The Classic Car Show (2015) s01e06 Episode Script
Episode 6
Coming up Alex Riley makes a pilgrimage to Le Mans to meet a childhood hero.
This is the actual car that won Le Mans in 1987.
Bruno Senna takes to the racetrack to push a classic to the limit.
This one's looking very good.
And I take on my greatest challenge yet the 1,000 mile Mille Miglia endurance race.
I've got to the Mille Miglia, baby! Hello and welcome to the Classic Car Show from our subterranean studio steeped in Brookland's motor racing history.
We are going to give you another hour of pure hardcore classic car wonder.
Now, first things first.
We need to find out what car Quentin has picked for us from his all-time classic list.
I'm greatly honoured to be sitting here next to Quentin a colossus in car journalism.
Colossus, you might know, was a figure from ancient Greece and also, I believe, your first boss from Buying Cars magazine.
Nag, nag, nag.
I don't know why I put up with this ritual abuse.
Cos you love it, really.
I feel like the car that I'm going to tell you about underappreciated, undervalued, more sinned against than sinning.
But this is one phoenix that's definitely going to rise from the ashes.
Why don't we love the MGB? This was once the world's best-selling sports car.
You can still get absolutely every single part, it kickstarted the whole classic car revolution back in the '80s, and MGB's are one of the cheapest classics you can buy.
Now we all know the MGB whiffs of flatcaps, bad breath, facial hair and dodgy acrylic jumpers but none of that should matter because you can go out and buy one of these cars, a really, really good one, for ten grand.
We should be queuing up to buy them but we're not.
We need to find out why.
In 1962, the MGB was a monster hit and a suburban darling.
It was 950 quid.
Simple, uncomplicated, with a bomb-proof 1,800CC engine and looked fresh and modern.
The suburban middle classes couldn't get enough of it and the Americans hoovered up 50% of every year's production.
So the early '60s, one of the brief periods in the MGB's 18-year lifespan, when it was a really cool ride.
And you can see why.
Leather seats, dashboards strewn with gauges, big nautical steering wheel.
And don't forget the MGB shell was one of the stiffest of its era.
It didn't shake, rattle or roll.
In fact, it all felt so tough you'd think it was made by Mercedes.
But it wasn't.
The top bosses at BMC were risk-averse traditionalists who mis-managed their top-selling sports car so badly it became comical.
It took three years to add the pretty Pininfarina-styled MGBG to the line-up in 1965.
If they'd launched the GT in '62, it would have stolen thousands of sales from the Jaguar E-type Coupe and beaten the Ford Capri to market by seven whole years.
Putting a bigger engine in the MGB was always a good idea so in 1967 the MGC appeared.
The trouble was, it was the wrong engine.
It was a big heavy cast-iron three-litre out of the dreary Austin three-litre.
And it was so nose-heavy it made the MGC handle like a pair of y-fronts in a tumble drier.
Then at the press launch, some bright spark got the front tyre pressures wrong and the handling was suicidal.
The MGC only lasted 2 years and sold 9,000 units.
These days we quite like it because it's a relaxed long-distance cruiser but back then, the jokes they just kept on coming.
The stakes were really now piling up to shoulder height.
In 1973, British Leyland launched this the MGB V8.
This was a blindingly good little car, 125mph, 60 in 8 seconds, 3.
5 litre V8 engine up the front.
Listen, listen [ENGINE ROARS.]
And a noise like the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
But what did they do? They launch it in the middle of an oil crisis.
They don't do a convertible and they don't sell it to their biggest market which is America.
Hello?! And here's a prediction if British Leyland had made this car properly, in left-hand drive form and sold it to the States, it would have saved not just MG, but British Leyland.
And if you ever get the chance to buy one of these cars, don't hesitate, not even for a nanosecond.
Because they are great.
Whoa, baby! Ding-dong! In 1976, British Leyland delivered the unkindest cut of all.
Nasty, black polyurethane bumpers not only looked awful, they made the MGB much slower and raising the ride height for new American safety regulations blunted the once sure-footed handling.
Striped nylon seats and an interior with more plastic than Las Vegas turned the MGB into a very old joke.
But it was a joke that was wearing thin and by 1980, BL killed off the long-suffering MGB.
Even the last few cars took years to sell and some even lingered unloved in showrooms until 1984.
Just to show you how nutty things were in the corridors of power at British Leyland in the '80s, this is the actual 1980 motor show car.
This car was taken off the production line in Abingdon and it was detailed and prepped and a special lacquer put in the paint to make it gleam underneath the lights.
And this was October 1980, done in the full and certain knowledge that MG was closing.
Why would they do that? You couldn't make it up.
The world's best-selling sports car had to make way for another of British Leyland's brilliant ideas the Triumph TR7.
A car so ugly, there are even more jokes about that than the MGB.
But I say it's time to stop being horrid to the MGB because all those virtues that made it great in 1962 are just as compelling now.
And here's the thing in today's rising market, these cars are so cheap it's daft.
This is a Mark One MGB GT 1967 and it's got all the classic desirable virtues the chrome bumpers, the wire wheels, the leather seats, the big wheel.
But what you need to know is that these Mark Ones are really, really rare now.
There's probably only 150 of them left in the world cos so many were butchered and scrapped in the '70s and '80s.
You could go out and buy a car like this in similarly patternated but solid original condition for five grand.
Now that is very cheap indeed and trust me, in the next couple of years, you'll see that rise to £10,000.
So, look, an MGB that's free classic motoring that even makes you a bit of profit.
What more do you want? Buy them as soon as you can.
And here's another sign of the MGB's renaissance.
You can now buy a brand new one.
Frontline are selling their LE 50 with a Mazda MX5 fuel-injected engine and top speed of 160mph.
55 grand is no small sum, but if you want to own the MGB that those muppets in BMC and BL should have madethis is it.
The MGB is definitely more sinned against than sinning.
A great British sports car that's spent most of its life being managed by a bunch of feckless incompetents and then its twilight years polished by old age pensioners.
No wonder we never really took it seriously.
But here's my point we should, cos the market has got the MGB all wrong.
It's simple, it's uncomplicated, it's easy to live with and it is outrageously undervalued.
So what you need to do is ignore all the sniggering and go out and buy yourself a decent MGB now because there will come a time, and it won't be very long, when you will be very, very glad you did.
Aw, that was so sweet.
So sweet I actually got you a little present.
Here we go, here we go, Quentin.
[YORKSHIRE ACCENT.]
Got you some slippers and a nice pipe.
I don't know why I went into a Yorkshire accent This is the sort of ill-informed puerile nonsense I'm talking about.
