Seasons & episodes

There's more to motor sport than the glamorous and very expensive world of Grand Prix racing. William Woollard introduces tonight's programme from Prescott near Cheltenham, where vintage and special cars do battle over the twisting hill-climb course. And he goes back to school to learn all about the gentle art of driving sideways - the rough way. In addition Chris Goffey reports on the successful return of 'big cat' Jaguars to the race track.

William Woollard looks at the latest in motoring accessories and garage equipment when he visits Earls Court and the Autoquip '83 Exhibition. Sue Baker, herself a recent victim of car thieves, investigates some of the security systems now available to beat the thief. While well away from a life of crime, she tries out the Orion - Ford's new Escort with a boot. Meanwhile, as winter draws near, Frank Page reports on the menace of spray from heavy lorries. With government legislation planned to reduce this hazard the race is now on to produce a successful anti-spray system.

New car sales have reached record levels over the past few weeks and as a result the secondhand market is booming too. But as William Woollard finds out quite dramatically, buying a used car is still one of the biggest financial gambles anyone can ever take. In tonight's programme he visits Nottingham, one of Britain's busiest car sales areas to find out just how prospective buyers—'punters'—to the trade-can help themselves around the many pitfalls and problems of buying a used car. And Frank Page turns 'punter', trying out some of the secondhand models on offer.

Autumn may not be the time when many people think of hitching up their caravan and setting off on holiday. But as William Woollard reports it is probably the best time of year to buy or change your van and pick up a bargain. On the other hand is it cheaper to rent or buy your travelling home? Tonight's programme also features test drives in the new Vauxhall Cavalier Estate, Citroen BX and the film of the latest big bike from BMW.

Three out of every 100 new cars sold in Britain today have been made in an Iron Curtain country or South Korea. William Woollard travels to Poland for tonight's programme with a special report on the way in which the Poles, along with their Eastern Bloc partners, are carving out a significant foothold for themselves in our marketplace. Meanwhile, back at home, Sue Baker has been conducting her own series of road tests on the cars the communist countries and the Koreans have to offer. They may be cheap - but are they really good value for money?

Safety, energy conservation and environmental pressures have led the Swedes into introducing probably more motoring legislation than any other country in the world. William Woollard visits Volvo and Saab to see some of the exciting new research and development in these areas and finds out what it's like to be a law-abiding driver in Sweden.

Geneva — the first major Motor Show of 1984 opens today with William Woollard and Sue Baker there to look at what you could be driving in the near future. Frank Page has been on a tour of Europe, testing two of the show's new cars, the Renault 25 and Volkswagen's Jetta, and stopping off in West Germany to sample the highly personal service offered by one manufacturer to its customers.

The Top Gear team takes to the road with A Second Chance for Motorists: William Woollard 's report on a unique scheme set up by police in Nottinghamshire. Now drivers are no longer automatically prosecuted if they're found with a faulty vehicle; they have a chance to put the defect right. Office on the Move: a look at the limousine that has a video, a computer, a word processor - everything for today's jet-setting businessman. Toy Cars: replicas of famous vehicles that children can drive - if dad's got 12,000 or more to spare.

It is ten years since wearing a crash helmet became compulsory, but today you're still 25 times more likely to be killed riding a motorcycle than driving a car. Helmets are vital, of course, but just how safe are they? Are the tests conducted by the British Standards Institution (BSI) good enough? Does the BSI pick the right designs to reduce death and injury in the future? In a special report Tony Baker investigates the helmets you can buy in Britain. Over in Holland, Frank Page tries out Saab's latest offering which sports a 16-valve engine, and nearer to home turns his hand to DIY panel beating.

A look at motoring in the year 2000 with William Woollard and Frank Page at the London Design Centre for the opening of the 'Drive Forward' exhibition. How will cars be powered in the 21st century? Electricity or hydrogen? Could towns and cities change to suit our motoring needs and one day will cars drive themselves? Also a special report from Paris on the lady designer who's created a car which changes colour to suit the weather.

British skier and rally driver Konrad Bartelski joins the Top Gear team to give his verdict on Audi's 200 Turbo, which has just arrived on the British market. But if your car's not so new and the cost of spares is giving you headaches, Tony Baker may have the answer. A national network of scrap dealers is using the latest technology to help you save time and money. William Woollard introduces the programme from the Transport and Road Research Laboratories.

Of the 25,000 car fires in Britain each year less than 2% are caused by collision. So what makes your average saloon catch light? And if it does, how do you cope? Sue Baker looks at the increasing problem and shows you how to deal with a fire. And liquid engineering William Woollard asks how much motorists actually know about the oil they put into their engines.

William Woollard sets out to show how travelling on the Continent can be a pleasurable experience, even for first time drivers abroad. Sue Baker follows the story of one young couple who found that it really pays to take out adequate insurance. And Frank Page drives all the way from Calais to Nice with his eyes closed!

