Gadget Show is a British television series focusing on technology and is broadcast on Channel 5. Originally a thirty minute show, it was extended to forty-five minutes, then later to fifty five minutes. Repeats have also aired on the digital channels 5*, Dave and Channel 5's Internet on-demand...
) became one of the show's producers. In this period new presenters were added including former Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
driver Tiff Needell
Tiff Needell
Timothy "Tiff" Needell isa British racing driver and television presenter. He is best known as a former co-presenter of Top Gear and current co-presenter of Fifth Gear.-Biography:...
and Performance Car Magazine journalist Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson is an English broadcaster, journalist and writer who specialises in motoring. He is best known for his role on the BBC TV show Top Gear along with co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May...
in late 1988 and the programme saw a massive boost in its audience as it became a more humorous, controversial, and unashamedly more critical show. Between 1988 and 1991, the programme organised a competition each year to find a new rally driver with the prize being entry into that year's RAC Rally. In 1991, William Woollard left the show. Around the same time, Quentin Willson
Quentin Willson
Quentin Willson is a British TV presenter and motoring expert, perhaps most widely known as a presenter of the motoring programmes Britain's Worst Driver, Fifth Gear, and the original incarnation of Top Gear. He lives in Warwickshire with his wife and three children.-Early years:Willson studied...
, a former used car salesman, joined. The 1990s also saw the addition of a new female presenter, Michele Newman
Michele Newman
Michele Newman is an English television presenter.After graduation from the University of York, from 1977 to 1980, Newman worked at the Liverpool Echo. Between 1981 and 1983, she lived in Italy and France to learn both languages and to teach English as a private tutor. During this time, Newman...
, who still appears on ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's Pulling Power
Pulling Power
Pulling Power was a regional motoring programme shown only in the Central Television region on ITV in 1996. However, it returned in 2005 and was shown on the ITV1 on a series trial basis until 2008, and it was also as a filler programme at times. It has also been shown on ITV4. Presenters included...
. Other presenters included Steve Berry
Steve Berry (presenter)
Steve Berry is a British TV presenter.He hosted BBC2's Top Gear between 1992 and 1999, and the spin-off Top Gear Motorsport on the same channel where he mostly reviewed and made features relating to motorcycles. He was the main presenter of the now defunct Top Gear Radio Show on BBC Radio Five Live...
, whose speciality was motorbikes, and racing driver Vicki Butler-Henderson
Vicki Butler-Henderson
Victoria "Vicki" Butler-Henderson is a racing driver and television presenter.-Biography:Butler-Henderson was born into a racing family. Her grandfather used to race a Frazer Nash at Brooklands, her father was in the British karting team and her brother Charlie is a racing driver. She has an older...
, who joined in 1997.
Among the show's producers were Phil Franklin and Brian Strachan till 1986: with Jon Bentley and Ken Pollock latterly. Executive producers were Derek Smith, and Dennis Adams on two occasions. Tom Ross was the Editor of the programme from 1986 till 1991.
Despite enduring criticism that the show was overly macho, encouraged irresponsible driving behaviour and ignored the environment, the show pulled in huge audiences becoming BBC2's Top viewed programme with audiences over 5 million from 1988. It became hugely influential with motor manufacturers, since a critical word from the Top Gear team could have a severe negative effect on sales One such example is the original Vauxhall Vectra, of which Clarkson said, "I know it's the replacement for the Cavalier
Vauxhall Cavalier
The Vauxhall Cavalier is a large family car sold primarily in the UK by Vauxhall Motors, the British division of General Motors , from 1975 to 1995...
. I know. But I'm telling you it's just a box on wheels." However, even more critical statements have not affected sales of the Toyota Corolla
Toyota Corolla
The Toyota Corolla is a line of subcompact and compact cars manufactured by the Japanese automaker Toyota, which has become very popular throughout the world since the nameplate was first introduced in 1966. In 1997, the Corolla became the best selling nameplate in the world, with over 35 million...
and extreme praise did not help the Renault Alpine GTA/A610
Renault Alpine GTA/A610
The Alpine A610 was a coupe automobile produced by the Renault-owned French manufacturer Alpine. It was launched in 1991. Due to a limited budget at the beginning of the project, its appearance does not differ much from the GTA, and it looks quite similar to the USA GTA with its pop-up headlights...
.