We are ahead of the market with this car.
You saw it on the film, it's low, it's naughty, it's got leather seats, it's got wire wheels, and most important, Jodie Kidd, it is affordable.
Well, there you are.
The MGB, a fuddy-duddy classic in my eyes.
Jodie, be careful what you are saying.
You have the MGB owners club to contend with.
They are the Illuminati of owners clubs.
They will come in the night, they will burn you at the stake.
If I'm not here next week, you know what's happened.
[LAUGHS.]
Be careful I think a really good idea is why don't we go to Twitter to see who's going to win this debate.
No, you're not.
Anyway, you can find us at Also coming up, Alex Riley I do not know why goes to Le Mans and Jodie here does a very sparkling debut at the Mille Miglia.
Coming up Alex Riley goes to Le Mans desperately seeking Derek.
Derek! Bruno Senna hustles a classic round the track.
And Jodie takes on the 1,000 miles of the Mille Miglia road rally.
All of that still to come.
Now, in the 1980s when it came to the world famous 24-hour at Le Mans, there was one driver and one car that really ruled the roost.
So that gave us the perfect opportunity to send our retro kid Alex Riley to investigate.
Why? Give him a chance When I were a lad this was the ultimate toy for a car-mad like me.
The Scalextric Group C edition featuring the Porsche 962.
And one of the greatest drivers of the 962 was Derek Bell who just happens to be at Le Mans this weekend driving one for the very last time.
So I'm gonna pack up my Scalextric, get over there and see if I can meet him.
Derek is going to be racing in the Group C support race a testimonial showcase for the mind-blowing cars of the '80s.
Well, I've got my ticket, I've got my passport, but most importantly my Group C Racing Scalextric set.
Now, I've just got four hours to work out how I'm gonna track down Derek Bell and his Porsche amongst a quarter of a million other race fans making their way to Le Mans.
I've been on this train for two hours now.
In that time Derek Bell could have done 34 laps of Le Mans.
In fact, in 1971 he achieved 246mph down the Mulsanne Straight.
This is one of the fastest trains in Europe, but it's nowhere near as fast as Derek Bell.
Luckily the train is fast enough to get me to Le Mans in plenty of time to look for Derek.
He's got to be in there.
Porsche are back at Le Mans after a 16-year absence and to celebrate, they've brought along some of their most famous cars.
This is the actual car that won Le Mans in 1987.
Excuse me, mate.
Can I have a go at polishing it? The 962 is one of the most successful sports cars of all time.
It won 235 races in 12 years.
And tomorrow, Derek is hoping to make it one more.
Derek's nowhere to be found at the track so I'm off to town on a hunch.
This is one of the newer Le Mans traditions.
All of the drivers parade through town in a series of classic cars.
I know Derek's gonna be here.
Derek! Derek! Derek! Derek! Derek! Derek! Derek! I don't think he's seen me.
So close and yet so far.
This is becoming my own personal endurance trial.
I've one final idea.
This is the legendary Hotel du France where many of the great drivers have stayed since the 1950s, including Derek Bell and apparently he's staying there tonight.
So I'm gonna try and get a room and just hang around and wait for him.
Hiya.
Bonjour, monsieur.
During the Le Mans weekend, hotel rooms are hard to come by so I've got everything crossed they've got space for me here.
I'm in! Can you take this gentlemen to his room, please? Thank you very much.
Thank you.
I've just got word that Derek's on his way to the hotel and he's on the warpath about some nutter who's been stalking him all day.
I just hope a game of Scalextric will calm him down.
How are you? I'm fine, thanks.
Hello, Derek.
I'm Alex.
Hello.
Do you want to have a game of Scalextric maybe? Erm I've brought it all the way from England.
You are nuts.
With my dream Scalextric game underway, I finally get to chatwith Derek! Is this anything like actually racing at Le Mans? I have to say I don't do it one-handed.
Look at that.
Oh! The race abandoned after several crashes I ask Derek about his passion for Le Mans.
There's so much history and it did so much for my life.
Without Le Mans, I wouldn't be standing with you here today cos you wouldn't know who the hell I was.
But Le Mans gave me everything really and to be honest, the track is one of the greatest tracks in the world to race on.
To be able to go down Mulsanne at 246mph, you're only guiding the car, you're not actually really driving it.
You're flat to the floor and it's a unique experience and you just can't not revel in it, you know.
You've driven lots of different cars.
Which one was your favourite? My favourite has to be the 962.
It's strange, because it's rather like having a wife that you've been with a long time.
You don't realise how wonderful she is until you're not in her.
I was there with Jacky Ickx and Jochen Mass from the very beginning right the way through its era.
And erm, it gave us all the victories we had.
Without Porsche there wouldn't have been sports car racing through the '80s and it made it the greatest era ever.
I had 7 24-hour wins with the 962.
So this is the last time that you'll be paired with a 962, your favourite car, at your favourite track.
In a race, yeah.
How are you feeling? I'm sort of ready for that, I think.
II love going around it and I do demonstration laps but it's not the same as a race.
And that's why I had to do this one.
You're gonna win, aren't you? I'd like to think so.
962, Le Mans.
I mean, no-one's got a chance.
You've brought this Scalextric all the way from home but having done that you could be out there hanging the board out if you want to.
The pit board? Yes! Yes, please! I won't let you down, Derek.
OK.
Cheers.
But the next morning as the Circuit de la Sarthe begins to wake up .
.
I get some devastating news.
During qualifying Derek did what he does best and very quickly.
But when he returned to the pits, the team discovered a problem.
Head mechanic Paul holds my pit board dreams in his hands.
Excuse me, are you Paul? Yes, I am.
Hi there, I'm Alex.
I'm Derek's pit board man.
OK.
But apparently there's a problem with the car.
Unfortunately in qualifying we had a failure with the water pump and it overheated the engine and we've lost two cylinders so we can't run the engine again.
So there's no chance of it racing today? There isn't, no.
None at all? No.
OK, wellthanks for everything Sorry you didn't get to put the pit board out.
I'll see you in 2016.
OK.
We're gonna do it.
Thanks a lot, Paul.
Thanks, Alex.
Bye.
The mechanic's gutted, I'm gutted.
I can only imagine how Derek's feeling at missing out on racing his beloved 962 here one last time.
Whilst the other group C cars make their way to the start I'm off to the pits to meet him.
You all right? I like you.
You look good! Shouldn't you have a helmet on? I'd rather not, no.
It's so disappointing not driving, you don't want to look like a driver any more.
I'd love to be out there more than anything, but it didn't work out.
