James Mays Cars of the People

[Pete-M]

My Grandad had his Reliant Robin tipped on it's side by twats. That was in 1982 so it isn't really a modern phenomenon...

 

BLAME CLARKSON AND THE INTERNET. ANYONE WHO DISAGREES IS CLARKSON-LITE. REHASH THE SAME COCK JOKES FOR YEARS. 

 

 

[Six-cylinder]

Not so offended this week because I knew what I was going to get, but once again shooting cars seemed like a scene from another program added in for no good reason to the story.

 

I do believe that programs like top gear do influence people, but that would lead to motoring pranks rather than mindless minor vandalism. 

[Pete-M]

Thing is, those old R4s used to suffer from the torsion bar mounts rotting severely. It was pretty much not worth saving them once they'd gone, and I didn't see the R4 or 2CV that was shot being driven. 2CVs also suffer from lots of hidden rot that isn't obvious. 

So, they probably shot two finished cars that nobody was likely to save anyway. Couple of scrappers, coat of military green Dulux and shoot the fucking things. 

I doubt anyone sane can have any issues with that. 

<Cue the Communists>

[Richard]

My tv has had the same issue as Barefoot's for over twenty years. I just stopped trying to watch it.

[hennabm]

Given the subject of the programme - what did the shooting of a 2CV and R4 bring to the party?  

 

If the programme had set out to be a programme about cocks for cocks - like TG, then fine shoot them up, but I assumed it would be above that level.

 

Apart from that, the prog wasn't too bad to watch

[Pete-M]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWTFG3J1CP8&feature=youtu.be

[dollywobbler]

Has anyone considered that perhaps they do this purely because internet forums then end up FULL of discussions about the programme? This thread would probably have disappeared by now if it was just straight history.

[Pete-M]

Yup. 

They'll moan about it anyway.

[dugong]

[garbaldy]

Given the subject of the programme - what did the shooting of a 2CV and R4 bring to the party?

 

The message it was supposed to give was just how stupid the goverments where to use those cars for army use.

Not sure why they where used but it can't be any worse than giving soldiers those fold up bikes.

[dugong]

But do they arrange the blocks that fall upon them from up above?

[Pete-M]

DOWN WITH EVERYTHING.

[NorfolkNWeigh]

[EssDeeWon]

Half the programme was used up by;

 

a ) prooving the 2CV or Renna 4 were not good milatary vehiles

b ) that you can slip through busy city centres quicker by bike than in a car

 

Oh my goodness, Really?

 

Fascinating, edge of seat, shocking stuff!

[forddeliveryboy]

Thing is, those old R4s used to suffer from the torsion bar mounts rotting severely. It was pretty much not worth saving them once they'd gone, and I didn't see the R4 or 2CV that was shot being driven. 2CVs also suffer from lots of hidden rot that isn't obvious. 

 

So, they probably shot two finished cars that nobody was likely to save anyway. Couple of scrappers, coat of military green Dulux and shoot the fucking things. 

 

I doubt anyone sane can have any issues with that. 

 

<Cue the Communists>

 

I think you're missing the point most are making here, Pete - nobody's mourning the fact that some old cars have been scrapped and someone enjoyed using them as target practice/dropping them from a height before they were, but because it made no sense and jarred with the reasonable quality of the rest of the prog. The power of the visual image shouldn't be underestimated. Some mayor of New York found that by repairing vandalised windows and getting tough with relatively minor crime, much more serious crime reduced significantly. Show enough gratuitous, mindless vandalism on TV and it will have an effect.

 

Just because your Granny's dead, you wouldn't saw off her leg for fun and broadcast it on the telly in the middle of a show about how fantastic Grannies are, would you? In the middle of a programme about weirdos or body-snatchers of the 19th century, it could fit in much better.

 

yours, Mary Whitehouse

 

 

The message it was supposed to give was just how stupid the goverments where to use those cars for army use.

Not sure why they where used but it can't be any worse than giving soldiers those fold up bikes.

 

British helicopters couldn't lift a Lightweight Landie, but they could lift a 2cv. Then when newer, better ones could lift a Landie, they found it broke if dropped by more than a few inches, whereas they could drop the corrugated shed from 15 feet without damage.

 

I don't think the reason was to show how ineffective a car is in the event of a landmine or friendly fire - newspaper headlines of British servicemen killed in Land-Rovers in Iraq would have got this point over much more effectively.

[Cavcraft]

He never had 'the point' in the first place, he just wants to be the antagonist.

He's not going to get a job on a motoring programme, so just let him call anyone who disagrees with his Internet Clarkson Wannabe status a commie or something and crack on.

