The Evolution of Top Gear (and some random bloke from Doncaster)

Just one video before the fold:

Now, if only there were a way to see what Top Gear might look like as a more serious motoring programme...Turns out...there is:



1977 (Angela Rippon):

1979 (Noel Edmonds hates the Fiat Strada):

1981 (Sue Baker road-tests the Vauxhall Cavalier...and takes it over 110 mph):

1983 (Motorcycles, Morgans, Panther, and the Fiat Uno):

1984 (AC Cobra with Beki Adam):

1986 (Yugos, Škodas, FSO's, and Ladas):

1987 (G-d, this show was dull):

1988 (Finally, with the random bloke from Doncaster):

1989 (with trbfd and a...slightly different accent from today):

1990 (In which trbfd tries to pull with a Ferrari):

More 1990 (With trbfd as a used car salesman -- Accents, accents, accents...):

1991 (In which trbfd tries to put you to sleep with a proper review of a Mitsubishi): 

1992 (In which trbfd discusses the Mustang):

1993 (still with trbfd):

1994 (still with trbfd):

1995 (Looking for a replacement for trbfd ?  Starting to look a lot more familiar here in parts):

1996 (In which trbfd reviews the 'Maserati Four Door' in Clarksonese):

1997 (with trbfd & vbh):

1998 (with trbfd, vbh, tn, and qw):

1999 (Wait, who's this bloke ?):

2000  (Such a cozy little family programme back then, no ?):

2001 (With Not a Ferret):

Turns out there's loads and loads of these on the magical way-back machine.  But if you mistakenly clicked on this, I probably already crashed your browser.  Sorry.