Former Top Gear hosts...?

Hey guys,

I was watching some older Top Gear on the internet and I've seen a few sections with Clarkson, Hammond and some other rather large chap (sorry, but that's the best way I can describe him!). He was obviously the third host pre James May, but who is he? And what motoring connection did he have? And why is he no longer on the show?

I think you mean Jason Dawe, he also writes in The Sunday Times.

He fronts Used Car Roadshow with Penny Mallory (yes please :p ). If it's still going that is - I think there's repeats running on Sky Three.

Argh, Adam you beat me to it. Good job i refreshed before i posted or i'd have looked like a right spanner ;)

Metric or Imperial? (The spanner).

He fronts Used Car Roadshow with Penny Mallory (yes please :p ). If it's still going that is - I think there's repeats running on Sky Three.

And ITV4.

William Woolard, Chris Goffey, the bird!!

Tiff

further back Noel Edmonds!

Did you know Chris Goffey's son is in Supergrass?

And why is he no longer on the show?
I think that when it moved more to motortainment than motor consumerism it was felt/he felt that it was not really his bag.

William Woolard, Chris Goffey, the bird!!

Tiff

Michelle Newman.

My sister and briother-in-law used to live in the same village as Tony Mason. I've walked past his house several time.

Wow.

I passed it in my dads car once, circa 1989. An awesome moment.

My sister and briother-in-law used to live in the same village as Tony Mason. I've walked past his house several time.

I once saw Mike Brewer's brother in a branch of Dixons. Beat that.

I saw Richard Hammond in a jewellers in Cheltenham a couple of years ago.

A bloke on a forum I visit once saw Richard Hammond in a jewellers.

Anyway, back onto topic. I've seen a couple of the shows with Jason Dawe, and although he's a decent enough presenter / journo, the chemistry just wasn't there between him, Hammond and Clarkson. The recruitment of James May was a masterstroke.

I have vague memories of James from old Top Gear. He used to have much shorter hair and I didn't really like him so much. He always seemed to be driving extremely dull cars. He's probably my favourite presenter now. Amazing how the current format brings out the personalities of the presenters - James is just deeply funny and bumbling in an English sort of way, Jeremy is Jeremy, Hammond is an annoying little man trying to convince himself he is Jeremy.

Dawe was dull though. Car bargains is not a terribly interesting topic for such a show and this was proved by the fact he lasted one season. He was competent in what he did but not really suitable. A charisma vacuum really.

Quite a topical thread this, in light of the comments made by Hammond tonight, referring to Clarkson and May as Chris Goffey and William Woollard (or was it Tony Mason? My short-term memory is woeful).

Tony Mason.

I preferred Top Gear back when the likes of Tiff Needell & Vicki Butler-Henderson were on it (ie...a serious car show)...hence why i much prefer 5th Gear these days ;) Having said that, if i'm after an entertaining hour, the Post-2002 makeover of Top Gear is top TV....

YouTube features some older Top Gear clips, especially a good one of Needell in a Sierra RS500 in 1989.....

5th Gear a serious car show? ;)

I did like old Top Gear a lot I must say. Wouldn't like to lose the ones we have now though.

%th gear is OK but I can no stand the idiotic spaniel haired pillock!!

Must be an age thing or something... Tom Ford (I'm assuming that's who you mean by "idiotic spaniel haired pillock" :p ) is the only decent presenter on 5th Gear. Tiffany Dell is a truly annoying upper class twit who clearly hasn't a clue when it comes to road cars. Jason Potato is, more or less, just a younger version of Tiffany.

As for VBH, I do like the way she squeals, and she'd definitely get it (I suppose that's the age thing again) but she's still a crap presenter.

I don't like Plato as a racing driver, but he's a damn good TV presenter. Very comfortable in front of the camera.

I found an old Top Gear from the 1991 Earls Court Motorfair a few months back. In the early days of Clarkson, when he had an afro.

