Thread: Upcoming Top Gear Defender Tribute

Thanks for this onfo , Richard Hammond comes from Sollihull , , I'll look out for It !!.. cheers Jim

Originally Posted by Mjt084

Being such a Defender tragic I had assumed Richard Hammond would be giving it a grand send off during the current season of Top Gear. Looks like it's happening in next weeks episode airing Monday morning Australian time.

List of Top Gear episodes - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

How & when do you think we could / will see that?
Pickles.

Episodes are simulcast on FOXTEL in Australia and will probably air on the Nine Network within six months. There are also less reputable sources with which to obtain the episodes.

Thanks for the info. Will bve interested to se their take on the demise of the Defender.

Thanks for that I will keep an eye out

A bit disappointing IMHO.

Some incorrect facts mentioned, particularly about the use of green paint and alloy due to the war (Arthur Goddard himself debunked that myth IIRC).

Also, not as much history as I would have liked.

Anyway, still good to see the Land Rover featuring on Top Gear.

Oh, not sure if it was a guess or letting the cat out of the bag (or maybe I'm out of the loop), but James May made a comment about the new model Defender looking exactly the same!

Originally Posted by Ranga

A bit disappointing IMHO.

Some incorrect facts mentioned, particularly about the use of green paint and alloy due to the war (Arthur Goddard himself debunked that myth IIRC).

Also, not as much history as I would have liked.

Anyway, still good to see the Land Rover featuring on Top Gear.

Oh, not sure if it was a guess or letting the cat out of the bag (or maybe I'm out of the loop), but James May made a comment about the new model Defender looking exactly the same!

I felt the same. Bit disappointing. I picked up the new Defender reference too. But any telly featuring a Landy is good telly!

On the Alloy thing. I had a Land Rover issued book (since lost in a move) that said the reason aluminium was chosen was because Rover was keen to break into to US export market. However steel was rationed to 1 1/2 tons per car. And that wasn't enough to build the type of cars they wanted in the states. Rover from the on set intended to build all Land Rovers from aluminium (Birmabright) as it was only a stop gap vehicle anyway and aluminium was in excess supply and not rationed. They would then be able reallocate the unused steel per Land Rover to export cars.
I think this sounds very reasonable.

Originally Posted by Ranga

James May made a comment about the new model Defender looking exactly the same!

Right back to this Defender from the Bond film with the missing axle and diff...

Zoomed in on proper resolution it looks very much like an independent suspension wishbone in there. Test bed "leaked" on purpose just for those interested enough to spot it...?

A contemporary comparison attached as well.

Cheers,

Lou