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Old Top Gear 1997 - Car of the Year '97
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- čas přidán 20. 11. 2016
- Jeremy Clarkson, Tiff Needell & Quentin Wilson decide on the best car of the year 1997
Taken from a late 1997 episode of the old format Top Gear.
It's funny to see reviews of cars that you can now find neatly stacked on top of eachother at your local scrapyard.
After this much time and considering the haplessness of the typical motorist, that is a given XD.
Tell me where you see Ferrari 550's stacked up please.
@@nymetswinws Ferraris never get stacked up. They live for a very long time because they get taken care of extremely well, OR they end up wrapped around a tree, ready for the crusher.
Like the freelander, now worth under 500 because of that old k series
The freelander is nearly worthless more because it was a unilatterally crap car.
Clarkson once said, nobody could drift like Tiff, looking at his mega car control and ability to power slide a fwd car, I can see why!
You could defintely see Tiff taught Jezza a thing or two when it came to drifting. Tiff is an animal!
Saltire I’ve never seen a front wheel drive car so sideways, Tiff is the only person with wind down windscreen 🤣
Its a puma its in the DNA of the car nothing special
Can't believe all of these cars are 20 years old now!!!
Why???
100th👌
Most have been recycled by now
23
@@kloschuessel773 time flies
Tiff was the old Hammond and Quentin was the old James
Ha! It's true!
Old Hammond? Hammond can't drive even near as good as Tiff.
Tiff doesn't crash.
@@jrshaul But granted, he likes the Porsche 911!
Gotta love the banter from this trio. Highly unlikely we'd see Tiff, Jeremy and Quentin present a motoring show together again. They also proved that any car that is European COTY, doesn't necessarily mean that it'll be a great one.
Luke McCormack, you can see the 3 of them don't like each other much, they all want to be the daddy, interesting to see this. I recon James may and harmmond must yeald to Clarkson off camera in some way and if you don't pay your respects you get a punch like that producer did! lol!
@@danielbyrne8187 That fifth rate show no-one watches ?
The "punched producer" got what he deserved though, when one reads into it.
That former BBC-2 Controller & once candidate for Head of the BBC, David Attenborough, said he wouldn't have fired Clarkson for that, is also telling.
when you're a motering journalist from the 1990's you have to end every sentence...Like This!
Like what?
This is the best car.. in the world
@@tjshill82 pause
3:36 Over 20 years later and he’s absolutely right. I still see those old Passat TDIs on the roads today, the PDs were bulletproof engines...
I had an Octavia with the 2.0 PD engine. 389,000 miles then an engine mount snapped. Someone bought it from me for spares and repairs and stuck a new engine in it.
@@JohnnyPaton why did a snapped engine mount write it off ??
@@michaelkennedy8573 the mounting bolt was attached to the block. It snapped the whole thing off and went into the area with the timing belt. It was beyond economic repair.
@@JohnnyPaton couldn’t have been any more unlucky pal😂
@@michaelkennedy8573 car had just passed the MOT at that mileage with no advisories as well.
I have owned 2 Alfa 156 models and they were fabulous cars. I did 46000 miles in 2 years in one of them. I drove through Europe 3 times and it went like clockwork. Great car.
I currently drive a 1999 156 1.9 JTD with 139k miles. It's my cousin's car and it had a very hard life (crashed badly twice), lots of stuff is broken on it sadly, but the engine is still pretty good, it pulls very well and the throttle response is excellent. On the other hand, it's a fairly rare variant with leather seats, wooden steering wheel and gear knob, 16 inch Teledials, side skirts and a Zender spoiler, it looks AMAZING inside and outside.
I drive a 2002 156 2.0 JTS. Got it for £800, silver, very scabby, but with low mileage. Now the bodywork has been redone in beautiful Lexus Matador red it's absolutely stunning! Still more to do; stainless exhaust system and needs injectors done, but I love it. It's not worth much, financially, but it means a lot to me.
The alfa 156 still looks great today!
That Passat stopped being driven in 2013 at about 210,000 miles.
provided it didn't rust away like Asconas back in the day :)
None of these cars look old or dated to me, but that is because I am old and dated.
The Freelander was considered stylish and reliable. Oh my how the times have changed.
They didn't say it was reliable, quite the contrary.
My dad has one he fucking hated it
Top Gear did finally hammer the Freelander for awful crash safety test results, albeit after this video's OTG era.
@@jarratt51 Is this meta?
0:07 I wish these 3 would film cars together again...!!!
They complemented each other very well!
Tiff is well the best driver top gear ever had..
Wayne Bailey Until Chris Harris;)
Varga Dénes that's not even top gear anymore
Jimmy Grant Sorry, but it still is.
He was, the Stig
Nah at 10:35 he lost it but they edited it out.