Demise and Relaunch
Following many well-known presenters' departure in 1999/2000 the Top Gear audience fell from a peak of six million to under three million. Initially, James MayJames May
James Daniel May is an English television presenter, journalist and writer. He is best known for his role as co-presenter of the award-winning motoring programme Top Gear alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond....
took over Clarkson's spot, presenting reviews of the Rover 75
Rover 75
The Rover 75 is an executive car produced initially by the Rover Group at Cowley, Oxfordshire, UK, and later by MG Rover at their Longbridge site in Birmingham, UK...
and Lexus IS200, for example. Following Clarkson's departure, the programme was jointly presented by Quentin Willson
Quentin Willson
Quentin Willson is a British TV presenter and motoring expert, perhaps most widely known as a presenter of the motoring programmes Britain's Worst Driver, Fifth Gear, and the original incarnation of Top Gear. He lives in Warwickshire with his wife and three children.-Early years:Willson studied...
and Kate Humble
Kate Humble
Katherine 'Kate' Humble is an English television presenter, mainly for the BBC, specialising in wildlife and science programmes...
, who ran an ongoing test throughout the programme between reports. Brendan Coogan
Brendan Coogan
Brendan Coogan is a British television presenter, from Middleton, Lancashire, best known for previously presenting Top Gear on the BBC. His brothers are actor-comedian Steve Coogan and former Mock Turtles frontman Martin Coogan....
(who had joined in 1998), left the show a year later after being convicted of drunk driving. In 2000, Jason Barlow
Jason Barlow
Jason Barlow is a motoring journalist and broadcaster from Northern Ireland.He began his television career in 1998, when he was approached to present Channel Four's new car programme Driven, with co-presenters Mike Brewer and James May...
joined from Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's driven, and joined the existing line-up for the final 53 episodes. The programme ran almost continuously between September 2000 and October 2001, and despite regularly being the most watched show on BBC Two, the channel decided the format needed to be dramatically refreshed. However a Top Gear special—with Jason Barlow being the only remaining presenter with Vicki Butler-Henderson, Tiff Needell and Adrian Simpson having moved to Fifth Gear—was broadcast in 2002 with coverage of the 2002 Birmingham Motorshow at the NEC.
In 2002, Channel 5 launched Fifth Gear
Fifth Gear
Fifth Gear is a motoring television magazine show from the United Kingdom. Originally shown on Channel 5, the show is currently presented by Tiff Needell, Vicki Butler-Henderson, Jason Plato, Jonny Smith and Ben Collins...
, a car show featuring many of the former Top Gear presenters including Tiff Needell, Quentin Willson and Vicki Butler-Henderson. The show was produced by former Top Gear producer, Jon Bentley. While most of the production team moved from the BBC to Five to create Fifth Gear, Jason Barlow was still under contract to the BBC and went on to front the new programme "Wrong Car, Right Car", which ran for two series and 23 episodes. The name change to "Fifth Gear" was required as the BBC would not relinquish the rights to the Top Gear name (the corporation was—and still is—publishing Top Gear magazine).
After the first series of Fifth Gear was completed, the BBC decided to relaunch Top Gear
Top Gear (current format)
Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous style...
, but in a new studio-based format as opposed to the magazine format used until the cancellation. The idea came from producer Andy Wilman
Andy Wilman
Andrew "Andy" Wilman is a British television producer who is best known as the producer of the present Top Gear show. He has also presented segments of the original Top Gear...
and Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson is an English broadcaster, journalist and writer who specialises in motoring. He is best known for his role on the BBC TV show Top Gear along with co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May...
, who presented the relaunched show with Richard Hammond
Richard Hammond
Richard Mark Hammond is an English broadcaster, writer, and journalist most noted for co-hosting car programme Top Gear with Jeremy Clarkson and James May, as well as presenting Brainiac: Science Abuse on Sky 1.-Early life:...
and Jason Dawe. James May
James May
James Daniel May is an English television presenter, journalist and writer. He is best known for his role as co-presenter of the award-winning motoring programme Top Gear alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond....
replaced Jason Dawe from the second series onwards of the current format. The pre-cancellation show is referred to as "Old Top Gear" when mentioned on the new show due to the differences in style.
Spin-offs
Top Gear was a title sponsor of the 1987 and 1988 Formula OneFormula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
"Winter Series", the 1990 and 1991 Historic Rally Championships and the 1992 and 1993 British Rally Championship
British Rally Championship
The Dulux Trade MSA British Rally Championship is a yearly rallying series based in the United Kingdom. It comprises seven events with eight scoring opportunities throughout the British Isles. The first championship was run in 1958 and it has been licensed by the MSA Motor Sports Association since...
s.
