Home Brew

 Wheeler Dealers is coming home!

But wait, that's not Ant Anstead.

No, that's Marc Priestley aka "Elvis" - the British based mechanic who worked with Mike on Wheeler Dealers - Dream Car.

Which I never watched.

The full announcement is here on YouTube:

Elvis is taking over from Ant and the three of them appear in that video talking about what will be the series-after-next.

I look forward to it being British again and I have every confidence that Elvis will make a fine third incarnation of the WD Mechanic - a Jon Pertwee to Ant's Patrick Troughton if you will.

One other thing I took from the video was a throw-away comment from Ant about his wives.

So I looked them up on Wikipedia.

His first wife, according to Wiki, is famous for being Ant Anstead's ex-wife.

His second wife, however, who is also Ant Anstead's ex-wife, seems to be a TV Presenter.

One person who gets virtually zero mention, however, is Edd - still the original and best and I bet a lot of the show's fans' first choice to resume the role.  It was stated that Ant will be calling in from time to time so I think we really need a "Three Mechanics" episode at some point - if Doctor Who can do it, then there's no reason why Wheeler Dealers can't.

Pointless

There is something wrong with the British public.

Actually, we already knew that - Boris Johnson and Brexit prove that.

But they seem ignorant on important matters too.

There must also be something wrong with Top Gear.

I've just been watching Pointless.  They had a round on Top Gear presenters - 16 photos and the contestants had to identify the presenters in the photos.

Obviously I knew them all so I decided to go with Jon Bentley - I figured he was a shoe-in to be a pointless answer.

Here are the results straight from the TV on my bedroom wall:

Two members of the British public knew who Jon Bentley is.

Two also knew who Sabine Schmitz is.

BUT ONLY ONE KNOWS WHO CHRIS HARRIS IS!

And nobody knows who Vicki Butler-Henderson is!

Crazy!

Jeremy was top scorer and those famous for other things all scored highly too.

I'm not convinced that when Richard Osman, the man with all the answers, said that Top Gear was Kate Humble's big break in TV, that he was right.  I seem to remember her already being famous and her joining Top Gear and me thinking that she was a poor choice since she seemed to know bugger all about cars and driving - how history repeats itself.

And then Richard Osman pointed out that Tiff Needell ought to be Tiffany Dell and Alexander Armstrong asked him what Tiff was short for - Richard Osman, the man with all the answers, got it wrong.

He needs to read my blog.

Picketing

I was minded to do a Post on Thursday because two different things piqued my interest:

One was this Car+Driver article about the latest of many many many special edition Minis - this one being the 1499GT

The other was the return of Bangers & Cash to TV for a new series

But which to do?

The new Mini is an homage to the old Mini 1275GT although it is really just the stripe along the bottom that they have in common:

I prefer the old one:

But it was while looking for a picture of a black example to match the new car, that I found this picture:

It's a Wood & Pickett version of the 1275GT - Wood & Pickett being coachbuilders/car converters.  The latest evidence of their existence that I can find is this article from 2011.  I suspect that they are no more but would be happy to be corrected.

That picture reminded me of a BBC Archives Facebook Post that a friend of mine once stuck onto my timeline with Lesley Judd driving around the Blue Peter studio in one marveling at its luxury vinyl roof. Click here if you are a Facebook user who wants to see her.

Now Wood & Pickett converted several different cars, specialising in Minis and other BLMC/British Leyland/Austin-Rover vehicles including my first car - the Triumph Dolomite- this is their version:

Not sure about their paint choice though - and neither was Derek Mathewson, boss of Mathewson's Auctions when he sold it in this week's series 3 episode 1 of Bangers & Cash.  He also sold a barely used Triumph Toledo.  I always watch Bangers & Cash - I'm waiting to see if Wayne Carini turns up stood at the back of the room one week and I think I'm in love with Sarah Crabtree but it was these these two Triumphs that made me want to publish this week.

So, both stories neatly linked.  My work here is done.

Humming

That's the noise an electric motor makes.

So is an electric Beetle a Humbug?

Remember when Arnie Schwarzenegger got his Humvie H1 electrified?

Not the most attractive of vehicles but the thought of an environmentally friendly Hummer was novel.

Well GMC have finally revealed lots of information about, and pictures of, their new electric Hummer:

Car+Driver have got loads of stories on it - here is just one.

And I have to say I really like it.  I don't normally like that class of vehicle - I guess I was put off by the old Nissan Navara ads which basically said that people who nobody respected should buy them.

Apparently the first 2022 models will all be white with a removable black roof, bronze-coloured wheels and a two-tone black and grey interior with bronze accents and Edition 1 badges.

Other variations including cheaper models will come later but let's be honest, it's these Edition 1 ones that Wayne Carini's Great-Grandkids will be getting excited about in Season 180 of Chasing Classic Cars.

So if an electric Beetle is a Humbug, then an electric Hummer must be...

...a Hummer.

Diabolical

I like Paddy McGuinness.  I find him funny.  I loved him in Phoenix Nights.

BUT GOD IS HE ANNOYING IN TOP GEAR!?

I stated when they were first announced, that this did not feel to me to be a good combination of presenters.

Apart from a few lapses, the first series wasn't too awful. But last week, when they were racing around the karting track in Bolton, I just got more and more annoyed with Paddy messing around - I reckon he caused the Freddie crash by spraying him with Cola.

Now this week, he trashes a Lambo!

Skidded on oil my foot!

I hated the car park musical chairs too - just seemed like pointless damage.

Did enjoy Freddie doing the 200mph and the Wheel of Death bit though.

Or am I just old?