As a Land Rover Freelander owner I can tell you its on of the worst cars you can buy. It's bad in every single way. Its a bad offroader because it doesn't have a low range gears or locking diffs, it's bad on the road because of it's super soft suspension, dead steering and the wolrd's worst brakes (rear brakes are drums), it's bad on the inside because its all cheap plastic and clots that falls off, it's ugly to look at, it's noisy at high speeds it's as aerodynamic as a brick, the diesel is slow as hell while getting 12l/100 km. The electronics being from Lucas electric are as you would imagine absolutely horrendous. The brake light module went twice the headlights burn out every 2 months and I have changed 6 window motors and 1 window cable,2 clutch master cylinders, and many more that i can't remember now. Bottom line do not buy one there is a reason tiff and vicky placed it last in suv category a few years later
You forgot to mention perhaps the most serious failure of all. The K-series engines would blow the head gasket after 30,000 miles or less.
Little late to the party there mate. Every bob and his dog knows the freelander was crap. It's 20 years later. get over it
So from your description of owning the Freelander, it sounds like a typical Land Rover ownership experience? XD
in other words typical british quality
haha a landrover owner speaking trust about that crap i love it
That XJR still looks good today
Clarkson, Tiff Needell, and Quentin Willson were a great group of presenters.
The Ford puma had its engine tuned by yammaha and it showed, it was quick. In the UK the Ford puma was considered a girls car and had a rust problem, mainly on the rear wheel arches and sills, which rusted very badly after 8 years and sent them to the scrapyard at the age of 10 or 12 - no rust problem on the Alfa. Today there are almost no pumas left on UK roads and they sold massive numbers of them. Compare that to the Alfa 156 which they sold in much smaller numbers, yet you still see them on the road today.
I don't know if its just me being in the midlands but i do see quite a few ropey 156's about, maybe they just ain't well looked after, even early 159 are not exactly aging well, but again, just proberbly used and abused.
MrMcKane, given that the newest 156 is about 12 years old , and the oldest about 18, I think it's OK for some of them to look a bit ropey. As for the 159, here in the south East I haven't seen an untidy one yet.
I think I have seen one 156 out on the road so far this year. They didn't have a rust problem but mechanically just about everything on them fell to bits. The Puma was a Fiesta coupe and built as such, flimsy body and trim, but mechanically pretty decent. There are still a fair few about. But I think either have future classic potential.
What fell to bits on the twinspark, J T D, and V6 engines they where fitted with? Nothing, you are another member of the clueless masses who just repeats what he has heard other members of the clueless masses says and if you times you by 10, then 100 x then a thousand and so on, you have bulshitting on a national scale. the bad reputation was earned in the 70s and 80 s, and stuck like a tick to the badge and was deeply intrenched and wildly exaggerated by the automotive press who expect everything to be up to German standards. But it's great news for people who are smart enough to ignore the gossip and buy their own alfa, who find them to be very reliable when maintained properly and on time, because the gossip keeps the prices low. And in my part of the country the Ford Puma, is rare moreso than the 156.
You think so... Then why when I search are there hardly ANY petrol powered 156s for sale that have made it past 100k? Why when you look at owner reviews and customer satisfaction satisfaction surveys do they almost always rank very poorly? Why are there always so many Alfa's listed on eBay with failed engines, clutches and gearboxes? Is that all "bullshit" too? The diesel ones seem to be ok and the V6s ok but the Twin spark versions are simply not built to last.
Ahh the ford puma, great little car, too ad it turns to rust when the clock hits 12
I have bought one this month with actually no Rust Just a Little bit spetcacular car❤
4:44 - LOL @ Diana Ross and the 1st Gen A-Class.
I absolutely loved the Alfa 156 when it came out. It really looked good for a saloon at the time and had great engines. The late 90s was when Perry-Jones at Ford started making the cars handle really well. Fords from this time on are great drivers cars and well built too despite all the people who like to knock them. That Jaguar looks amazing and they still look great today - an ageless design. They had fantastic interiors too but cramped for a big car. I really miss 90s cars. There was such a variety of interesting and desirable models unlike today when buying a car has become as exciting as buying a fridge or washing machine.
Jeremy: Our car of the year can't be the Xsara because we want something with style.
Also Jeremy: We love the style of the Freelander and despite already having problems during press testing it's our number two
8.30 - 9.00 on a Thursday evening was always the highlight of my week back in the 90s
good old quentin and tiff!
How could they not choose a car offered with a Busso V6?
busso option might be added later.
Also it wasn't released in the UK at the time. Can't be the car of the year if you can't buy it.
@@cagataytekin6318 I'm sure it had the 2.5 V6 from launch, and later the 3.2 V6 as well, but UK sales didn't begin until '98, therefore it couldn't win.
