The Car's the Star

All Episodes 1994 - 1999

  • Ended
  • #<Network:0x00007f4ad1782300>
  • 1994-09-24T23:00:00Z
  • 25m
  • 13h 45m (33 episodes)
  • United Kingdom
  • English
  • Documentary
Series focusing on classic automobiles, presented by Quentin Willson

33 episodes

Series Premiere

1994-09-24T23:00:00Z

1x01 The Ford Zephyr

Series Premiere

1x01 The Ford Zephyr

  • 1994-09-24T23:00:00Z25m

The first in a series on past cars that have gained icon status looks at the Ford Zephyr which in the 1950s and 60s gave British car buyers American-style glitz at a price they could afford. Quentin Willson tells the story of Britain's most successful big car with the help of those who bought it, designed it and still cherish it now that it has found a place in the hall of motor car fame.

1994-10-01T23:00:00Z

1x02 The Jensen Interceptor

1x02 The Jensen Interceptor

  • 1994-10-01T23:00:00Z25m

The combination of Italian styling, American V8 power and British craftsmanship made the Interceptor the car that every fashion-conscious celebrity wanted to own back in the 60s. Quentin Willson traces the story of this international style icon, born and bred in the back streets of West Bromwich, and interviews some of the stars who helped make it famous.

1994-10-08T23:00:00Z

1x03 The Austin Allegro

1x03 The Austin Allegro

  • 1994-10-08T23:00:00Z25m

Variously known as a "poached egg on wheels" and a "mobile bathtub", the Austin Allegro gets the star treatment this week. Some people think the "all-aggro" was one of the worst cars ever to be made, yet there is now an owners' club full of enthusiasts. Quentin Willson gets behind the infamous square steering wheel to find out why.

1994-10-15T23:00:00Z

1x04 The '59 Cadillac

1x04 The '59 Cadillac

  • 1994-10-15T23:00:00Z25m

Bigger was always better in 50s America, especially when it came to cars. The massive '59 Cadillac was General Motors' ultimate land-based rocket ship and the symbol for that decade of style decadence. With its42-inch fins and impressive dimensions, the '59 Cadillac oozed wealth, self-confidence and unchallenged power. Quentin Willson travels to Los Angeles to chart the life of the car once described as "Jayne Mansfield in metal".

1994-10-22T23:00:00Z

1x05 The Citroen DS

1x05 The Citroen DS

  • 1994-10-22T23:00:00Z25m

France's most famous design after the Eiffel Tower has been called "the most modern car ever" and the French called it the "goddess". Quentin Willson drives the car whose avant-garde lines took France by storm in 1955 and meets some of its passionate fans, including May to December star Anton Rodgers and former Cabinet minister Alan Clark.

1994-10-30T00:00:00Z

1x06 The Ford Mustang

1x06 The Ford Mustang

  • 1994-10-30T00:00:00Z25m

As American as blue jeans, the original 1964 Mustang seduced an entire generation of American car buyers who were fed up with their parents' big land yachts. Quentin Willson travels to the West Coast to meet some of those for whom a 64 Mustang is still the car to be seen in on California's highways.

Season Premiere

1995-02-17T00:00:00Z

2x01 The Land Rover

Season Premiere

2x01 The Land Rover

  • 1995-02-17T00:00:00Z25m

Almost 50 years after the first model rolled off the production line, the Land Rover enjoys instant recognition all over the world. Quentin Wilson charts the history of this British success story.

1995-02-24T00:00:00Z

2x02 The Triumph Herald

2x02 The Triumph Herald

  • 1995-02-24T00:00:00Z25m

With its seductive curves, stylish body, and two-tone paint, the Triumph Herald was regarded as a chic fashion statement by the 1960s middle classes. Thirty-five years on it's enjoying renewed cult status. Quentin Willson meets Harry Webster , who co-designed the original 1959 model with Giovanni Michelotti , and talks to some owners - including magician Fay Presto who has a Herald convertible 1200 - to find out why this car has such enduring appeal.

1995-03-03T00:00:00Z

2x03 The Austin Healey

2x03 The Austin Healey

  • 1995-03-03T00:00:00Z25m

The Big Healeys. The Austin Healey was the stylish British sports car of the 50s and 60s. But, as Quentin Willson discovers, what is now regarded as a design classic was actually hard to drive.

2x04 The Mark 1 Volkswagen Golf GTi

  • 1995-05-08T23:00:00Z25m

The must-have car of the 80s is now viewed as a classic. Quentin Willson profiles the Mark 1 Volkswagen Golf GTi.

1995-05-15T23:00:00Z

2x05 The Fiat 500

2x05 The Fiat 500

  • 1995-05-15T23:00:00Z25m

It may not have attitude, but its fans pay tribute to the design of Dante Giacosa as "a happy car" which is a lot of fun to drive. Quentin Willson admits it has all the performance of a stone snail, a speedomete rthe size of a pocket watch and luggage space fora toothbrush or two. But where other cars are about image and power, the Fiat 500 seems to engender genuine affection among owners past and present. What is the appeal of this matiest of four-wheelers?

2x06 The Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud

  • 1995-05-22T23:00:00Z25m

Back in 1955 when it was launched, few vehicles could command the absolute authority of the Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud. Each car weighed two tons and took three months to build. With an interior like a stateroom and a bonnet like a croquet pitch, it was the closest you could get to a car in the style of a country house. But the Silver Cloud was never the sole preserve of the aristocracy. Quentin Willson meets some of its famous owners, including Barbara Cartland and Jimmy Saville.