On the day that Britain's latest family car, Austin Rover's Montego, comes on to the market, Top Gear goes behind the scenes for an exclusive look at the company's new multi-million-pound design centre at Canley, Coventry. While Frank Page and Sue Baker road test the full range of Montegos, William Woollard reports on the years of creative effort and refinement that lie behind the car. A fascinating blend of the traditional, with full-scale craftsmen-built models and the latest in computer-aided design techniques which will shape cars of the future. Once you've bought your new pride and joy you may need a workshop manual to look after it. Frank Page examines the painstaking way in which they are compiled.

William Woollard and the Top Gear team return with a review of highlights from the British International Motor Show. There's a detailed look at the new Scimitar sports car and at Reliant, the company that makes it. Sue Baker travels the roads of Southern Ireland in Vauxhall's latest Astra, while, just a stone's throw away from the Motor Show, William Woollard gets to see some of the hundreds of bikes on display in Britain's first National Motorcycle Museum, which opened at the weekend. And if you think regular checks on your tyres with your own tyre pressure gauge or pump keep you safe, beware. Chris Goffey reports on an investigation that reveals serious inaccuracies in many gauges on sale in Britain.

If you've ever wondered how police drivers chase bank robbers, then watch Top Gear tonight. William Woollard visits the Metropolitan Police Driver Training School at Hendon, which celebrates its golden jubilee this year. Every day on Britain's roads there are eight accidents between vehicles and horses. Chris Goffey climbs into the saddle to report on new guidelines. And an exclusive look at this year's British Grand Prix - or at least a scaled-down version.

Giant racing monsters take to the track in a special Top Gear from the first British Truck Grand Prix. William Woollard meets the stars and the working truckers who unhitch their trailers to push five tons of highly-powered steel to the limit round the Donington Park circuit, while reporter Chris Goffey climbs into the cab in an attempt to fight his own way to the final. And between races there's a chance to see spectacular two-wheel stunts, a jet truck and Britain's fastest delivery service -the 170 mph Supervan.

Sixty years ago Fiat's new factory at Lingotto in Turm was hailed as a masterpiece of industrial building. Now it has been turned into giant exhibition halls. Today for the first time they house the Turin Motor Show. William Woollard and Chris Goffey report. Frank Page climbs to the famous roof-top test track and there's a look at the new Lancia Thema. David Willey reports on the harsher realities of Italian life - bullet-proof cars.

Have you ever thought how nice your car might look with different-coloured tyres? Perhaps a tasteful shade of green, yellow or blue? It's not as outrageous as it seems, as William Woollard found out when he visited one of the world's major tyre manufacturers at its research and development centre in Luxemburg. Closer to home, Top Gear drops in at a spectacular get-together of Rolls-Royce owners and takes to the racetrack testing 'hot hatchbacks' to the limit.

1985 is to be heralded as the centenary of the birth of the car. Karl Benz is usually held to be the father of the motor car. The French, on the other hand, have discovered a gentleman by the name of de Boutteville who had a car running on French roads a year earlier in 1884. Earlier this year in Paris, the French mounted an elegant exhibition to celebrate this event. William Woollard and Sue Baker visited this dazzling display of invention, exquisite taste and downright quirkiness. Four-wheel drive vehicles made an appearance in 1916 and since then they have acquired a macho upmarket image that has caused quite an explosion in the 4x4 market. Now almost every car firm has a rugged, mud-plugging, go-anywhere vehicle. Chris Goffey assesses some of the market leaders.

For the last programme in the present series William Woollard and the Top Gear team look back at highlights from the past year and forward to motoring in 1985. Chris Goffey tries out the Audi 200 Quattro Turbo to see if it matches up to claims that it's destined to become one of the world's great cars. And in a year when figures showed that one in three drivers is now a woman, Sue Baker reports on their move into another important area of motoring; while Frank Page recalls MG's Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

The Geneva Show always has a surprise or two in store and this year is no exception. This is the international event that many of the manufacturers use to launch new products into Europe or show off their styling exercises. William Woollard and Sue Baker look at some of the highlights and, with Frank Page, test three new cars coming on to the market, the 150 mph BMW M635CSi, the Mercedes 200 Series and Lancia's new small car.

With the recent launch of Sir Clive Sinclair's controversial new electric vehicle, interest has been rekindled in using electric traction for personal transport. This week William Woollard tests the Sinclair C5 and other contenders in the market, from both the UK and Denmark. Chris Goffey, meanwhile, points the way ahead with Peugeot's research vehicle - the 205 Electrique. Sue Baker road tests the latest sporting offer from Japan, the Toyota MR2. With the Budget only a week away Top Gear reports on the pressures on the Chancellor to replace Vehicle Excise Duty with a higher tax on petrol.

Over 3,000 young hopefuls try their hand at Brands Hatch Racing School every year and William Woollard follows in the tyre tracks of James Hunt to discover the joys and costs of single-seater racing. William Horsley reports from Japan on a prison where motoring offenders are taught to drive legally. Sue Baker travels on a novel form of public transport in Hong Kong, and David Minton checks on just how protective motorcycle clothing is.