I remember clear as today. I was in 7th class. Was buying every month Autocar magazine (Turkey edition). And that alfa was sexy. Backdoor handle was hidden. Selespeed gear option. Driver oriented sporty interior and dials.
I was 13 :) (20 years ago! Damn I am old.)
It's weird seeing Jeremy as the youngest one.
Those 3 did such a good job working together. Now that would be a great car show. Tiffs driving, quintens wheeler dealer know how and clarkson.
Back then I was the exact age as my son is now. G how the world has changed...
7:16 seems so strange hearing “the new Honda NSX”
This entire video was basically Gran Turismo 2 but without the pixels.
I am fairly confident in saying that the track that Tiff is flinging the Puma about on is the very same one that they used on "New" Top Gear.
97 was a good year for cars
at 10:35 Tiff had lost it so they cut to an inside shot. They did this a lot and 5th gear still does it now.
It happened in Ford Puma, specially on the track. Why are people like you always full of shit, how do you manage your life at all.
@@raulio81 you what mate?
No, he didn't loose it there
Oh... damn, Jeremy!! :D Once you saw Peugeot for what they really are..! You even "fell completely in love with the little 106 GTi"! I can't believe I heard those words from you! What happened to you while growing old...??! Wish we had some other of this 'you' during the 2000's topgear. And the 406 coupe... omg just stunning. I dream of owning one someday.
It's not about what happened to Jezza...It's what happened to Peugeot!
Peugeot USED to make good cars in the 90's (JC liked the 106, 306 and 406). Then the 00's happened and they seemed to forget everything that once made them good. Now they are seen as a "cheap option" brand like Kia or Skoda. Shame how they have fallen so far so fast!
in the 00's they didn't know how to make them good??? The Peugeot 206 almost REWRITTEN the entire segment of the small hatchbacks! Including the 206cc! Come on! If you consider Citroen too, owned by Peugeot, the landscape it's even better, from the small Saxo VTS to the big C5, and the DS 3. I don't see Peugeot "fallen" at all. A 308cc it's something like a dream to me, or a Ds3 1.6 Turbo. So much better than, to say, a 306 or a 405, even though I like old Peugeot
No. Just No. Firstly the 206 came out in '98, not 00's, so my point stands. Secondly it didn't rewrite anything! It was nice looking and good for handling but average in every other way. As for the 308.... if that is seriously a "dream car" to you then you really need to aim higher in life!
You must be very young not to see how they have fallen. I remember a time (90's) when Peugeot were seen as a reasonably desirable brand. Not the butt of jokes like they are today.
you dream for 406 coupe ? Those cars are cheaper than a lawnmower here.
Plus i hear for the 1st time in my life someone saying that Peugeot is his dream car lol
I have a silver Puma, it is a brilliant little car. I personally see at as a spiritual successor to the Mini Cooper, the original one obviously, not the ridiculously huge thing BMW came up with.
What was with the 90s and diagonal camera angles
I mean this was shot in the 90s
When singing the praises of the Merc CLK and E class, little did they know that within a couple of years they would be falling apart due to rust.
My wife bought a brand new Ford Fiesta in 1997 with the 1.25 16v Zetec engine. Was like a rocket ship compared to my 1.3 HCS Escort so the 1.7 Puma must have been brilliant. Saw a silver V reg the other day, rust issues.
Wow cars were expensive back then, 14,000£ is 25,000£ in today's money, and the Puma was a leaky rust bucket with the equipment level of a soviet prison. For 25,000£ today you could get a fully specced out brand new Fiesta ST and still have money left over.
A horse does push a cart , by pushing on the coller around his neck which is attached by chains to the cart shafts . So altough the horse is in front it is pushing the cart the cart isnt tied to his tail ,the same applies to the plough . No horse. Ever pulled a plough ,the direct line from the coller to the plough share meant that the harder the horse pushed the coller the better his traction on the ground to till the soil. A little knowledge is a dangerous thing Jeremy ,motor journalists criticize people that make cars when the only thing they are capable of making is a noise . The alfa 164 was and is a great car ,at 72 years old petrol head i know
Cool, but that horse is at the front, just like the Ferrari. What if you put the horse at the back, and the cart or whatever else it's moving in front of the horse?
damn tiff can drive
Well he _was_ a professional racing driver, that usually helps.
He isn't called Needles for nothing.
Top Gear trio: pre-Alpha version
Before they were cool.
One underrated thing about top gear is the sound track
The solo in Torn and She's a Star by James are indistinguishable.
9:49 Not many coupes can have adults sitting comfortably in the middle. That Puma is such a sensation. I'm happily taking this Puma over the current compact crossover SUV thing.
