What’s occurring? ‘Gavin and Stacey’ star cars on display

From Barry Island to Beaulieu

Who doesn’t love Gavin and Stacey? One of the most popular TV shows of recent years, the BBC sitcom stars Mathew Horne, Joanna Page, Ruth Jones, James Corden… and an interesting cast of cars. The vehicles, including Gavin’s Citroen Saxo VTS, pictured here, are now on display at the National Motor Museum in Beaulieu, Hampshire, as part of an exhibition called On Screen Cars. Here’s what you can expect to see.

Gavin’s Citroen Saxo VTS

This Saxo features heavily in the show, being driven back and forth between Essex and Barry Island by Gavin when he is courting Stacey. The 120hp 16-valve VTS was the hottest version of the Saxo, sitting above the 90hp 8-valve VTR, and was closely related to the Peugeot 106 GTI. Ubiquitous in the 1990s, they have now become a rare sight.

Smithy’s Volvo 850 estate

Roomy and reliable, a Volvo 850 estate served as ideal transport for Smithy (James Corden) in his job as a handyman. Notably, the car featured as the backdrop to his rendition of Band Aid’s Do They Know It’s Christmas? in the 2008 Christmas special.

Smithy’s Volvo 850 estate

The Volvo also featured in a sketch for Comic Relief in 2011, when James Corden, playing the part of Smithy, drove Wham star George Michael to the studio in the first ever ‘Carpool Karaoke’. His company slogan, ‘If your husband won’t do it – I will’, works on more than one level…

Uncle Bryn’s Citroen Xsara Picasso

Played by Rob Brydon, Uncle Bryn drives a very sensible Citroen Xsara Picasso. Indeed, the ever-cheerful Bryn owned a total of three Picasso models during the show. The car on display in Beaulieu is from series three.

Uncle Bryn’s Citroen Xsara Picasso

Clearly a fan of all things Picasso (the people carrier, not the Spanish artist), Uncle Bryn declares at one point that he’ll continue driving this car until he dies. Or until it ends up in a museum, maybe?

On Screen Cars at the National Motor Museum

In addition to the automotive stars of Gavin and Stacey, the On Screen Cars exhibition at Beaulieu also includes a Del Boy’s Reliant van from Only Fools and Horses, a Ford Anglia from the Harry Potter films and James Bond’s Jaguar XKR from Die Another Day. Visitors to the National Motor Museum can check out the new Icons of F1 exhibition, too.

A rewind to World of Top Gear

Previously at the National Motor Museum, the World of Top Gear display brought together many of the wackiest challenge cars built by Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May – plus other presenters such as Matt LeBlanc and Chris Harris.

However, following Freddie Flintoff’s accident, which led to the BBC cancelling the show, World of Top Gear was closed. And while some of the cars were saved, others – such as Jeremy Clarkson’s stretched Fiat Panda limousine, seen here – were deemed uneconomical to restore and sold as scrap. A rocket-powered Mini used to tackle a ski jump in the Winter Olympics special was another casualty of the closure.

We visited the World of Top Gear exhibition in Beaulieu before it closed. Now join us for a trip down memory lane.

Lotus Escape to the Country

James May’s ‘Lotus Escape to the Country’ was a motorhome based on the Excel Type 89. Featured in series 15, episode four of Top Gear, its sleek roof box contained a sleeping area, a barbeque grill and a potty. Telescopic poles elevated the roof box lid so May had enough space to sit on the loo.

Hammerhead Eagle i-Thrust

‘Hammerhead Eagle i-Thrust’ sounds like a good name for a supercar, but the reality is anything but. The TG team’s riposte to the – equally rubbish – G-Wiz, this home-made electric car starred in series 14, episode two.

The HEiT was subsequently road-tested by Autocar magazine, causing the generator to come off its mountings and slide around the cabin. ‘We failed to crack 60mph,’ said the review. ‘In the end, it reached 50mph in 16.6sec and ran out of juice at 55mph, making it the slowest car we have tested this century.’

Sinclair Ski-5

It was 2006, and the world’s top athletes were heading to Turin for the Winter Olympics. Meanwhile, the TG team staged their own version of the winter games in Norway, with events including Suzuki Swift ice hockey, speed skating versus a Jaguar XK and – the showstopper – a Mini ski-jump.