Season Premiere

1996-09-13T23:00:00Z

3x01 The Reliant Three-Wheeler

Season Premiere

3x01 The Reliant Three-Wheeler

  • 1996-09-13T23:00:00Z25m

A look at the unique little car that shot to stardom as Del Boy 's mode of transport in Only Fools and Horses. From its wobbly beginnings in the thirties through the financial troubles of the nineties, Top Gear's Quentin Willson examines the history of this peculiarly English vehicle.

1996-11-09T00:00:00Z

3x02 The MK2 Jaguar

3x02 The MK2 Jaguar

  • 1996-11-09T00:00:00Z25m

Synonymous with sixties Britain, the Mkll Jaguar's combination of good looks and performance attracted drivers from many different areas of society-from coppers to criminals. Quentin Willson delves into the model's colourful history.

1996-11-16T00:00:00Z

3x03 The Citroen 2CV

3x03 The Citroen 2CV

  • 1996-11-16T00:00:00Z25m

Motoring was a mirage for impoverished rural France in the forties until the small, versatile and economical Citroen 2CV became available. 2CV aficionado Quentin Willson speaks of how its appeal remains undiminished 50 years later.

Season Premiere

1997-10-12T23:00:00Z

4x01 The E-Type Jaguar

Season Premiere

4x01 The E-Type Jaguar

  • 1997-10-12T23:00:00Z25m

Quentin Willson looks at why so many people find the E-Type Jaguar so special with the help of George Best, Adam Faith and Jackie Stewart. (1997)

1997-10-19T23:00:00Z

4x02 The Mini

4x02 The Mini

  • 1997-10-19T23:00:00Z25m

Quentin Willson explores the appeal of another classic car. This week he examines the enduring charm of the Mini, a symbol of the Swinging Sixties. With guest, society photographer Lord Lichfield.

1997-10-27T00:00:00Z

4x03 The Ford Capri

4x03 The Ford Capri

  • 1997-10-27T00:00:00Z25m

Quentin Willson looks at the Ford Capri, which has acquired a mixed reputation among motoring enthusiasts.

1997-11-03T00:00:00Z

4x04 The VW Camper Van

4x04 The VW Camper Van

  • 1997-11-03T00:00:00Z25m

Quentin Willson explores the cult status achieved by the Volkswagen camper van - a versatile vehicle that remains popular today

1997-11-10T00:00:00Z

4x05 The MGB

4x05 The MGB

  • 1997-11-10T00:00:00Z25m

Quentin Willson looks at the MGB, which, soon after its launch in 1962, became the world's best selling sports car.

1997-11-17T00:00:00Z

4x06 The Chevrolet Corvette

4x06 The Chevrolet Corvette

  • 1997-11-17T00:00:00Z25m

Quentin Willson test-drives the Chevrolet Corvette, the quintessential American sports car.

Season Premiere

1998-11-08T00:00:00Z

5x01 The AC Cobra

Season Premiere

5x01 The AC Cobra

  • 1998-11-08T00:00:00Z25m

The stories of classic cars from the fifties, sixties and seventies. Quentin Willson reflects on the revered AC Cobra.

1998-11-22T00:00:00Z

5x02 The Hillman Imp

5x02 The Hillman Imp

  • 1998-11-22T00:00:00Z25m

Quentin Willson tells the story of the Hillman Imp, which went into production in the sixties.

1998-12-06T00:00:00Z

5x03 The Ford Edsel

5x03 The Ford Edsel

  • 1998-12-06T00:00:00Z25m

Launched in 1957, the Ford Edsel proved an embarrassing flop. Quentin Willson tells its story.

1998-12-13T00:00:00Z

5x04 The Porsche 911

5x04 The Porsche 911

  • 1998-12-13T00:00:00Z25m

Quentin Willson looks at the history of the Porsche 911.

1998-12-20T00:00:00Z

5x05 The Lotus Seven

5x05 The Lotus Seven

  • 1998-12-20T00:00:00Z25m

Lacking carpets, doors and windows, the logic-defying Lotus Seven has endured against all the odds. Quentin Willson goes back to basics with the do-it-yourself car that only the British could possibly have invented.

1998-12-27T00:00:00Z

5x06 The Lada

5x06 The Lada

  • 1998-12-27T00:00:00Z25m

n the Soviet Union it was a status symbol, while in Britain it became a national joke, but does the Lada really deserve its comic reputation? Quentin Willson explores the life and times of the unloved car that was made in Russian factories from an ageing Fiat design.

Season Premiere

1999-09-05T23:00:00Z

6x01 The Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow

Season Premiere

6x01 The Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow

  • 1999-09-05T23:00:00Z25m

A look at the The Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow

1999-09-12T23:00:00Z

6x02 The Volkswagen Beetle

6x02 The Volkswagen Beetle

  • 1999-09-12T23:00:00Z25m

A look at the enduring popularity of a car that went into production following pressure from Hitler.

1999-09-19T23:00:00Z

6x03 The McLaren F1

6x03 The McLaren F1

  • 1999-09-19T23:00:00Z25m

An appreciation of the luxurious British speed machine, which includes a gold-leaf-lined engine and a modem.

1999-09-26T23:00:00Z

6x04 The Volvo Estate

6x04 The Volvo Estate

  • 1999-09-26T23:00:00Z25m

Quentin Willson looks at the history of Volvo's 140 and 240 Estates, which between and 1993 ruled as the nation's favourite load carriers.

1999-10-03T23:00:00Z

6x05 The Jeep

6x05 The Jeep

  • 1999-10-03T23:00:00Z25m

Quentin Willson looks at the US Second World War troop carrier that was the inspiration for the Land Rover.

1999-10-10T23:00:00Z

6x06 The De Lorean

6x06 The De Lorean

  • 1999-10-10T23:00:00Z25m

In the last of the series, Quentin Willson looks at the De Lorean sports car. It was built in Belfast with the aid of a £52 million government grant. But in 1982, a year after the car went on sale, the factory closed down.

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