Three Top Gear legends on the screen at once. Doesn't get better than that. The testosteone literally pours off the screen. :D
*My favourite car on the video is the Volkswagen Passat!*
hi, i really enjoyed the old top gear. do people still enjoy it now as much? i just wondered tony
Kinda ironic that I recognized every single song in this video hahaha
By far the best Top Gear presenter combo!!!
Shut up! shirt. Lmfao!
Quentin and his opinions got borish very quickly. Only Steve Berry was worse.
OMG that music...
And cars so different!
This video reminded me that the the 1990's were nearly always overcast.
There you are, by his own admission, television’s tallest twerp!
6:18 That alones makes me keeps loving this pre-CHM Top Gear era even more. I can miss CHM era Top Gear, but not this one.
3:36 Lol, those sign. 😂🤣
Jeremy in Double denim, damn
With your ray Wilkins haircut
WTF U didn't even know Tiff was in Top Gear
What a legend
Those 3 host's who ever they were, had serious head jitters when talking
K OB 1 was just clarkson
4:14 yes aston hall my neck of the woods this.
Be thankful it wasn't the Freelander... I don't know of a single one that still exists. They all blew their engines
To be fair I think the K Series engines in those committed suicide, for being cursed with a depressing existance within an ugly, unsafe plastic blob.
Hahaha that most unsubtle jab at the A Class got me! 4:48
Amazing, using MMM Bop as Top Gear music. Gold.
That Talbot died in 1999.
The power of the Alfa 156 is that, when its original, it is still an very atractive/balanced design
Still driving one today 2 liter twin spark (salespeed) No issues at all, with proper maintenance, the right mechanic and used only original parts.
That is car of the year 1998, the car of the year in 1997 was the original Ford Puma.
I thought old Top Gear was nothing but car bores stuff. But they also had bantz like the Top Gear we know and love.
you know its old when the screen is square
Sadly now the puma is an suv a fun one it isn't a puma
Tiff was the stig
2:20 oh you troll
That Passat did over 200,000 and lasted 15yrs!
The only real issue with any Skyline until the R35 showed up was that it was only available in RHD.
Not really a problem in the UK. It's one of the reasons we've had JDM imports for years now, blending with their export equivalents and offering very good quality used cars since Japanese yearly maintenance checks mean that cars are often in as-new condition up until the 10 year mark when they are no longer subject to that rule (and then a lot of them get shipped to RHD markets)
My family picked up an '05 Elgrand for £4500 about 4 years ago and that thing has stuff that is only now common equipment, soft close doors, automatic side doors, reversing camera etc and as standard came with the same 3.5L V6 that you found in the 350z and was based on the same chassis as the R34 Skyline and Stagea (which it shares a lot of bits with) making it very fast for a van. It even has AWD and the previous owner put in a straight pipe stainless steel exhaust for whatever reason so it makes all the right sounds too.
Oh hi childhood! There you are 🥲
Clarkson's afro mullet and mmm bop... Nostalgia right there.
That aged well!
They said that COTY sometimes were chosen wrong... and chose Ford Puma. LOL
oh how I miss these days…
I've got a 97 astra still going strong keeps passing mot's with little to no work needed not bad for a vauxhall lol
what is that yellow car that spins out just before the yellow Renault
MrMcKane thanks for the info
renault spiders worth a bloody mint now
6:10 C5 has no style whatsoever?! FUCKING EXCUSE ME?!!!!!
So they even got the Nissan Skyline GT-R and they chose the Ford Puma... for the car of the year... how did that happen?
Alexander Wingeskog money
Yep, you are probably right...
Because the 90s skyline GT-R had alot of minor problems that within a year of ownership would rear third ugly heads..but once fixed it was a dream. Not that it's a bad car, just a little unreliable to be car of the year
I'd like to see a one off 2 hour long top gear show with these three..
great soundtrack for a show
Loved the freelander for it's 'style'? 😖
12 y/o's car of the year "sUpRa 5000hp!!!"
Late 1990’s were the best time for Britain 🇬🇧
A hopeful decade. Music, culture and a lot else.
All of the 90’s was
@@kerneldave early 90’s Major years was not so good recession and high unemployment was still a major issues.
Ford made and still makes nice to drive cars
A deserving winner for sure
4:55 THEY MADE THE MERCEDES COMMERCIAL BEFORE MERCEDES DID😂😂😂
My parents had one, a 2.0, i still smell the blue interior in my mind.
Is that M-bop song really 24+ years old? @ 1:54
life is passing by so quick... they could be Grandads now lol
Shame a lot of Puma's disintegrated into piles of rust. They were quite common for a while, but now are like hens teeth, especially rust free examples.
Rare is good.. Keeps prices on the up, there's no rust on mine..
the alfa deserved his tittle as car of the year!!!!!
"mind you"
I preferred Tiff and Quentin
So many memories
Omg this works too clarkson needel and wilson instead of may and hamster
Should have been the integra DC2