An ode to “the car”
I've grown up on Top Gear.
Specifically, I grew up on Croatian "car review" shows - modelled on the precursor to Top Gear before its 2001 reboot. After my uncle "acquired" some of the early seasons of Top Gear, however, I became enamored with it. It was a fabulous show that I still miss. At its core, Top Gear was, and still is, an entertainment show that epitomises love for the car. When people think of Top Gear, they often recall "cheap car challenges" and "grand adventures" [1], but my mind goes to the magnificent Aston Martin V12 Vantage piece and the Senna tributes - both of which I've watched over 20 times. To me, these were true expressions of the love and passion for the planet-ruining, yet beloved, 4-wheeled machines that some of us adore.
Although opinions differ on the success of The Grand Tour that came after, it has produced some of the best car-related content to date. I'm convinced that the way Hammond spoke about Jim Clark [2], James shedding tears in Neil Armstrong's Corvette or driving a roaring GT40, or Clarkson's love for the Lancia 037 are the ultimate expressions of love for automotive history.
With the Grand Tour ending soon and the future of the car industry looking uncertain, I thought I'd highlight and recommend a few motoring "journalists" and creators who keep the passion for these weird and wonderful machines alive.
First, I’d love to highlight work of Henry Catchpole. I first came across his work articles I found at the cyclist magazine. Googling led me to a plethora of automotive work he’s done with EVO, and more recently on YouTube with various different outlets. His storytelling to this day often matches Top Gear at it’s best, and his knowledge and presentation of automotive history is, in my opinion at least, unparalleled in today’s media world. I’ve seen the following video countless times and it is to this day the only one I’ve “favourited” (whatever that means). Henry continues to produce great work and I really, really hope he continues with even bigger budgets in the future.
Second one, who is much more in-line with the early Top Gear “cheap car challenge” mentality is the AutoAlex crew (and I’m counting all of the old CarThrottle peeps inside here as well). This is purely because of the laughs I had seeing their content occasionally (I admit, I’m not a regular on that one), and because they do shows like this. They spread love for affordable shitboxes, often giving them a new lease of life or one final adventure.
And last (and most certainly not least), there is an old mate Harry - a neighbour of sorts.
I’ve seen his Lotus and Lambo on the roads of Oxfordshire on a number of occasions, and his car review are the only one I tend to trust (not that he drives anything I could feasibly afford). His is not channel for everyone - it’s for nerds and enthusiasts. But if you fall into one of these categories, there is nothing quite like it.
To be honest, neither I nor anyone else really, know what is happening nor what will happen with the automotive industry as a whole. But I’d like to thank these guys for the work they are doing to keep the passion for cars - all cars - alive. To bring things back, and finish on a Clarkson quote (that I stole from an AutoAlex video):
It’s what non-car people don’t get. They see all cars as a ton-and-a half pile of glass, metal, wiring and rubber. But people like you and I know, we have an unshakeable belief that cars are living entities. That you can develop a relationship with a car, and this is what non car people just don’t get.
[1] which are great testament to the adventures one can get into with a simple car.
[2] who is the best racing car driver who ever lived, and it’s the hill I will die on