It's just a pity that it's probably my last race I will ever drive at Le Mans.
So therefore for that reason I have to look at it and say, "That's racing.
" I am available in 2016 to do the pit board.
No, no If you want todon't let me stop you Let's stay friends, but you can Five wins here, three times at Daytona, twice World Sports Car champion, what a career Derek's had.
He's also made it through the 24 hours of Le Mans more times than any driver in history.
But sadly, this time wasn't to be.
Aw, Derek.
I mean, what a legend.
That is a massive decision because he was so successful to give up racing.
Bless him.
And he's really still competitive andandand driving really hard cos before that engine let go, he was running second.
Was it second? But that is not the issue, Jodie Kidd, I have.
Why do we send, to the most prestigious, one of the most prestigious endurance races in the world, this comedy turn with a child's toy? He's brilliant.
It's like sending Kermit to the United Nations Security Council.
I'm sorry, I've had enough.
All right, all right.
I know, I've got something to lighten your mood a little bit when Bruno Senna will be coming out and lapping another iconic sports car.
Coming up Bruno Senna laps another racing car.
It's amazing.
So much power.
And I go on a road rally of a lifetime.
This is like borderline torture.
Now when I received a phonecall from Jaguar asking me to participate in the Mille Miglia I jumped at the chance.
I didn't really know what I was getting myself into.
BROADCASTER: 1,000 miles of open road through towns and villages face these drivers at Italy's famous Mille Miglia car race.
In 1927, the Mille Miglia was born.
It rampaged through Italy, an annual homage to open street endurance racing that guaranteed celebrity and honour for the victorious.
It was so dangerous, however, that after 30 years and nearly twice that many deaths in the pursuit of glory, the race was cancelled.
The Mille Miglia, that was probably my most frightening race ever.
Because we're going to go out onto a circuit which I don't know, and drive at speeds which I've hardly ever done and other people on the roads are trying to get in your way.
That had to be the height of lunacy, really.
But now it's back and it's my turn.
These days the Mille Miglia is a four-day 1,000-mile fully legal street race through the towns, villages and mountains of Italy.
Billed as a serene grand tour, I had been invited by Jaguar to compete in one of their classic production sports cars.
One with an unparalleled history with the rally.
My ride for the 1,000 miles was a 1953 Jaguar XK120, a straight 6, 160 horse-power beauty.
And I christened her Betsy.
Super-excited.
I've just arrived at Goodwood's motor circuit where I am meeting and test driving my car for the Mille Miglia, the beautiful XK120.
I mean, I'm slightly nervous, but .
.
God, I can't get in.
[GASPS.]
I can't get my legs in.
[LAUGHS.]
It's gonna be 1,000 miles.
I can't get my foot on the pedals.
Houston, we have a problem.
But before I was allowed to thrash her through Italy, I took her for a little test drive first.
Green light and we're a-go-go.
Right.
She seems really nice, plenty of power.
Coming into the first corner.
This steering wheel is so outrageously large.
Let's hit the first apex.
And she's just got this wonderful nose with these gorgeous curves.
She's certainly a cruiser.
Not going to be taking this one sideways around any corners, that's for sure.
Not yet.
Come on, love.
Come on, baby.
Off we go.
Just super-concerned about not being able to get my legs under this gorgeous steering wheel that actually I can't get my hands around.
Wow.
Caught a few flies there in my mouth! I think I did just under a mile.
And that was quite full-on, but I can't believe I've only got another 999 to go in the rally.
After a beautiful day at Goodwood with Betsy, it was clear some adjustments had to be made to the XK if I was to drive her for 1,000 miles.
We needed to find some room from somewhere.
We've got the car back here from the familiarisation day and although Jodie loved the car, loved the way it handled and drove, she wasn't very comfortable in the car.
She's pretty tall and there's just not that much room in the car for her.
We've removed the hood, that's allowed us to modify the seat runners and move the seat back by about three inches.
And we've had a smaller diameter steering wheel made.
The exact pattern, it's the original, so nobody will really notice but it gives a lot more clearance on her thighs.
With the car modified and in immaculate condition, it was sent to Italy to wait for us.
[CHEERING.]
And several weeks later, with the start of the Mille fast approaching, I was reunited with Betsy for what promised to be the drive of my life.
I've got to the Mille Miglia, baby! Believe me, in part two you will realise that it isn't any usual Sunday afternoon jolly, that's for sure.
Why didn't I get the choice to be your co-pilot on this drive of a lifetime, please? Well, it's 1,000 miles in a tiny open-top car in all weathers, with sleep deprivation, pressure.
You need navigation, you need to drive hard, I just think And we would have fought [LAUGHS.]
I was just about to say I think I would have thrown you out of the car.
It's tough.
It really is tough.
Probably a good decision.
Anyway, time to go trackside at our historic Brookland's circuit to see Bruno Senna put another classic through its paces.
And our commentator Jack Nicholls.
Nestled on the infield of the classic Brooklands circuit lives this a modern 1,200 metre handling track.
With its mix of challenging corners, it's perfect for this man, Bruno Senna, to lap some classic race cars.
So let's find out what he's driving this time.
Hm, this one's looking very good.
Oh, come on.
No way.
Jaguar E-type lightweight.
This car has no need for introduction.
It's a total beast.
In 1963, Jaguar built 12 limited edition E-type lightweights.
Made largely from aluminium alloy, the 3.
8 litre engines were virgins of the production ones tuned to give 370-brake horse-power and a top speed of over 160mph.
It was also capable of 0 to 60 in 7 seconds.
Jaguar originally planned to make 18 lightweights and in 2014 announced that they're to build the missing 6 complete with their original chassis numbers.
What a sight this is then as the Jaguar comes across the line to start its qualifying lap.
Bruno Senna driving it in towards the first corner.
Look at it go, it's absolutely flying.
A lot more planted and stable than some of the cars we've seen.
A much stiffer suspension set-up and as a result it should be an awful lot quicker around the corners.
The first sector split is a 24.
172.
That was set by the Austin-Healey which is the quickest car we've had around this lap so far.
Across the line comes the Jaguar, one-and-a-half seconds quicker.
Bruno Senna really flying now in the E-type as he comes into the left-hander.
Working the wheel, the back end stepping out just a little bit as he comes into the final two corners.
Now into this long right-hander.
You can see how hard he's having to work at the wheel as he comes in front of the Brookland's building.
Still you can see him working the wheel as he balances the car on power and steering.
Coming towards the line now it's a 51 .
002 time to beat and it's a 48.
284.
2.
7 seconds faster.