Due to the success of the main show, other motoring shows on the BBC also carried the Top Gear name including coverage of the British Motor Show, a show dedicated to motorsport, presented by Tiff Needell, Top Gear Motorsport
Top Gear Motorsport
Top Gear Motorsport was a British television programme, covering various forms of motor racing, broadcast on BBC Two from 1994 to 1998. It was a spin-off programme from the popular motoring series Top Gear. The programme was presented by former Formula One driver and Top Gear presenter Tiff Needell...
and the Lombard RAC Rally highlights show, presented by William Woollard, Sue Baker and Tony Mason, Top Gear Rally Report
Rally Report
Rally Report was a series of programmes broadcast by the BBC covering the Lombard RAC Rally of Great Britain - then the last round of the World Rally Championship. It ran on BBC2 during the 1980s and 1990s and usually featured previews, a live stage, twice nightly reports and a wrap-up compilation...
. In September 1993, a spin-off magazine, Top Gear Magazine
Top Gear (magazine)
Top Gear is an automobile magazine published by BBC Worldwide, and named after the BBC's Top Gear television show. It was first published in October 1993 and is published monthly at a price of £3.95. The major presenters of the television series—Richard Hammond, James May and Jeremy Clarkson—are...
, was launched, featuring articles and columns from the presenters and additional contributors. The magazine has become the UK's best selling car magazine (as of August 2006).
During the 1990s, Top Gear had a radio spin off, the Top Gear Radio Show, presented by Steve Berry
Steve Berry (presenter)
Steve Berry is a British TV presenter.He hosted BBC2's Top Gear between 1992 and 1999, and the spin-off Top Gear Motorsport on the same channel where he mostly reviewed and made features relating to motorcycles. He was the main presenter of the now defunct Top Gear Radio Show on BBC Radio Five Live...
, and available on BBC Radio Five Live
BBC Radio Five Live
BBC Radio 5 Live is the BBC's national radio service that specialises in live BBC News, phone-ins, and sports commentaries...
.
In 1991, when joyriding among British youths was at its peak, Top Gear featured a Joy Riding special. It included an interview with Tyneside
Tyneside
Tyneside is a conurbation in North East England, defined by the Office of National Statistics, which is home to over 80% of the population of Tyne and Wear. It includes the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and the Metropolitan Boroughs of Gateshead, North Tyneside and South Tyneside — all settlements on...
woman Joan McVittie, who was actively involved in campaigns against joyriding after her 16-year-old son Mark Wren was killed when the stolen car in which he was passenger crashed in October 1990. The driver was Ian Carr, 15 at the time, who was subsequently sentenced to a year in youth custody for causing death by reckless driving. Mrs McVittie continued her campaign against joyriding until her death from cancer in 2002. The killer driver, Ian Carr, was involved in a widely reported crime just months after Mrs McVittie died; on 31 December 2002, he was at the wheel of a stolen car which crashed into another car when jumping a red traffic light, fatally injuring a six-year-old girl and injuring her father and younger sister. By this stage, Carr (still only 27) had amassed a total of 89 convictions, many of them from motoring offences, was subject to two lifelong driving bans (issued in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
) and had only been released on licence from a prison sentence two months before the crash. He was subsequently jailed for nine-and-a-half years - one of the heaviest prison sentences ever imposed in England and Wales
England and Wales
England and Wales is a jurisdiction within the United Kingdom. It consists of England and Wales, two of the four countries of the United Kingdom...
for causing death by dangerous driving.
Since the early 1990s, the annual Top Gear J. D. Power Top 100 survey has consulted thousands of UK residents on their car-ownership satisfaction. For legal reasons concerning the non-commercial nature of the BBC, the actual consultation is now restricted to the magazine format, although the results are still used on the show. The survey is now conducted by Experian
Experian
Experian plc, formerly known as CCN Systems, is a global credit information group with operations in 36 countries. The company employs 15,500 people with corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland and operational headquarters in Nottingham, England and Costa Mesa, California, US...
.
The Top Gear video game
Top Gear (video game)
Top Gear , is a 1992 racing video game for the Super NES, published by Kemco and developed by Gremlin Graphics. Not only does it mark first game in the Top Gear racing game franchise, but it is also one of the first racing games to be released on the Super NES...
, developed for the Super NES
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
, was not associated with the BBC TV series and the BBC won a court case blocking its creators from obtaining a trademark for it.
After Top Gears success in the late 1980s and early 1990s, a number of competing programmes were introduced, including Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's driven, ITV
ITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
's Pulling Power
Pulling Power
Pulling Power was a regional motoring programme shown only in the Central Television region on ITV in 1996. However, it returned in 2005 and was shown on the ITV1 on a series trial basis until 2008, and it was also as a filler programme at times. It has also been shown on ITV4. Presenters included...
, Granada
Granada Television
Granada Television is the ITV contractor for North West England. Based in Manchester since its inception, it is the only surviving original ITA franchisee from 1954 and is ITV's most successful....
