The real italian job
Discussion
Finally got the time to watch this, then came on here and looked for the thread! Found it, read the first 7 pages and then had to stop due to certain members postings on here being beyond belief...
Never really seen much of James Martin before, but its pretty apparent from early on that he is a die-hard petrolhead, who has wanted to take part in the race for 25 years. If you watch the programme, he doesn't blab about the money involved, its not whats important to him, he just wants the perfect car to enter into his perfect race and have the time of his life. At no point (to me) did he come across as especially arrogant, if someone started scribbling on my dash in marker pen then I would probably go off on one, even in my measly VW.
By the time the race actually started, I was really hoping it would go well for him, as I thought the rest of PH would be. I can't begin to imagine what he must have felt like after blitzing his engine (although I admit that ragging a brand-new engine in a classic car is nuts).
For me, the thing that really spoiled the programme was the narration - silly daily-mail reading twunt with eyes only on the money and not the emotion of the race... appalling effort.
I hope JM keeps his lovely Maser, re-enters next year and gets to the finish... the bloke is a true petrolhead and it obviously means the world to him.
Oh, and one final thing. PumaPower, disagreeing on James Martin's personality is fine, but personal attacks on other PH members is bang out of order.
Never really seen much of James Martin before, but its pretty apparent from early on that he is a die-hard petrolhead, who has wanted to take part in the race for 25 years. If you watch the programme, he doesn't blab about the money involved, its not whats important to him, he just wants the perfect car to enter into his perfect race and have the time of his life. At no point (to me) did he come across as especially arrogant, if someone started scribbling on my dash in marker pen then I would probably go off on one, even in my measly VW.
By the time the race actually started, I was really hoping it would go well for him, as I thought the rest of PH would be. I can't begin to imagine what he must have felt like after blitzing his engine (although I admit that ragging a brand-new engine in a classic car is nuts).
For me, the thing that really spoiled the programme was the narration - silly daily-mail reading twunt with eyes only on the money and not the emotion of the race... appalling effort.
I hope JM keeps his lovely Maser, re-enters next year and gets to the finish... the bloke is a true petrolhead and it obviously means the world to him.
Oh, and one final thing. PumaPower, disagreeing on James Martin's personality is fine, but personal attacks on other PH members is bang out of order.
Watched it again, he is clearly a car nut and not as arrogant as some would suggest but his complete lack of charisma on screen is what makes me think he should probably stay off camera, But good luck next year anyway.
I see a lot of parallels between today's Mille miglia and the gumball3000 events especially the enebriated old gents, except one would be described as spirited driving and the other dangerous
Of course the gumball attracts better cars though 
I see a lot of parallels between today's Mille miglia and the gumball3000 events especially the enebriated old gents, except one would be described as spirited driving and the other dangerous
Of course the gumball attracts better cars though sminky said:
The rev gauge (jerky or not) didn't look like it was working as they left the start (30:39 
)
Thankyou. The "Chronometric Tachometer" or whatever it is properly called was, as I stated, not working during the race. Earlier footage back in the UK showed it to be working. Perhaps the amateurish production company f)
ked it somehow while they were wiring up their cameras?TimJMS said:
sminky said:
The rev gauge (jerky or not) didn't look like it was working as they left the start (30:39 )
Thankyou. The "Chronometric Tachometer" or whatever it is properly called was, as I stated, not working during the race. Earlier footage back in the UK showed it to be working. Perhaps the amateurish production company f)ked it somehow while they were wiring up their cameras?He's obviously a complete car nut but bits of the whole thing showed him in a poor light. But that could have been spontaneous stupidity with no script.
Just watching the programme as I type, Seems like a nice enough chap, clearly into his cars, seems to have pretty good taste when it comes to certain things.
However the narration and editing would suggest that the programme is clearly aimed towards the masses, a bit like watching a Top Gear care review.
However the narration and editing would suggest that the programme is clearly aimed towards the masses, a bit like watching a Top Gear care review.
I watched it though James Martin came over as a bit of an arse (sorry James). The total effort seemed as if well I am not ready but lets chuck some money at it and it will be alright…..