The E-type, as predicted, is a beast.
And er, it bites if you abuse it so I had a few offs with it, but er, it's amazing.
So much power.
As soon as you get comfortable in the car, you can push so hard.
You get comfortable and you want to push harder and harder and harder and then it bites you again.
But it's just as beautiful to drive from the inside as the outside.
It's amazing.
That was outrageously quick and, of course, goes straight to the top of the board because it beat every car that came before it by nearly three seconds.
Brilliant.
Now it has to be said that it wasn't all plain sailing for Bruno and that Etype.
Take a look at this Well, that certainly got Bruno's attention.
Yeah, but despite that I would put money on the fact that E-type is gonna stay top of the board for the whole series.
Coming up, we see how Jodie gets on in her Mille Miglia expedition.
So finally it is time to show you what it is really like to drive a Jaguar XK120 1,000 miles in four days, sharing the drive with your other half.
Arriving in Italy, we collected Betsy and were greeted by the extraordinary circus that is the Mille Miglia.
We had four days to compete against racing drivers, celebrities, the weather, and most worryingly, fatigue.
Queuing up to leave Brescia we felt like rock stars with people clamouring for photos and autographs.
There was a carnival atmosphere with each car that crossed the line being introduced to the crowd.
Eventually it was our turn.
Finally, the start line! 432 cars left Brescia that late afternoon in May 2014 to drive the first leg.
Winding through Verona to Padova and eventually onto Abano Montegrotto.
With my co-driver and betrothed getting to grips with all the confusing symbols I set about doing what I do best driving.
Night fell and the towns turned into countryside but the Mille pushed on.
Finally, after 228 kilometres and 6 hours on the road, at 1:32 AM it was our turn to drive into Padova.
As you'd expect, the Italians had thrown a bit of a party for the arriving cars.
But I could hardly keep my eyes open.
And with the prospect of only getting three hours sleep, we kissed Betsy goodnight and hit the sack.
What a day.
What a car.
After the carnival atmosphere coming into Padova, the whole feeling at the beginning of day two had changed completely.
This was going to be a day of street racing.
Day two was a 710-kilometre stint to Rome and the longest day of the rally.
This was going to be really tough.
But in the rush to get to the start line, I'd neglected the most important pre-race ritual of them all.
This is so annoying.
What is? I need to go to the loo.
And so after a crucial pit stop we sped onto Revina.
Three, two, one, go! We're 70 clicks in.
Really? Although we were racking up the miles, the hours of concentration really started to take their toll.
Go.
No, no, no, no.
You've got to shout a bit louder for me.
Look, there's a tractor I couldn't hear you.
I thought you said "go left.
" As it turns out, I am not a good passenger.
Sweetheart [BRAKES SCREECH.]
Seriously, no need But as it was David's turn to drive it was left to me to nail the endless time trials.
15, 14, 13 The Mille Miglia isn't the hell-for-leather 1,000-mile dash it used to be.
Multiple time trials over the four days have to be completed at a set speed between two points.
Onemark.
Checkpoints along the way keep track of your car and so you need to hit them at exactly the right time.
Onemark.
[BEEPING.]
I thought that was pretty [BLEEP.]
spot on.
Removing the hood to make room had seemed like a good idea until it started to rain.
Well, the localsthe locals seem to like our effort.
710 kilometres and 17 hours after we began we finally wrapped up day two in Rome.
Hi, Betsy! Did you sleep at all like your drivers? We got about two-and-a-half hours sleep so erm, this is like borderline torture.
The morning of day three and fatigue had really set in.
After 17 hours at the wheel yesterday, the prospect of another 18 today was pretty intimidating.
And it didn't start well.
Day three of the Mille Miglia, we have got so lost in Rome we're now having to go back to the hotel to start again.
[LAUGHS.]
Day 3 was a 552-kilometre stretch over famous mountain passes, up towards Bologna.
However, we had got hopelessly lost just leaving the car park.
Not a great start.
Well, at least we're getting lost with a rather nice E-type.
When we finally found our way again, it was time to put the hammer down.
Jodels is driving again.
Come on! [BLEEP.]
cane it.
We set about making up lost time, even forfeiting lunch.
Oh, I love a nice bit of firm banana.
We've done 160 kilometres.
We were making great time even though we had to keep stopping for time trials.
But we were in it to win it.
However, the constant pressure meant we were gradually starting to lose our tempers.
Get out my way you [BLEEP.]
And things nearly boiled over when we miscalculated a time trial.
[BEEPING.]
[BLEEP.]
What's this one? What's this one? That's the finish, I think.
No, it's [BLEEP.]
not.
We had three there.
You've done it.
What? You haven't timed it.
You haven't timed it.
OKwe're just gonna have to guess it.
But as the sun set on the third day the beautiful Italian countryside helped us to kiss and make up.
Goodnight.
Day four, and due to some typical Italian organisation we were given the wrong start time.
Immediately we found ourselves behind.
Jodie! Go.
Right, let's do it.
Go.
All that time we had made up yesterday was lost all because of an admin error.
We were livid.
We had 5 hours to cover the 218 kilometres between us and the finish line back in Brescia.
Straight through the bridges.
On top of that, even Betsy was starting to struggle.
The brakes, look, nothing.
You see that movement? Nothing.
But we soon forgot our problems as the roads from Bologna to Brescia were absolutely stunning.
And before long, the finish line was in sight.
[CHEERING AND CAR HORNS BEEPING.]
Just awesome.
Absolutely awesome! Finishing the Mille Miglia, you feel an overwhelming sense that you have conquered one of the toughest rallies in the world.
Your name is added to a list of legendary drivers like Stirling Moss and Fangio.
The extreme tiredness and the level of concentration needed is far and away the biggest barrier to overcome, but I'll do it again in a heartbeat.
Credit where credit is due, Jodie and David, that was epic.
And just imagine, it's an old car, it's hilly, you must have gone literally to hell and back.
You kept the car in one piece, you kept the engine in one piece, you didn't kill each other, you did the distance, and you did really well in the place.
We did.
We were top of the Jaguar team out of the six cars they sent.
One had Jay Leno in, one had Bruno and er, Martin Brundle.
Really good drivers in there so David and I and little Betsy did very, very well.
I was just exhausted again by watching that, just going through it.
Sleep deprivation is massive.
I think we only had about six hours in the four days.
And then just the concentration because you are driving quickly on open public roads, but you're allowed to speed.
It was full-on, but an experience I will treasure for the rest of my life and I know David would as well.
Just gives me goosebumps again thinking about it.
Jodie and David did a fantastic job.
That is all we have time for.