's Vroom Vroom
Vroom Vroom
See also Vrooom Vrooom, a live album by King CrimsonSee also TapirVroom Vroom was a British television series. shown on Sky One. The presenters were Brendan Coogan , Jon Desborough , Lisa Rogers , and Emma Parker Bowles...
and BBC World
BBC World
BBC World News is the BBC's international news and current affairs television channel. It has the largest audience of any BBC channel in the world...
's India's Wheels. Some of the presenters on Driven would go on to present Top Gear.
Car Of The Year
Each year, Top Gear announced their Car of the Year. Winners have included:- 1997 – Ford Puma 1.7Ford PumaThe Ford Puma was a small sports coupé produced by the Ford Motor Company from 1997 to 2001 http://www.parkers.co.uk/cars/owners-reviews/search.aspx?range=438#fuel=P&Body=Coupe&transmission=M, for sale in Europe...
- 1998 – Ford Focus (Mk1)
- 1999 – Fiat MultiplaFiat MultiplaThe Fiat Multipla is a compact MPV manufactured by Italian automaker Fiat since 1998. Based on the Brava, the Multipla is shorter and wider than its rivals. It has two rows of three seats, while all its competitors have two seats in the front...
- 2000 – Ford Mondeo
- 2001 – Toyota Picnic
Note: The BMW Z3 M Coupé
BMW M Coupe
The BMW M Coupe is a Shooting-brake styled high-performance automobile produced by BMW. As of February 2009, two generations of the M Coupe have been manufactured, one based on the E36/8 Z3 Coupe and the second off of the E86 Z4 Coupe. Both generations have a "sister" Convertible/Roadster model...
was voted "Driver's Car Of The Year", and the Mercedes-Benz S500 was voted "Executive Car Of The Year" for 2000.
Car Survey
From 1994, the magazine conducted a customer satisfaction survey that was published every April to reveal how satisfying certain cars were to own. The results were announced on the programme, though the full details were only included in the magazine.The Toyota Corolla was winner of the first four surveys, with the Subaru Impreza
Subaru Impreza
Introduced in November 1993, the Impreza was offered in either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive versions and as a four-door sedan/saloon or five-door station wagon/estate. According to a Motor Trend article written March 1992 on page 26, the name of Subaru's new compact was, initially, to be...
winning the survey in 1998 and 1999, and the Subaru Legacy
Subaru Legacy
The Subaru Legacy is a mid-size car built by the Japanese company Fuji Heavy Industries, and manufactured by its division Subaru since 1989, and is available as a sedan or wagon. Part of the original design goals for the Legacy model was to provide Subaru a vehicle in which they could compete in...
in 2000 and 2001.
The lowest-ranking cars in the surveys were the Vauxhall Frontera in 1994, Ford Escort in 1995, Lada Samara
Lada Samara
The Lada Samara or VAZ-2108 is an economy car produced by Soviet/Russian vehicle manufacturer AvtoVAZ's Lada brand, from 1984 until 2004. The brand name Samara originally was used only for exported models, in Russia the same model was called "Sputnik" , until 1991, when the sedan version of Samara...
in both 1996 and 1997, Vauxhall Vectra in 1998, Ford Galaxy
Ford Galaxy
The first Galaxy was designed as a joint venture product between Ford and the Volkswagen Group. Produced at the joint-venture AutoEuropa plant in Palmela, Portugal, the vehicle was badge-engineered to create three vehicles: the Ford Galaxy; by Volkswagen Passenger Cars as the Volkswagen Sharan;...
in 1999 and the Vauxhall Sintra in 2000 and 2001.
In 1998, Škoda
Škoda Auto
Škoda Auto , more commonly known as Škoda, is an automobile manufacturer based in the Czech Republic. Škoda became a wholly owned subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group in 2000, positioned as the entry brand to the group...
was rated as the most satisfying brand of car in the survey and these findings made the headlines—just a few years earlier, the brand had been the butt of many jokes about the sub-standard design and quality of earlier cars. The Japanese manufacturers—particularly Subaru
Subaru
; is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries .Subaru is internationally known for their use of the boxer engine layout popularized in cars by the Volkswagen Beetle and Porsche 911, in most of their vehicles above 1500 cc as well as...
, Toyota, Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
and Mazda
Mazda
is a Japanese automotive manufacturer based in Fuchū, Aki District, Hiroshima Prefecture, Japan.In 2007, Mazda produced almost 1.3 million vehicles for global sales...
—also received high ratings in Top Gear surveys. Similar praise went to BMW
BMW
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916. It also owns and produces the Mini marque, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad and Husqvarna brands...