With the help of some rockets, the intrepid British saloon made the jump – as did the Stig on a snowmobile. Sadly, the Mini was one of the cars scrapped when the World of Top Gear exhibition was closed.

Nissan Leaf

Driven by Paddy McGuiness, this modified Nissan Leaf features scissor doors, a wide-arched bodykit, a rear wing and a custom wrap. It was part of an entire episode of Top Gear dedicated to electric cars in 2019.

Hovervan

Top Gear’s response to widespread UK flooding was the Hovervan: a Ford Transit that is also – you guessed it – a hovercraft. Featured in series 20, episode four, this is actually the second-generation Hovervan. The first sank on its maiden voyage.

A 600hp Radical track-car engine helped keep the three amigos afloat on the River Avon, although the van proved noisy and difficult to steer. Flood-afflicted local people didn’t seem overly impressed…

The TVG12

It’s tempting to say the TVG12 is half-car, half-train. But really it’s just a Jaguar XJS convertible with a set of cast iron wheels. Nonetheless, Clarkson gamely connected the Jag to a ‘carriage’ (OK, a caravan with the roof sawn off) and completed a rail journey from Leicester to Loughborough.

With that huge makeshift wing on the back, we suspect this track car (sorry) will corner like it’s on rails (sorry again).

The Nissank

Calling this modified 1996 Nissan D21 pick-up the ‘Nissank’ was misleading. In fact, it was the only one of three TG amphibious vehicles to successfully cross the English Channel. Captained by Clarkson, it sailed from Dover to Sangatte, near Calais.

In addition to empty barrels used as flotation devices, Jeremy installed a couple of fishing rods to pass time while he waited for James ‘Captain Slow’ May. The Nissank stars in series 10, episode two.

Fiat Panda limo

Stretched limos are always a bit rubbish, but Top Gear’s homemade effort goes further. This elongated Fiat Panda actually broke in half while ferrying DJ Chris Moyles across London to the Brit Awards.

The Q-plated Panda lived on as a bench for visitors to the World of Top Gear exhibition… but unfortunately, it has now been scrapped.

The old people’s car

This Fiat Multipla was thoughtfully converted into a car for old people (such as James) by Jeremy and Richard. Note its hearing-aid-beige paintwork, safety-conscious front bumper and Rover badges. Because oldies prefer to buy British, obviously.

Step inside and you’ll notice the large-print speedo, waterproof front seat and Shackletons easy chairs for passengers. There’s also a supplementary boot: a shopping trolley hooked onto the rear bumper.

Double-decker cars

If you ask us, this looks like a sad waste of a Mk2 Volkswagen Golf GTI and a W124 Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Still, who are we to stand in the way of family entertainment?

The double-decker cars challenge (series two, episode six) saw the TG team take on their counterparts from a German TV show. Unfortunately, while their rivals had the tank-like Merc and solidly-built VW, the Brits had to make do with Jaguar XJs carrying Rover Metros.

Reliant Robin space shuttle

Now, this really was ambitious. With eight tonnes of thrust, the Reliant Robin space shuttle (seen in series nine, episode four) was Europe’s largest non-commercial rocket launch ever. And it worked… sort of.

The shuttle achieved lift-off, but failed to detach from the fuel tank, causing it to spin out of control and crash. Nonetheless, of all the Reliant Robins wrecked by Top Gear, this one went out with the biggest bang.

The Snowbine

Top Gear giving something back? The surprisingly sensible Snowbine was a converted combine harvester, designed to remove snow from Norwegian roads.

OK, so the flamethrower on the roof was perhaps slightly ill-advised, but there’s no question the Snowbine worked. Clarkson, Hammond and May helped clear an entire road – and all without a single arson charge.

The Vietnam challenge

Series 12, episode eight introduced one of Top Gear’s famous challenges – a journey across Vietnam on motorcycles. Displayed here are Clarkson’s Vespa scooter and the back-up motorcycle used by the TG production team. Note the stars-and-stripes stickers: controversial in a country that was once the target of US military might.

Clarkson, Hammond and May didn’t enjoy all of their Vietnam journey, but this remains one of the toughest and most memorable Top Gear road-trips.