Thank you very much indeed.
We will see you next time.
Bye bye.
Bye!
This is the actual car that won Le Mans in 1987.
Bruno Senna takes to the racetrack to push a classic to the limit.
This one's looking very good.
And I take on my greatest challenge yet the 1,000 mile Mille Miglia endurance race.
I've got to the Mille Miglia, baby! Hello and welcome to the Classic Car Show from our subterranean studio steeped in Brookland's motor racing history.
We are going to give you another hour of pure hardcore classic car wonder.
Now, first things first.
We need to find out what car Quentin has picked for us from his all-time classic list.
I'm greatly honoured to be sitting here next to Quentin a colossus in car journalism.
Colossus, you might know, was a figure from ancient Greece and also, I believe, your first boss from Buying Cars magazine.
Nag, nag, nag.
I don't know why I put up with this ritual abuse.
Cos you love it, really.
I feel like the car that I'm going to tell you about underappreciated, undervalued, more sinned against than sinning.
But this is one phoenix that's definitely going to rise from the ashes.
Why don't we love the MGB? This was once the world's best-selling sports car.
You can still get absolutely every single part, it kickstarted the whole classic car revolution back in the '80s, and MGB's are one of the cheapest classics you can buy.
Now we all know the MGB whiffs of flatcaps, bad breath, facial hair and dodgy acrylic jumpers but none of that should matter because you can go out and buy one of these cars, a really, really good one, for ten grand.
We should be queuing up to buy them but we're not.
We need to find out why.
In 1962, the MGB was a monster hit and a suburban darling.
It was 950 quid.
Simple, uncomplicated, with a bomb-proof 1,800CC engine and looked fresh and modern.
The suburban middle classes couldn't get enough of it and the Americans hoovered up 50% of every year's production.
So the early '60s, one of the brief periods in the MGB's 18-year lifespan, when it was a really cool ride.
And you can see why.
Leather seats, dashboards strewn with gauges, big nautical steering wheel.
And don't forget the MGB shell was one of the stiffest of its era.
It didn't shake, rattle or roll.
In fact, it all felt so tough you'd think it was made by Mercedes.
But it wasn't.
The top bosses at BMC were risk-averse traditionalists who mis-managed their top-selling sports car so badly it became comical.
It took three years to add the pretty Pininfarina-styled MGBG to the line-up in 1965.
If they'd launched the GT in '62, it would have stolen thousands of sales from the Jaguar E-type Coupe and beaten the Ford Capri to market by seven whole years.
Putting a bigger engine in the MGB was always a good idea so in 1967 the MGC appeared.
The trouble was, it was the wrong engine.
It was a big heavy cast-iron three-litre out of the dreary Austin three-litre.
And it was so nose-heavy it made the MGC handle like a pair of y-fronts in a tumble drier.
Then at the press launch, some bright spark got the front tyre pressures wrong and the handling was suicidal.
The MGC only lasted 2 years and sold 9,000 units.
These days we quite like it because it's a relaxed long-distance cruiser but back then, the jokes they just kept on coming.
The stakes were really now piling up to shoulder height.
In 1973, British Leyland launched this the MGB V8.
This was a blindingly good little car, 125mph, 60 in 8 seconds, 3.
5 litre V8 engine up the front.
Listen, listen [ENGINE ROARS.]
And a noise like the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
But what did they do? They launch it in the middle of an oil crisis.
They don't do a convertible and they don't sell it to their biggest market which is America.
Hello?! And here's a prediction if British Leyland had made this car properly, in left-hand drive form and sold it to the States, it would have saved not just MG, but British Leyland.
And if you ever get the chance to buy one of these cars, don't hesitate, not even for a nanosecond.
Because they are great.
Whoa, baby! Ding-dong! In 1976, British Leyland delivered the unkindest cut of all.
Nasty, black polyurethane bumpers not only looked awful, they made the MGB much slower and raising the ride height for new American safety regulations blunted the once sure-footed handling.
Striped nylon seats and an interior with more plastic than Las Vegas turned the MGB into a very old joke.
But it was a joke that was wearing thin and by 1980, BL killed off the long-suffering MGB.
Even the last few cars took years to sell and some even lingered unloved in showrooms until 1984.
Just to show you how nutty things were in the corridors of power at British Leyland in the '80s, this is the actual 1980 motor show car.
This car was taken off the production line in Abingdon and it was detailed and prepped and a special lacquer put in the paint to make it gleam underneath the lights.
And this was October 1980, done in the full and certain knowledge that MG was closing.
Why would they do that? You couldn't make it up.
The world's best-selling sports car had to make way for another of British Leyland's brilliant ideas the Triumph TR7.
A car so ugly, there are even more jokes about that than the MGB.
But I say it's time to stop being horrid to the MGB because all those virtues that made it great in 1962 are just as compelling now.
And here's the thing in today's rising market, these cars are so cheap it's daft.
This is a Mark One MGB GT 1967 and it's got all the classic desirable virtues the chrome bumpers, the wire wheels, the leather seats, the big wheel.
But what you need to know is that these Mark Ones are really, really rare now.
There's probably only 150 of them left in the world cos so many were butchered and scrapped in the '70s and '80s.
You could go out and buy a car like this in similarly patternated but solid original condition for five grand.
Now that is very cheap indeed and trust me, in the next couple of years, you'll see that rise to £10,000.
So, look, an MGB that's free classic motoring that even makes you a bit of profit.
What more do you want? Buy them as soon as you can.
And here's another sign of the MGB's renaissance.
You can now buy a brand new one.
Frontline are selling their LE 50 with a Mazda MX5 fuel-injected engine and top speed of 160mph.
55 grand is no small sum, but if you want to own the MGB that those muppets in BMC and BL should have madethis is it.
The MGB is definitely more sinned against than sinning.
A great British sports car that's spent most of its life being managed by a bunch of feckless incompetents and then its twilight years polished by old age pensioners.
No wonder we never really took it seriously.
But here's my point we should, cos the market has got the MGB all wrong.
It's simple, it's uncomplicated, it's easy to live with and it is outrageously undervalued.
So what you need to do is ignore all the sniggering and go out and buy yourself a decent MGB now because there will come a time, and it won't be very long, when you will be very, very glad you did.
Aw, that was so sweet.
So sweet I actually got you a little present.
Here we go, here we go, Quentin.
[YORKSHIRE ACCENT.]
Got you some slippers and a nice pipe.
I don't know why I went into a Yorkshire accent This is the sort of ill-informed puerile nonsense I'm talking about.
We are ahead of the market with this car.
