James May and Damon Hill drive my 260Z!

[RIDDLER]

James May and Damon Hill will both be seen driving my 260Z on BBC television this Sunday night.
The programme is called 'James May's Cars of the People' and is on BBC2 at 9pm.
My car will be raced against a 5.3 litre V12 Jaguar E-Type.
Both James and Damon will take turns at the wheel of each car as they race each other on the track.
More than that I cannot say until after the programme has gone out because I have had to sign confidentiality agreements etc.
I am just hoping the car comes across well! I saw it flying round the track but I couldn't hear what they were saying about the cars. I also met both James and Damon but neither were giving much away!
I have not had a preview of the show so will be watching it for the first time myself on Sunday along with everyone else.
Whatever happens, it should be great to see a classic Z getting such exposure on national television and I can still hardly believe that those two guys have driven my car!
The filming was done at Oulton Park in August after a researcher working for James May rang me out of the blue and asked if they could use my 260Z in the show.
After the show is screened I will be posting up some great pictures I took on the day.
So don't miss it! Program your recorders!

 

[SeanDezart]

Congrats - just what the Z scene needs - exposure !

Doesn't matter if it loses - people will see one and these things are generally rigged by journalists to show what they expect us to believe*....I assume that the Jag is an automatic ?

*journalists most frequently tell us things that we already know or commonly believe and go on to take credit for 'informing' us. All rather amusing and part of 'the game'.

Bravo - I wonder if they'll call it a 260Z or.....

 

[johnymd]

Great coverage for the marque. Hope you had some good tyres on the car at the time as I guess the pulic will use this to judge how well an S30 could handle on a race track. Here hopeing it shows the handling of our cars in a good light as I'm guessing it's purely a test of the 2 cars track performance. The producers of the show will often be trying to make a point and will carfully sellect a car that will put that point across so it's an interesting choice of 2 cars.

 

[Huw]

Outstanding. I will definitely watch with interest. You do have a fine example of a 260Z, so here's hoping it is portraid in a good light.

 

[Rob Gaskin]

..... a researcher working for James May rang me out of the blue ........

No he didn't

This should be good - let's hope it is. Whatever happens your lovely car will get the public thinking about these - well done for 'going along' with everything Rob and making the producer's life easy. I know you even altered your holiday to facilitate the filming.

Also congrats on keeping this secret until today - I know you've been bursting to share your excitement (like we all would be).

 

[RIDDLER]

Great coverage for the marque. Hope you had some good tyres on the car at the time as I guess the pulic will use this to judge how well an S30 could handle on a race track. Here hopeing it shows the handling of our cars in a good light as I'm guessing it's purely a test of the 2 cars track performance. The producers of the show will often be trying to make a point and will carfully sellect a car that will put that point across so it's an interesting choice of 2 cars.

I think the theme of the programme is how the Brits/Yanks won the war against Germany/Japan but then lost the car industry. From what I can gather from a promo for the show I have read in the Radio Times, it is aiming to show how the Germans and the Japanese became the powerhouses, developing cars that were better than their British counterparts. If that IS the case I am hoping my car will get a good press on the show!
I had only recently put four new Bridgestones on the car (I run 205/60/15s) and ahead of the filming day I had the car serviced, the brakes checked out and the brake fluid replaced.
But before that day the car (to my knowledge) had never seen a track so it is not in any way a race-prepped vehicle - just a standard road-going one.

 

[RIDDLER]

No he didn't QUOTE]

Alright Rob - he rang Duncan at the Z Farm looking for a 260, Duncan remembered selling one to me but had lost my numbers so he put the researcher onto you and you then rang me!
Apparently the car HAD to be a 260 (not a 240 or any other model) for reasons that will become apparent on the show, and also had to be as close as they could get to a standard car - that is, no flared arches, big engine mods etc etc

 

[Mr Tenno]

Fantastic! Will definitely be tuning in.

 

[zedboy]

Excellent... can't wait.

 

[SeanDezart]

I think the theme of the programme is how the Brits/Yanks won the war against Germany/Japan but then lost the car industry. From what I can gather from a promo for the show I have read in the Radio Times, it is aiming to show how the Germans and the Japanese became the powerhouses, developing cars that were better than their British counterparts. If that IS the case I am hoping my car will get a good press on the show!

I hope so.....although they may turn around and say, all that is true but WE would always buy the Jag as it's got a nice dashboard and a 'real' wooden steering wheel.... A real 'driver's' comparison.

Anyway, for once, I'll go along with the 'any pub is good pub' !

 

[johnymd]

I think in the past our cars have always been treated well by the media as Mike may confirm. Having had dealings with a member of the top gear crew.

 

[SeanDezart]

Having had dealings with a member of the top gear crew.

....my only experience with them and then direct face to face with Clarkson at the NEC was not very complimentary at all........

 

[RIDDLER]

....my only experience with them and then direct face to face with Clarkson at the NEC was not very complimentary at all........

Well Mr May was very complimentary about the car when he first arrived and looked it over - said it was one of his favourite cars in the pack of Top Trumps that he treasured as a kid.

 

[SeanDezart]

Well Mr May was very complimentary about the car when he first arrived and looked it over - said it was one of his favourite cars in the pack of Top Trumps that he treasured as a kid.

Well, he was the only intelligent one in the last band ! Funny how it's that or an old Matchbox car that sets people off wanting one.....!

 

[JK240]

Great to hear Rob, and as everyone's already said lets hope it show your/our cars off in a positive way

 

[datsfun]

Great stuff. Hope they do it justice and confirm that the 260z is a better car than the 240z in many ways!

 

[Alphabettispaghetti]

Great stuff. Hope they do it justice and confirm that the 260z is a better car than the 240z in many ways!

Yes, it is cheaper

 

[Stockdale]

I shall look forward to seeing your car on TV Rob. Having recently had the privilege of driving it I am aware that not only is it very well looked after it feels considerably more refined than my own 260Z. As you know mine is an early car and is a little crude by comparison (for me a bit more like a 240Z). Lets hope that next time we meet you can drive it and you will see what I mean (if of course the starter motor behaves!).

 

[Dave B]

Brilliant, will deffo tune in


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Alphabettispaghetti]

I knew they were looking a while ago, good to hear they found one that gets some use.

As a side note, I'm sure that I read that Mr Hill said in a Sunday paper that he doesn't like cars!?