[barefoot]

^ no drop a piano on it.

 

Can I just say that this didn't achieve the desired result, this place isn't what it used to be etc. etc.

I was quite prepared to hammer a smaller TV over it etc. etc.

[HillmanImp]

You forgot that your telly was registered new as a blue Land Rover D701 SWL.

[Ghosty]

Old Man watched this and he didn't get the point of all the shooting and such, he said he enjoyed the bit about K-cars but it wasn't in enough detail.

[AnthonyG]

I did think the shooting of the cars was a bit pointless, the 2CV did look utterly, utterly shagged out even before they shot it up so no great loss.

 

I was amazed to hear that banned drivers were allowed on the road in France in one of those VSP things

 

Did anybody else spot the Vanden Plas 1300 in the Japanese segment? Oh, and I want a Daihatsu Copen now, in red with black interior please.

[Shep Shepherd]

I was amazed to hear that banned drivers were allowed on the road in France in one of those VSP things

 

That was a revelation. I'm thankful that a similar thing didn't happen over here!

[richardmorris]

Er, no were about it. They still are as far as I know. Avoid "sans permis" drivers at all account, they're likely to be banned from driving "cars" - usually for one too many at the local bar.

 

The paint on the 2CV did seem to be holding it together - the sills fell off before they started shooting the poor thing. Still a pointless waste of time and money though - some more info and less histrionics would be good. I shall have a word with a friend in our local 2CV club who works at the BBC- radio 7 I think but better than nothing.

[richardmorris]

Thing is, those old R4s used to suffer from the torsion bar mounts rotting severely. It was pretty much not worth saving them once they'd gone, and I didn't see the R4 or 2CV that was shot being driven. 2CVs also suffer from lots of hidden rot that isn't obvious. 

 

So, they probably shot two finished cars that nobody was likely to save anyway. Couple of scrappers, coat of military green Dulux and shoot the fucking things. 

 

I doubt anyone sane can have any issues with that. 

 

<Cue the Communists>

 

 

 

 

My parent's first new car was a R4 - failed its first MOT on structural rot - the floor fell out.

[dollywobbler]

Ok. I watched it. Mrs DW was starting to look so angry during the weapons-fest that I thought she might destroy my laptop. It was pretty shit television. The noodle segment was also about three times longer than it should have been. As Mrs DW stated, it seems a bit odd that she, a non-car person, found the car bits interesting and the rest rubbish.

 

Also, did anyone else spot that during the 'different types of Transit' section, one of the pictures is of a bleedin' Mercedes Sprinter? Deary me that's poor!

[sheffcortinacentre]

can you guess who's mk1 transit it was?

[Jon]

I watched the second episode and because I'm abroad, thankfully had to watch it on iPlayer, rather than live, which meant that I could fast forward the pointless 2cv and R4 blowing up bits and the noodle run. As said, it jars with the whole notion of factual programming. It's fine to have wacky science experiments and a little bit of destruction etc. for humour's sake on childrens' science programmes (like that one Hammond presented) but I'm not a child, so I'll fast froward a 60 minute programme and make it in to a 40 minute one.

 

However, I'm genuinely torn between 'internet outrage' and a more liberal opinion of the programme. After all, I only had to press a button and skip the shit bits and all was OK. And without the TG element of the programme, there's a good chance that the series wouldn't have been commissioned in the first place. I think it's just the general notion of programme execs assuming that the great unwashed wouldn't contemplate watching an informative programme without it stooping to lowest common denominator party tricks like pointless races and car bashing.

 

Worse still is the notion that these execs could be right...... 

[PiperCub]

TBH I would rather he didn't do the 'blowing the shit out of stuff' bit in his programmes it really is pointless and adds nothing - leave that to Clarkson and the other guy, it's more their mentality.

I know it's just TV hence just entertainment more than most as I worked in network and local TV for 12 years (& still do though more transmission now) so believe me, I'm aware of how real (or not) things on TV are but in my opinion May is a bit above this level of slightly juvenile BS and is more than capable of making interesting programmes. I'd like to hope it was an editorial descision not his idea but I didn't read the credits to see who was the producer.

[RedSparrow]

I thought it was quite good. It's the only new BBC thing I've watched for ages.

Talking of the Sprinter/Transit mix up, last week they showed a photo of a Moskvitch when chatting about Ladas/Fiat 124s being made in loads of different countries.

[barefoot]

...so I'll fast froward a 60 minute programme and make it in to a 40 minute one.

 

 

 

Me too, but I fast-forwarded mine on my new super telly

[Pete-M]

I quite enjoyed the noodle race. Got to see a bit of Japan that isn't often on telly.