You saw it on the film, it's low, it's naughty, it's got leather seats, it's got wire wheels, and most important, Jodie Kidd, it is affordable.
Well, there you are.
The MGB, a fuddy-duddy classic in my eyes.
Jodie, be careful what you are saying.
You have the MGB owners club to contend with.
They are the Illuminati of owners clubs.
They will come in the night, they will burn you at the stake.
If I'm not here next week, you know what's happened.
[LAUGHS.]
Be careful I think a really good idea is why don't we go to Twitter to see who's going to win this debate.
No, you're not.
Anyway, you can find us at Also coming up, Alex Riley I do not know why goes to Le Mans and Jodie here does a very sparkling debut at the Mille Miglia.
Coming up Alex Riley goes to Le Mans desperately seeking Derek.
Derek! Bruno Senna hustles a classic round the track.
And Jodie takes on the 1,000 miles of the Mille Miglia road rally.
All of that still to come.
Now, in the 1980s when it came to the world famous 24-hour at Le Mans, there was one driver and one car that really ruled the roost.
So that gave us the perfect opportunity to send our retro kid Alex Riley to investigate.
Why? Give him a chance When I were a lad this was the ultimate toy for a car-mad like me.
The Scalextric Group C edition featuring the Porsche 962.
And one of the greatest drivers of the 962 was Derek Bell who just happens to be at Le Mans this weekend driving one for the very last time.
So I'm gonna pack up my Scalextric, get over there and see if I can meet him.
Derek is going to be racing in the Group C support race a testimonial showcase for the mind-blowing cars of the '80s.
Well, I've got my ticket, I've got my passport, but most importantly my Group C Racing Scalextric set.
Now, I've just got four hours to work out how I'm gonna track down Derek Bell and his Porsche amongst a quarter of a million other race fans making their way to Le Mans.
I've been on this train for two hours now.
In that time Derek Bell could have done 34 laps of Le Mans.
In fact, in 1971 he achieved 246mph down the Mulsanne Straight.
This is one of the fastest trains in Europe, but it's nowhere near as fast as Derek Bell.
Luckily the train is fast enough to get me to Le Mans in plenty of time to look for Derek.
He's got to be in there.
Porsche are back at Le Mans after a 16-year absence and to celebrate, they've brought along some of their most famous cars.
This is the actual car that won Le Mans in 1987.
Excuse me, mate.
Can I have a go at polishing it? The 962 is one of the most successful sports cars of all time.
It won 235 races in 12 years.
And tomorrow, Derek is hoping to make it one more.
Derek's nowhere to be found at the track so I'm off to town on a hunch.
This is one of the newer Le Mans traditions.
All of the drivers parade through town in a series of classic cars.
I know Derek's gonna be here.
Derek! Derek! Derek! Derek! Derek! Derek! Derek! I don't think he's seen me.
So close and yet so far.
This is becoming my own personal endurance trial.
I've one final idea.
This is the legendary Hotel du France where many of the great drivers have stayed since the 1950s, including Derek Bell and apparently he's staying there tonight.
So I'm gonna try and get a room and just hang around and wait for him.
Hiya.
Bonjour, monsieur.
During the Le Mans weekend, hotel rooms are hard to come by so I've got everything crossed they've got space for me here.
I'm in! Can you take this gentlemen to his room, please? Thank you very much.
Thank you.
I've just got word that Derek's on his way to the hotel and he's on the warpath about some nutter who's been stalking him all day.
I just hope a game of Scalextric will calm him down.
How are you? I'm fine, thanks.
Hello, Derek.
I'm Alex.
Hello.
Do you want to have a game of Scalextric maybe? Erm I've brought it all the way from England.
You are nuts.
With my dream Scalextric game underway, I finally get to chatwith Derek! Is this anything like actually racing at Le Mans? I have to say I don't do it one-handed.
Look at that.
Oh! The race abandoned after several crashes I ask Derek about his passion for Le Mans.
There's so much history and it did so much for my life.
Without Le Mans, I wouldn't be standing with you here today cos you wouldn't know who the hell I was.
But Le Mans gave me everything really and to be honest, the track is one of the greatest tracks in the world to race on.
To be able to go down Mulsanne at 246mph, you're only guiding the car, you're not actually really driving it.
You're flat to the floor and it's a unique experience and you just can't not revel in it, you know.
You've driven lots of different cars.
Which one was your favourite? My favourite has to be the 962.
It's strange, because it's rather like having a wife that you've been with a long time.
You don't realise how wonderful she is until you're not in her.
I was there with Jacky Ickx and Jochen Mass from the very beginning right the way through its era.
And erm, it gave us all the victories we had.
Without Porsche there wouldn't have been sports car racing through the '80s and it made it the greatest era ever.
I had 7 24-hour wins with the 962.
So this is the last time that you'll be paired with a 962, your favourite car, at your favourite track.
In a race, yeah.
How are you feeling? I'm sort of ready for that, I think.
II love going around it and I do demonstration laps but it's not the same as a race.
And that's why I had to do this one.
You're gonna win, aren't you? I'd like to think so.
962, Le Mans.
I mean, no-one's got a chance.
You've brought this Scalextric all the way from home but having done that you could be out there hanging the board out if you want to.
The pit board? Yes! Yes, please! I won't let you down, Derek.
OK.
Cheers.
But the next morning as the Circuit de la Sarthe begins to wake up .
.
I get some devastating news.
During qualifying Derek did what he does best and very quickly.
But when he returned to the pits, the team discovered a problem.
Head mechanic Paul holds my pit board dreams in his hands.
Excuse me, are you Paul? Yes, I am.
Hi there, I'm Alex.
I'm Derek's pit board man.
OK.
But apparently there's a problem with the car.
Unfortunately in qualifying we had a failure with the water pump and it overheated the engine and we've lost two cylinders so we can't run the engine again.
So there's no chance of it racing today? There isn't, no.
None at all? No.
OK, wellthanks for everything Sorry you didn't get to put the pit board out.
I'll see you in 2016.
OK.
We're gonna do it.
Thanks a lot, Paul.
Thanks, Alex.
Bye.
The mechanic's gutted, I'm gutted.
I can only imagine how Derek's feeling at missing out on racing his beloved 962 here one last time.
Whilst the other group C cars make their way to the start I'm off to the pits to meet him.
You all right? I like you.
You look good! Shouldn't you have a helmet on? I'd rather not, no.
It's so disappointing not driving, you don't want to look like a driver any more.
I'd love to be out there more than anything, but it didn't work out.
It's just a pity that it's probably my last race I will ever drive at Le Mans.