Given half the money and the chance to do the same I would hope I could do a much better job of the race (and even the TV bit).
Given half the money and the chance to do the same I would hope I could do a much better job of the race (and even the TV bit).
I've always thought James Martin lacked charisma on-camera (as do I and most other people). I don't doubt he's a talented chef, but I don't think he's a talented presenter. That's made things difficult to start with.
The production company would have started the ball rolling with a loose plan. The plan got blown to smithereens when he broke down and then declined to continue in another vehicle. It's his choice to stop (and I can understand the situation) but it was to the terminal detriment of the program.
The result of that was a shortage of footage. That meant the production company needed to trawl through what footage they did have and see what could be cobbled together to salvage the project. Unfortunately the 'most interesting' footage that was left was items like the camera-paintwork scene, the co-driver learning she wasn't there to drive and the 'if you have a pretty girl, leave it in a room and it will be surrounded when you come back' scene - all cringeworthy stuff which was stretched out to painful extremes.
I can understand how and why the production company were forced to go this way. What I can't understand is why the BBC commissioned it, as they would have bought the final program, having seen it complete.
With such a wonderful subject it could have been so much more, but it won't be the last Mille Miglia documentary, I promise you that
The production company would have started the ball rolling with a loose plan. The plan got blown to smithereens when he broke down and then declined to continue in another vehicle. It's his choice to stop (and I can understand the situation) but it was to the terminal detriment of the program.
The result of that was a shortage of footage. That meant the production company needed to trawl through what footage they did have and see what could be cobbled together to salvage the project. Unfortunately the 'most interesting' footage that was left was items like the camera-paintwork scene, the co-driver learning she wasn't there to drive and the 'if you have a pretty girl, leave it in a room and it will be surrounded when you come back' scene - all cringeworthy stuff which was stretched out to painful extremes.
I can understand how and why the production company were forced to go this way. What I can't understand is why the BBC commissioned it, as they would have bought the final program, having seen it complete.
With such a wonderful subject it could have been so much more, but it won't be the last Mille Miglia documentary, I promise you that
Gruffy said:
I've always thought James Martin lacked charisma on-camera (as do I and most other people). I don't doubt he's a talented chef, but I don't think he's a talented presenter. That's made things difficult to start with.
It's not.....James Martin who used to wear a bandana is it? You mentioned lack of charisma: I always remember seeing a chef on daytime telly years and years ago with this thing on his head and thinking 'this kid's so dull that the only thing they can think of to make him stand out is to make him wear a bandana'. Could it really be the same person?? I doubt it somehow because far from being arrogant he just seemed totally, boringly normal to me. Way too normal in fact.Cheers.
There's a very good thread over on Ten Tenths: http://www.ten-tenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1...
I've provided a link to page 12 as there's a very good post by someone who was on the same event.
One or two points i've learned from that thread is that apparently the Maser was only 1500cc and 65 brake. Is that right? If so, did 65 brake ever sound better?
Oh, and Mr martins girlfriend has left him.
I've provided a link to page 12 as there's a very good post by someone who was on the same event.
One or two points i've learned from that thread is that apparently the Maser was only 1500cc and 65 brake. Is that right? If so, did 65 brake ever sound better?
Oh, and Mr martins girlfriend has left him.
RicksAlfas said:
heebeegeetee said:
Oh, and Mr martins girlfriend has left him.
I'm not surprised after the slightly too long look his co-driver gave him in the book shop.
Anyway she was way more interesting than the airhead that he was with.
I got his book for Christmas - 'Driven'
Reading that, there is no question that he's a bona fide petrolhead. He's always spent all his money on cars, it's just that now he's got more money the cars he's buying are more expensive.
He does come across as a bit of a cock in the book aswell. Hard working cock, but a cock nonetheless.
Reading that, there is no question that he's a bona fide petrolhead. He's always spent all his money on cars, it's just that now he's got more money the cars he's buying are more expensive.
He does come across as a bit of a cock in the book aswell. Hard working cock, but a cock nonetheless.
heebeegeetee said:
There's a very good thread over on Ten Tenths: http://www.ten-tenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1...
