If you're in the UK, look out for the VW38 in James May's new programme - Cars of the People, Sunday at 9 o'clock, BBC2. Although the top gear team usually hate the Beetle, so it'll be interesting to see what he has to say about it!
[YOUTUBE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RVV_1fMRJiE[/YOUTUBE]
Posted by: vintagebug - 06 August 2014 17:29:09
Thanks Rob, I'll try to remember to watch it :thumbup:
Posted by: AW - 07 August 2014 10:13:18
Thanks For that Rob. I will pass it around :thumbup:
Posted by: Rattletrap - 07 August 2014 11:58:05
Thanks Rob:smile:
I shall make a point of viewing, though it was James May that launched the most vicious verbal tirade against the [i]Beetle[/i] in 2003, describing it as a mass murderer's car among other things. However, he is a very knowledgeable person as he shows by going on to say how Porsche copied much of the Beetle's salient features from Ledwinka's [i]Tatra[/i].:wink:
His anti-Beetle rant can be found on [i]U Tube[/i].
Posted by: Old Blue - 11 August 2014 10:49:48
Watched the programme. I missed the point though on what the Beetle had in connection with people running around in fields naked?
Posted by: pre67vw - 11 August 2014 21:00:25
[quote=Rattletrap;59330
His anti-Beetle rant can be found on [i]U Tube[/i].[/quote]
And now there is this :rofl:
[YOUTUBE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K58ziWDr1Uw[/YOUTUBE]
Posted by: bigoval - 11 August 2014 21:23:01
I think that ^ says it all really!
Posted by: Rattletrap - 12 August 2014 17:18:35
[quote=pre67vw;59343]And now there is this :rofl:
[YOUTUBE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K58ziWDr1Uw[/YOUTUBE][/quote]
It would seem that he has done a few anti-Beetle rants. First was in 2003.:thumbdn:
Posted by: Old Blue - 13 August 2014 11:08:37
James May obviously likes the Beetle.
He finds it difficult to separate it from the Nazi and Hippy background that follows the car around. My other half being of Jewish descent accepts that our family's two Beetles are great little cars, but she will not drive one, its that early history...
Posted by: bigoval - 14 August 2014 21:11:02
[quote=Old Blue;59350]My other half being of Jewish descent accepts that our family's two Beetles are great little cars, but she will not drive one, its that early history...[/quote]
When I bought my first Beetle - my Grampy didn't speak to me for nearly six months - because I had bought "one of those German cars!" - several years later when I traded it in for a Suzuki he was less than impressed... it was only then that I learned he had fought both the Japanese as well as the Germans - and had an intense dislike for them both! But then he only ever did buy British..... until he bought a Renault!
Posted by: Rattletrap - 24 September 2014 18:31:10
Nothings changed.
All three 'car experts' are singing from the same song sheet regarding the [i]Beetle[/i].
Can anyone enlighten me as to why the [i]Morris Minor, Mini [/i]and [i]2CV[/i] seem to escape their attention?
https://www.topgear.com/uk/jeremy-clarkson/clarkson-vw-beetle
Interesting that this page is headed as an 'online learning' site. They seem keen to educate new generations into believing that the VW Beetle really was an awful car - the worst ever made - they want to destroy its ever continuing following maybe:?
Posted by: pre67vw - 25 September 2014 12:41:16
But at least we now know what James May [i]really[/i] thinks, when he's not told what to say by the top gear production team...
[YOUTUBE]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K58ziWDr1Uw[/YOUTUBE]
Posted by: Rattletrap - 25 September 2014 13:07:08
[quote=pre67vw;59515]But at least we now know what James May [i]really[/i] thinks, when he's not told what to say by the top gear production team...[/quote]
Out of the three [i]Top Gear[/i] presenters, May is certainly the one to listen to. Clarkson is without doubt a bigoted idiot and Hammond, well is just an idiot.
You'll not be surprised that Richard Porter, author of the BBC book [i]Crap Cars[/i], writes for [i]Top Gear[/i].
https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/3742504.stm
I'd guess that the programme [i]Cars of the People [/i]was mainly May's own work.
Posted by: pre67vw - 25 September 2014 17:41:59
Clarkson is entitled to his opinion and it really doesn't bother me. He can drive around in his various supercars telling everyone how great the new Ferrari or Lambo is while berating the Beetle as much as he likes, it really makes no difference to us does it?
I like his un PC attitude and its amusing how much of a curmudgeon he is, although the Top Gear formula is getting a little tired and staged.
Plus, if they thought that they'd [i]really[/i] upset us then they'd only go and destroy some nice old VW's wouldn't they...
Posted by: Rattletrap - 25 September 2014 19:09:26
[quote=pre67vw;59517]... if they thought that they'd [i]really[/i] upset us then they'd only go and destroy some nice old VW's wouldn't they...
[/quote]
As you rightly say Rob, the [i]Top Gear [/i]formula is getting tired, so I'd not be too suprised to see Clarkson drive a tank over a row of classic Beetles to cause a stir and gain the show publicity. More or less for the same reason that Porter nominated the Beetle the number one crap car in his book - at the time of the book's launch he gained a lot of publicity because of it.:thumbdn:
No one sell their Beetle to the BBC if they reply to your Beetle for sale advert:!:
Posted by: RoRoVw - 25 September 2014 19:42:20
I haven't watched Top Gear for several years. It's a waste of the Licence fee payers' money, ie. ours.
Rob
Posted by: Rattletrap - 05 October 2014 14:54:56
[quote=RoRoVw;59520]I haven't watched Top Gear for several years. It's a waste of the Licence fee payers' money, ie. ours.
Rob[/quote]
If I was visiting Argentina and wanted to upset the locals, being from England I could go around saying 'Hello 1982 Falklands' bringing reference to the 1982 war. Or it would be possible to say so with a registration plate. It would be difficult to find such a plate of course, but with UK number/letter combinations it is possible with the number H982FKL
Regarding the use of such a provokative plate, Clarkson has been quoted by the press as saying, [i]'Its just a coincidence[/i] [having such a plate displayed on his [i]Porsch[/i]e in Argentina], [i]I swear my children's lives on it' [/i]- how an earth can you use your kid's well-being in such a way. Just shows how really sick [i]Top Gear[/i] is becoming.
To end-up with that registration on that Road Trip car by chance is less likely than me having a lottery number match.:thumbdn:
Posted by: Rattletrap - 05 January 2015 19:14:10
Well, it seems that James May does think that the Beetle has had a significant part in motoring history, the car being in his line up of the 'Most Influential Cars'. However as it says in the write up, he does loath the car we love...:?
Interesting too that a couple of the other most influential cars in the link below have the VW Beetle mentioned in their write up. James May clearly cannot leave the Beetle alone and I think its the Beetle's success that he hates - because its German and trumps the total sales the two British peoples cars put together, the [i]Minor[/i] and [i]Mini[/i]:d
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/cars/news/james-may%e2%80%99s-most-influential-cars-ever/ss-BBhrW5i?ocid=mailsignoutmd#image=4
Posted by: zelensis61 - 06 January 2015 20:14:40
Right, And Christian is sending his precious nr 6/38 towards Uk for the show. :-)