So therefore for that reason I have to look at it and say, "That's racing.
" I am available in 2016 to do the pit board.
No, no If you want todon't let me stop you Let's stay friends, but you can Five wins here, three times at Daytona, twice World Sports Car champion, what a career Derek's had.
He's also made it through the 24 hours of Le Mans more times than any driver in history.
But sadly, this time wasn't to be.
Aw, Derek.
I mean, what a legend.
That is a massive decision because he was so successful to give up racing.
Bless him.
And he's really still competitive andandand driving really hard cos before that engine let go, he was running second.
Was it second? But that is not the issue, Jodie Kidd, I have.
Why do we send, to the most prestigious, one of the most prestigious endurance races in the world, this comedy turn with a child's toy? He's brilliant.
It's like sending Kermit to the United Nations Security Council.
I'm sorry, I've had enough.
All right, all right.
I know, I've got something to lighten your mood a little bit when Bruno Senna will be coming out and lapping another iconic sports car.
Coming up Bruno Senna laps another racing car.
It's amazing.
So much power.
And I go on a road rally of a lifetime.
This is like borderline torture.
Now when I received a phonecall from Jaguar asking me to participate in the Mille Miglia I jumped at the chance.
I didn't really know what I was getting myself into.
BROADCASTER: 1,000 miles of open road through towns and villages face these drivers at Italy's famous Mille Miglia car race.
In 1927, the Mille Miglia was born.
It rampaged through Italy, an annual homage to open street endurance racing that guaranteed celebrity and honour for the victorious.
It was so dangerous, however, that after 30 years and nearly twice that many deaths in the pursuit of glory, the race was cancelled.
The Mille Miglia, that was probably my most frightening race ever.
Because we're going to go out onto a circuit which I don't know, and drive at speeds which I've hardly ever done and other people on the roads are trying to get in your way.
That had to be the height of lunacy, really.
But now it's back and it's my turn.
These days the Mille Miglia is a four-day 1,000-mile fully legal street race through the towns, villages and mountains of Italy.
Billed as a serene grand tour, I had been invited by Jaguar to compete in one of their classic production sports cars.
One with an unparalleled history with the rally.
My ride for the 1,000 miles was a 1953 Jaguar XK120, a straight 6, 160 horse-power beauty.
And I christened her Betsy.
Super-excited.
I've just arrived at Goodwood's motor circuit where I am meeting and test driving my car for the Mille Miglia, the beautiful XK120.
I mean, I'm slightly nervous, but .
.
God, I can't get in.
[GASPS.]
I can't get my legs in.
[LAUGHS.]
It's gonna be 1,000 miles.
I can't get my foot on the pedals.
Houston, we have a problem.
But before I was allowed to thrash her through Italy, I took her for a little test drive first.
Green light and we're a-go-go.
Right.
She seems really nice, plenty of power.
Coming into the first corner.
This steering wheel is so outrageously large.
Let's hit the first apex.
And she's just got this wonderful nose with these gorgeous curves.
She's certainly a cruiser.
Not going to be taking this one sideways around any corners, that's for sure.
Not yet.
Come on, love.
Come on, baby.
Off we go.
Just super-concerned about not being able to get my legs under this gorgeous steering wheel that actually I can't get my hands around.
Wow.
Caught a few flies there in my mouth! I think I did just under a mile.
And that was quite full-on, but I can't believe I've only got another 999 to go in the rally.
After a beautiful day at Goodwood with Betsy, it was clear some adjustments had to be made to the XK if I was to drive her for 1,000 miles.
We needed to find some room from somewhere.
We've got the car back here from the familiarisation day and although Jodie loved the car, loved the way it handled and drove, she wasn't very comfortable in the car.
She's pretty tall and there's just not that much room in the car for her.
We've removed the hood, that's allowed us to modify the seat runners and move the seat back by about three inches.
And we've had a smaller diameter steering wheel made.
The exact pattern, it's the original, so nobody will really notice but it gives a lot more clearance on her thighs.
With the car modified and in immaculate condition, it was sent to Italy to wait for us.
[CHEERING.]
And several weeks later, with the start of the Mille fast approaching, I was reunited with Betsy for what promised to be the drive of my life.
I've got to the Mille Miglia, baby! Believe me, in part two you will realise that it isn't any usual Sunday afternoon jolly, that's for sure.
Why didn't I get the choice to be your co-pilot on this drive of a lifetime, please? Well, it's 1,000 miles in a tiny open-top car in all weathers, with sleep deprivation, pressure.
You need navigation, you need to drive hard, I just think And we would have fought [LAUGHS.]
I was just about to say I think I would have thrown you out of the car.
It's tough.
It really is tough.
Probably a good decision.
Anyway, time to go trackside at our historic Brookland's circuit to see Bruno Senna put another classic through its paces.
And our commentator Jack Nicholls.
Nestled on the infield of the classic Brooklands circuit lives this a modern 1,200 metre handling track.
With its mix of challenging corners, it's perfect for this man, Bruno Senna, to lap some classic race cars.
So let's find out what he's driving this time.
Hm, this one's looking very good.
Oh, come on.
No way.
Jaguar E-type lightweight.
This car has no need for introduction.
It's a total beast.
In 1963, Jaguar built 12 limited edition E-type lightweights.
Made largely from aluminium alloy, the 3.
8 litre engines were virgins of the production ones tuned to give 370-brake horse-power and a top speed of over 160mph.
It was also capable of 0 to 60 in 7 seconds.
Jaguar originally planned to make 18 lightweights and in 2014 announced that they're to build the missing 6 complete with their original chassis numbers.
What a sight this is then as the Jaguar comes across the line to start its qualifying lap.
Bruno Senna driving it in towards the first corner.
Look at it go, it's absolutely flying.
A lot more planted and stable than some of the cars we've seen.
A much stiffer suspension set-up and as a result it should be an awful lot quicker around the corners.
The first sector split is a 24.
172.
That was set by the Austin-Healey which is the quickest car we've had around this lap so far.
Across the line comes the Jaguar, one-and-a-half seconds quicker.
Bruno Senna really flying now in the E-type as he comes into the left-hander.
Working the wheel, the back end stepping out just a little bit as he comes into the final two corners.
Now into this long right-hander.
You can see how hard he's having to work at the wheel as he comes in front of the Brookland's building.
Still you can see him working the wheel as he balances the car on power and steering.
Coming towards the line now it's a 51 .
002 time to beat and it's a 48.
284.
2.
7 seconds faster.
The E-type, as predicted, is a beast.
And er, it bites if you abuse it so I had a few offs with it, but er, it's amazing.