I've provided a link to page 12 as there's a very good post by someone who was on the same event.
One or two points i've learned from that thread is that apparently the Maser was only 1500cc and 65 brake. Is that right?
Not that the information on Ten Tenths is any more reliable than some of the stuff on here. I've provided a link to page 12 as there's a very good post by someone who was on the same event.
One or two points i've learned from that thread is that apparently the Maser was only 1500cc and 65 brake. Is that right?
Noticed a chap on there saying that you can obviously do it "on the cheap" because of the MGA. What he doesn't know is that that particular MGA LBL 301 was one of teh three Abingdon's works Le Mans cars from I think 1955, so not just a run of the mill MGA, what price a Le Mans finisher? Not his fault but it does highlight the way throw away comments on Internet forums get taken as gospel! 
Hughesie said:
RicksAlfas said:
heebeegeetee said:
Oh, and Mr martins girlfriend has left him.
I'm not surprised after the slightly too long look his co-driver gave him in the book shop.Anyway she was way more interesting than the airhead that he was with.
RichB said:
heebeegeetee said:
There's a very good thread over on Ten Tenths: http://www.ten-tenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1...
I've provided a link to page 12 as there's a very good post by someone who was on the same event.
One or two points i've learned from that thread is that apparently the Maser was only 1500cc and 65 brake. Is that right?
Not that the information on Ten Tenths is any more reliable than some of the stuff on here. I've provided a link to page 12 as there's a very good post by someone who was on the same event.
One or two points i've learned from that thread is that apparently the Maser was only 1500cc and 65 brake. Is that right?
Noticed a chap on there saying that you can obviously do it "on the cheap" because of the MGA. What he doesn't know is that that particular MGA LBL 301 was one of teh three Abingdon's works Le Mans cars from I think 1955, so not just a run of the mill MGA, what price a Le Mans finisher? Not his fault but it does highlight the way throw away comments on Internet forums get taken as gospel! The first thing you need to sort is to find out if your prospective co-driver gets car sick or not. Most people don't get car-sick, until they're asked to read from a book for hours on end. Mal-de-navigator is always a potential issue, which i why i was amazed at how neither crew nor car had had any sort of shakedown run whatsoever. All they'd done was pootle around the lanes before the rebuild. They possibly should have been doing a proper run-in and shake down instead of doing that press launch, if time was so tight. Indeed they could have let someone else organise the press launch and then JM and the blonde could have arrived there during proceedings in the car, having driven there. Anything would have been better than taking a totally unsorted car and crew on an event like that.
Regarding your comment on the MGA, yes, i too believe there aren't any cheap cars available for the event, but nevertheless, an MG, TR or Healey would still be much cheaper, more powerful and altogether more ideal for that sort of event, especially for a first timer. The sad reality though is that any car that is eligible is instantly more valuable, precisely because it is eligible for a very prestigious and popular event.
Personally, i would have taken that MGA over that Maser any day.
RicksAlfas said:
heebeegeetee said:
Oh, and Mr martins girlfriend has left him.
I'm not surprised after the slightly too long look his co-driver gave him in the book shop.Legion said:
blueyes said:
Ok, some bits I liked, some I didn't and they've all been mentioned in other posts...
....BUT even though the BBC made him look like a cock, when he told his wife that she couldn't do the race and THEN chose a blonde totty with no nav experience he won my "solid steel balls of the month" award.
Sorry, quick factual correction: his 25 yo girlfriend. I do hope for his sake, he's much nicer to her behind the scenes, as she's a nice girl. And nice girls, sometimes, do just get up and walk away. ....BUT even though the BBC made him look like a cock, when he told his wife that she couldn't do the race and THEN chose a blonde totty with no nav experience he won my "solid steel balls of the month" award.
Gruffy said:
the co-driver learning she wasn't there to drive
Gruffy - I didn't understand that bit. I don't remember seeing her being told she wasn't driving, I just assumed she never drove because they only had one evening session and never got into the swing of it? When did she get told that?Strange though that he and his girlfriend have now split up - is that true, or just speculation?
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