Ditch the Peugeot

MSN seem very excited this week by this story of a crash involving Jeremy Clarkson & James May in a couple of Peugeots.

MSN summise that it must have happened while filming a new series of Top Gear.

 

Well, DUH!!

 

I actually knew that they were filming a new series because Jeremy mentioned it recently on something he was on that I can't remeber what it was.

 

Given the nature of Top Gear, this crash may well have been planned anyway.  Clearly nobody was hurt.

 

Unlike in this crash story that I also read this week.  It is in the Liverpool Echo and involves a three-car collision between a Rolls, a Nissan Navara and something called a "Daimler Mercedes".  Not sure what a "Daimler Mercedes" would be - I know that the two companies were once one and the same at board level but I don't believe they ever produced anything with that name.  Besides, Daimler the corporate entity was always separate to Daimler the car manufacturer which did happen to be named after the founder of Daimler the corporate entity.

 

But I digress.

 

Without any knowledge of what actually happened here, I blame the Navara driver.

 

It looks like the Rolls hasn't come off too well - but it should be repairable. 

Two of three cars were wedding cars so I bet there were a few frantic phone calls being made this weekend.

 

With hindsight, should have gone for something like this:

Take Your Classic Car to Work Day.

I like Chris Evans.

Not in a sexual way, of course.

I'm also quite jealous of him.

He is the same age as me (give or take 6 months) and has a successful broadcasting career and considerably more cars than me - even if you take into account my Scalextric collection.

He also has the power, through presenting Britain's most popular breakfast show, of declaring days as being "National Whatever Day".

As one of his listeners, I have been following with much interest and anticipation, the announcement and run-up to today - his "National Classic Car Day".

MSN announced it here but most of the media hasn't covered it.

Maybe that is why I haven't seen many classic cars during my 22 mile commute to work this morning and back home this evening.

This morning, I spotted a 1980's Daimler (the one with the rectangular headlamps).  This may or may not have been taking part in National Classic Car Day.

This evening, I spotted a 1980's Porsche 911.  This may or may not have been taking part in National Classic Car Day.

This lunchtime, whilst strolling back from the local Spar with the beef barm I had just purchased, I spotted a yellow Triumph Dolomite.  This may or may not have been taking part in National Classic Car Day but it excited me anyway (not in a sexual way) as all Triumphs always do.

So, overall, I don't think there has been a big take-up - at least where I've been on the England-Wales border today.

However, there are several nice pictures on Chris' Facebook page including this Dyane being modelled by Chris' Radio 2 colleague Alex Lester:

...and of course this Triumph Dolomite: 

So now I'm excited again.

 

But not sexually.

 

Well.  Maybe just a bit.

Clerical Error

When Jim Bowen presented Bulleye in the 1980s, the star prize was often a car.

It was always a small, modest car though - like a Vauxhall Nova or an Austin Metro.

Now he has become Pope, he has made a decree in line with this philosophy.  According to Autoguide, he has made a plea to the Catholic Church’s priests and nuns, asking them to pick a car that’s more “humble” rather than the latest model that’s available.

Fair enough, although it was only last week that he took delivery of a new Merc:

Fox had that story.  It's a new M-Class and the keys were handed to him personally by Daimler CEO Dr. Dieter Zetsche.  Maybe he doesn't practice what he preaches.

 

This is the latest in a longish line of Popemobiles - my favourite being this Mercedes 300 D from the days before D meant a Diesel.

I think that His Holiness will approve of Father Ted's choice of car, though - a battered old Ford Cortina.

Great, smashing, super!