So much power.
As soon as you get comfortable in the car, you can push so hard.
You get comfortable and you want to push harder and harder and harder and then it bites you again.
But it's just as beautiful to drive from the inside as the outside.
It's amazing.
That was outrageously quick and, of course, goes straight to the top of the board because it beat every car that came before it by nearly three seconds.
Brilliant.
Now it has to be said that it wasn't all plain sailing for Bruno and that Etype.
Take a look at this Well, that certainly got Bruno's attention.
Yeah, but despite that I would put money on the fact that E-type is gonna stay top of the board for the whole series.
Coming up, we see how Jodie gets on in her Mille Miglia expedition.
So finally it is time to show you what it is really like to drive a Jaguar XK120 1,000 miles in four days, sharing the drive with your other half.
Arriving in Italy, we collected Betsy and were greeted by the extraordinary circus that is the Mille Miglia.
We had four days to compete against racing drivers, celebrities, the weather, and most worryingly, fatigue.
Queuing up to leave Brescia we felt like rock stars with people clamouring for photos and autographs.
There was a carnival atmosphere with each car that crossed the line being introduced to the crowd.
Eventually it was our turn.
Finally, the start line! 432 cars left Brescia that late afternoon in May 2014 to drive the first leg.
Winding through Verona to Padova and eventually onto Abano Montegrotto.
With my co-driver and betrothed getting to grips with all the confusing symbols I set about doing what I do best driving.
Night fell and the towns turned into countryside but the Mille pushed on.
Finally, after 228 kilometres and 6 hours on the road, at 1:32 AM it was our turn to drive into Padova.
As you'd expect, the Italians had thrown a bit of a party for the arriving cars.
But I could hardly keep my eyes open.
And with the prospect of only getting three hours sleep, we kissed Betsy goodnight and hit the sack.
What a day.
What a car.
After the carnival atmosphere coming into Padova, the whole feeling at the beginning of day two had changed completely.
This was going to be a day of street racing.
Day two was a 710-kilometre stint to Rome and the longest day of the rally.
This was going to be really tough.
But in the rush to get to the start line, I'd neglected the most important pre-race ritual of them all.
This is so annoying.
What is? I need to go to the loo.
And so after a crucial pit stop we sped onto Revina.
Three, two, one, go! We're 70 clicks in.
Really? Although we were racking up the miles, the hours of concentration really started to take their toll.
Go.
No, no, no, no.
You've got to shout a bit louder for me.
Look, there's a tractor I couldn't hear you.
I thought you said "go left.
" As it turns out, I am not a good passenger.
Sweetheart [BRAKES SCREECH.]
Seriously, no need But as it was David's turn to drive it was left to me to nail the endless time trials.
15, 14, 13 The Mille Miglia isn't the hell-for-leather 1,000-mile dash it used to be.
Multiple time trials over the four days have to be completed at a set speed between two points.
Onemark.
Checkpoints along the way keep track of your car and so you need to hit them at exactly the right time.
Onemark.
[BEEPING.]
I thought that was pretty [BLEEP.]
spot on.
Removing the hood to make room had seemed like a good idea until it started to rain.
Well, the localsthe locals seem to like our effort.
710 kilometres and 17 hours after we began we finally wrapped up day two in Rome.
Hi, Betsy! Did you sleep at all like your drivers? We got about two-and-a-half hours sleep so erm, this is like borderline torture.
The morning of day three and fatigue had really set in.
After 17 hours at the wheel yesterday, the prospect of another 18 today was pretty intimidating.
And it didn't start well.
Day three of the Mille Miglia, we have got so lost in Rome we're now having to go back to the hotel to start again.
[LAUGHS.]
Day 3 was a 552-kilometre stretch over famous mountain passes, up towards Bologna.
However, we had got hopelessly lost just leaving the car park.
Not a great start.
Well, at least we're getting lost with a rather nice E-type.
When we finally found our way again, it was time to put the hammer down.
Jodels is driving again.
Come on! [BLEEP.]
cane it.
We set about making up lost time, even forfeiting lunch.
Oh, I love a nice bit of firm banana.
We've done 160 kilometres.
We were making great time even though we had to keep stopping for time trials.
But we were in it to win it.
However, the constant pressure meant we were gradually starting to lose our tempers.
Get out my way you [BLEEP.]
And things nearly boiled over when we miscalculated a time trial.
[BEEPING.]
[BLEEP.]
What's this one? What's this one? That's the finish, I think.
No, it's [BLEEP.]
not.
We had three there.
You've done it.
What? You haven't timed it.
You haven't timed it.
OKwe're just gonna have to guess it.
But as the sun set on the third day the beautiful Italian countryside helped us to kiss and make up.
Goodnight.
Day four, and due to some typical Italian organisation we were given the wrong start time.
Immediately we found ourselves behind.
Jodie! Go.
Right, let's do it.
Go.
All that time we had made up yesterday was lost all because of an admin error.
We were livid.
We had 5 hours to cover the 218 kilometres between us and the finish line back in Brescia.
Straight through the bridges.
On top of that, even Betsy was starting to struggle.
The brakes, look, nothing.
You see that movement? Nothing.
But we soon forgot our problems as the roads from Bologna to Brescia were absolutely stunning.
And before long, the finish line was in sight.
[CHEERING AND CAR HORNS BEEPING.]
Just awesome.
Absolutely awesome! Finishing the Mille Miglia, you feel an overwhelming sense that you have conquered one of the toughest rallies in the world.
Your name is added to a list of legendary drivers like Stirling Moss and Fangio.
The extreme tiredness and the level of concentration needed is far and away the biggest barrier to overcome, but I'll do it again in a heartbeat.
Credit where credit is due, Jodie and David, that was epic.
And just imagine, it's an old car, it's hilly, you must have gone literally to hell and back.
You kept the car in one piece, you kept the engine in one piece, you didn't kill each other, you did the distance, and you did really well in the place.
We did.
We were top of the Jaguar team out of the six cars they sent.
One had Jay Leno in, one had Bruno and er, Martin Brundle.
Really good drivers in there so David and I and little Betsy did very, very well.
I was just exhausted again by watching that, just going through it.
Sleep deprivation is massive.
I think we only had about six hours in the four days.
And then just the concentration because you are driving quickly on open public roads, but you're allowed to speed.
It was full-on, but an experience I will treasure for the rest of my life and I know David would as well.
Just gives me goosebumps again thinking about it.
Jodie and David did a fantastic job.
That is all we have time for.
Thank you very much indeed.
We will see you next time.
Bye bye.
Bye!