, Hyundai
Hyundai
Hyundai ) is a global conglomerate company, part of the Korean chaebol, that was founded in South Korea by one of the most famous businessmen in Korean history: Chung Ju-yung...
, Kia
Kia Motors
Kia Motors , headquartered in Seoul, is South Korea's second-largest automobile manufacturer, following the Hyundai Motor Company, with sales of over 1.4 million vehicles in 2010...
, Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi
The Mitsubishi Group , Mitsubishi Group of Companies, or Mitsubishi Companies is a Japanese multinational conglomerate company that consists of a range of autonomous businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand, trademark and legacy...
, Nissan and Volvo
Volvo
AB Volvo is a Swedish builder of commercial vehicles, including trucks, buses and construction equipment. Volvo also supplies marine and industrial drive systems, aerospace components and financial services...
. In contrast, many marques received heavy criticism in the surveys—particularly Lada
Lada
Lada is a trademark of AvtoVAZ, a Russian car manufacturer in Tolyatti, Samara Oblast. All AvtoVAZ vehicles are currently sold under the Lada brand, though this was not always so; Lada was originally AvtoVAZ's export brand for models it sold under the Zhiguli name in the domestic Soviet market...
, Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...
, Vauxhall
Vauxhall Motors
Vauxhall Motors is a British automotive company owned by General Motors and headquartered in Luton. It was founded in 1857 as a pump and marine engine manufacturer, began manufacturing cars in 1903 and was acquired by GM in 1925. It has been the second-largest selling car brand in the UK for...
, Peugeot
Peugeot
Peugeot is a major French car brand, part of PSA Peugeot Citroën, the second largest carmaker based in Europe.The family business that precedes the current Peugeot company was founded in 1810, and manufactured coffee mills and bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Emile Peugeot applied for the lion...
, Ford and Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo
Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian manufacturer of cars. Founded as A.L.F.A. on June 24, 1910, in Milan, the company has been involved in car racing since 1911, and has a reputation for building expensive sports cars...
.
Compact Disc Releases
- Top Gear (1994). 2 CD Package. 35 Tracks.
- Top Gear 2 (1995). 2 CD Package. 36 Tracks.
- Top Gear 3 (1996). 2 CD Package. 29 Tracks.
- Top Gear - Comedy Hits (1995). 2 CD Package. 35 Tracks.
- Top Gear - On The Road Again (1996). 2 CD Package. 36 Tracks.
- Top Gear - Anthems (1998). 2 CD Package. 38 Tracks.
- Top Gear Classics - Turbo (1995). 1 CD. 17 Tracks.
- Top Gear Classics - Baroque Busters (1995). 1 CD.
- Top Gear Classics - Open Top Opera (1995). 1 CD.
- Top Gear Classics - Motoring Moods (1995). 1 CD.
VHS Releases
- 1994 - Super Cars. Presented By Jeremy Clarkson And Tiff Needell (62 min).
- 1994 - Classic Cars. Presented By Quentin Willson (65 min).
- 1997 - Fast & Furious. Presented By Jeremy Clarkson And Tiff Needell (77 min).
- 1998 - Classic Cars: Aston Martin. Presented By Jeremy Clarkson (45 min).
- 1998 - Classic Cars: Porsche. Presented By Tiff Needell (45 min).
- 1998 - Classic Cars: Ferrari. Presented By Chris Goffey (45 min).
- 1998 - Classic Cars: Jaguar. Presented By Quentin Willson (45 min).
- 1999 - Top Gear: 21 Years. Presented By Kate Humble, preproduction/promotional release (29 min).
- 2000 - Fast & Furious II. Presented By Tiff Needell, With Clarkson, Willson And Butler-Henderson (72 min).
See Also
- Fifth GearFifth GearFifth Gear is a motoring television magazine show from the United Kingdom. Originally shown on Channel 5, the show is currently presented by Tiff Needell, Vicki Butler-Henderson, Jason Plato, Jonny Smith and Ben Collins...
- Top Gear (2002 TV series)
- Top Gear (magazine)Top Gear (magazine)Top Gear is an automobile magazine published by BBC Worldwide, and named after the BBC's Top Gear television show. It was first published in October 1993 and is published monthly at a price of £3.95. The major presenters of the television series—Richard Hammond, James May and Jeremy Clarkson—are...
- Rally ReportRally ReportRally Report was a series of programmes broadcast by the BBC covering the Lombard RAC Rally of Great Britain - then the last round of the World Rally Championship. It ran on BBC2 during the 1980s and 1990s and usually featured previews, a live stage, twice nightly reports and a wrap-up compilation...