The Dampervan

The Dampervan was another vehicle designed to cross the English Channel – this time in the hands of Richard Hammond. Essentially a Volkswagen camper inside a boat hull, it offers tea-making facilities for up to four people, plus a top speed of seven knots.

Hammond made it onto the high seas, but had to resort to an outboard motor after the Dampervan’s engine failed. It eventually sank.

The Wall of Death Maserati

Ever-ambitious, the Top Gear production team built an enormous ‘Wall of Death’ inside London’s Alexandra Palace. The sheer G-forces involved meant this Maserati Quattroporte was made as light as possible – to the point of being almost unrecognisable. By the end of the challenge, the car’s steering system had totally collapsed.

The Kazakhstan road trip

Another epic road trip, this time in the hands of Top Gear’s new presenters: Matt LeBlanc, Chris Harris (seen here at the official launch of World of Top Gear) and Rory Reid. The team drove three high-mileage cars into the mountains of Kazakhstan.

Chris’s Volvo V70 had covered an epic 670,000 miles, but still wasn’t the leggiest car of the trio. That honour went to Matt’s Mercedes-Benz E-Class, which had more than 800,000 miles under its wheels.

Porsche 944 Turbo ambulance

Improving emergency response times? A Porsche 944 Turbo ‘sports ambulance’ is the obvious solution – provided your patient doesn’t need a stretcher, of course. Jeremy built this Gulf-liveried lifesaver in series 22, episode three.

James and Richard had rather different solutions to the problem. They chose a Ford Scorpio Cardinal hearse and an American Chevrolet G20 van respectively.

The ski-jumping Mini

It was 2006, and the world’s top athletes were heading to Turin for the Winter Olympics. Meanwhile, the TG team staged their own version of the winter games in Norway, with events including Suzuki Swift ice hockey, speed skating versus a Jaguar XK and – the showstopper – a Mini ski-jump.

With the help of some rockets, the intrepid Mini-on-skis made the jump – as did the Stig on a snowmobile.

The SsangYacht

Described by Eddie Jordan as “the worst thing to happen to boating since the iceberg”, this project showed what happens when a SsangYong Rodius MPV meets a luxury yacht. Notable features include a fish tank and a keyboard for entertaining guests.

The SsangYacht’s finest moment was in glamorous Monte Carlo, where it traversed the harbour towing a water-skiing Chris Harris.

Triumph Herald amphibious car

Series 10, episode two saw the second outing for James’s Triumph Herald amphibious car. And this time, it too would attempt a Channel crossing.

James kept it simple (and slow) by relying on wind power alone. Unfortunately, he was unable to sail beyond Dover harbour and the Herald soon sank. A sorry end for this hapless hero.

The caravan airship

Top Gear isn’t known for its love of caravans. So James came up with an innovative idea: a hot-air balloon caravan that could eliminate traffic hold-ups – and enraged drivers – by flying from one campsite to the next. What could possibly go wrong?

Quite a lot, actually. James drifted into restricted airspace and eventually crashed through a bush. The flying caravan thus ends its days at Beaulieu – minus the balloon itself.

Chevrolet Camaro

Chris Harris and Rory Reid headed to Cuba in series 24, episode six – Harris driving a ropey Maserati Biturbo and Reid in the £5,000 Chevrolet Camaro seen here. Their road-trip took them from the Bay of Pigs to Havana, with several races along the way.

Cuba has been starved of new cars for decades, so the highlights of this episode for us were the many classic American cars Chris and Rory spotted.

Maserati Biturbo

And here’s the Maserati Biturbo driven by Chris Harris in Cuba. A fine example of a car being very cool and also not very good. Most people bought a BMW instead.

Renault 4

The episode featuring this Renault 4 TL caused controversy when the car’s handbrake failed, causing it to crash into a Peugeot 106 Rallye driven by Paddy McGuinness. We didn’t mind so much when TG dropped pianos onto Morris Marinas, but cool French hatchbacks? Non merci.

Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Edition 1

We finish with a car that isn’t part of the World of Top Gear. However, this (deep breath) Mercedes-AMG C 63 S Edition 1 was driven by Chris Harris at the launch of the exhibition. And when we say ‘driven’, we mean power-oversteered until its rear tyres were squealing for mercy.

The World of Top Gear exhibition has now closed, but the National Motor Museum in Hampshire is open daily from 10am.