I tell you what I miss most of all though, not the old Top Gears, but the Top Gear Rally Report. Best rallying coverage on TV I have seen. They actually gave a damn about the plucky amateur in his 20 year old Skoda, running at number 200 in the field, as well as the big boys.

I tell you what I miss most of all though, not the old Top Gears, but the Top Gear Rally Report. Best rallying coverage on TV I have seen. They actually gave a damn about the plucky amateur in his 20 year old Skoda, running at number 200 in the field, as well as the big boys.

I completely agree. I was longing for those days whilst waiting until 10:30pm to watch highlights of this year's Rally GB on Eurosport. It's crazy to think that there were only 4 channels back then, yet there was time for regular and comprehensive rally reports several times a day throughout the RAC weekend.

Tiffany Dell is a truly annoying upper class twit who clearly hasn't a clue when it comes to road cars.

He's also wedged firmly up his own rear end, I lost all respect for him when he did a one-off appearance in stockhatch rallycross at Lydden. He tipped another driver into a roll (totally avoidable if Tiff had lifted) and then refused to apologise or accept any portion of blame for the incident. He had a bit of a tantrum about it and just made an absolute fool of himself.


As for VBH, I do like the way she squeals, and she'd definitely get it (I suppose that's the age thing again)....

VBH? :drool:

There is no more to say about VBH ;)

I tell you what I miss most of all though, not the old Top Gears, but the Top Gear Rally Report. Best rallying coverage on TV I have seen. They actually gave a damn about the plucky amateur in his 20 year old Skoda, running at number 200 in the field, as well as the big boys.

Absolutely agree. I very luckily managed to get hold of four or five seasons worth of those a few weeks back and it is some of the best rallying viewing I've had in ages. I kept wondering if it was just nostalgia, seeing all those great cars and drivers in action on some great rallies. But it just isn't.

It's funny to think that, with all the noises they made about taking WRC coverage forward to rival F1, it hasn't really progressed. It is simply dumped on late night Eurosport. How accessible.

Now back to Top Gear...when will they get rid of that annoying cretin Hammond and replace him with someone like Emma Parker-Bowles? Now I know she is pretty awful as a TV presenter, but she has a far better body. Come on BBC, act now!

As for Tom Ford, I like him as well. I enjoy reading his articles in Top Gear magazine too. Still not enough to make me watch 5th Gear though and I don't like his body much. :p

I prefer Tom Fords body to Emma Parker-Bowles', tbh...

Is there something you're not telling us Rockmunky?

Did I see that closet door move then?


:rofl:

Oh god, i'm fuelling the flames again.

Anyway... er.. next sunday.... the 24 hours episode! yay!.

There's a guy called Jon Bentley, who nowadays presents The Gadget Show. I seem to remember him being on Top Gear once, although I may have been mistaken/distracted as his co-presenter is Suzi Perry. Now there's a thought...

Now back to Top Gear...when will they get rid of that annoying cretin Hammond and replace him with someone like Emma Parker-Bowles? Now I know she is pretty awful as a TV presenter, but she has a far better body. Come on BBC, act now!

But the BBC are trying to make sure that 50% of Top Gear's audience is female, so there's no way they're going to get rid of Hammond. ;)

There's a guy called Jon Bentley, who nowadays presents The Gadget Show. I seem to remember him being on Top Gear once, although I may have been mistaken/distracted as his co-presenter is Suzi Perry. Now there's a thought...
Bentley also produced it, as I recall.

(that post has taken me 10 minutes cos Suzi Perry keeps invading my mind)

Brendan 'Role Model' Coogan. :D

There's a guy called Jon Bentley, who nowadays presents The Gadget Show. I seem to remember him being on Top Gear once, although I may have been mistaken/distracted as his co-presenter is Suzi Perry. Now there's a thought...

Bentley moved with Tiff, VBH etc... to 5th Gear when they moved, he was a producer/presenter on that too. Is he still involved with 5th gear?